12 Day Irish Odyssey

 

This Irish Odyssey Escorted Coach Tour of is 12 days/11 nights

Highlights: 2018IrishOdysseyBrochureMap

Ballintubber Abbey
Belleek Pottery
Blarney Castle
Boyne Valley Visitor Centre
Cliffs of Moher
Giant’s Causeway
Jaunting car ride in Killarney
Kilmainham Gaol
Kylemore Abbey
Russborough House
Sheepdog Demonstration
Titanic Belfast

 

Hotels:
Superior First Class

Herbert Park Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
The River Lee Hotel, Cork (1 night)
Killarney Plaza Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
Radisson Blu Galway Hotel, Galway (2 nights)
City Hotel, Derry, Derry (2 nights)
Cabra Castle Hotel, Kingscourt (1 night)
The D Hotel, Drogheda (1 night)

Tour Includes:

Full daily breakfast (except Day 1)
All on-tour transportation including shuttles and ferries
Nine dinners including Taylors Three Rock Pub with live show, a local venue in Dingle,
the Walled City Brewery Restaurant, and Wm Cairnes Gastropub farewell dinner.
Welcome get-together drink with your group
Free Wi-Fi on coaches so you can stay connected along the way
Documents wallet and backpack to keep you organized
All local taxes, hotel service charges & handling of one suitcase per person

2020 Prices
Mar 6 – Mar 17 – €1925
Mar 20 – Mar 31 – €2245
Mar 27 – Apr 7 – €2045
Apr 3 – Apr 14 – €2165
Apr 10 – Apr 21- €2165
Apr 24 – May 5 – €2725
May 1 – May 12 – €2605
May 15 – May 26 – €3125
May 22 – Jun 2 – €2725
May 29 – Jun 9 – €2685
Jun – Jun 16 – €3165
Jun 12 – Jun 23 – €2725
Jun 19 – Jun 30 – €2725
Jun 26 – Jul 7 – €2725
Jul 10 – Jul 21 – €2725
Jul 17 – Jul 28 – €3205
Jul 31 – Aug 11 – €2725
Aug 14 – Aug 25 – €3205
Aug 21 – Sep 1 – €2725
Aug 28 – Sep 8 – €2725
Sep 4 – Sep 15 – €2725
Sep 18 – Sep 29 – €3165
Sep 25 – Oct 6 – €2565
Oct 2 – Oct 13 – €2285
Oct 9 – Oct 20 – €2285
Oct 16 – Oct 27 – €2765
Oct 23 – Nov 3 – €2125
Oct 30 – Nov 10 – €1925
Nov 6 – Nov 17 – €1885
Nov 13 – Nov 24 – €2365

 

IRISH ODYSSEY 12 DAYS / 11 NIGHTS

Day 1: DUBLIN TOUR & KILMAINHAM GAOL
Tour begins 2:00 PM, Dublin hotel. Set out on a tour of Dublin’s highlights to view Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the General Post Office. Visit Kilmainham Gaol where many of Ireland’s leaders, including Robert Emmett, Eamon DeValera and Padraig Pearse, were imprisoned during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently.

Day 2: RUSSBOROUGH HOUSE & TAYLOR’S THREE ROCK PUB
Take in the delightful scenery of the Wicklow Mountains as you head to Blessington for a guided tour of stately Russborough House, a Palladian mansion filled with interesting treasures of art and photography. The afternoon is free to use your vouchers to visit a featured attraction. In the evening, head to Taylor’s Three Rock Pub for dinner with traditional music, songs and step-dancing.
(B, D)

Day 3: FARMHOUSE VISIT & HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL
Travel through Kildare to visit a traditional farmhouse and learn about country living while enjoying tea and scones. Drive south to Waterford to tour the House of Waterford Crystal. Watch experienced craftspeople through the various stages of production, from glass blowing and cutting to the final polishing of pieces to make them sparkle. Continue along the south coast to Cork for dinner and overnight stay.
(B, D)

Day 4: BLARNEY CASTLE & KILLARNEY
Start your day with a local guide on a brief walking tour of Cork and the English Market. Visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence” or stroll through the lovely gardens. Treat yourself to quality Irish-made goods at Blarney Woollen Mills. Enjoy the scenery in Counties Cork and Kerry as you head to the colourful town of Kenmare. Stop at Moll’s Gap for great views of part of the Ring of Kerry and watch trained dogs herding sheep.
(B, D)

Day 5: JAUNTING CAR RIDE & DINGLE PENINSULA
Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle to view Lough Leane, largest of Killarney’s lakes. Travel on to discover the beauties of the scenic Dingle Peninsula and experience views of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach and rocky headlands. There will be frequent stops at strategic locations to admire the views and take photos. Enjoy an early dinner in the charming town of Dingle before returning to Killarney.
(B, D)

Day 6: CLIFFS OF MOHER & GALWAY
Sample tea and scones in a pub in Listowel, associated with the writer, J. B. Keane. Embark on a ferry ride across River Shannon Estuary and drive along the coast of County Clare. View the famous Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that soars 200m above the Atlantic Ocean. Walk to O’Brien’s Tower for views of Connemara and the Aran Islands. Join a local guide for a walking tour of Galway.
(B, D)

Day 7: “THE QUIET MAN” & CONNEMARA
Enjoy a guided walking tour of Cong where “The Quiet Man” movie was made in 1952. Travel through Connemara for sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. Stop at Kylemore Abbey for a walk through the elegant mansion, set beside a tranquil lake. Enjoy a casual lunch before returning to Galway, where the rest of the day is free for independent sightseeing and dining.
(B, L)

Day 8: BALLINTUBBER ABBEY & BELLEEK POTTERY
Travel north to Claremorris to visit Ballintubber Abbey, known as “the Abbey that refused to die.” The abbey has the unique status of being Ireland’s only royal Abbey, which has been in continuous use for more than 780 years. At Belleek Pottery, watch craftspeople shape and decorate clay into delicate pieces. Follow the Atlantic shoreline of Donegal Bay to the town of Donegal for some free time. Continue your drive through the majestic Barnesmore Gap to Derry.
(B, D)

Day 9: GIANT’S CAUSEWAY & DERRY WALK
Visit the Causeway Coast Discovery Centre for tea with scones and a turf-cutting demonstration. Explore the Giant’s Causeway, huge hexagonal basalt columns formed over 60 million years ago. The oversized rocks have given rise to many legends. Back in Derry, join a local guide for a short walk around the medieval city walls that completely encircle the old city centre. Complete your tour at the Walled City Brewery Restaurant where you will enjoy dinner with your fellow travellers.
(B, D)

Day 10: TITANIC BELFAST & CABRA CASTLE STAY
Head to Belfast for a panoramic city tour followed by a visit to Titanic Belfast to learn about this famous liner through state-of-the-art displays. Travel to Kingscourt and your castle hotel, built in 1760. Arrive mid-afternoon so that you can enjoy this lovely property. After dinner in the Court Restaurant, enjoy a display of Irish step-dancing.
(B, D)

Day 11: MEGALITHIC TOMBS & HISTORIC DROGHEDA WALK
Visit the Boyne Valley Visitor Centre to learn about the 5,000-year-old burial tombs of Newgrange and Knowth and walk through one of them. See how primitive people managed to align huge boulders precisely. Continue to the historic town of Drogheda for a leisurely stroll and sample locally-brewed beer in a traditional pub. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with live music at Wm Cairnes Gastropub.
(B, D)

Day 12: TOUR ENDS IN DROGHEDA
Your tour ends after breakfast. Drogheda is 30 miles north of Dublin Airport so ensure you have appropriate transfer arrangements made.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

 

Ballintubber Abbey image

Ballintubber Abbey and its environs exude an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that accommodates and integrates into its setting a range of human activity and interests- spiritual, historical, educational. These include retreats, tours, weddings, concerts, liturgical celebrations, Tóchar walks, guided tours and time for quite reflection and prayer.
Belleek Pottery IMG_9

Established in 1857 Belleek Pottery was established to provide employment in the area by making household fixtures. Later the company started production of place settings and ornamental pieces in fine Parian china and you can see production from clay to finish on a factory tour.

Blarney Castle Blarney Castle

Built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, this stronghold has been attracting attention ever since. Millions have flocked to Blarney to kiss the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of the tower, making it one of Ireland’s greatest treasures.

Boyne Valley Visitor Centre Boyne Vallye

Brú na Bóinne or Boyne Valley Visitor Centre interprets the Neolithic monuments of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. The extensive exhibition includes a full scale replica of the chamber at Newgrange as well as a full model of one of the smaller tombs at Knowth.

 

Cliffs of Moher Cliffs Of Moher

One of Ireland’s top visitor attractions, the cliffs are 700 feet high and extend for 5 miles over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly on a headland and one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay and Connemara. The cliffs are home to major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds.

Giant’s Causeway Giants Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway, renowned for its hexagonal basalt columns, was created from a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. It is Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ireland’s most popular visitor attractions. It is steeped in myth and legend, especially about the mighty giant, Finn McCool.

 

Jaunting car ride in Killarney Killarney Jaunting Cars

Drive through part of the extensive Killarney National Park at a leisurely pace to enjoy wonderful lake and mountain views and stop for photos. All the while your driver entertains you with local folklore and history of the area.

 

Kilmainham Gaol Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. It closed its doors in 1924. Today the building symbolises the tradition of militant and constitutional nationalism from the rebellion of 1798 to the Irish Civil War of 1922-23. Leaders of the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848,1867 and 1916 were detained and in some cases executed here.

 

Kylemore Abbey Kylemore Abbey

This Abbey is home to an order of Benedictine Nuns. See the fairy tale castle and Abbey set in an area of great natural beauty in Connemara. Visit the restored rooms of the Abbey and learn about its history and tales of tragedy and romance.

 

Russborough House Russborough house

Set in Blessington, to the south of Dublin city, this magnificent Palladian mansion is set in spacious grounds and is filled with interesting treasures as well as noted works of art and early photographic collections.

 

Sheepdog Demonstration SheepdogTrials

Sheep farming is an important part of country life and watch a farmer with his working dogs control a flock of sheep. See how agile dogs obey various commands to round up sheep, especially useful in mountainous regions.

 

Titanic Belfast Titanic Belfast

Opened in April 2012 to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of this iconic ship, this new visitor experience tells the story of the Titanic from conception and construction right through the maiden voyage and tragic ending.

 

 

Have you decided that a coach Ireland tour isn’t for you? Check out our dedicated golf site for other options. Or else, check out our car tours for more open ended itineraries.