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Irish Pub & Folk Tour
First Class Hotels - 9 Days
From US$848.00 land only
• Jameson Whiskey & Guinness Brewery • Danny Mann's Pub Session
• Rock of Cashel • Dingle Peninsula Tour & Gallarus Oratory • Cliffs of Moher
• First class hotels with private bath or shower for 7 nights
• 7 full Irish breakfasts (B)
Cobh Heritage Centre, Blarney Castle, Blasket Centre,
Gallarus Oratory and Cliffs of Moher
- 4 table d'hôte dinners
- Traditional Irish evening with dinner and entertainment at
the Abbey Tavern
- Dinner & entertainment at Kathleen's Irish Ceili
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage
for one suitcase per person
YOUR HOTELS
Board your aircraft for an overnight trip across the Atlantic. Enjoy in-flight entertainment and meals.
Land at Dublin Airport early this morning. After customs formalities and luggage reclamation, head to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall to arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. Passengers arriving later will transfer to the hotel at their own expense. In the afternoon take an orientation drive around Dublin to see the principal buildings and the main shopping streets. End your brief tour at the old Jameson Distillery to learn about distillation processes and sample some whiskey. You are free this evening to sample some of Dublin's great pubs such as the Brazen Head, Doheny & Nesbits, the Bailey or the lively scene at Temple Bar or right in your hotel!
Drive to Dublin Castle where a guided visit will show you the elegant State Apartments with historical portraits and furnishings. Rejoin your coach to take a look around the spacious Phoenix Park, home to Ireland's President and the U.S. Ambassador. Return to the city center to visit the Guinness Storehouse. Here see how this famous brewery was established and how the popular black brew is created. Finish your tour at the rooftop bar where you can learn how to draw the "perfect pint" and sample the finished product. In the afternoon explore some pubs or shops on your own and in the evening drive to Howth, a fishing village where the 200-year-old Abbey Tavern is located. After a dinner of Irish specialties, sit back and enjoy the lively singing while you sip an Irish coffee or Guinness. (B, D)
Depart Dublin to travel through the Irish countryside and stop in Horse & Jockey where you can buy a great pub lunch. Visit the Rock of Cashel, a magnificent limestone outcrop with church ruins dating back to the 12th century. Just outside Cork visit the Cobh Heritage Centre, where many emigrants left Ireland to create a new life in the United States. See displays which feature ships and luxury liners that sailed from here. Enjoy some time to look around Cobh before driving to Kinsale to check into your hotel. After dinner, check out the pub scene - The Spaniard, Hole-in-the-Wall, Mad Monk and Seanachai are great favorites. (B, D)
Today explore Kinsale with a local guide on a short walking tour around this delightful town. Kinsale is a historic port town from where many Irish clan leaders fled to Continental Europe. Today it is a popular yachting center and also boasts many fine restaurants. See the many churches, Desmond Castle and Market House, all dating from medieval times and admire the Georgian homes with colorful gardens. Finish your walk at the Kinsale Brewing Company for a tour and a tasting! In the afternoon take a drive along the heavily indented coastline of Cork, popular for sports and vacations. Pass through delightful towns such as Timoleague and Rosscarbery and shops in Clonakilty. Return to Kinsale for time to inspect the pubs you didn't reach last night. (B, D)
Today drive north to visit Blarney Castle, just a few miles outside Cork city. Here you can climb to the ramparts to kiss the well known "stone of eloquence". Also head to the Blarney Woolen Mills - there's a pub hiding in the shopping complex! Then journey from the lush pasturelands of County Cork into the mountainous countryside of County Kerry. Pass the town of Macroom and the Derrynasaggart Mountains. Drive to Kenmare and stop for a look around this attractive town with lots of great places for "pub grub". Continue your journey through Moll's Gap and ladies' View for great vistas of Killarney's lakes and mountains all round. Arrive in Killarney in time to relax before dinner and afterwards head to Danny Mann's Pub, one of the town's popular taverns featuring live music (B, D)
Discover another scenic region of County Kerry. The Dingle Peninsula came to prominence when "Ryan's Daughter" was filmed there, revealing pristine beaches, hills and villages. Stop in the town of Dingle to explore a little and enjoy a pub lunch before heading to the westernmost tip. Visit the Blasket Centre in Dunquin overlooking the Blasket Islands which lie a few miles offshore. See displays of the rugged life of the islanders who lived there until 1953 and learn about the literary works by many poets and writers in the Irish language. Visit Gallarus Oratory, a tiny early Christian church built of unmortored stone which is still watertight after about 14 centuries. Return via Dingle to Killarney in time to browse around the town and, before or after dinner, sample other hostelries such as The Laurels, Murphy's, Buckley's, Kiely's or some other great pubs. (B, D)
Leaving Killarney travel via Tralee and Listowel to Tarbert where you take the ferry across the wide mouth of the River Shannon. Drive via Lahinch to view the Cliffs Of Moher. The impressive wall of rock rises to a height of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic Ocean and stretches for five miles along the coast. See part of the Burren Country on the way to Bunratty. The afternoon is free to explore the Bunratty Folk Park with Mac's pub or head to the famous Durty Nelly's Pub. Live it up for your last night of the trip at Kathleen's Irish Ceili which takes place right in your hotel. A hearty dinner is followed by spirited Irish folk entertainment with plenty of song and dance. (B, D)
This morning take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport to arrive by 9:30 am for return flights to the United States. If you wish to end your tour in Dublin drive through pleasant scenery of the midland region. The tour concludes at Dublin Airport at approximately 4:00 pm or in the city center at 4:30 pm.
