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Ireland: Land of Saints & Scholars

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Highlights of Dublin City
  • Trinity College Library & The Book of Kells
  • Christchurch Cathedral & Kilmainham Gaol
  • EPIC Ireland & The Jeanie Johnson
Highlights of Connacht ("The West")
  • Galway City & The Cliffs of Moher
  • King John's Castle in Limerick
  • Evening at Bunratty Castle
Highlights of Leinster ("The Midlands")
  • Viking Cruise on the River Shannon
  • Clonmacnoise Monastery
Highlights of Munster ("The South")
  • Kissing the Blarney Stone
  • The Rock of Cashel Fortress
  • Titanic Experience in Cobh
  • Skellig Michael or Valentia Island
Highlights of Ulster ("The North")
  • The Giant's Causeway
  • Rope Bridge at Carrick-a-Rede
  • Dunluce Castle & Portrush Harbor

Introduction

Since 2009 we’ve been offering all-inclusive international travel programs for students interested developing real world travel skills while exploring some of the world's most interesting places as part of a small group.
Our programs seize every opportunity to practice foreign language, navigation, scheduling, collaboration, and budgeting skills with real world activities like cross-referencing street and metro maps, purchasing transit passes, researching opening days/times, navigating an itinerary and staying on schedule, choosing restaurants and making reservations, and eating well while staying within a meal allowance.

Itinerary

Stay in Luxury Bed & Breakfast Cottages at the heart of Ireland with our Program Director showing your group a different part of Ireland every day. You'll see busy city streets, rolling green hills, spectacular glacial valleys with lakes and waterfalls, awe-inspiring cliffs, Norman castles, Viking churches, and ancient illustrated Christian texts. You'll experience amazing food, music, dance, and singing, and you'll meet the friendliest people on earth.
This itinerary extends "Ireland: The Emerald Isle" with an additional day spent offshore visiting the stone beehive huts on Skellig Micheal (this collection of hermit hits are the site of "The First Jedi Temple" in Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

Day City Overview
1 Airborne Meet your Program Director for an overnight flight to Ireland!
2 Leinster
"The Midlands"		 Private transfer from Dublin to farmhouse accommodations in the center of Ireland where we’ll unpack and head to the dining room to experience the renowned Full Irish Breakfast. After breakfast we depart for Athlone and take boat ride along the Shannon to Clonmacnoise (a monastery settled in 546). Guided Tour of Clonmacnoise. Private transfer back to Athlone for dinner overlooking the Shannon across from a beautifully lit Athlone Castle.
3 Dublin City Private transfer to Dublin. Visit Epic Ireland and learn about Ireland’s influential diaspora (you probably expect to hear about John F. Kennedy and Bono, but you probably didn’t expect to hear about Charles de Gaulle and Che Guevara!). Learn about the Irish Famine and "coffin ships" while exploring an exact replica of the Jeanie Johnson Tall Ship on Custom House Quay. Lunch/Shopping in Powerscourt Townhouse Center. Enjoy a guided tour of Christchurch Cathedral (founded in 1028 by a Viking King) and then learn about the Irish War of Independence while exploring Kilmainham Gaol.
4 Munster
"The South"		 Private transfer to Cork. Along the way we’ll stop and explore the Rock of Cashel and take in the Titanic Experience in Cobh. Visit Blarney Castle where we’ll be “Blessed with the Gift of the Gab” when we kiss the Blarney Stone. Dinner in Cork and then transfer back to Tullamore.
5 Antrim
"The North"		 Day trip up north to see the fascinating basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway, cross the rope bridge at Carrick-a- Rede and take in the incredible views from the coastal walk, then wander around the ruins of medieval Dunluce Castle (Pyke Castle in Game of Thrones) high up on the coastal cliffs. Dinner overlooking the harbor in Portrush then transfer back to Tullamore.
6 Connacht
"The West"		 Private transfer to Lahinch for some time strolling along the Cliffs of Moher. Lunch, then transfer to Limerick to explore the beautifully restored King John’s Castle.
7 Connacht
"The West"		 Choose one: (A) Skellig Micheal - Boat ride out to Skellig Michael to explore the remains of the Christian Monastery (selected by J.J. Abrams as the first Jedi Temple in Star Wars: The Force Awakens); (B) Valentia Island - Road trip includes the Skellig Experience Visitor Center, Bray Head Tower, Cromwell Point Lighthouse, Geokaun Mountain, Fogher Cliffs, and the Subtropical Gardens at Glanleam. Evening of traditional music and food at Bunratty Castle.
8 Dublin City Private transfer to Dublin. Visit to the Book of Kells and the Trinity College Library (Harry Potter fans will recognize it immediately as the dining hall at Hogworts!). Shopping on Grafton Street followed by a professionally guided walk around the old city visiting a selection of restaurants including a few in the Temple Bar district (Dublin’s Cultural Quarter). The day ends with a tour of Guinness World Headquarters at Saint James Gate where you'll learn how the original nitrogen-infused draught beer is brewed from the finest irish malt, barley, hops and water. Final packing, then a farewell banquet in Tullamore.
9 Airborne Enjoy a farewell Full Irish Breakfast before boarding our private transport to the airport. Slainté!