October 17-26
$3395.00 – LAND ONLY
Whiskey Lover’s
Tour of Ireland
Join us as we explore Ireland through the lens of, and pay homage to, what was once the most popular drink in the world – Uisce Beatha, “the water of life”. And in the meantime, take in the splendor and magnificence of some of Ireland’s most famous sites.
You know you’ve been wanting and waiting to do this! And you don’t have to be a whiskey-lover to love this tour! And neither do your friends!
| Arr Day | Oct 17 Friday | Arrive in Dublin Enjoy a relaxed evening in Dublin’s City Centre. Sleep off your jet-lag. Be ready to kick off the tour the next morning after breakfast at the hotel! Overnight at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. |
| Day 1 | Oct 18 Saturday | Dublin–Belfast. We meet the group over breakfast, then board the bus and off we go. Leaving the hotel, we head north to Belfast half a day away. Reaching Newry Town, we divert eastward, coming to Downpatrick and our first stop at Down Cathedral. Dating back to 1183, and with a restoration begun in 1790 and completed in 1818, the Cathedral is the reputed burial place of St Patrick, St Brigid, and St Columba. From there, we complete our drive into Belfast where the rest of the afternoon is on your own. We kick the whiskey-loving off with a Whiskey Tasting prior to dinner. “Meet-and-Greet” Dinner and overnight at the Europa Hotel Belfast. |
| Day 2 | Oct 19 Sunday | Belfast. After a lazy breakfast, we’ll be turning you all loose for a day on your own to explore Belfast! The smart money is on the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, where you can take a 90-minute panoramic tour of the city before deciding what in particular to visit. Be sure to the Harland and Wolff cranes and Titanic Slipway, the Belfast Peace Wall, the Crumlin Road Gaol, Queen’s University, Belfast City Hall, or Saint George’s Market. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the Europa Hotel Belfast. |
| Day 3 | Oct 20 Monday | Bushmills–Donegal. After breakfast we bid adieu to Belfast and make our way to North Antrim’s Bushmills for two outstanding visits. The first is to the Giants Causeway, the volcanic marvel with its 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that form the legendary causeway, built (according to legend) by the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill. From there we drive to the nearby town of Bushmills for lunch, and then take a very short jog to the Old Bushmills Distillery–whose license reportedly dates back to Sir Thomas Phillips in 1608. Then we push on to Donegal Town. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the Abbey Hotel. |
| Day 4 | Oct 21 Tuesday | Donegal–Ardara. After a full Irish breakfast, we take a two-minute walk to tour the stunning Donegal Castle, first mentioned in 1544 in connection with the wars between the sons of MacSweeney Doe. Wrecked sailors from the Spanish Armada were granted refuge here in 1588. By 1600, it had been captured and taken over by Eoghan Og MacSweeny, an ally of the English, who was unsuccessfully besieged there by his brother Rory. Then we pile on the bus and drive to Ardara–named, which The Irish Times, in 2012, named as “the best village in which to live in Ireland”. We’ll have lunch in Ardara, and then walk around the corner to visit the Triona Donegal Tweed Visitor Centre, see how Irish wool is made, and engage in some retail therapy with some of the most beautiful woolens you’ve ever seen. Then we drive back to Donegal Town. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the Abbey Hotel. |
| Day 5 | Oct 22 Wednesday | Carrowmore–Athlone. After breakfast, it’s moving-day again and we make our goodbyes to Donegal Town, venturing southwest through Sligo and on to the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery–the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland, and also among the country’s oldest, with tombs and monuments dating from 4300-3500 BC. Archaeologists have recorded over 60 tombs, of which 30 are visible. From there, we drive southeast across Sligo and Roscommon until we come to the geographic center of Ireland and the town of Athlone–where the remains of the day are yours. There will be a Whiskey Tasting at Sean’s Bar–the oldest pub in Ireland. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel. |
| Day 6 | Oct 23 Thursday | Clonmacnoise–Athlone. Today’s adventure involves a half-hour jaunt into County Offaly to the ruins of St Ciarán’s 6th -century monastery of Clonmacnoise (from Cluain Mhic Nóis, “the meadow of the sons of Nós”) on the east bank of the River Shannon where it was once crossed by Slighe Mhór. The ruins include a cathedral, seven churches, two round towers, three high crosses and a large collection of early-Christian grave slabs. It’s strategic location on “the Great Highway” helped it become a major center of religion, learning, craftsmanship, and trade by the 9th -century. It was one of the most famous places in Ireland, visited by scholars from all over Europe, and many of the high kings of Tara and Connacht were buried here. After our visit, we return to Athlone and the rest of the day is yours. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel. |
| Day 7 | Oct 24 Thursday | Kilbeggan–Dublin. For the final time, we make our farewells to Athlone and take to the road once more. As we make our return to Dublin, we come to Kilbeggan (from Cill Bheagáin, “the church of St Bécán”). Once there, we visit the Kilbeggan Distillery – the oldest licensed distillery of its kind in Ireland. Founded in 1757, our second distillery spent the next 200 years making a whiskey beloved the world over. When tough times ground its gears to a halt, the town came together to save the whiskey that built the town. Afterwards, we have lunch and make our way to Ireland’s 1,000-year-old city of Dublin. Once there we visit the Irish Whiskey Museum–where we’ll take a journey back through time to learn the origins of Irish whiskey, its rise to glory and its dramatic fall and its rebirth. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. |
| Day 8 | Oct 25 Saturday | Dublin. Be sure to eat a hearty breakfast before a day full of exploring Dublin on your own! DoDublin’s Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus Pass (the Green Bus) is the ideal way to see the whole of Dublin, get acquainted and see the sights, and enjoy live commentary from their Fáilte Ireland trained drivers–all native Dubliners and all of whom are great entertainers. Be sure to see the beautiful St Patrick’s Cathedral, the magnificent Dublin Castle, the history-laden G.P.O. on O’Connell Street, Kilmainham Gaol, the famous Phoenix Park, and Trinity College–home to the Book of Kells. Don’t miss St James’ Gate and the Guinness Storehouse. Be sure to visit the Brazen Head–the oldest pub in Dublin. If you haven’t had enough of whiskey by this time, check out the Jameson Bow Street Distillery, the Teeling Distillery, the Pearse Lyons Distillery, the Roe & Co Distillery, or the Dublin Liberties Distillery. Maybe enjoy a Literary Pub Crawl this evening after dinner. “Farewell Dinner” and overnight at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. |
| Dep Day | Oct 26 Sunday | Dublin Airport to USA. After breakfast, absent any additional personal travel-plans, we transfer to Dublin Airport for your flight home. In the true Irish Tradition, we wish you a “Safe Home”. |
</div class=”alt-custom”>