8-day Itinerary “Western & Central Midlands Tour”
Travel gather, flight to New York and then on to Shannon,
Ireland
10:45 am - Meet at Gerald R Ford Airport in Grand Rapids, check baggage
12:45am - Flight leaves
5:30pm - Flight arrives New York/Newark Liberty Airport
8:30pm - Flight leaves for Ireland
Day 1 Arrive in Ireland, then we’ll introduce you to Ireland
by driving north to see castles and wonderful natural sites
7:45am - Arrive Shannon Airport, retrieve baggage, through customs,
retrieve rental car; 9:30 am - On the road to Dromoland Castle, through
Ennis, to the Cliffs of Moher, Kilfenora Burren Center, Polnabrohn
Dolman, The Burren, Dunguaire Castle, Connemara Marble Factory
(Stay at the Lake Side Country House Bed and Breakfast, Oughterard
Day 2 driving northwest through Connemara Country, then back
east , visiting two of the most famous Irish sites, including Kylemore
Abbey and Sky Drive in the west and Clonmacnois in the Midlands
Aughnere Castle, 12 Bens/Pins Mountains, Sky Drive and Clifden Castle,
Kylemore Abbey and Gothic Church, Joyce Country Drive, Ashford Castle,
Clonmacnoise Ecclesiastical site
(Stay at Meadow View B & B - near Shannonbridge
Eat at the Fort Restaurant in)
Day 3 driving east the entire day, to the haunting and ancient
Hill at Tara, St. Patrick’s Easter fire site at Slane, then the passage
tombs at Newgrange, which are older than the pyramids in Egypt!
Clonmacnois, Trim Castle, The Hill of Tara, Hill of Slane, Newgrange
Passage Tomb, Malahide Castle
(Stay at Evergreen B & B in Malahide for two full nights …. The
Evergreen
Day 4 full day in historic and contemporary Dublin Ride into Dublin on the DART electric train; the morning will include the Hop-on, Hop-off Dublin Tour (Trinity College and Book of Kells, National Museum, National Library, GPO, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church, Phoenix Park and more!; Lunch at Bewleys on Grafton Street; Afternoon: half a day to shop, tour, eat, etc.
Day 5 driving south today, through the Wicklow Mountains, then further south to Waterford and finally to Tramore St. Kevin’s at Glendalough, Avoca Hand Weavers (site of Ballykissangel from PBS/BBC fame), Ferns Castle, New Ross (and the Dunbrody tall ship), stay at Cliff House B&B
Day 6 driving north and west today, on to Cashel, then to Blarney A visit to the imposing Rock of Cashel, then to Cahir Castle (sight of the filming of the movie Excaliber) and finally to Blarney Castle, Shopping at Blarney Woolen Mills, stay at Blarney Vale Bed and Breakfast
Day 7 a day trip to 3,000 year old stone circle,
then back to Killarney through the national park
Ardgroom Stone Circle, Beara Pennsula, Healy Pass, Moll’s Gap,
Macgillikuddy’s Reeks Mountains, Killarney National Park, Lady’s View,
Tork Falls, Muckross House, Ross Castle, Laurels Singing Pub
( Stay at Flesk Lodge B & B in Killarney for two nights)
Day 8 north to Tralee, then east to Limerick and
north to the Bunratty/Shannon area
Killarney town, Adair Castle, Limerick, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park,
Bunratty Medieval Banquet
(Stay in Bunratty at the Courtyard B & B, within walking distance
of Bunratty Castle, Folk Park and Medieval Banquet)
Travel breakfast, then off to the airport for
flights back to the United States
To the airport by 9:15am
Fly out of Shannon by 11:15am
Through Newark Liberty, return to Grand Rapids at approx. 6:30pm
Itinerary Highlights
See the sites of the 10-day itinerary in the 10-day photo gallery.
Click on the gallery icon and select the 10-day photo gallery.