Ireland Group Tours - Traveling Around Ireland with Patricia Tunison Preston

Msgr. Charlie Coen Ireland 2008 Tour
Featuring the Scenic Southern Coast of Ireland
July 19 - 29, 2008
9 Days – 8 Nights – 16 Meals
$2,599 per person including airfare from NY
$1,850 for land-only
Led By Msgr. Charlie Coen
with Patricia & John Preston

Photo Captions: Highlights of our 2008 tour will include (left to right, top row): Round tower and Celtic crosses at 6th century Glendalough, Co. Wicklow; the picturesque village of Avoca, depicted on PBS-TV as "Ballykissangel"; and a master cutter at the Waterford Crystal Factory demonstrating his craft; (middle row, from left): boat cruise on Kinsale Harbour, Co. Cork; and walking tour of Kinsale, Co. Cork with guide Don Herlihy; and (bottom row): Nonstop panoramic views along the Ring of Kerry; entertainers at medieval castle banquet; and Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare.

Our Itinerary

Sunday, July 20 – Depart JFK Airport via Aer Lingus EI #110 at 6:30 p.m., overnight flight to Shannon, with dinner on board.

Monday, July 21 – Arrive at Shannon Airport at 5:45 a.m., to be greeted by our CIE Tours International driver/guide. We’ll enjoy a “Welcome to Ireland” Irish breakfast and then set out into the Irish countryside – to discover that it is not such “a long way to Tipperary” as we drive through Tipperary Town and the verdant countryside surrounded by the Galtee and Knockmealdown Mountains. We’ll stop at Cahir, one of Ireland’s cherished heritage towns, for a brief break and a tour of 13th century Cahir Castle. Continuing on, we’ll travel via Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir, crossing through Co. Waterford and then onward into Wexford, one of Ireland’s oldest towns with origins as a 9th century Viking settlement. Situated on a sheltered inlet of the River Slaney, Wexford is compact and easily walkable, with narrow streets, hidden laneways and a new riverfront marina. The remainder of the day is free to rest or enjoy a swim in the hotel pool. This evening, CIE Tours will host us to a pre-dinner “Welcome” drink.
Dinner and Overnight: Talbot Hotel, Wexford Town

Tuesday, July 22 – From our Wexford base, we’ll drive northward into Co. Wicklow, known as “The Garden of Ireland.” No where in Ireland is lovelier in the summer than Co. Wicklow, with its blend of blossoming trees and flower-filled gardens, set amid verdant glens, meandering rivers and gentle mountains. We’ll travel first to the heart of the Wicklow National Park at Glendalough, site of St. Kevin’s 6th century monastic settlement, for a guided tour. Afterward, we'll continue on to Avoca, a delightful little village that was the setting for the BBC/PBS-TV series, “Ballykissangel.” It is also the home of Avoca Handweavers, Ireland’s oldest weaving mill, dating back to 1723. We'll take a brief tour to see hand-weaving demonstrations and have time for lunch, shopping or to browse in the village. Later, we’ll return to Wexford, with the rest of the day free to explore, shop or relax.
Dinner and Overnight: Talbot Hotel, Wexford Town

Wednesday, July 23 – Depart Wexford this morning and head west to Waterford City, another impressive Viking settlement but best known today as the home of Waterford Crystal. We’ll take a tour of the Waterford Crystal factory, to get a first-hand view of how the world-famous crystal is made. From Waterford, we’ll drive along the scenic Co. Waterford coast, and stop at the Marine pub in Dungarvan known for its music, allowing us time for lunch with a tune or two. Next we’ll skirt around busy Cork City and head south to the historic fishing and yachting port of Kinsale. Dating back to the 12th century, Kinsale played a strategic part in Irish history including becoming one of Ireland’s principal wine ports. Today this picturesque harbor town is hailed for food as well as wine – with over 20 fine restaurants, Kinsale is known as the “gourmet capital” of Ireland. After settling in at our hotel which is located right on the marina, we’ll take a walking tour of Kinsale with a local guide.
Dinner and Overnight: Trident Hotel, Kinsale

Thursday, July 24 – From Kinsale, it’s just a short drive to Blarney where we will go to visit Blarney Castle, and to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone. We’ll also visit the famous Blarney Woollen Mills, a treasure-trove for shoppers. After lunch, we’ll return to Kinsale, in time to board the “Spirit of Kinsale” for a cruise along the harbor and up the Bandon River. The excursion includes a commentary about the Kinsale area. The rest of afternoon is free to explore Kinsale on your own and to sample your choice of Kinsale’s many fine restaurants and pubs. It’s an ideal opportunity to make your own plans and enjoy a special meal (whether you crave fish-and-chips or lobster from the tank; local or international cuisine) in Ireland’s “gourmet capital.”
Overnight: Trident Hotel, Kinsale

Friday, July 25 – Today we depart Kinsale and head westward along the scenic N 71 route of West Cork, a happy mix of bays and coves, inlets and islands, as well as the colorful market towns of Clonakilty and Skibbereen and the artisan village of Ballydehob. The landscape presents a rainbow of wildflower colors and lush subtropical foliage, warmed by Gulf breezes and fanned by palm trees. A highlight of our drive is Bantry Bay, a curved panorama of glistening waters nestled between two peninsulas. We’ll stop to tour Bantry House & Gardens, one of Ireland’s grandest 18th century homes. We continue along this route via Glengarriff and then to Kenmare and into Co. Kerry. From Kenmare, we head to Killarney, arriving at Muckross House in the Killarney National Park for a tour. We’ll have time to explore the gardens and craft centre (pottery and weaving demonstrations) before we board our horse-drawn jaunting cars for a ride along the Killarney lake shore and into Killarney town, arriving in traditional style at our hotel.
Dinner & overnight: Malton Hotel, Killarney

Saturday, July 26 – The Iveragh Peninsula (more popularly known as the Ring of Kerry) – Ireland’s most scenic drive – awaits us today. It’s an ever-changing mix of coastal scenery including Carrantuohill, Ireland’s highest mountain, pristine beaches, cliffside vistas, and colorful palm tree-lined villages. We’ll stop for a sheepdog demonstration along our route at Kells and to learn more about the 6th century Skellig Islands monastic settlements at the “Skellig Experience” Heritage Centre on Valentia Island. In the evening, we’ll travel to the Gap of Dunloe for dinner and Irish traditional music and dancing at Kate Kearney’s Cottage, an authentic 19th century pub.
Overnight: Malton Hotel, Killarney

Sunday, July 27 – Today we head to the nearby Dingle Peninsula. Reaching out from Tralee like a thumb plunging into the Atlantic, the Dingle Peninsula is less than 40 miles long but packed with awesome scenery at every turn. It is surrounded by water on three sides, with a mix of seacoast vistas and mountain passes. The western tip of the peninsula is home to the West Kerry Gaeltacht where the Irish language is readily spoken. To learn more about the language, history and folklore of the area, we’ll visit the Blasket Heritage Centre and have free time in Dingle Town/An Daingean. We’ll return to Killarney in time for dinner at our hotel.
Dinner & overnight: Malton Hotel, Killarney

Monday, July 28 – Depart Killarney and drive to North Kerry to board a ferry at Tarbert to cross the Shannon Estuary into Co. Clare. We drive along the scenic West Clare Coast to the Cliffs of Moher, a five-mile high stretch of seacoast reaching over 700 feet in height and one of Ireland’s great natural wonders. After viewing the Cliffs, we continue through a rocky region known as The Burren toward Ennis and then to Bunratty. Here we’ll have time to stroll through Bunratty Folk Park, a re-creation of a typical 19th century Irish village. In the evening, we’ll dine like Kings & Queens at a 15th century medieval Bunratty Castle – a fitting finale to our tour.
Overnight: Bunratty Castle Hotel

Tuesday, July 29 – Alas, our tour must come to an end, so we’ll head to Shannon Airport. We’ll arrive at the airport at approx. 10:30 a.m. in plenty of time for check-in for Aer Lingus flight EI #111 to JFK-NY at 1:30 p.m., and for reclaiming VAT refunds and duty free shopping at Shannon. Local arrival time in NY-JFK is approx. 3:50 p.m.

Slán agus beannacht!
(“Good-bye and God bless you!”)

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