A Tour of Ireland.
Places, People & Stories.

Dublin

Welcome to Dublin

Your Irish journey begins with our scheduled pickup at Dublin Airport at 12pm. We travel directly to our city centre hotel, where a welcome lunch provides a relaxed opportunity to meet your fellow travellers and get to know the group before our first visit.

After lunch, we explore Christ Church Cathedral, where the story of Dublin reaches back through its medieval streets to the city’s Viking beginnings. Its soaring interior and atmospheric crypt offer a memorable introduction to the people, beliefs and ambitions that shaped the capital. We then check into our hotel, with time to settle in and freshen up. The evening is yours to explore Dublin and choose your own dinner. Private airport transfers outside our scheduled pickup time can be arranged as an optional extra.

Belfast, Derry and Buncrana

Belfast, Titanic and the Walled City

Leaving Dublin, we head north to Belfast and the shipyards where Titanic was built. Titanic Belfast explores the city’s industrial energy, the people who designed and constructed the liner, and the extraordinary story of her maiden voyage. The visit places a familiar name within the working lives and ambitions of the city that created her.

We continue to Derry for a guided walking tour. From the city’s monastic origins and seventeenth-century walls to the experiences that shaped its more recent history as part of the Troubles, the streets offer many layers to explore. There will be time for independent exploration, including the beautiful Derry Craft Village and the Guildhall. We then travel to the seaside town of Buncrana, on the shores of Lough Swilly, Co. Donegal, our comfortable base for three nights in Inishowen.

Inishowen 100

Ancient Kings, Mountain Roads and Malin Head

Today we explore Jennifer’s home peninsula, following stretches of the Inishowen 100 through a landscape of Atlantic headlands, beaches, castles and small coastal communities. This is a day to enjoy the scenery and the stories that give these places their character, with stops along the route for photographs and a closer look.

At Grianán of Aileach, the great stone fort overlooks a landscape once at the heart of an ancient northern kingdom. Its commanding position speaks of royal authority, battles and alliances, while the older earthworks around it remind us that this hilltop held significance long before the surviving fort. Jennifer will bring its connections with the northern kings and the Clanns of Ireland into the story of the peninsula.

We travel through Mamore Gap, a dramatic mountain pass through the Urris Hills whose road climb is widely regarded as Ireland’s steepest. Its winding ascent and sweeping views make this a memorable part of the drive, as we hear about the area’s spirited connection with the Poitín Republic. At Glendowen Craft Studio, we discover traditional Irish crafts, Donegal tweed and skills passed through generations, with more opportunities to explore the stories of the Clanns. Lunch will be available at the famous Nancy’s Barn in Ballyliffin, payable directly by guests.

Our afternoon includes Wild Alpaca Way, where we meet some particularly engaging walking companions, followed by a visit to Malin Head, Ireland’s most northerly point. Finally, we visit Farren’s Bar for music and entertainment, with two drinks included. Ireland’s most northerly pub was established in 1825 and has been owned by six successive generations of the Farren family. It is a chance to enjoy the company and conversation that make a good Irish pub as memorable as any monument.

West Donegal

Glenveagh, the Poison Glen and Crolly

Our day begins at Glenveagh National Park, where we have the chance to explore the castle and gardens beside Lough Veagh. Built for John George Adair in the late nineteenth century, the castle’s romantic appearance sits alongside the difficult history of the Derryveagh evictions. Later owners, including Cornelia Adair and the Irish-American art collector Henry McIlhenny, helped shape its interiors and gardens.

As we explore, Jennifer will set the estate within the wider social history of Donegal, connecting the lives of its owners with those of the communities around it. The gardens and lakeside setting offer time to take in a gentler side of this mountain landscape.

We continue to the Poison Glen for a photo stop before travelling to Crolly Distillery. Here we learn about the distillery and enjoy a whiskey tasting, followed by a wonderfully relaxing afternoon of storytelling and traditional Irish music. We then return to Buncrana for our final night in Inishowen.

Donegal Town, County Sligo and Galway

Donegal’s Castle, Carrowmore and Galway

We leave our northern base and travel towards Galway, stopping in Donegal Town to explore its history. Donegal Castle tells the story of the powerful O’Donnell family and the changes that followed their rule. Later additions to the building reveal how architecture, ownership and everyday life changed over time. There will be time to explore the town independently and buy lunch.

Our journey continues through County Sligo to Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, Ireland’s oldest concentration of Neolithic tombs. These monuments take us back almost 6,000 years, to communities whose beliefs and relationship with the landscape are still being explored through archaeology. A guided tour of the site helps us understand its stone circles, burial chambers and place within Sligo’s remarkable prehistoric landscape.

We then travel onwards to Salthill to check into our hotel. The Salthill Hotel will be our base for the next three nights, giving us time to explore Connemara and the historic villages nearby from one settled hub.

Connemara

Kylemore, Connemara and a Working Sheep Farm

Connemara unfolds in a succession of mountain views, lakes and changing light. At Kylemore Abbey, the lakeside setting is part of the attraction, but the estate also holds stories of family life, ambition and the Benedictine community that made its home here. Our visit offers time to enjoy the grounds and appreciate the contrast between the carefully tended estate and the rugged landscape around it.

At Killary Sheep Farm we encounter another side of Connemara life. A sheepdog demonstration shows the skill and partnership involved in working this mountain landscape. During our May visit, we will enjoy feeding the baby lambs, with the chance to cuddle one too. Scenic stops along our drive give us time to enjoy Connemara before returning to Galway.

At 7pm, those who wish can join a private screening of The Quiet Man at the Salthill Hotel. Released in 1952, John Ford’s film brought John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara to the screen in a story of homecoming, romance and village life. Its Irish locations, humour and memorable performances helped introduce Cong to audiences around the world. The film won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography, and remains a much-loved classic, still enjoyed by viewers worldwide. Whether you are seeing it again or discovering it for the first time, it is a lovely introduction to tomorrow’s visit to Cong. The film will be followed by a short private traditional Irish music session.

Cong and Ross Errilly

Cong, The Quiet Man and Ross Errilly

We travel to Cong, a village whose streets and surroundings became part of cinema history through The Quiet Man. Our guided walking tour introduces the film’s connections with the village and the locations that still draw visitors today. There is time to enjoy Cong’s atmosphere and look beyond the familiar screen images to the place itself.

We gather for an included group meal in a Cong pub, an opportunity to linger over good food and conversation. Later we visit Ross Errilly, where the remains of a medieval friary preserve an evocative world of cloisters, carved stone and spaces once filled with communal life. Jennifer’s historical perspective helps connect the ruins with the people who lived, worked and worshipped here. We return to Galway for our third night.

County Clare, Limerick and Killarney

The Cliffs of Moher and King John’s Castle

An early departure brings us to the Cliffs of Moher for a planned 9am arrival. Here the Atlantic meets a dramatic wall of rock, with broad coastal views and an ever-changing play of weather and light. A guided visit adds context to the scenery, helping us understand the landscape we are looking at and the life it supports.

Continuing to Limerick City, we visit King John’s Castle on King’s Island beside the River Shannon. Built on the orders of King John in the early thirteenth century, this imposing fortress opens a window onto medieval life and the struggles that shaped the city. Interactive exhibitions explore Limerick’s Viking beginnings, the arrival of the Normans and the sieges endured by its people. The courtyard, towers and castle walls bring its defensive role into focus, while views across the Shannon help us appreciate the importance of its riverside position.

After our visit, we travel onwards to Killarney, where the Killarney Plaza Hotel will be our base for three nights. The evening is free for you to choose your own dinner and begin exploring the town.

Dingle Peninsula

Dingle, Slea Head and the Blasket Story

Today’s drive takes us onto the Dingle Peninsula and around Slea Head, where the road opens onto some of Ireland’s most memorable Atlantic scenery. We stop at the Fahan huts to examine the skill of dry-stone building. Known as clocháin, these beehive-shaped structures use corbelling: each layer of stone leans slightly inwards until the roof closes, without mortar. They form part of a wider historic settlement landscape and offer a glimpse of the practical skills involved in making shelter on this exposed coast. At the White Cross viewpoint, we pause to enjoy the Atlantic views.

At the Blasket Centre, we explore the language, literature and lived experience of the island community. Personal accounts reveal a world of work, close relationships and emigration, helping us look at the islands as former homes rather than distant shapes on the horizon. Our visit is to the mainland centre. Afterwards, we have a couple of hours to explore Dingle independently. This colourful harbour town is a place to enjoy waterfront views, browse small shops, find a café or pub, and choose somewhere for lunch. Its fishing and trading history, Irish-language surroundings and lively streets offer plenty to discover before we return to Killarney.

Killarney National Park

Muckross House, Abbey and Traditional Farms

We spend the day in and around Killarney National Park, enjoying a change of pace among its landscapes and historic places. Our first excursion is a self-guided tour of Muckross House, built for the Herbert family and later owned by Lord Ardilaun of the Guinness family. Queen Victoria stayed here in 1861. The furnished rooms and servants’ quarters offer contrasting views of life in a nineteenth-century country house.

You will have time for a leisurely walk to nearby Muckross Abbey, or you can choose an optional jaunting car experience to this beautiful location. This costs €80 per car for up to four people and is payable in cash directly to the jarvey or driver. Your tour leader can give further details. The abbey offers a setting for considering the religious communities and local lives that shaped the area.

An onsite restaurant and facilities provide a convenient place to buy lunch. In the afternoon, you are encouraged to explore Muckross Traditional Farms, where the focus turns to the everyday work of a rural household in the 1930s and 1940s. Farmhouses, furnishings and the tasks associated with the land help bring that world into view. For anyone with Irish farming ancestors, the visit provides valuable context for imagining lives that can be difficult to reconstruct from records alone.

Rock of Cashel, Phoenix Park and Dublin

Cashel, Phoenix Park and a Joycean Farewell

We make our way back towards Dublin, stopping at the Rock of Cashel. Rising above the surrounding countryside, its collection of medieval buildings brings together royal and religious history in an exceptionally striking setting. The visit offers a final opportunity to consider how power, faith and landscape are connected in Ireland’s historic places.

On our return to Dublin, we drive through Phoenix Park, pointing out landmarks that reveal its royal, political and social history. These include the Wellington Monument, completed in 1861, the Phoenix Monument erected in 1747, and the Papal Cross, which recalls Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1979. We also pass the setting of Áras an Uachtaráin, formerly the Viceregal Lodge and now the residence of the President of Ireland. Our route through the park is a drive, with commentary along the way.

Our farewell dinner takes place at The Oarsman in Ringsend, with dinner in Tunney’s, music and an after-dinner reading from Ulysses. The pub’s connection with Joyce runs through its earlier identity as Tunney’s Bar, a name woven into the novel. Ringsend also belongs to Joyce’s own story: he and Nora Barnacle walked here on their first date, on 16 June 1904, the date he later chose as the setting for Ulysses. It is a particularly fitting place to bring together food, company and Dublin’s literary history before our final night in the city.

The Oarsman’s owner, Tom Bohan, has spent years curating a very special whiskey collection. There will be an opportunity to sample a whiskey flight carefully chosen by Tom, a chance to explore his collection and discover something new. This is an optional extra, payable directly to The Oarsman.

Dublin Airport

Slán to Ireland

Slán means “goodbye” in Irish. Our tour concludes with a scheduled group transfer to Dublin Airport departing the hotel at 8.30am. Please choose flights that allow sufficient time after this transfer for airport check-in and departure procedures.

If you are travelling at a different time, private airport transfers can be arranged as an optional extra. Extra hotel nights before or after the tour are also available to request. Whether you leave with new friendships, a favourite place or a deeper connection to Irish history, we hope the journey has given you plenty to carry home.