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Irish Spirit
First
Class Hotels: 7 or 8 Day Coach Tour
Tour
Highlights:
Abbey Tavern Traditional Show & Dinner
Dublinia & The Viking World
Rock of Cashel
Dingle Peninsula & Connemara Scenic Drives
Cliffs of Moher
Catamaran Cruise
Clonmacnoise Early
Christian Monastery
Day 1: Dublin Tour & Dublinia
Arrive at Dublin Airport,
proceed through immigration and pick up your baggage. Go to the CIE Tours
desk in the Arrivals Hall where personnel will arrange a group transfer to
your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you
will need to transfer to the hotel at your own expense. Your hotel is located
on the north side of Dublin.
At 2:00 pm join your group and a local guide for an introductory look around central Dublin. See fashionable
shopping areas around Grafton and Nassau Streets, view Dublin’s famous elegant Georgian
squares with imposing townhouses and pause at the evocative figures at the Famine Memorial.
Close to your hotel, explore Dublinia to learn
about the history of the busy medieval city from the 12th to the
16th centuries through interactive exhibitions. Back at your hotel
meet with your guide and fellow travellers for a welcome drink
and discuss your itinerary.
Day 2: Rock of Cashel
& Blarney Woollen Mills
Depart Dublin to travel through the Irish
countryside where you can see the “Forty Shades of Green” as you
pass many farms. Visit the Rock of Cashel, where Brian Boru was crowned King of Munster in 977. See the 12th
century highly-decorated Cormac’s Chapel, the
large cruciform cathedral and a round tower. Just outside Cork shop at the Blarney Woollen
Mills, renowned for their quality Irish merchandise or take a
walk around the charming village green. While it is not included in the tour,
you will have time to climb to the ramparts of Blarney Castle
to kiss the famous stone. Continue your drive to your hotel in the centre of
Killarney. (B,D)
Day 3: Dingle Peninsula
Tour
Today discover the glorious Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies
that showcased the scenery — “Ryan’s Daughter” and
“Far & Away.” Drive along the south shore to admire views of
heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach and rocky headlands. Stop for a
while in Dingle before continuing to the Blasket Centre
in Dunquin to learn about the offshore Blasket Islands, inhabited until 1953 by hardy families
who eked out a living by farming and fishing. Return to Killarney and enjoy
free time to use the hotel’s leisure facilities or walk around town.
After dinner you may like to visit the cosy pubs
featuring live music. (B,D)
Day 4: Flying Boat Museum &
Cliffs of Moher
Drive north through Listowel and along by the River Shannon to Foynes to visit the Flying Boat Museum, which
recalls the early days of air travel, during the 1930’s and early
1940’s, when Pan Am Clippers from the United States and Europe landed
here. Travel through the outskirts of Limerick and have a look around Bunratty Village before heading to the coast of County
Clare to view the Cliffs
of Moher rising to heights of almost
700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells. Walk along the top of the cliffs
to O’Brien’s Tower for great views. Drive through the Burren and around the shores of Galway Bay.
Take a short orientation tour of central Galway
before checking into your hotel. (B,D)
Day 5: Connemara & Catamaran
Cruise
Today explore another of Ireland’s famous scenic regions, Connemara. Here the constantly-changing cloud
formations give granite hills, sparkling lakes and peat bogs an added
dimension. Travel alongside Galway Bay to Spiddal, where
most locals speak the Irish language, and on to Leenane
and Killary
Harbour, Ireland’s
only fjord. Take a short
catamaran cruise to see unspoilt
mountain areas (Apr 02 – Oct 24 departures). You can see traces of
pre-Famine fields on the hilly slopes and also thriving salmon and mussel farming.
Drive to Clifden and stop for a while to explore
the attractive town. At Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory watch skilled
craftsmen cut the crystal and learn about the symbolism of the motifs before
returning to Galway for some leisure time
before dinner. (B,D)
Day 6: 6th Century Clonmacnoise & Abbey Tavern
Drive to the centre of the country to
visit Clonmacnoise. This early Christian monastic site
was founded by St. Ciaran in 545 AD, when
Christianity flourished throughout Ireland. See round towers, church
ruins and Celtic crosses with elaborate carvings, all in a picturesque
setting on the banks of the River Shannon. Continue to the greater
metropolitan area of Dublin
once more and check in to a different hotel, near the River Liffey and close to the lively Temple Bar area. In the
evening head to the Abbey Tavern for a hearty dinner followed by a lively
show of traditional music, songs and step-dancing. (B,D)
Day 7: Leisure Day in Dublin or Homeward bound
For those booked on our 7-day tour,
complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport
to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. (B)
If you have booked the 8 day tour,
you may plan out your day in Dublin as you
wish, using your independent Dublin open-top bus tour
pass to get around (valid for 24 hours) and visit Guinness or
Jameson for a tour and a complimentary drink. In the evening you are free to
choose from the many restaurants near your hotel and in the Temple Bar area. (B)
Day 8: Depart Ireland
Today take a taxi transfer to Dublin Airport allowing plenty of time to
reach the airport and for check-in formalities. You will then have time to
shop at the duty free shops before boarding your flight home. (B)
Tour
runs February – December 2010
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Tour Dates
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Prices
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Sunday Feb 28
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$1210
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Sunday 7 March > Sun
29 March
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$1250
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April 2 > 19 November
tour runs Sundays & Fridays
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April 2 > 25 April
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$1345
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30 April > 25
Sept
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$1615
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1 Oct > 24
October
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$1440
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29 October > 5
December
Tour reverts back to Sundays
only from 21 November
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$1200
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Rate
is Australian dollars per person twin share basis
Single
supplement $ 460AUD
*
To extend this tour to 8 Day add $210 p.p. twin share and add $80 to single
supplement
YOUR
TOUR INCLUDES
• Group transfers
on arrival and departure
• Sightseeing
by luxury coach throughout
• Dublin open-top bus tour
• Visit and a
drink at Guinness Storehouse or Old Jameson Distillery
• Services of
a professional Irish driver/guide
• First class
hotels with private bath/shower for 6 or 7 nights
• 6 or 7 full
Irish breakfasts (B)
• 5 dinners
(D) including:
- Traditional Irish evening with dinner and
entertainment at the Abbey Tavern
- 4 table d’hôte dinners
• Welcome
get-together drink
• Tour of Dublin with a local
guide
• Catamaran
cruise of Killary Fjord (Apr 2 – Oct 24
departures)
• Visits and
admissions to Dublinia & The Viking World, Rock
of Cashel, Blarney Woollen
Mills, Blasket Centre, Foynes
Flying Boat Museum, Cliffs of Moher, Connemara
Celtic Crystal Factory, Clonmacnoise (8 day clients
also receive a Dublin open top bus pass and Taxi transfer to Airport on
departure)
• Deluxe
flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local
taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for
one suitcase per person
YOUR HOTELS
Stay
at the following (or similar):
Jury’s
Croke Park Hotel, Dublin
(1 night)
Killarney
Towers Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
Courtyard
by Marriott Hotel, Galway (2 nights)
Ashling Hotel, Dublin (1 or 2 nights)
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