7 days    Sunday 3rd – Saturday 9th June

Warm hospitality, musical vitality and a history of storytelling are just some of the many appealing sides of Ireland. Add to that spectacular scenery, from the green rolling countryside that gives the Emerald Isle its name, to the inspiring coastline that has been carved over millions of years and you will find it hard not join us on our tour to Ireland. Our Irish tour for 2012 is based at the Woodlands House Hotel in Adare, Ireland’s prettiest village.

Your holiday itinerary:
Sunday: An early start is needed as we make our way to Pembroke and the early afternoon ferry to Rosslare. Once in Ireland we drive to Waterford and our overnight hotel. (Please note that ferry times for 2012 have not yet been confirmed and any change may mean that our overnight stay will be in Wales. We will notify you of any such change)

Monday: After breakfast we begin our drive across Ireland. Following the River Suir from Waterford, we head to Cashel, the ancient seat of the Kings of Ireland. The town is dominated by the Rock of Cashel, one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in Ireland. There will be time here to explore and have some lunch before we continue our journey to Adare and our hotel, arriving with plenty of time to settle in before dinner.

Tuesday: Today we enjoy a full day excursion to Killarney, where there will be the option of a jaunting car tour and lake cruise, giving you the chance to experience the most beautiful part of Ireland in the most memorable way.  On arrival in Killarney we drive to Ross Castle where we board ‘The Lily of Killarney’ cruise for a relaxing cruise on the Lower Lake, providing an opportunity to take in the sublime scenery of the Killarney National Park. We return to Killarney by way of the ‘jaunting cars’ with the local jarvey and their amazing Irish wit and commentary. The rest of the day is spent in Killarney, arguably Ireland’s most popular and oldest tourist resort, packed with interesting shops, cafes, restaurants and traditional pubs that host regular live music sessions. (Please note that due to availability the day may be done in reverse.)

Wednesday: Our excursion today takes in some dramatic scenery. Making our way round the city of Limerick and crossing the River Shannon, we drive out to the Atlantic coast and the Cliffs of Moher. Without doubt one of the most spectacular and beautiful sights of Ireland, these vertical cliffs rise majestically to heights of 700ft and stretch along the coast for 5 miles. A haven for sea birds, such as the kittiwakes, puffins and razor bills who nest here in their thousands. A visit to the Cliffs has been greatly enhanced by the state-of-the-art exhibition centre, built into the hillside to minimise its impact on the Cliffs themselves. This afternoon we continue our drive along the Atlantic Coast around Black Head. This drives provides some dramatic seascapes and views across Galway Bay to the Aran Islands as well as some landscapes like no other in Ireland, that of The Burren. The weathering of the underlying limestone rock has produced a ‘lunar’ landscape of narrow fissures, blocks and caves, where more than 700 different flowering plants and ferns have been identified and Alpine and Mediterranean plants survive side by side. We pause awhile in the historic fishing and farming village of Ballyvaughan, on the southern shores of Galway Bay, in an area of special natural beauty located between the Burren and the sea.

Thursday: This morning we visit The Foynes Flying Boat Museum, just a short drive from Adare. The museum is housed in the old terminal building and recalls the nostalgic era from 1939 to 1945 when Foynes was the centre of the aviation world for air traffic between the US and Europe. This was the landing place for the luxury flying boats, the Pan Am Clippers and where today you can board the world’s only full size replica of the Boeing 314 “Yankee Clipper” and see for yourself what it was like to be a passenger in one of these wonderful flying boats. It was also here where Chef Joe Sheridan invented the heart-warming Irish coffee to cheer damp and miserable passengers. We have a demonstration of how to make one and then try one.  This afternoon we spend some time in the village of Adare, giving you the chance to explore and admire Ireland’s prettiest and most picturesque village, where ornate thatch cottages line the main road before returning to our hotel.

Friday: Sadly we must leave our hotel and start our journey home. Our return journey to Dublin takes us to Kildare and the Irish National Stud. Established in 1946, the Irish National Stud combines an active role in the development and promotion of Irish bloodstock with its role as one of the country’s major tourist attractions and is the only Stud farm in Ireland open to the public. Entrance includes that to the Japanese Gardens, the finest such gardens in Europe; St Fiachra’s Gardens, comprising of woodland and lakeside walks; the Horse Museum, a state of the art modern exhibition where the Sport of Kings comes alive and a guided tour of the stud which is home to some of Ireland’s finest thoroughbreds. Our overnight stay is a hotel on the outskirts of the city of Dublin.

Saturday: An early breakfast then to Dublin for the ferry to Holyhead. Making suitable stops we aim to be home mid evening.

Your holiday hotel:
Our first overnight hotel for this tour is in Waterford and the last overnight hotel will be in the outskirts of Dublin.
The *** Woodlands House Hotel is a highly impressive family run hotel, just outside the lovely village of Adare. It offers excellent service, delightful bars, high quality bedrooms and extensive state-of-the-art leisure and spa facilities. The hotel does not have a lift but there are several ground floor rooms.

Price per person:    £689.00 great value when you take into account it includes:

Executive coach travel and return ferry crossings.        
One overnight accommodation in Waterford and another on the outskirts of Dublin, both with dinner, bed and breakfast.
Porterage and 4 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Woodlands House Hotel, comprising of a minimum of 3 courses for dinner with a choice of menu plus tea and coffee and full Irish breakfast.
En-suite rooms in all hotels. Excursions as outlined in the itinerary. Travel insurance.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: A common travel area is in existence between Ireland and the UK and as such there is no passport control in operation. You MUST however, carry an acceptable form of photo-identification. Currency used on this tour will be the Euro – see Booking Terms & Conditions for further information. Also, please note that in order that we can keep to driver hours rules and regulations, this tour will only use a selection of the listed pickups.