Ireland Trip Itinerary: June 7 - June 16

Ireland Trip Meeting: Sunday, May 18th at 3:00 PM at Nine Irish Brothers

Day 1: Saturday June 7. Departure. Depart Lafayette by motorcoach to O'Hare in Chicago. Dinner and breakfast are served on international flights.

Day 2: Sunday, June 8. Galway, Ireland. We'll be met by our driver and guide as we transfer to our hotel, which will be in a pedestrian walking and shopping area.

Day 3: Monday, June 9. Galway, Ireland. We'll spend a day exploring Connemara, one of the most scenic spots in the world. We will have many photo stops as well as a morning pub break for Irish coffee and an Irish pub for lunch. We'll be visiting Letterfrack, home of the Connemara National Park, beautiful Kylemore Abbey, and Leenane, a picturesque town overlooking Killary Harbor. We'll have a bit of free time in the afternoon and evening for Galway's exciting night life.

Day 4: Tuesday, June 10. Killarney. A scenic drive along the Atlantic ocean will take us to Ballyvaughn to explore the mystical, timeless scenery of the Burren. Along the way we'll stop by the Cliffs of Moher to climb O'Brien's tower and watch waves crash into the cliffs and reach heights of 200 feet or more. From the Cliffs we'll travel to the village of Lahnich and drive past St. Andrews of Ireland, one of Ireland's most famous golf courses. In Lahnich, we'll stop for lunch at a seaside pub and watch Irish surfers enjoy the Atlantic waves; afterwards, we'll ferry across the Shannon River and arrive at our hotel in Killarney. After checking in, we'll visit an Irish pub for dinner and some traditional Irish music.

Day 5: Wednesday, June 11. Dingle Pennisula & Killarny. During the day we'll explore the Dingle Peninsula with its exciting and scenic landscape of hills, beaches, and waterfalls. We will also stop off at several pubs for a pint or two and some lunch. The afternoon will see us returned to our hotel, where we'll have free time to shop and explore Killarney. For those interested, our guide, Mike, will arrange a tour.

Day 6: Thursday, June 12: Kinsale. Another scenic route past beautiful lakes will lead us to Blarney Castle, where we can kiss the Blarney stone. The rest of the morning and afternoon will be spent at the Blarney Woolen Mill, considered by many to be the best shopping opportunity in Ireland. After lunch, we'll go a short distance to one of Ireland's prettiest seaside villages of pastel painted homes, stores, and pubs. Here we will arrange a pub night and enjoy some traditional music.

Day 7: Friday, June 13: Cobh, Jameson Distillery, & Kinsale. Our first tour this morning will be to visit Cobh and the Queenstown story where we'll experience the departure of our ancestors from Ireland during the potato famine to the new world. This is also the port made famous by the ill-fated Titanic. Just a short distance from Cobh we'll visit the Middleton and Jameson distillery where we'll see the water of life made. After lunch and some tastings we'll head back to Kinsale, considered the gourmet capital of Ireland, for the afternoon.

Day 8: Saturday, June 14: Waterford & Glendalough. Today we will travel to Waterford to visit the crystal factory, where we'll have an opportunity to shop the crystal storeroom. From Waterford we will travel to Glendalough for the night. Because of the majestic beauty of the surrounding mountains, lakes, rivers and forests, this area has been the backdrop for several movies, including Braveheart.

Day 9: Sunday, June 15: Dublin. Our final day will begin with a scenic drive through Glendalough and on to Dublin, where we will partake in a guided tour of the famous pubs of Dublin. After check-in at our hotel, we will have the opportunity to explore the Temple Bar and Trinity College areas.

Day 10: Monday, June 16: Departure to USA. We'll say goodbye to Ireland and fly in to Chicago, then motor coach back to Lafayette.