DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY:
Day 1 - Departure
An overnight flight to Shannon airport where Robbie, along with Alice and Sean Rattiganour musicians and guideswill be waiting to meet us outside the customs hall.
Day 2 - Adare, Tralee and Kenmare
We board the comfortable motor coach for our hotel in beautiful Kenmare, County Kerry. On route we stop in County Limerick for a traditional Irish breakfast. Once we arrive at our hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore the town, or get over the jet lag. After dinner, we have our first traditional music session and a chance to get to know one another.
Day 3 - Garnish Island, The Healy Pass & McCarthy's Bar
A short cruise, past families of seals takes us to the magical Garnish Island in the heart of Banty bay with its magnificent gardens and Martello tower. Then we explore the Beara peninsula crossing the Caha mountains through the spectacular Healy pass and on to Castletown Beare where we enjoy and afternoon session at the famed McCarthy's Bar.
Day 4 - Lakes, Mountains and Waterfalls
After our first stop at Moll's Gap, we take the winding mountain road down to Killarney National Park stopping on route to see the world famous Lakes of Killarney. After a visit to the magnificent Torc waterfall and Muckross House and grounds and we continue on to the bustling market town of Dingle renowned for its great traditional music 365 days a year.
Day 5 - The Great Blasket Island and the Dingle Penninsula
We will wander along the coast of the Dingle peninsula to Slea Head stopping to see the amazing Beehive Huts. We continue on to Dunquin and the Blasket Heritage Center and the Gaelic speaking village of Ballyferreter. We will take a ferry out to the Great Blasket Island, weather permitting, before returning to Dingle town for another evening of great music.
Day 6 - Ratoo Round Tower, The Cliffs of Moher and Galway
We see the 11th century Ratoo round tower and take a ferry across the Shannon Estuary from Tarbert to Killimer before heading up the County Clare coast to the majestic Cliffs of Moher. From there we go into the village of Doolin, the mecca of traditional Irish music and continue to our hotel in Galway's Eyre Square.
Day 7 - The Aran Islands and Connemara
We take a high speed ferry to Inismore, the largest of the Aran islands. We will take a tour of the island and visit Dun Aengus, the magnificent prehistoric fortress perched precariously on a cliff top above the ocean. Then we drive through the wilds of Connemara to our hotel in Renvyle on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 8 - Westport, Leenane and Kylemore
In the morning we take the scenic route to Westport, County Mayo and then on to the village of Leenane on Killary harbour, Ireland's only fjord. Much of this area was featured in The Quiet Man, John Ford's classic movie. We end our day at Kylemore Abbey where we tour the Abbey and its walled garden.
Day 9 - Cong, Galway and the Burren
The village of Cong, County Mayo, and its ruined abbey and beautiful river walk will be our first stop. Onward into Galway city for lunch and a walking tour of the medieval city. Then we meander through the Burren region of County Clare stopping on route to see the famed Poulnabrone dolmen before continuing on to our hotel in Ennistymon and our farewell session.
Day 10 - Heading for Home
We depart our hotel for Shannon Airport with time to spare for some last minute shopping at the airport Duty Free shop.
Dont want to go home?
If you would like to extend your stay, please contact Robbie OConnell at
1-800-299-CELT or email: robbie@celtica.com before you send in your registration form.
CALL 1-800-299-CELT!
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