Into West Trip to Ireland – May 25 – June 3 .
The Friends of Irish Studies invite all friends and supporters to join them on a nine-day visit to the west of Ireland this May. The tour is custom-built to appeal to those who trace their roots to the south of Ireland in general and to Cork and Kerry in particular. The object of the tour is to provide those who have never been to Ireland with the opportunity to experience and to enjoy the scenic beauty and a poetic culture of this enchanting country. Meeting people, visiting historical sites, attending cultural events such as music and dance sessions as well as hurling and football games is what this tour is about. A place and people of particular interest is Beara, where the tour group will spend two nights meeting the locals, visiting the old homesteads and ancestral places of rest, viewing the mines and taking a walking tour of Dursey Island . Be prepared to hear the voices of your forefathers call to you as you make your journey home. Leading the tour is Dr. Traolach Ó Ríordáin, Professor of Irish language and Literature at the University of Montana . Traolach will distribute an information booklet at the outset of the trip and will read the poetry and stories of the people and places we will visit. This is trip not to be missed; the details are:
Introduction – The Burren and the Shannon
May 25 – Flight from USA to Ireland
May 26 – Arrival in Ireland where the group is taken through the magical Burren to rest at The Burren Coast Hotel in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. Dinner provided that evening followed by a tour of the local pubs.
May 27 – Wandering through the Burren in the morning, the tour travel south, hugging the west coast of Clare, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher and at the town of Kilkee for lunch. The group will take the ferry across the mouth of the Shannon and head to Killarney. Dinner is provided at the Eviston Hotel that evening, after which a tour of the town and singing pubs will wind up the day.
The Peninsula Tours
May 28 – The Ring of Kerry tour, a leisurely day spent taking in the majestic beauty of this remarkable peninsula. We will stop at the Skellig Interpretive Centre and at Derrynane House. A walk on Derrynane Beach to Abbey Island will follow where Traolach will pay his respects to his mother's people. The night will be spent at the Eviston Hotel in Killarney where dinner is again provided
May 29 – Tour of the Lakes of Killarney and Muckross House and onto the Beara peninsula to meet and greet with locals who have relatives in Montana . The President of Ireland will also be in Beara and we hope to meet her at the launch of a broadband link with Butte . The group will take a tour of the mines and mining museum. We'll stay in the famous Eccles Hotel this evening. May 30 – Mass in the morning will be followed by a walking tour of Dursey Island . This is a rare gem, as the island is accessed by cable car and western side of the island provides a dramatic view of the Skelligs, the Bull, Cow and Calf rocks of the rolling Atlantic that's unmatched anywhere in Ireland . Those who don't wish to take this trip can visit Bantry House or shop in the many craft-shops of Bantry and Glengarriff.
Monasteries, Castle and Medieval Ireland
May 31 – From Beara to Cork. Leaving the Beara peninsula the group will travel to Gougan Barra where St. Finbarr established his first monastic settlement, from there to Ballyvourney to visit the historic St. Gobnait's Well, Kilchrea Abbey where Art O'Leary lies, and Beal na Blath where Michael Collins was killed. We will spend the night at the Clarion Hotel in Cork city and take a walking tour of the town.
June 1 – Cork. The group will visit Cobh immigration Centre and Cathedral in the morning and Blarney Castle in the afternoon. Kissing the stone is optional! Time is also reserved for those who wish to do some last minute shopping in the famous Blarney Woolen Mills. We will overnight again in the Clarion Hotel.
June 2 – Today we head for Tipperary to visit the famous Rock of Cashel and the medieval monastery at Holycross. In the afternoon we head for Limerick where we stay in the Radisson Hotel. This evening we will attend the medieval banquet in Bunratty.
June 3 – Fly back to the USA
Cost: Land trip only - $1,675 per person sharing - Single Supplement - $299
Flight and Land Trip – $3,025 ( We encourage you to make your own flight arrangements as this is more cost-effective for you. You must arrive in Shannon no later than 10am on May 26 th .)
The Price includes the following:
- Transport by luxury motor coach for 9 days
- Hotel accommodations with twin bedded rooms and private baths for 8 nights
- Full breakfasts (8)
- Dinners (4 including the banquet at Bunratty)
- Visits, admission fees and costs for (Cliffs of Moher, Kilimer Ferry, Skellig Interpretive Centre, Derrynane House, Allihies Museum, Cable Car to Dursey Island, Cobh Heritage Museum, Cobh Cathedral, Blarney Castle, Holycross Abbey and the Rock of Cashel)
Reservations require a $300 non-refundable deposit.
*Please complete this Ireland Tour Guest Form (pdf) and mail it with credit card information or deposit cheque to:
The Friends of Irish Studies, 1317 Harrison St. , Missoula, MT 59802
You may also use paypal for the transaction:
*If you are interested in travel insurance please fill out this form, and send it in, as well.
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