SANDY & MICHAEL McAdaragh’s   IRELAND

St Helens

6/16 – Fly USA to Dublin – “Air on own”

6/17 – St Helens, about a 15 minute drive from the city centre, set in parkland and an easy drive from the airport.

The itinerary is a menu from which to choose, not a recipe of everything that must be included!

6/18 – Drive to Waterford 2 nights Dunbrody House, Arthurstown on Waterford Harbour

Wicklow mountains	Powerscourt	Glendalough

The Wicklow mountains may detain you for most of the day if you explore Powerscourt House and gardens, where Barry Lyndon was filmed (now with an excellent shop and restaurant), and the valley of Glendalough where St Kevin founded his monastery in the 6^th Century. However be sure to leave time to explore the west side of the Mountains - Castleruddery Stone Circle, the mysterious fort of Rathgall, the gardens of Altamount, the brewery in Carlow. Explore the little villages of Graigue and Borris, the Blackstairs Mountains , the valley of the River Slaney.

 Members of  small luxury hotels of the world. Dunbrody offers the utimate in relaxation and pampering. Lie late and enjoy breakfast till noon. Sample the best of Irish Cuisine of treat yourself at the spa. The gracious manor house was the seat of the Marquis of Donegall.

Dunbrody

The next day visit Waterford Crystal and then head up to Kilkenny you should first explore the city, full of medieval laneways, inns with tales of witches, a great castle and of course lots of shops. Follow the valley of the River Nore to Bennetsbridge, with its many craft workers studios, Thomastown with the Cistercian abbey of Jerpoint and the Jack Niclaus golf course on the rolling estate of the Earl of Carrick's mansion, Mount Juliet (now a hotel) and Inistioge with its romantic gardens surrounding the shell of Woodstock House. The adventurous could visit the Kennedy homestead at New Ross, the gardens of Kilmokea at Campile, Tintern Abbey and The Lighthouse on Hook Head and the Dunbrody, a replica sailing ship.

Kilkenny	The River Barrow	Tintern Abbey

6/20 – Drive to Cork   2 nights Manor House – “Hayfield Manor”

 A very scenic road follows "The Gold Coast" through Tramore and Annestown to Dungarvan. Shortly after Dungavan the church and holy well at Ardmore is a must see, as is the church in Youghal, where Sir Walter Raleigh worshipped. The famous cookery school of Ballymaloe , with its shell house and associations with William Penn, is just to the South of Midleton, home of Irish Whiskey. The Cobh Heritage centre presents a fascinating story of emigration to America and as you rejoin the main road to Cork the gardens of Fota Island and Barryscourt Castle should not be missed.

Annestown	Fota

You could spend a week exploring the Cork area and still not have seen all the highlights. The bells of Shandon, The English Market, St Finbarre's Cathedral & The Crawford Gallery are a few of the highlights of the city. Blarney Castle , with its eloquent stone is a short drive to the north. The town of Kinsale , gourmet capital of Ireland , is a place to spend a day. The Old Head golf course, south of Kinsale, is uniquely challenging being surrounded by cliffs that fall steeply down to the sea. Touring to the west you will find brightly painted villages, mad folk museums, amazing sub tropical gardens and host of craft workers, farmhouse cheese producers and enchanting cafes, bars and restaurants.

Kinsale	Blarney Castle

6/22 – Drive to Killarney/Ring of Kerry  2 nights Sheen Falls Manor/Country House

As you carry on down the coast the golden beaches begin to disappear. By the time you reach Mizen Head the seascape is as wild as anywhere in the world with the Fastnet light flashing its warning in the distance.  Bantry House is an essential stop. The house, with its "staircase to heaven" gardens is a wonderful example of a landlord's home and has a stunning collection put together by the 2^nd Earl of Bantry who did well at Napoleon III's bargain basement sale at Versailles . Pick up a picnic at Mannings Food Emporium in Ballylickey and then visit Garnish Island , a garden with no house laid out in the early 20^th century by the great designer Harold Peto to take advantage of the gulf stream. On the boat ride out there watch out for seals. There are several boats going to the island but the prettiest harbour is definitely the Blue Pool, particularly when the rhododendron are blooming. The fearless driver should follow the Priest's Leap road, a single track laneway across the mountains that comes down to Kenmare close to the Kilgarvan Motor Museum . Leave plenty of time for Kenmare. 

Kenmare	Bantry	Glengarriff

You'll want to explore the three famous peninsulas of Kerry - The Ring of Beara, The Ring of Kerry and The Dingle Peninsula. Each takes a full day of over 100 miles of stunning seaside with the mountains always beside you. Kerry is a land of contrasts - velvet green golf courses, empty golden beaches, rugged cliffs, exotic gardens, wild scenery, unchanged since the ice age, hidden communes of artists and writers, stone age monuments, and fish filled rivers and lakes. When going around the Ring of Kerry be sure to visit St Flanans Bay where the wild fuchsia carpets the countryside and the Skellig Chocolate Company for the best chocolate in the world. A very spiritual place is the shrine in the slate quarry on Valentia island - take the car ferry from Cahirciveen and rejoin the mainland by the bridge to Ballinskelligs. On the Dingle Peninsula do explore the early Christian beehive huts and visit Louis Mulcahy's pottery. Fungi the dolphin is another must in Dingle - a wild dolphin who shows off for the fishermen. And if you seek complete tranquillity then explore the Ring of Beara, whose roads are too narrow for the tour buses so it has remained far wilder than the other peninsulas.

Beara	Ring of Kerry	Dingle

6/24 – Drive to Dublin

Cahir has a huge castle in a fine state of repair and a wonderful "Swiss Cottage" built as a folly in the Regency period. It is also a centre of antique shopping, past the riverside ruins of Athassel Abbey and the legendary Motte of Knockgraffon, to Cashel, a limestone outcrop rising from the plain and crowned by the cathedral and round tower. Sheltering at its foot is Bru Boru, a entertainment of Irish music and dance.  Lunch here and then carry on up towards Dublin – worthwhile diversions include Heywood, Emo Court, a stately home, and the Irish National Stud

Cahir	Cashel

6/24 – 3 nights Castle –  Barberstown Castle

To the North is Newbridge House, a Georgian manor with a delightful farmyard, and the haunted Malahide Castle, which is also home to a huge model railway and collection of dolls' houses. The valley of the River Boyne, where the world famous Brugh na Boyne monuments (Newgrange, Knowth & Dowth) have stood for over 5,000 years, is about 1 hour. Nearby are the early Christian sites of Mellifont Abbey and Monasterboice. Following the Boyne towards its source you could visit the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of Ireland 's High Kings, and Trim with is great castle. Children of all ages will enjoy the 18^th Century ferme ornee at Larchill and nearby is Castletown, the largest Palladian stately home in Ireland .

Castletown	Tara

6/25 – 2 Fly home – Drop Mini Van DUB airport & pick up Camry size rental car

6/27 – 1 Fly home

6/27 – Drive to Belfast  Overnight The Merchant 

The Merchant Hotel is an intimate, sumptuous, 5 star standard hotel situated on Waring Street in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast's city centre, in a magnificent grade "A" listed building - the former site of the Ulster Bank headquarters.

The Merchant is quite unlike anything currently available in Belfast with its stunning, classically styled interiors, reflecting the remarkable heritage of the building which was completed 1866.
The hotel has 28 bedrooms and 5 suites, all of which are exceptional, expansive and elegant, with custom made furniture and carefully chosen antiques - an approach that is adopted through out the building, from the exclusive Cocktail Bar, to the Great Room Restaurant and the Art Gallery.

A late start, so to keep the day simple on the way north follow the road through the Mountains of Mourne, or along the coast to Newcastle and then heading up to Belfast with a deviation to Hollywood .

The next day explore The Ards Peninsula with its great houses and gardens, Grey Abbey with its monastic ruins and antique shops and the burial place of St Patrick at Downpatrick  

  6/29 – Drive to Donegal

	Boa Island
Castle Coole		Belleek

Follow the main road to Enniskillen which has lots of interest – Castle Coole, the castle and the city, and then along the banks of Lough Erne to the prehistoric monuments at Boa Island and the porcelain factory at Belleek.  On to Donegal.  Frommer's guide says of Rhu-Gorse accommodation 'The views of Lough Eske from this eminently comfortable bed & breakfast  are not to be believed. If you have the makings of a convert to Donegal, it will happen here.'  For drink and dinner the Harveys Point Hotel is just over a mile.  

30/6

The area around Lough Eske, County Donegal has an abundance of attractions not least the magnificent hillwalking available through the Blue Stack Mountains , including guided hill walks and waymarked walks along the Blue Stack Way and beyond.  Other attractions include Donegal Town, just a short drive away which has a beautiful market square, The Diamond, which features a monument dedicated to the the four friars who compiled the Annals of the Four Masters in the 17th Century. Donegal Castle stands beside the Diamond, overlooking the river Eske. Guided historical tours of Donegal Town take place daily during the summer and the Waterbus takes you around Donegal Bay for an unforgetable trip. Donegal Town is also a thriving centre with many restaurants and pubs with live music.  

Slieve League, just fourteen kilometres away, towers from the sea at an impressive 2000 feet, forming the highest sea cliffs in Europe

St. Johns Point peninsula juts six miles out to sea making the clear water of the Atlantic , with its abundance of fish life, easily accessible for rock angling. The Point is famous for its flora and fauna and dolphins and the occasional whale which have been spotted from here.

Travel further afield to the Glenveagh National Park, just 45 miles away, which covers 14000 hectares of mountains, lakes, glens and woods with a resident red deer herd. Glenveagh castle is surrounded by some of the finest gardens in Ireland .

7/01  

From Donegal to Galway you travel through countryside that inspired the poet W B Yeats.  The poet is buried at Drumcliffe, beneath Benbulben mountain.  From Sligo cross the Ox Mountains to North Galway and then head towards Galway to stay at St Clerans

Amidst the open rolling countryside of East Galway and surrounded by parkland and landscaped gardens, this Neo-classical house has been beautifully restored by entertainer Merv Griffin to its original splendour with fine antiques and treasures from around the world. It was once the home of the late film director, John Huston, who described it as "one of the most beautiful houses in Ireland ."

From Athenry, one of the few walled towns in Ireland , there are several possible explorations of Connemara . On the east side of Lough Corrib are the impressive remains of Ross Friary. Ashford Castle , where Pierce Brosnan was married, was also the setting for the movie The Quiet Man. The riding centre there offers trekking though the estate. Nearby are the stone circle of Cong and the Gods of the Neale. The woods in the are have deep caves with subterranean rivers, the most famous being the Pigeon Hole. At Maam you can visit a sheep farm and at the far end of the valley you'll come out to Killary Harbour , a glacial fjord. Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine school, is awesomely beautiful and has a recently restored Victorian garden. Clifden, the capital of Connemara is known for its tweeds. Be sure to follow the Sky Road into Clifden, and if you have time visit some of the coral beaches out towards Cleggan. On the way back towards Galway you'll pass Gowla Mine, where you can actually go down a mine shaft; Just after Oughterard, beyond the golf course, is Aughanure Castle , the home of the ferocious O'Flaherties.    Alternatively explore the Burren. Be sure to see Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, the sulphur Spa at Lisdoonvarna, St Bridget's Well at the Cliffs of Moher, the Doolin Craft Gallery, the internationally renowned karst limestone habitat of the Burren, with its orchids, gentians and ragged robin.  And don’t forget a libation at the thatched bar Morans of The Weir, beloved of Noel Coward and John Wayne

7/03 – Drive to Dublin Country/Manor – “Killashee House

Visit Loughrea Cathedral with its stained glass, Clonmacnoise, the ancient monastic centre, and Locke’s Whiskey Distillery in Kilbeggan.

Loughrea	Athenry	Lockes

7/04 – Drop off rental car

7/04 – Fly Home – “air on own”