A Gay Friendly 8 day, 7 night Belfast Dublin  Exploration of Ireland, its culture, its countryside, and its people

With opportunities for golf, spa treatments, traditional pub music & entertainment and gracious Georgian houses.

The route takes in some stunningly unspoilt parts of the Irish countryside and goes through mountainous areas, the rolling landscape of river valleys, and seascapes. You will be able to visit some of the finest gardens, historic mansions and splendid medieval ruins, as well as museums art galleries and wonderful little shops in the cities. You will be in places where some of the best golfing, walking, fishing and riding is available and there are really outstanding restaurants in the areas that we would suggest for overnights. With a pub to every 300 of the population they are never far from a convivial meeting place, often with impromptu music sessions:-  

Day 1

Arrive Belfast city airport late afternoon . Stay at the Ten Square (5*) or Dukes (3*).  Check out the Cathedral Quarter just North East of centre! And nowhere better to start than the John Hewitt Bar at the very heart of it - a Bohemian gay-friendly pub where artists, musicians and writers mingle and listen to the nightly live music sessions.

 

Day 2

Explore the Ards Peninsula, one of Europe’s most important wildlife sites, visiting the Marquis of Londonderry's house at Mount Stewart with its stunning gardens, and the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey at Grey Abbey.  Cross via the Ferry to Strangford, where there is another opportunity to visit a stately mansion, Castle Ward.  Anne Ward was famous in the 18th century for her Lesbian affair.  Visit Downpatrick, the resting place of St Patrick and Stuel Wells, originally a place of Pagan ritual, St. Patrick is said to have dedicated the wells to Christianity. The waters are said to have mysterious healing powers.  Return to Belfast

 

Day 3

Enjoy Belfast City this morning, and then head down towards Dublin, turning off the M1 to visit the Newgrange, a remarkable prehistoric site. The area is in the valley of the River Boyne, where the world famous Brugh na Boyne monuments (Newgrange, Knowth & Dowth) have stood there for over 5,000 years. .Overnight at Bewleys Hotel (3*) or The Merrion (5*)

 

Day 4

Explore Dublin.  Dublin has long been a centre of art and culture. Stroll through the elegant Georgian streets of Merrion and Fitzwilliam Squares, shop in the elegant emporiums of Grafton Street and Powerscourt Townhouse, explore the collections of the National Museum and National Gallery, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and many fine small private collections. The range of art and artifacts is enormous, and you will have no problem spending many hours enthralled.. The city is over a thousand years old, and many of the towns and settlements that surround it are equally ancient. Successive centuries have left their distinctive overlays of character and architecture which means that Dublin has a wealth of historically significant and fascinating sights to explore such as Dublin Castle, where the Normans ruled from the 12th Century, St Patrick's Cathedral, of which Jonathan Swift was Dean, and Trinity College, famous for The Book of Kells and for its alumni who include Oscar Wilde and Oliver Goldsmith. And no visit to Dublin could be complete without visiting either the Old Whiskey Distillery or the Guinness Storehouse!

Day 5

Down into The Wicklow Mountains.  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 6th Century. However be sure to leave time to explore the west side of the Mountains - Russborough House, home of the Beit collection of old master paintings.  Return to Dublin overnight.

 

Day 6 

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. On the way back to Dublin is Castletown, the largest Palladian stately home in Ireland.  Golfers might want to pay their respects to the K Club, home of the Ryder Cup in 2006.  Return to Dublin overnight.

Day 7  A day at leisure in Dublin.  As capital city and largest urban centre on the island, Dublin has always attracted gay men and women looking for both the anonymity, and exposure, that a big city provides. In fact, Dublin has more gay men and women per capita than San Francisco. With one of the highest youth populations in the European Union, coupled with the (now diminishing) "Tiger" economy, the city seems to be ever-expanding both physically and culturally.

The gay "scene"/community seems to be coming of age and expanding beyond the limited confines of pubs and clubs, sometimes even merging with the mainstream. Leaving the George on a Saturday night, wandering down South William Street or through Temple Bar, it might seem that the entire city is queer (or at least queer-friendly) For information about the gay scene in Dublin click here

Day 8   Depart

Prices, using 5* accommodation, bed and breakfast, admissions and a self drive car - from €1830 per person

Prices, using 3* accommodation, bed and breakfast, admissions and a self drive car - from €780 per person

Prices, using B&B accommodation, bed and breakfast, admissions and a self drive car - from €620 per person

 

Copyright Adams & Butler Ltd 2005