4
Aug
Arrive
Take the M1 Sourth, Then the M50 South and then the N7 South to Limerick.
By pass Limerick and follow the signs for Killarney. When you enter Adare the hotel gates are on your left.
Snuggled in a wooden and lush countryside setting, Adare is widely regarded as being Ireland’s prettiest and most picturesque village. Situated on the river Maigue, a tributary of the Shannon river, Adare (Gaelic name: "Ath Dara" - the "ford of the oak" - from the combination of water and woodland) dates back, at least, to the early 13th century. The bridge by which you enter the village, in the shadow of the ruined Desmond Castle, was built in 1329. Two groups of world famous ornate, thatched cottages line part off the village’s broad main street, punctuated with beautiful stone buildings, medieval monasteries and ruins. The Trent Jones golf course surrounding the neo-gothick Adare Manor. There are several craft and antique shops in the village of which the most attractive is George Stacpoles. He is the president of the Irish Antique dealers association and his wife is a noted couturier.
5 Aug
Explore The Burren, a wild and barren landscape full of prehistoric constructions and fascinating flora, and then on to the Cliffs of Moher.
Limerick is a big
industrial city, famous as the setting for Angela’s Ashes. Limerick
Castle is a dramatic city fortress of Norman times standing guard over Limerick
on the river Shannon. The castle was built in 1210 under orders from King John.
It is one of the finest examples of fortified Norman architecture in Ireland
With an imaginative exhibition, multi-vision show, excavations, war machines,
800 years of history unfold within its battlements. In the narrow streets that
surround it are several small antique shops. Nearby is The Hunt collection,
an internationally important Collection of some 2,000 original works of art and
antiquity. It is a personal collection formed by John and Gertrude Hunt who
selected each piece according to the quality of its design,craftsmanship and
artistic merit. These criteria were applied to objects from all periods of the
past - from the Stone Age to the Twentieth Century. Don't miss The
Georgian House or St Mary's Cathedral either.
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park. The great square keep was built around 1450 by the MacNamaras. It then fell into the hands of the O'Briens, Princes of Thomond and later was occupied by Admiral Penn, father of William Penn the founder of Pennysylvania. The restored castle now provides a wonderful insight into the life-style of the 15th and 16th centuries. The great hall where the Earls of Thomond held court, their private chambers and the public offices are furnished with Lord Gort's magnificent medieval collection. The crafts and skills of the self-sufficient Shannon farming community have been revived in the Folk Park where a 19th century village has been created. Features of the folk park include a recreated village street, 8 farmhouses, a watermill, a blacksmith's forge, Mac's pub, a church and a display of 19th century farm machinery.
Explore The Burren & The Cliffs of Moher. Words simply cannot do justice to this eerie, peculiar 193-square mile area of ancient seabed that suffered glacial activity during its long history . The Burren, is a bare lunar like landscape of a limestone plateau dotted with stone age forts and megalithic tombs. In the narrow crevices that criss-cross this pavement flourish orchids, gentians and other rare flora, an amazing mix of arctic, alpine, temperate, and tropical vegetation growing side by side. Twenty-two varieties of orchids thrive here, nourished by underground rivers and rich soil. Today we see treeless meadows of limestone karst that forms natural pavement interspersed with lush flora.. Scholars of history can scour the Burren for tombs, chambers, and dolmens (two stones that support a horizontal slab), traces of Stone Age inhabitants. . To the north the Burren is bounded by Galway Bay with the fishing port of Ballyvaughan, a noted centre for oysters, while to the west the Aran Islands stand out against the broad expanse of the Atlantic Ocean Visit the Cliffs of Moher, a sheer precipice 8km long and rising to a height of 203m, one of the most impressive stretches of the coast in the West of Ireland, remarkable especially at nesting seasons for the quantity and variety of seabirds there.
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| Askeaton | Foynes 1941 |
During the 1930s and early 1940s, the port of Foynes, the next village, was the fulcrum point for air traffic between the United States and Europe. The famous flying boats were frequent visitors, carrying passengers who ranged from celebrities to refugees. The Foynes museum recalls the era with a comprehensive range of exhibits and graphic illustrations. It also includes a 1940s style cinema, the original terminal building through which many VIP's passed, war years' radio and the weather room. Irish coffee was "invented" here in 1943.
Askeaton, one of Ireland's oldest towns,
is steeped in history and tradition and home in the 18th century of The Hell
Fire Club.. Built on the banks of the river Deel, it lies about two miles
upstream of the Shannon Estuary. The town gets its name from the ancient Irish
"Eas Geiphtine", "Eas" being the Irish for waterfall and
"Geiphtine" , the name of a tribe that lived on the waterfall, as far
back as pre-Christian times. The fort of Geiphtine was reserved to the kings of
Cashel, in the fifth century. the "Annals of Inisfallen" record the
building of the castle in 1199. The Desmond Castle dominates the town. The
tower rising from Deel island, the fine windows and fireplace, and to the west
of the tower, a great banqueting hall are all from the 15th century. Throughout
the town there are some very interesting old buildings including the Knights
Templar Tower built in 1298 and the Franciscan Friary 1389. Askeaton today
still looks like a medieval town, the center piece being the bridge which date's
back to the 15th century.
Head to back to Adare or the Night.
Or - An
alternative day
Tour to Killarney
and enjoy the lakes and mountains
Killarney
is a busy shopping town, but on the road out towards Kenmare, driving past the
lakes a must see is Muckross House, a magnificent Victorian Mansion and one of
Ireland's leading stately homes, with a good collection of antique furnishings.
It is beautifully situated amidst the spectacular scenery of Killarney National
Park. The elegantly furnished rooms portray the lifestyles of the landed Gentry,
while downstairs in the basement one can experience the working conditions of
the servants employed in the House. The Gardens are renowned worldwide for their
beauty. In particular they are noted for their collections of azaleas and
rhododendrons. Nearby are Muckross Traditional Farms where three separate
working farms, complete with animals, poultry and traditional farm machinery
will help you relive the past.
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| Kenmare | The Kerry Mountains |
6
Aug
Through
The Rock of Cashel,, a limestone outcrop rising from the plain and crowned by the medieval cathedral and round tower. Sheltering at its foot is Bru Boru, a entertainment of Irish music and dance
7
Aug
AM Golf
PM Perhaps a
visit some of the following: Thomastown with its medieval abbey;
Inistioge, where the movie "Circle of Friends" was made; New
Ross and the JFK Dunbrody Ship - the three mast sailing ship; the
Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre. Overnight
Follow the River Barrow through charming picture book villages, visiting, if you so choose, some of the craft workers studios that proliferate in this area.
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| The Dunbrody | Woodstock | Inistioge |
In New Ross the sailing ship JFK Dunbrody. Dunbrody is a full scale replica of the original ship which was built in 1845 and carried thousands of emigrants from Ireland to North America over a period of thirty years, trading extensively all over the world. The ship itself is a beautiful authentic recreation and visitors will experience the sights, smells and sounds of a tall ship crossing the ocean as well as meeting the captain and crew, and encountering emigrants telling their stories.
Visit Woodstock Gardens and the village of Inistioge, a charming village with a tree-lined square, lying in a pretty part of the Nore valley where the river winds between wooded banks flanked by hills. An Augustinian priory was founded here in 1210 by Thomas Fitzgerald, and the nave, tower and adjoining Lady Chapel remain. Some monuments of the Tighe family are in the tower, including an effigy by Flaxman of Mrs Mary Tighe the authoress of Psyche. The former home of the Tighes, Woodstock House, is in a wooded demesne south of the village. The house was damaged by fire in 1922, but the fine formal gardens can still be enjoyed.
8
Aug
Explore the
fascinating medieval laneways and hidden delights of the Medieval city of
Kilkenny is a city worth exploring, full of medieval laneways, inns with tales of witches, a great castle and of course lots of shops. Long renowned as Ireland's Medieval Capital, the city's origins date back to more than 1,500 years ago. The great building prowess of the Normans is very evident in the 11th and 12th century building they bestowed on the city. Not alone in the large "set piece" buildings, such as Saint Canice's Cathedral, the great Butler Castle and the four medieval abbeys, but also the streetscape, especially the attractive covered slipways.
Take the N9/ N7
from Kilkenny to
9
Aug
AM Golf
PM Either
Dublin City itself, which I would recommend (it is Ladies' Day at The Horse
Show, which is the top social event in
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
10
Aug
Transfer from K
Club to
