Adams & Butler Luxury Travel Experts
Offer
12 days from $2300
To Book Tel
+353-1-2889355 Fax 353-1-2889282 US Canada & US Toll Free 1-800-8945712
e-mail ireland@irishluxury.com
Day 1 Arrive Shannon. Tour to Kenmare, a smaller less frenetic town than its neighbour Killarney, and a tiny bit classier. It also has a faint whiff of hippydom - in the 60s it was Ireland's San Fransisco!! They are all now organic farmers, film directors or writers. If Killarney is the preferred destination then there is gay friendly accommodation available here as well and the town has magnificent views of the lakes and mountains. Overnight Killarney/Kenmare
Day 2 A tour of the Ring of Kerry with a lunch at Cill Rialaig artists' retreat. It is run by former magazine publisher and socialite Noelle Campbell-Sharpe. This is a place where artists are invited to spend a residency period, contributing some piece of their work to the centre afterwards, and also combines a shop, café and gallery. Overnight Killarney/Kenmare
Day 3 Via the stunning scenery of West Cork, the beautiful gardens of Garnish Island and Bantry. Lunch in Castletownsend, the home of the early 20th century novelists Edith Somerville and Violet Martin (Ross), and on to Kinsale, an old sea port, for the night. Overnight Kinsale
Day 4 Via Blarney Castle and Cork City to Lismore and along the Blackwater valley to Waterford, with a visit to its famous glass factory. Overnight in the county of Carlow.
Day 5 A morning visit to Huntington Castle, in County Carlow, headquarters of The Fellowship of Isis. Then on to Kilkenny for Lunch and an afternoon tour through the craftworkers studios of the valleys of the Nore and Barrow to Woodstock House, which is the home of an enduring emblem of Sapphic friendship. In 1778 Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby eloped to Wales where they lived together for over fifty years. Best known as the Ladies of Llangollen, after the Welsh village where they lived in "delicious retirement". Overnight as before.
Day 6 Tour to Dublin. Pub lunch followed by a walking tour of the city centre, visiting its ancient highlights. 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! Overnight Dublin.

Day 7 A day at rest in Dublin. The Dublin gay community is very welcoming and your welcome pack includes a copy of the Gay Community News. If the visit to Dublin coincides with the first Saturday of the month then a visit to the Excise Bar Affinity 4 Girls is a must! Overnight Dublin.
Day 8 Via Tara, Ireland's seat of power, to Loughcrew, the ancient neolithic decorated tomb of a prehistoric queen. An hour beyond that is the Grove of Sinann, a magical place. This evening stay close to Sligo in the heart of Yeats Country. Overnight Sligo
Day 9 Knocknarea, Co. Sligo, Home of Queen Maebh (Shakespeare's Queen Mab), and the countryside of the poet WB Yeats around Lough Gill. Overnight Sligo
Day 10 To Galway to tour of this ancient city. Explore Connemara, a land of black bogs, blue mountains, coral sands and diamond lakes. Lunch in a little fishing village. Overnight Galway.
Day 11 Explore the wild lunar countryside of The Burren and the dizzying heights of the Cliffs of Moher. Farewell banquet at Bunratty Castle. Overnight beside Shannon.
Day 12 depart.
11 nights accommodation with breakfast, all admissions including private privileged access, & a driver guide or a self drive car
- but call us to tailor the tour to your interests and budget
Adams & Butler - Luxury Travel Experts
Specialists in Ireland, Scotland, England, Aspen, South Africa & Kenya
The Carriage House,58 Foster Avenue
Mount Merrion, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Tel +353-1-2889355 Fax 353-1-2889282
book@irishluxury.com
US Toll Free 1-800-8945712
http://www.privateluxurytravel.com http://www.irishluxury.com
Proud allied members of Virtuoso & USTOA
Country inns, spas, castle hotels & country estate rentals for vacations, family celebrations, weddings, alumni tours, corporate events, incentives & meetings. We offer a one-stop shop for luxury tours including accommodation reservations, itineraries, coaches, cars & driver guides. From cottages to castles we have the best.