A 7 day tour of Ireland exclusively from

Come and discover the best of Ireland on this itinerary which offers a balanced program of sightseeing, touring,  golf and leisure time. Sit back and relax in a comfort while your Irish driver/guide will relate history, stories and legends, and direct you to the best shops and pubs to visit. Enjoy Ireland's great natural beauty as you travel past mountains and glens, seascapes and lakes and learn about the history of the country through visits to castles and other historic places. Superb meals, lively entertainment,  and friendly, first class accommodation all await you. The tour has been designed to take in some of the greatest "Wow!" sites of Ireland as well as sites designed to be especially sensory.

For details on the accommodation click here

Your Day-by-Day Itinerary

Sept 26

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 artefacts 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 at The Schoolhouse Lane Apartments or Brooks Hotel, a family run 4* hotel in the city centre

Sept 27

Bank of Ireland , College Green The prestigious offices of Ireland 's national bank began life as the first purpose-built parliament house in Europe . Completed in 1739 it served as Ireland 's Parliament until the Act Of Union in 1801

Trinity College Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth. Among many famous students to attend the college were playwrights Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Beckett. Trinity's lawns and cobbled quads provide a pleasant haven in the hearth of the city. The major attractions are the Old Library and the Book of Kells, housed in the Treasury. Exit form the front of the Trinity complex and walk from College Green to Dame St and Continue west passing:

The Olympia Theatre - Dating back to the 1800s, this Victorian music hall-style theatre has a capacity of 1,300. It presents an eclectic schedule of variety shows, musicals, operettas, concerts, ballet, comedy, and drama. As a variation, for the late-night crowd, live bands are often featured after regular programs.  A brief diversion here will bring you into the trendy Temple Bar area. Across the Street is

City Hall  Erected between 1769 and 1779, and formerly the Royal Exchange. It is a square building in Corinthian style, with three fronts of Portland stone. Since 1852, however it has been the centre of the municipal government. The interior is designed as a circle within a square, with fluted columns supporting a dome shaped roof over the central hall. The building contains many items of interest, including 102 royal charters and the mace and sword of the city. Adjacent to City Hall is:

Dublin Castle Built between 1208 and 1220, this complex represents some of the oldest surviving architecture in the city, and was the centre of English power in Ireland for over seven centuries until it was taken of by the Irish Free State in 1922. Highlights include the 13th-century record tower, the largest visible fragment of the original Norman castle and the State Apartments, once the residence of English viceroys and now the focal point for government ceremonial functions, including the inauguration of Ireland 's presidents. At this point Dame St takes on the name Lord Edward St , and leads to

St. Patrick's Cathedral Ireland 's largest church was founded beside a sacred well where St. Patrick is said to have baptised converts around 450A.D. A stone slab bearing a Celtic cross and covering the well was un-earthed at the turn of the century(20th). It is now preserved in the west end of the cathedral's nave. The original building was just a wooden chapel and remained so until 1192 when Archbishop John Comyn rebuilt the cathedral in stone. Much of the present building dates back to work completed between 1254 and 1270.  Cut back to

Powerscourt Town House Centre The townhouse of a famous Georgian family. Today the building houses one of the cities nicest shopping centres. In the 1960's major restoration turned it into a centre of specialist galleries, antique shops, jewellery stalls, cafés and other shop units. Carry on to Grafton Street down the narrow Johnson Court Alley

Lunch at Davy Byrnes

In the afternoon  explore the Great Georgian Squares and Doorways.;  Visit the famous Phoenix Park, Home of our President Mary McAllesse;  See the delights of the city of Roddy Doyle, James Joyce, Brendan Behan, Sean O' Casey, Oscar Wilde and Nobel Prize winners W.B Yeats, George B. Shaw and Samuel Beckett.; See Guinness Brewery, O' Connell Street;  The U2 Wall, The National Museum & Gallery

Sept 28th: Glendalough & Powerscourt

County Wicklow , known as the Garden of Ireland , is 750 square miles of rolling hills, mountains, and waterfalls. Visit Powerscourt House and Gardens, located in a stunning natural setting at Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, approximately 45 minutes from Dublin city centre. A magnificent period home dating from mid 18th century, overlooking wonderful terraced gardens and an ornamental lake, Powerscourt House was partially destroyed by fire in 1974. A long restoration project ensued during which the ballroom and the garden rooms were rebuilt. On site at Powerscourt is also Ireland 's premier shopping emporium "Avoca Hand Weavers".

Explore Glendalough, follow in the footsteps of Saint Kevin, who established this spectacular 6th century monastic settlement, deep within the Wicklow Mountains , surrounded on all sides by steep mountain passes. Glendalough the valley of two lakes is one of the most spectacular locations to visit in Ireland . We will guide you through this mystical location, explore the round towers, cathedrals, high crosses, and enjoy a truly memorable stroll through the valley of two lakes.  Travel on through Wexford to Waterford. Overnight at a Rose Garden Suite in  Mount Juliet, Mersheen lodge at Dunbrody or Glendine house at Arthurstown.

September 29th  Kilkenny and the River Valleys

Tour the Waterford Crystal Factory where you can watch how skilled craftspeople blow and cut the glass. Also see the huge display of trophies and tableware in the showrooms.  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.   Known as the Medieval Capital of the Emerald Isle,  Kilkenny offers plenty for the enthusiastic visitor to see. From its medieval shops, witch haunted inns and  soaring medieval cathedral to the perfectly preserved Elizabethan houses and its breathtaking Norman Castle on the banks of the River Nore.and of course lots of shops,  it is little wonder that Kilkenny enjoys such a grand title.  The castle has an excellent contemporary art gallery beneath the imposing family portrait gallery.  Return to Mount Juliet, Mersheen lodge at Dunbrody or Glendine house at Arthurstown.

Alternatively visit Tintern Abbey and the Lighthouse on Hook Head. Then take the ferry to go to Waterford where A special VIP tour of Waterford Crystal can be arranged . After lunch visit the  Dunbrody, a replica of the type sailing ship that brought immigrants from Europe to America in the mid 19th Century.   The Kennedy homestead is just south of New Ross.  Further down the peninsula are the gardens of Kilmokea at Campile, Dunbrody Castle . 

Maybe eat at a local pub tonight?

Sept 30th 

On one day  tour along the valley of the River Suir to Cahir wiith its great castle and then on to 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

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Carry on up through Tipperary to Kildare to stay at either a courtyard apartment at the K Club, or at Martinstown House on the Curragh, a slightly eccentric manor house country inn, reminiscent of the historic Natchez type B&Bs.

October 1st

In the morning visit The Irish National Stud and Japanese gardens.  In the afternoon head up to visit the castle at Trim and the Hill of Tara, prehistoric seat of Ireland's Kings.  Return to The K Club or Martinstown