Make Mine A Pint! A Tour of The Pubs of Ireland

Brendan Behan was thrown out of 720 Dublin Pubs, but still found several welcoming hostelries. There is reputedly a pub for every 300 of the population, man, woman & child. From sophisticated emporia of wit & alcohol to spit & sawdust shebeens, they offer a mirror for your every mood.

This tour take you around the country visiting a range of taverns that offer fine food, good drink, & live entertainment. Here you will find the essence of Ireland , her pure spirit, flowing from taps & bottles that have inspired writers as disparate as James Joyce & J.P. Donleavy, Samuel Beckett & Sean O'Casey. 

Day 1 Shannonside - Kerry 

Morning arrival at Shannon Airport , where you'll meet your driver/guide. Leaving Shannon you'll go through the city of Limerick & stop in Adare, a quaint village of thatched cottages, antique stores & ancient abbeys, for an Irish coffee. On to Killarney for the night.  Killarney is one of the busiest tourist towns in Ireland , yet it lies within just a few minutes walk of some of the most stunningly beautiful and isolated scenery in Europe .  Enjoy your first night amidst the lilting voices of Killarney, where melodious tenors and shrieking violins will be the background as you call “Same again please!”

Day 2 Kerry: 

This morning explore the most beautiful county in Ireland . There'll be time to check out the smoked salmon in Killorglin before exploring the north side of the Ring of Kerry.  Lunch in Waterville , Charlie Chaplin's favourite retreat; Sneem, patronised by Charles de Gaulle;  Stop at the famous Muckross House & gardens & enjoy the stunning vistas of the Lakes of Killarney, sheltering under Ireland's highest mountains. Muckross is famous for so many things - the red deer, Queen Victoria's visit, the incredible flowers. Spend time in Killarney, a busy city with galleries & shopping.   Off to a traditional Irish pub for a celebration of Irish Music!

Day 3 Kerry - Cork 

Your journey today follows the wild west coast of Ireland . Explore or shop in the little towns & villages along the way - Kenmare, a millionaires' hideaway; Glengarrif, where Maureen O'Hara lives; Skibereen, home to David Putnam & Jeremy Irons; ending up in Ireland's gourmet capital, Kinsale. Kinsale is a memorable old harbour town with narrow streets & winding passageways. Stay in the heart of the old town in the charming 250 year old inn   Visit The Kinsale Brewing Company in a beautifully restored malthouse dating from 1703.  At the end of the tour you can browse through the gift shop and sample some of the beers produced, or you can just walk in and soak in the atmosphere of the old brewery bar upstairs.  This evening set your nerves jangling on a ghost tour of the harbour.

Day 4 Cork - Kilkenny 

After a chance to get the "gift of the gab" by kissing the Blarney Stone (and for the shoppers a quick visit to the Blarney Woollen Mills where you'll find the biggest range & the best prices), you'll be stopping for lunch at the Midleton Whiskey Distillery. Then on to Waterford & a tour of the world famous crystal factory before stopping for the night in the medieval city of Kilkenny, home of the famous Smithwicks Beer. Kilkenny is also known for its craft workers studios & it rich heritage of ancient buildings. 

Day 5 Kilkenny - Dublin

Today by way of the wild countryside of the Wicklow mountains to the ancient monastic settlement of Glendalough, deep in a glacial valley with dark lakes shrouded by the wooded slopes. On to Powerscourt House & Gardens in Enniskerry for lunch - one of the most impressive places in Ireland – a stately home with acres of formal terraced gardens. You'll arrive in Dublin in time to take part in a literary pub crawl, having checked into your city centre accommodation.  Tonight a farewell traditional Irish night in a famous Dublin Pub.   Overnight Dublin . 

Day 6 Dublin

After breakfast, you depart for Dublin Airport where you have ample time for some last minute duty free shopping before boarding your flight home.   If your flight leaves in the afternoon there will be time to visit the Guinness Brewery on the way.

Book Through Your Travel Agent

Adams & Butler, Luxury Travel Specialists
71 Waterloo Road
Mount Merrion
Dublin 4, Ireland
T +353 1 2889355 F +353 1 288 9282 E info@irishluxury.com
US Toll Free 1-800-8945712

Your Accommodation

Killarney

Originally a 19th Century Coaching Inn, this old house has hosted generations of travellers.  It is a 4 star award winning Town House, superbly located in the heart of Killarney town, convenient to all surrounding activities and amenities.All guest rooms, newly refurbished and extended, are exceptional by any standards and have been expressively and individually designed to create an ambience of elegance, comfort and relaxation.

Cork

This 220 year old pub provides accommodation for many Irish and International visitors.  Excellent quality en-suite en-suite accommodation. Rooms have soft drinks with tea and coffee facilities, plus a host of thoughtful personal extras to make your stay even more comfortable. Other features include Colour Television, central heating and direct dial telephones.

Kilkenny

This quaint simply styled inn offers guests cozy comfortable surroundings, with all the facilities of a hotel The rooms are equipped with satellite TV, telephones and hairdryers.   It is a 5 minute stroll fom the River Nore and the Castle.

Dublin

A victorian pub in the city centre, a few minutes stroll from most of the city centre attractions.  

A Note of Warning  - this is a pub tour, staying in pubs.  In Irish pubs the music tends to start around 10.00pm and go on till late.  Our tour is planned around this, with morning starts at or after 9.30 pm, but do remember that the point of an Irish pub is Ceol Agus Craic - music and fun!

Irish Coffee Recipe

Jim Sheridan, the barman at Foynes when it was the original Shannon Airport for the Pan Am Clippers, invented this drink one dark and stormy night.

There are two recipes

Put a silver spoon in a glass (so that the top and bottom of the glass get equally hot and it does not break.  Pour in 6oz of hot strong black coffee.  Add a spoonful of sugar (it should be demerrara).  Add a shot (or two) of whiskey.  Lift the spoon and pour heavy cream onto the back of it so that the cream floats on the coffee - cheats whip it a bit before pouring.

My favourite recipe is

Take a silver coin and put it in the bottom of a glass.  Cover it with sugar till you can't see it.  Pour in whiskey till you can see it.  Pour in coffee till you can't see it.   And finally top with cream!

Sláinte!

IN THE EVENT THAT YOU CANCEL A TRIP, YOUR DEPOSITS AND FINAL PAYMENTS ARE REFUNDABLE ONLY IF A REPLACEMENT CAN BE FOUND FOR YOUR RESERVED SPACE. 

CIRCUMSTANCES MAY OCCUR THAT ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL AND MAY AFFECT THE ITINERARY. WE SHALL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SUBSTITUTE AN EQUAL ATTRACTION SHOULD IT BECOME NECESSARY.

WE STRONGLY ADVISE THAT YOU TAKE OUT TRAVEL INSURANCE.

Adams & Butler Ltd  reserves the right in its sole discretion to make changes in itinerary and is not responsible to any person for expense, loss of time or money or other circumstances resulting in a change in itinerary or change in tour arrangements made by it for its tour members. We reserve the right to decline, or to accept, any person as a member of any tour at any time.

Adams & Butler Ltd is not  responsible for any injury, loss or damage incurred, personal or otherwise, by any tour member(s). Adams & Butler Ltd accepts NO responsibility, in whole or part, for events beyond our control including but not limited to strikes, quarantine, lockouts, revolts, acts of war, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, fire, weather, closure of highways or hotels/motels or technical problems of transport which force us to cancel the tour. In the event of cancellation of a tour you will be entitled to a refund of any moinies that you have paid to Adams & Butler Ltd, which will be the extent of their liability.