2016 Ireland's Road to Freedom Tour 9 Days / 8 Nights
Day 1:
Your vacation starts at your Dublin hotel at 2:00 pm when you meet your tour director. Head out to see Dublin’s main attractions especially around the General Post Office in O’Connell Street, where the 1916 Rising first broke out. View other prominent buildings, parks and monuments as well as Dublin’s famous Georgian squares and elegant town houses with elaborate doorways. Tour Glasnevin Museum, Ireland’s national necropolis, which is a who’s who of modern Irish history. It is the final resting place of Daniel O’Connell, Michael Collins, Charles Stewart Parnell and other prominent figures dedicated to Irish independence. Your tour director will host a welcome drink with your fellow travelers and advise where to dine independently.
Day 2:
Visit the Pearse Museum in St. Enda's Park in the former home and school of Patrick Pearse, the leader of the 1916 Rising. It was from this house that Pearse and his brother, William, left to fight on Easter Sunday in 1916, never to return. Leave Dublin and journey across the rolling pastures of Ireland’s heartland to Athlone, to learn about the 1691 Siege of Athlone and the political importance of the city. Sip an Irish coffee in Sean’s Bar, dating back to 900 AD. Stop in Athenry where Irish Volunteers covering the western rebellion trained and subsequently fought in 1916. Drive to Galway and take a walking tour around the main sights of the city before dining in your hotel.
(B, D)
Day 3:
Today explore scenic Connemara to admire sparkling lakes and peat bogs. While visually stunning, this area is not good for farming with many tracts of bogland. This will help you understand the policies of landlords in the east pushing peasants westward into this barren area. Drive through the picturesque Inagh Valley to Leenane for a short catamaran cruise of Killary Harbour, a 9-mile fjord. Enjoy views of hills where traces of “lazy beds” of potato ridges from the 19th century and earlier can still be seen. Drive through the picturesque scenery of hills and lakes to visit Dan O’Hara’s Homestead. Here you will see traditional methods of farming as well as Connemara ponies, donkeys and other farm animals. Enjoy a casual lunch and return to Galway where the evening is free.
(B, L)
Day 4:
Travel south around Galway Bay and through the Burren, a region of rounded limestone hills which has a curious lunar-like appearance. On the coast view the Cliffs of Moher, which rise almost 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic surf. Drive south to take a ferry across the River Shannon Estuary and stop at Banna Strand, where Roger Casement tried to land arms to support the 1916 Rising. Learn about this incident while sampling tea and scones. Drive to Killarney, check in to your hotel in the center of the town and head to Jarvey’s Irish Night for a lively show with dinner.
(B, D)
Day 5:
Drive through the Killarney National Park by traditional jaunting car to view Ross Castle set on the shores of Lough Leane with mountains forming a backdrop. Set out on Ireland’s most popular scenic drive – the Ring of Kerry. The variety of scenery in such a small area will amaze you and there will be plenty of photo opportunities. The road winds between the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Ireland’s highest mountains, and the heavily-indented Atlantic coastline. Take a guided tour around Derrynane House, home of the great 18th century statesman, Daniel O'Connell, who obtained Catholic Emancipation. Savor a light lunch and continue along the scenic route, stopping in the village of Sneem and also at Moll’s Gap for panoramic mountain views. Return to Killarney where the evening is free.
(B, L)
Day 6:
Leave Killarney’s mountains behind you as you travel through County Cork’s rich farmlands on the way to Blarney. Climb to the ramparts of Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone or take a gentle walk through the lovely parklands. Drive a few miles into Cork city for a guided walk through the city center with a local guide. End with an Irish coffee at the Imperial Hotel, where Michael Collins, Chairman of the Provisional Government, stayed on the night before he was assassinated. Continue to Waterford and check into your historic hotel, home of Thomas Francis Maher who designed the tricolor flag and was the first Governor of Montana. After dinner, join a local guide for a walking tour through the narrow streets to learn about the Viking origins of this 1,000-year-old city.
(B, D)
Day 7:
After breakfast tour the House of Waterford Crystal to watch the many stages of glass blowing, cutting and polishing by master craftspeople. At the end of the tour admire the huge display of magnificent trophies and you will have an opportunity to purchase elegant tableware and gift items. Visit Enniscorthy Castle where unique displays are dedicated to the 1916 Rising in Enniscorthy, the only town to rise outside of Dublin. Learn about the 1798 Rebellion as you view Vinegar Hill where Father Murphy led fighters in a major battle. Drive to your hotel in Dublin and head to the fishing port of Howth where in 1914 a thousand rifles were openly imported to arm the Irish Volunteers. Enjoy dinner at the historic Abbey Tavern followed by traditional Irish songs and step-dancing.
(B, D)
Day 8:
Visit Kilmainham Gaol where the leaders of the 1916 Rising, including Patrick Pearse, were imprisoned and shot. It was also the site where earlier freedom fighters such as Robert Emmett were held during the 19th century. Take a guided walking tour around central Dublin where fighting during the Rising was at its heaviest. Visit the General Post Office, where the 1916 Rising was headquartered, to see displays pertaining to this period of history. Enjoy some free time for shopping and dining.
(B)
Day 9:
Your program ends after breakfast.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
CIE Tours reserves the right to substitute visits, entertainment and other features when cannot be visited for reasons beyond our control.
(October 22, 2015)