Pub & Folk Tour of Ireland 2008   (Escorted Tour / 7 nights)

“Shindig” Dinner Show, Guinness Brewery, Kinsale Ghost Tour, Kiss the Blarney Stone, Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher,Aran Islands Day Tour, Dun Aengus Fort

Package Includes:
• Group transfers on arrival and departure
• Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout the tour
• Services of a professional Irish driver/guide
• First class hotels with private bath/shower for 7 nights
• 7 full Irish breakfasts (B)
• 6 dinners (D) including;
  - “Shindig” at the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin
  - five table d'hote dinners in Killarney
• Welcome get-together drink
• Dublin sightseeing tour with local guide
• Tour & a pint at the Guinness Storehouse
• Kinsale Ghost Tour & Walking Tour of Kinsale with a
  local guide
• Passage on the Shannon Ferry service
• Day tour to Inis Mor, largest of the three Aran Islands
• Visits and admissions to Dublin Castle, Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills,
  Essence of Kerry AV show, Cliffs of Moher, Dun Aengus Fort, Aran Heritage Centre and
  Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
• All local tax, hotel service charges & porter fees for (1) suitcase per person

Accommodations as listed or Similar:
Dublin - Grand Canal Hotel - Dublin - 1 night
Kinsale - Trident Hotel - 1 night
Killarney - Arbutus Hotel - 2 nights
Galway - Galway Bay Hotel - 2 nights
Dublin - Grand Canal Hotel - Dublin - 1 night

Itinerary Outline:

Day 1 - Flight - Depart U.S. for Dublin Welcome aboard your overnight flight to Dublin. Enjoy inflight entertainment and meals. Call 1-800-633-0505 for optional discounted airfares from your hometown. This package is a land only package round trip airfare is not included.

Day 2 - Dublin Arrival & Guinness - Land at Dublin Airport early this morning. After customs formalities and luggage reclamation, head to our Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall to arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. Passengers arriving later will transfer to the hotel at their own expense. In the afternoon get together with a Dublin guide to tour Dublin Castle’s State Apartments to learn about Ireland’s history and see the magnificent chambers where many state events are held. Drive around the spacious Phoenix Park, home to Ireland’s President and the U.S. Ambassador. Visit the Guinness Storehouse to see how this famous brewery was established. Finish your tour with a creamy pint at the rooftop bar, Ireland’s highest drinking spot. Return to your hotel and meet with your tour group and guide for a welcome drink and discuss your itinerary. Later you may like to explore the lively bar and restaurant scene including traditional pubs such as the Brazen Head, Doheny & Nesbitts or the Bailey!

Day 3 - Rock of Cashel & Kinsale Ghost Tour - Depart Dublin to travel through the Irish countryside where you will see many different types of farms. Visit the Rock of Cashel, a magnificent limestone outcrop high above the surrounding lands. See the many imposing church ruins, some of which date back to the 12th century. Drive to Kinsale and check into your hotel. After dinner take a Ghost Tour - a lighthearted look at Kinsale's old streets, monuments and alleyways. To recover from your tour, you might like to check out The Spaniard, Hole-in-the-Wall or Mad Monk, Kinsale's popular pubs. (B, D)

Day 4 - Historic Kinsale & Blarney Castle - This morning join a local historian at Charles Fort and learn about the development of the town of Kinsale on a brief walk. Drive north to visit Blarney Castle, just a few miles outside Cork city. Climb to the ramparts to kiss the well-known "Stone of Eloquence." Head to the Blarney Woollen Mills for some shopping - there's even a pub hiding in the shopping complex! Travel through County Cork to Macroom and stop for a brief look around at the imposing castle, which was the boyhood home of William Penn. Continue your drive to Killarney and check into your hotel. Take a walk around the town before dinner and afterwards you may visit the popular Buckley's Pub, conveniently situated right in your hotel! (B, D)

Day 5 - Ring of Kerry - Explore one of Ireland's most popular scenic areas with Ireland's highest mountains on one side and a varied Atlantic coastline on the other. Stop at the Gap of Dunloe Industries to see the "Essence of Kerry" an audio visual presentation, which will tell you all about the region. As you drive, every turn will reveal new vistas of mountains, cliffs and beaches and there will be plenty of photo stops. Travel through the remote villages of Cahirciveen and Waterville at the western end of the peninsula. Stop in the colorful village of Sneem and pause for a look at the Lakes of Killarney at Moll's Gap. In the evening you may like to explore some of Killarney's many pubs that feature live music. (B, D)

Day 6 - Cliffs of Moher & Galway - Head north through the town of Listowel to take a 20-minute ferry ride across the wide Shannon River Estuary. Travel along the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, a five-mile wall of limestone rising above the foaming Atlantic breakers. See the rounded limestone hills of the Burren and drive down Corkscrew Hill for views of Galway Bay. Stop in Ballyvaughan for a stroll and continue your journey into Galway. Take a brief drive around Galway before checking into your hotel, located on Galway Bay where you may like to check out the old-world "Herring Choker" pub with live music. (B, D)

Day 7 - Aran Islands & Dun Aengus - Take a short ferry ride from Rossaveal to Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. These rocky islands are renowned for traditional fishing and farming communities and also the popular intricate fishermen's sweaters. The Irish language is still spoken widely. Take a minibus ride to Dun Aengus, a huge pre-historic fortress perched on sheer cliffs. In Kilronan, the main town, visit the Aran Heritage Centre to learn about local customs before returning to the mainland. Enjoy some free time before heading into the hotel restaurant for dinner. (B, D)

Day 8 - Clonmacnoise & "Shindig" Evening - Travel eastwards today to visit Clonmacnoise. This early Christian monastic site was founded by St. Ciaran in 545 AD, when Christianity flourished throughout Ireland. See round towers, church ruins and Celtic crosses with elaborate carvings, all in a picturesque setting on the banks of the River Shannon. Continue to the greater metropolitan area of Dublin and check into your hotel once more. Enjoy some leisure time before heading to a "Shindig" at the Old Jameson Distillery. See whiskey-making processes as you tour the distillery before sitting down to a dinner of Irish specialties, followed by a fun entertainment program. This operates from March 28 - October 24 departures. Outside those dates the Abbey Tavern will feature. (B, D)

Day 9 - Dublin to U.S.A. - Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free stores before U.S. Immigration pre-clearance and boarding your flight for the journey home. (B)