We arrive in the capital Dublin, having taken the ferry from Holyhead. At least THREE NIGHTS are spent in DUBLIN in order to explore the city and its surroundings. Visits should include, Trinity College, the Old Library and the Treasury with its greatest treasure, The Book of Kells. Dublin Castle the symbol of British Rule for 700 years, Georgian Dublin a fashionable suburb in the 18th century, a must for lovers of Georgian architecture, there are several museums, galleries and houses to visit. Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban park in Europe and the National Botanic Gardens, the Chester Beatty Library which houses an outstanding collection of Islamic and Far Eastern Art and an important Western European collection of prints by Durer, Holbein and Piranesi. No visit to Dublin would be complete without a visit to the Guinness Brewery and Museum which ends naturally with a tasting.
An excursion must be made to the Wicklow Mountains where we would visit the gardens of Powerscourt created in the 18th century and famous for roses and flowering shrubs and its 400ft waterfall. Nearby is Russborough House a magnificent Palladian mansion which houses the Beit Art Collection. Glendalough’s group of monastic ruins is one of the most attractive and important historical sites in Ireland.
For lovers of horses a visit to the National Stud, which includes the Irish Horse Museum and the Curragh racecourse is a must, in the grounds are the lovely Japanese Gardens. Castletown House the first great Palladian mansion to be built in Ireland is famous for the Long Gallery with its Pompeian décor and print room.
We leave Dublin and head south to the town of Kilkenny, Ireland’s most outstanding medieval city dominated by its castle and cathedral. Nearby is Jerpoint Abbey the most interesting and least ruined Cistercian ruins in Ireland in a lovely setting. We continue on to WATERFORD.
Waterford is a large seaport best known for its glassware. We visit the factory now the largest glassworks in the world and of course have the opportunity to buy. We continue on to Cashel and its famous Rock, seat of the kings of Munster from the 4th century. St. Patrick’s Rock has outstanding architectural remmnants of the early Christian era, ruins of a medieval Cathedral, and the highly ornate Romanesque Cormac’s chapel. We return southwards to CORK.
Cork is Ireland’s third city and has a strong historical and cultural identity. We would spend a day exploring its galleries, museums and Cathedral and make sure we hear the famous Shandon Bells a carillion of eight bells. Another night is spent in CORK.
We now embark on a beautiful drive to the south west corner of Ireland following the coast road. If we feel energetic we could climb Mount Gabriel and look for traces of bronze age copper mining. Round the lovely coastline of Bantry Bay and a visit to the 17th century Bantry House and its Italienate gardens. One of the tapestries which hang in the house was made for Marie Antoinette. We overnight in the market town of KENMARE.
We follow the coast road along the famous Ring of Kerry and stop to visit Daniel O’Connell’s house, presented as it was when built in 1825. We travel round the Dingle Penninsula which contains a large number of ancient stone monuments and dramatic views. We come to KILLARNEY which is set on the east shore of Lough Leane in the Killarney National Park and dominated by the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks. This is an ideal touring centre from where we could visit woollen mills, glass studios, beautiful walks, gardens, 15th century Ross Castle, Muckross Abbey.
We travel on to LIMERICK which lies astride the River Shannon. There is much to see here including St. Mary’s Cathedral dating back to 1168, King John’s Castle fortified Norman architecture, the Old Bishop’s Palace designed in the Palladian style.For clients who are keen fishermen, this is the ideal area to perhaps spend a few days as the Shannon is one of the great fishing rivers of the British Isles. LIMERICK, possibly for a second night.
EITHER
At this point it would be possible to spend two days continuing up the beautiful West coast to Galway and on to WESTPORT an elegant 18th century town on the Carrowbeg River. Lovely views and opportunities for fishing, walking and horse-riding. This is the most Gaelic speaking area of Ireland.
OR
Up to GALWAY the largest conurbation on the west coast with its medieval core of narrow streets. Nora Barnacle wife of James Joyce lived in a tiny cottage here which we can visit.
We turn eastwards towards DUBLIN travelling across the empty heart of Ireland to Clonmacnois, the magnificent ruins of a 6th century monastery, the burial place of the Kings of Connaught and Tara, and one of the most famous monastic sites in Ireland. From here we end our tour either at Dun Laoghaire and the ferry to Holyhead or at Dublin airport.
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