Irish Emerald Society



Tour Ireland with the IrishIn September, the Irish Emerald Society will crown its 5th birthday celebrations with a 7-day tour of Ireland. Ferried by luxury coach, the tour will take in some of Ireland’s internationally renowned scenery and cultural events. You don’t have to be a member to join the tour; you don’t even have to be Irish. But, if you’ve ever thought you’d like to visit Ireland, then you won’t get a better opportunity than this. Tour Ireland with Irish companions!Day 1 (18th Sep) - (D)The tour will leave Dublin Airport in the afternoon and make its way westward to spend the first night in Co Kildare. Birthplace of St Brigid, the other national saint. Kildare has a mixture of lands – the rich Curragh (home to Ireland’s racing and bloodstock industry) and the Bog of Allen in the west. Bordering Co Dublin, the eastern part of Co Kildare was once within The Pale. An Introductory Dinner will round off the day. Overnight at the 4* Westgrove Hotel - Clane - KildareDay 2 (19th Sep) - (B)360045040005After a traditionally sumptuous Irish breakfast, we set off west and cross the River Shannon into Galway. Galway city – where, in the late 15th century, Mayor Lynch hanged his own son for murder – is a university city and famous for its culture. It is also the gateway to Connemara, an area of renowned scenic beauty. About 4 times bigger than Malta, its mountains, lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, long beaches and rocky inlets make Connemara one of Ireland’s best-loved destinations, even for the Irish. We stay in Clifden, Connemara’s capital, where the Clifden Arts Festival will be in full swing.Overnight at the 3* Station House Hotel - ClifdenDay 3 (20th Sep) - (B)360045081915There are many areas of great beauty around Clifden, all worth a visit. On the other hand, the town will be buzzing with a variety of cultural events, every available venue playing host to some performance or session. Though a small town, Clifden – being almost 40 miles from the next town – has to be self-sufficient so it has everything, good shops, great restaurants and, during the Arts Festival especially, a wide variety of entertainment. We spend a second night in Clifden.Overnight at the 3* Station House Hotel - Clifden360045057150Day 4 (21st Sep) - (B/D)Takes us south into Co Clare. Travelling along the south shore of Galway Bay, we drive through the Burren, an area of limestone where rare Alpine and Mediterranean plants thrive in crevices and fissures in the barren grey landscape. Rounding the headland that separates Galway Bay from the mighty Atlantic, we come upon the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. Nearby towns are Lisdoonvarna, home of a famous match-making festival and Doolin, renowned for its traditional music and the port for the Arran Islands. We enjoy a mediaeval banquet at Bunratty Castle, associated with Lord Gort, Malta’s governor (1942-44).Overnight at the 3* Castle Oaks Hotel - Castleconnell - Limerick360997570485Day 5 (22nd Sep) - (B)We go south again, this time into Co Kerry, Ireland’s south-west ‘corner’ with its peninsulas thrust out into the wild Atlantic. We drive round one of the most scenic of these, the Dingle Peninsula, one of the few areas of the country where Irish is still the common everyday language – another is in Connemara. In the evening we reach Killarney, probably the most famous of all of Ireland’s many beauty spots. We stay the night in Killarney so we have time to explore the town, the lakes, Muckross Abbey, etc. Overnight at the 3* Holiday Inn Hotel - KillarneyDay 6 (23rd Sep) - (B)360997522225As time is, unfortunately, pressing, we head straight for Dublin, leaving Cork, Waterford, Wicklow and other beautiful counties for another time. Our Dublin hotel is very conveniently situated for those who want to shop, visit Co Wicklow, take in some of Dublin’s wide range of cultural and historical sites and tours. Our ‘formal’ tour will have ended by now as it’s best if people make their own decisions and follow their own wishes. A list of potential activities and sites will be available at the hotel or from tourist offices.Overnight at the 3* Bewleys Hotel Ballsbridge - DublinDay 7 (24th Sep) - (B/D)360997597790More of the same. Enjoy Dublin and all it has to offer. Don’t worry you won’t run out of things to do. In fact, you’ll probably wish you had several more days to try to take in more of the capital’s jewels! Whatever you’re doing, please make sure you’re back at the hotel in time to join in the Farewell Dinner, where we all say goodbye; many of our companions of the past week may be staying on to see friends, family or even just to continue their tour - after all, Belfast with its Titanic Museum is just a two-hour train-ride away or the Hill of Tara and its early pre-Christian sites, just an hour.Overnight at the 3* Bewleys Hotel Ballsbridge - Dublin360045020320Day 8 (25th Sept) - (B) For those who are returning to Malta on the Ryanair flight, our bus will collect you to take you back to Dublin airport, where it all began.(B) - Breakfast / (D) - DinnerPrice per person = € 635 in twin / double room.Single room supplement = € 150Above rates include all hotel accommodation, the tour itinerary by coach with a driver guide, meals as stated above.FLIGHTS ARE NOT INCLUDED - as many members will want to spend time in Ireland both before and after the tour.All rates quoted are subject to availability at time of booking. Terms and conditions applyFor further details about the tour please contact:Pat Staff of IES on 99263378 or Maurice O’Scanaill on mosclifden@For assistance with flights, travel insurance or other general queries:Staff Travel on 27572713 or tim@.mt ................
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