THE SHAMROCKER - IRELAND

ALL IRELAND EXPLORER 8 DAY TOUR

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Check In : 08.15am Returns : Approx. 5.00pm Price £ 260 Per Person Join us on our most breathtaking adventure to date... Explore the whole of Ireland North and South including two boat trips to magical islands off the South and West coasts. Overnight on the Aran Islands with traditional music and native Irish speaking locals. Explore the abandoned village on the Great Blasket Island off the Dingle peninsula. Hang out at the Cliffs of Moher and enjoy pints of the black stuff in Galway - Ireland's culture capital. Then head to the wilds of Donegal before taking a stroll along the Giants Causeway and crossing the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Get behind the media headlines and discover the real truth about the north in the vibrant cities of Derry and Belfast. The All Ireland Explorer - the ultimate Irish Adventure.

Highlights:

- Black Cab Tour
- Blarney Stone
- Burial Tombs
- Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge
- Cashel
- Connemara
- Cooley Peninsula
- Derry City Walking Tour
- Dingle Peninsula
- Donegal
- Giant's Causeway
- Killarney National Park
- Ringforts
- Slieve League Cliffs
- Burren
- Glenveagh National Park
- Aran Islands
- High Celtic Crosses
- Great Blasket Island
- Knock-na-Rea
- Cliffs of Moher
- The Bogs
- Kerry
- The Boyne Valley

Departure Dates 2005:

June: 4, 18
July: 2, 16, 30
August: 13, 27
September: 10, 24

Day 1 Dublin – Killarney :
Leaving Dublin along the banks of the Liffey we pass the Jame’s Gate Guinness Brewery. We’ll journey through the Liffey Valley into The Curragh – horsey country and home to The Irish National Stud. We’ll take you to the magical fortress of Cashel - once home to kings and bishops and towering fairy-tale-like over the plains of Tipperary. Then it’s down to the rebel county of Cork to explore Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone. We’ll stay the night in Killarney – surrounded by Ireland’s highest mountains and Killarney National Park. A perfect stop for a horse and cart ride and some creamy pints. And of course plenty of craic!

Day 2 Killarney – Dingle :
Today it’s all about breathtaking scenery and adventure. We spend the day exploring the Dingle peninsula and we take you to the edge of the world…and beyond! You’ll see stone walls, ruined famine cottages, ancient beehive huts and all this on the dramatic Atlantic coast. We’ll take a boat trip to the Great Blasket Island -uninhabited since 1953. You can explore the abandoned stone village, hike through the windswept fields or just relax on the beach. On our return to the mainland we’ll complete the Slea Head drive and return to the fishing village of Dingle for traditional music and great pubs.

Day 3 Dingle – Galway :
Hold onto your hats because today we’ll visit the awesome Cliffs of Moher. After crossing the mighty Shannon river we’ll spend the morning at these towering giants with the Atlantic crashing below us. Hike for a while or just sit and take in the views across Galway Bay, the Aran Islands and Connemara – stunning! . After lunch we’ll explore the weird and magical world of the Burren – Ireland’s lunar landscape and home to ancient tombs, fairies and leprechauns ! Our stop for the night is Galway - Ireland’s cultural capital and festival city.

Day 4 Galway – Inis Mor :
We spend a whole day and night on Inis Mor – the largest of the Aran Islands. Inis Mor (only 9 miles long by 2 miles wide) has over 3000 miles of stone walls ! The locals here are fluent Gaelic speakers and you’ll be free to explore the island at your leisure. You can hike around the island or even better fun - explore the island by bike or even tandem ! You can’t miss the awe-inspiring fortress of Dun Aengus – a 3000 year old ring fort perched on the edge of a 300 foot cliff. After an Atlantic sunset spend the night chatting with islanders in the local pubs or sitting on a stone wall gazing at the stars. Unforgettable.

Day 5 Inis Mor – Kilcar :
Today we make our way through Connemara and along the surfy coast of Co Sligo as we make for the far reaches of Co. Donegal. Along the way we’ll climb Knock na Ri - a lonely mount where an ancient Celtic queen lies entombed. For the romantics we’ll pay a visit to W.B Yeats’ grave under the shadow of Ben Bulben. There may even be time for a pint as we head for the tiny villages of Kilcar and Carrick. We spend the night on a farm overlooking Europe’s Highest Sea Cliffs – Slieve League. Weather permitting you can take an evening boat trip beneath the cliffs and maybe even catch your dinner!

Day 6 Kilcar – Derry :
The wilds of Donegal are your oyster today as we take you through the boglands, mountain valleys and deserted beaches of this undiscovered corner of Ireland. We’ll explore villages famed for their wool and tweed and picnic or play footie on some of Europe’s most spectacular and untouched beaches. Off through Glenveagh National Park where you’ll see cottages abandoned during the Great Famine and if you’re lucky spot an eagle or two. On then to cross the border to Derry city for a walk along the Bloody Sunday trail to learn of a troubled past and see the political murals.

Day 7 Derry – Belfast :
On to the volcanic coastline of Antrim where you’ll find dramatic formations with a mythological past. You’ll wander through the haunted battlements of Dunluce Castle before following in the footsteps of Giants on the eighth natural wonder of the world – The Giant’s Causeway. And there’s more! We’ll take you to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge where you can sway Indiana Jones’ style with the Scottish coast in the distance and crystal clear waters beneath you. Then it’s party time in the North’s vibrant capital – Belfast.

Day 8 Belfast – Dublin :
This morning you’ll take a Black Cab tour of Belfast city. You’ll visit the Loyalist and Republican heartlands of the city where you’ll learn about the Troubles and sign the Peace Wall. See the political murals and explore the underbelly of the city in your taxi with a real Belfast local at the wheel. Leaving the politics behind we’ll take you for lunch along the magnificent Cooley peninsula - land of a legendary war and lost heroes. Where better to have a last lunch than in Carlingford – a village that specialises in Guinness and oysters! En route back to Dublin we’ll stop off to see a ruined monastery with High Celtic Crosses and finish off at the site of the Battle of the Boyne.


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