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Ireland

Enchanting Ireland: Town and Country

Program No. 21258RJ
From the awe-inspiring Cliffs of Moher to the vibrant city of Dublin, discover myths, history, traditions and local life on this comprehensive exploration of the Emerald Isle.
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Small GroupMost PopularCity Discoveries
Length
11 days
Rating (4.83)
Activity Level
Starts at
3,799
Flights start at
900

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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
11 days
10 nights
What's Included
19 meals ( 9B, 3L, 7D )
11 expert-led field trips
3 performances
An experienced Group Leader
9 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Lunch:
At the hotel. Coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with a Group Leader who will accompany us throughout the program and deal with logistics, deliver informal talks, conduct some field trips, and serve as an information resource on program-related topics. At various points during the program, we will be joined by local experts, who will lecture and conduct field trips. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 90 miles, approximately 3 hours. Walking about 3 miles, periods of standing; paved streets, some cobbled areas, gravel and grass paths, some uneven terrain at Coole Park.
Breakfast:
In the hotel dining room, we’ll have a full Irish breakfast buffet. Choices vary but will include a variety of eggs, breakfast meats, tomato, potatoes, cereals, fruit, toast, pastries and jams, plus juices, coffee, tea, water.
Morning:
We’ll board the motorcoach for a field trip to the port city of Galway, the cradle of Gaelic culture in the West. Galway is often referred to as the “city of tribes,” as it was once home to 14 famous merchant families. We’ll enjoy an expert-led walk around the city with a local historian, concluding at the Galway City Museum for some time to explore independently. Should you wish to explore the museum, entrance is free of charge and it houses a variety of permanent and temporary exhibitions dealing with archaeology, local history, arts and crafts.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
Afternoon:
We’ll board the motorcoach for a field trip of Coole Park. In the company of a local expert enjoy a guided walk around Coole Park, it was once the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, dramatist, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre with Edward Martyn of Tullira Castle and Nobel prize-winning poet William Butler Yeats. Coole Park, in the early 20th century, was the centre of the Irish Literary Revival. Coole Park together with the adjoining Garryland, is also a Nature Reserve of breeding Deer at Coole Park and Gardens, Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland approximately 405 hectares.
Dinner:
Hotel plated meal.
Evening:
We’ll be joined at the hotel by members of a local family of musicians, who will regale us with a performance of traditional Irish music. Ennis is widely considered one of the most important heartlands of Irish folk music, and as we enjoy informal conversation with the performers, we’ll gain an understanding of its importance to community life.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 65 miles, approximately 3 hours. Walking about 2.5 miles; periods of standing; tarmac and gravel paths, grassy areas, natural limestone pavement; uneven terrain at the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
Today we will take field trips to two of Ireland’s most incredible natural phenomena. We will begin by traveling by motorcoach to the Burren, where we’ll meet a local expert who will lead us through one of the largest karst limestone landscapes in Europe. The Burren — meaning “rocky place” — is what remains of a tropical sea from 350 million years ago. The starkly beautiful karst limestone surface is almost moonlike in appearance. Geologists, botanists, and zoologists flock to this region to learn about its rare flora and fauna. We will take a gentle hike on this rugged terrain, which together with the Cliffs of Moher forms a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Our next field trip will take us to the spectacular and world-famous Cliffs of Moher, a few miles along the coast from Lahinch. The cliffs rise like a cathedral into the sky some 700 feet over the wild Atlantic Ocean, with views stretching as far as Galway Bay and the Aran Islands. Human activity here dates back at least 2,000 years. They are home to one of Ireland’s major colonies of cliff-nesting seabirds and lend their name to a popular fiddle jig performed at least as early as 1850. After an introduction by our Group Leader, we’ll have some time for self-directed exploration at the visitor center. We will then return by motorcoach to the hotel.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking about 3 miles; periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, grass with uneven rocky areas, gravel paths, wooden boardwalks; steps to some areas at Bunratty Castle, including stone spiral staircases.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we will board a motorcoach to begin our transfer to the charming village of Adare. En route, we'll stop for a field trip to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare, now a designated National Monument and the most complete and authentically restored castle in Ireland. Originally built in 1425, Bunratty Castle was restored in the 1950s to reflect how it would have looked in the 15th and 16th centuries, now complete with period furnishings. We'll have some time for self-directed exploration to see what interests each of us most and look through the window to the past in Bunratty Folk Park, a “living history” village vividly recreated through actors, volunteers, and painstaking attention to detail. Its buildings and streets represent what would have been seen in the 19th century. We'll meet costumed “villagers” who will be happy to answer questions and discuss their ways of life.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like in Bunratty.
Afternoon:
We’ll then continue onwards to Adare, regarded as one of Ireland’s most picturesque villages. It is steeped in history and has been the site of many rebellions, wars, and conquests, a legacy that has shaped the village up to today. On an expert-led walk around the village, before checking into the hotel, we’ll find a fascinating story around every corner.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 190 miles, approximately 6 hours. Walking about 2 miles; periods of standing; varied terrain including gravel paths, paved streets, uneven grassy areas; low doorways and steps down to enter beehive huts, uneven stone and gravel floors.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We will take a motorcoach to the Dingle Peninsula to explore the area’s rich archaeological heritage and unique culture. Once cited as “the most beautiful place on earth” by National Geographic magazine, much of the peninsula is a Gaeltacht – an area where the Irish language is widely spoken at home, in the workplace, and at school. As we ride along narrow country roads, enjoying spectacular sea views, our Group Leader will explain the ways in which governments and communities have made efforts to preserve the Irish Gaelic language since the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s. Along the way, we’ll make a stop in Dingle Town, where you’ll have the opportunity for independent exploration.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like in the colorful fishing port of Dingle.
Afternoon:
We’ll be joined by a local expert to continue our exploration of the Dingle Peninsula, whose Slea Head is the westerly part of Ireland. The sandstone of the rugged peninsula has been a rich resource for builders through the ages, and ancient stone structures abound in the landscape. Our local expert will explain the significance of these prehistoric and medieval constructions. Some of the most distinctive, which we’ll explore during our field trip, are the beehive huts (clocháns) and the mysterious Gallarus Oratory. Our local expert will also give us a history and a firsthand account of life on the peninsula, including changes that have taken place here in recent decades. After our field trips, we’ll begin our journey back to Adare by motorcoach.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant .
Evening:
After returning to the hotel by motorcoach, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 90 miles, approximately 2.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles; periods of standing; varied terrain including gravel and earth paths, uneven grassy areas, concrete floors. Extent of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We'll board the motorcoach for a field trip to a local farm. The farmer will welcome us to his land, where we will learn about rural traditions and the challenges of farming in modern Ireland as we walk with him around the fields and yards. We'll then return to Adare by motorcoach.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
Free time. This block of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 145 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles; periods of standing; varied terrain including grass and gravel paths, uneven rocky areas, tarmac yards.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a motorcoach to begin our transfer to Dublin, Ireland’s bustling capital city. Along the way, we’ll pay a visit to the Irish National Stud, a 1,000-acre holding where some of Ireland’s best racehorses are conceived and cared for. After an introduction to the farm by a local expert, we’ll have some time to explore its grounds independently. The site is also, somewhat surprisingly, the home to what is often considered the finest Japanese garden in Europe – a perfect place for quiet contemplation as we wander through its tranquil surrounds.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
We’ll then complete our transfer to Dublin and check into the hotel upon arrival.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 3 miles; approximately 1/2 hour. Walking approximately 2 miles; periods of standing; paved streets, some cobbled areas, gravel paths. Extent of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We’ll board a motorcoach and ride to Dublin Castle for a guided field trip, during which we’ll gain an understanding of the history and importance of this iconic landmark. It has been in continuous occupation for over 800 years and, until 1922, it was the seat of British government in Ireland. Today the castle is used by the Irish government for state functions, including the inauguration of the president every seven years. We then continue with an exploration of Trinity College, sometimes referred to as the University of Dublin, which dates back to 1592 and is one of the seven ancient Universities of Britain and Ireland. While here, we will learn about the history and art of this monumental institution. It is also home to the Book of Kells, one of the finest examples of illuminated manuscript in the world. The artistry and attention to detail in its spellbinding calligraphy and illuminations truly is a sight to behold. The book, dating back to 800 CE, is considered Ireland’s finest national treasure. We’ll have some time to explore the Book of Kells exhibition independently at the end of our field trip.
Lunch:
Today our Group Leader will provide us with lunch vouchers.
Afternoon:
Free time.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
This evening we'll enjoy a Theater performance. The Theater's schedule will not be published for this date until much closer to the program. Your Group Leader will confirm your performance at your welcome meeting at the beginning of the program.
Activity Note
Extent of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
Free time to continue exploration of Dublin. You may choose to explore one of Dublin’s many museums, do a walking tour of the center, hop on the sightseeing bus, or simply get lost in its charming streets as you discover its endless hidden gems. Your Group Leader will be happy to help you decide how to maximize your time in this vibrant city
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
Free time.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
We’ll spend our last evening enjoying a performance by traditional Irish dancers during dinner as we bid farewell to Ireland and our newfound friends. The rest of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet. Some participants may depart prior to breakfast, whereupon a boxed breakfast will be provided. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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