Essential Ireland

Day 1 – Arrival	Arrive in Dublin, Ireland’s cosmopolitan capital city and transfer to your hotel. Free time for shopping in the city centre. Dinner and overnight in the Dublin area.
Day 2 – Dublin / Galway / Clare	Following breakfast we depart for a morning tour of Dublin. Visit Trinity College which is the home to the world famous ‘Book of Kells’ and St. Patrick's Cathedral, a 12th century Cathedral which was once the home of Dean Jonathan Swift. Depart Dublin and head westwards across the rolling central plains to Clonmacnoise. Here we will visit the 6th century monastic settlement founded by St. Ciaran which contains the remains of nine Churches and a Round Tower dating from the 10th to the 16th century. Dinner and overnight in Galway / Clare.
Day 3 – Connemara Tour	Today tour the Connemara region which is a magnificent wilderness populated largely by sheep and dotted with hundreds of small lakes, stone walls, tiny farms, isolated thatch cottages and heather covered hills. Here you will see some of the most majestic scenery of Ireland which is dominated by the Twelve Bens mountain range. Dinner and overnight in Galway / Clare.
Day 4 – Galway / Kerry	Leaving Galway travel to Kerry. Your route will take you via the Cliffs of Moher, the highest sea cliffs in Europe towering to 250 metres above the Atlantic Ocean and the Burren, a strange lunar like region occupying some 150 square kilometres and noted for the wide and unusual variety of local flora and fauna. Take the ferry from Killimer to Tarbert. Dinner and overnight in Kerry.
Day 5 – Ring of Kerry	Today explore the ‘Ring of Kerry’, 170 km of some of Ireland's most spectacular scenery. The Ring of Kerry offers magnificent panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean and the rugged coastline of south-west Ireland contrasting with the rich and varied vegetation nurtured by the Gulf Stream. Stop off at Killorglin Fisheries and visit Muckross House and Gardens. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 6 – Dingle Peninsula	Today tour the Dingle Peninsula, a Gaelic speaking area which is justly famous for its breathtaking views of the Atlantic ocean. You will see prehistoric and early Christian monuments, and miles of fuschia hedges. Travel past unspoilt sandy beaches and visit the lively fishing port of Dingle. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 7 – Kerry / Portlaoise	Depart Kerry today and travel to Portlaoise. Visit Bunratty Castle which is the most complete and authentic medieval castle in Ireland. Visit the Folkpark where 19th century village life is recreated and you will see traditional crafts carried out in a natural setting. Onto Limerick city where you will have some free time for shopping. Dinner and overnight in Portlaoise.
Day 8 – Departure	Transfer to Dublin airport for your departure flight.