Best of Ireland 2012

Highlights

* St. Patrick’s Day Parade and additional dinner on March 12 departure

• 10/11 Meals (7 breakfasts and 3 or 4 dinners*)
• Airport transfers when air is provided by Mayflower
• $45 in Mayflower Money

Itinerary

Dublin - Contemporary, yet Filled with History and Tradition

Once a walled medieval city, Dublin is an eclectic mix of elegant Georgian homes, wide streets and gracious squares. You’ll feel the energy of Celtic tradition wherever you go. See the National Museum, with collections of antiquities, decorative arts and history; the National Gallery, which displays over 2,000 works; the Parliament Building; and St. Stephen’s Green. After this renowned district, your tour continues past Trinity College, founded in 1591 by Elizabeth I, whose library contains the Book of Kells, the famous 8th-century hand-illuminated gospel manuscript. Travel along O’Connell Street with its monuments to notable figures from Ireland’s turbulent history as well as the General Post Office, site of rebel headquarters in the 1916 Easter Rising. The Mespil Hotel, your home for the next three nights, is convenient to Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter and lively nightlife.

Optional: Dublin’s Coastal Villages

Experience more of Ireland’s scenic beauty as you drive through the seaside towns, just north of Dublin. Visit the town of Portmarnock, home of the world-famous Portmarnock Golf Club. The quaint fishing port of Howth with its Abbey, lighthouse and pier is your last stop before returning to Dublin.

An Evening of Irish Music, Dance and Song

Join us for traditional Irish cuisine, merriment and fun. Enjoy a three-course dinner in an 18th century pub, followed by a musical performance by one of Ireland’s finest groups. Next on the stage are traditional Irish dancers to mesmerize you with their fast jigs and intricate steps.

The Capital of Northern Ireland - Belfast

In recent years, Belfast has become a popular tourist destination. The city’s architecture is rich in Victorian and Edwardian buildings with elaborate sculptures over the doors and windows. Your panoramic city tour includes Donegall Square, dominated by the elaborate City Hall and Albert Clock. Drive through West Belfast’s Protestant neighborhood of Shankill Road, and the Catholic neighborhood of Falls Road, where large, vivid murals painted on the sides of buildings express the feelings that still run deep on both sides. Though the names of these areas were much in the news during “the Troubles,” the gate in the Peace Wall between them now stands open. Drive by the infamous Titanic Quarter, home to colossal cranes of Harland & Wolff where the RMS Titanic was built and launched. Enjoy lunch on your own and chat with the locals at a pub.

Blarney Castle - Kiss the Stone for the Gift of the Gab!

Blarney Castle was built more than 600 years ago by the King of Munster, Cormac MacCarthy, and is considered Ireland’s greatest treasure. Legend has it that if you climb to the top of the castle and kiss the “Stone of Eloquence,” you’ll never be at a loss for words. It must be true as everyone from Sir Walter Scott to American presidents and world leaders have tried it. Get caught in its magical spell with Wishing Steps, Witch’s Kitchen, Druid’s Cave and other delights, telling a story of centuries past. After the castle, you’ll have time to wander through the village of Blarney, shop at the Blarney Woolen Mills and have lunch on your own before continuing to Killarney.

Killarney - Ireland’s Most Beautiful Countryside

Renowned for the splendor of its scenery, Killarney has been the inspiration of poets and painters for centuries. With sparkling lakes, deep forests and jagged misty mountains as background, this lively town will delight you with its pubs, craft galleries and shops. See St Mary’s Cathedral, built during the famine by a people whose faith was stronger than their hunger. Muckross House and Gardens are majestically situated on the shores of Killarney National Park. Ride in a horse drawn Jaunting cart, while listening to your “jarvey” (driver), whose tall tales add hilarity to the tour. Ride along the shores of the Lower Lake to the ruins of the 15th-century Franciscan Abbey. Then shop for wool sweaters and fine crystal along charming High Street.

The Dingle Peninsula - One of the most beautiful places on earth

Staggering cliffs, rocky hills and sandy beaches create this magnificent landscape representing more than 6,000 years of archeological history. Learn about the Blasket Islands, scene of many shipwrecks and once a close-knit fishing community. Along the drive, you’ll see relics from both the Stone Age and Bronze Age as well as the Ecclesiastical period, when Ireland was known as the “land of Saints and Scholars.” It’s easy to see why movies like Ryan’s Daughter and Far and Away were filmed in this sweeping panorama. Enjoy lunch and free time at a pub in the Gaelic town of Dingle.

Spend your last night in Ireland in an elegant Irish country manor, the former ancestral home of the Dunboyne family, which is conveniently located close to Dublin Airport for flights home.

Accommodations

Days Two through Four

Mespil Hotel, Dublin, Ireland

Days Five through Seven

Killarney Towers Hotel, Killarney, Ireland

Day Eight

Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa, Close to Dublin airport

Dates & Rates

2012 Departure Dates	Per Person Twin	Single Room Add
April 10	$1,449	$459
October 16	$1,449	$459
November 6	$1,409	$459

Call for air rates and schedules between your departure city and Dublin

Destination Map

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