Today, you leave home behind as you board your overnight international flight to Dublin.

Our local representatives will meet you at the Dublin airport. Stop at
St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The church was transitioned from a Catholic
church to the Church of Ireland over the centuries. Jonathan Swift,
author of Gulliver’s Travels and a critic of British rule, was a pastor
here. Enjoy a pub lunch in downtown Dublin. Travel on to Phoenix
Park. Once a private park only for the titled gentry, it now serves the
public as both a recreational venue and home to the Dublin Zoo. After
a short driving tour of Dublin, we will check into our hotel for some
downtime before dinner on our own. Take the opportunity to wander
the streets of Dublin in the late evening light. Perhaps make your way
along the River Liffey to the Temple Bar area, where outdoor music
can be enjoyed. (B, L)

Head north and discover the rich history of Celtic life at the Bru na
Boinne Prehistoric Monuments. You will see one of the Passage Tomb
sites here, such as Newgrange and Knowth. They are richly decorated
with megalithic art. From the time of the first Celtic influence until
the 1169 invasion, the Hill of Tara was the island’s political and spiritual
capital. It contains several ancient monuments and, according to
tradition, was the seat of the High King of Ireland. Walk the grounds of
Monasterboice Monastery, where some of the finest 9th-century High
Crosses can be seen. Founded in 521 AD by St. Buite, the ruins remain
a testament to their Christian heritage. Finish the day in Armagh and
check into your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay. (B, D)

Journey into the soul of Christian Ireland at Downpatrick. See the
church and grave of St. Patrick, as well as a visitor’s center that
presents the saint’s life and the conversion of Ireland. Then, return to
Armagh and visit the Church of Ireland Cathedral to St. Patrick here.
With foundations dating back to 445 AD, this church represents one
of the oldest places of continuous worship in Ireland. Return to your
hotel for dinner and your overnight stay. (B, D)

Cross Ireland, stopping to visit Clonmacnoise, an important monastic
site and the burial place of kings. Among these ruins is the famous
thousand-year-old cross. Three high crosses, two hundred graves,
and the ruins of a 13th-century ringfort also remain. Finish the day in
Galway, whose main thoroughfare is lined with buildings that date
back to the 15th century. Christopher Columbus visited the city in
search of support for his search or trade routes to India by crossing the
Atlantic. Check into your hotel in Galway for your overnight stay. (B)

As you travel through the Burren Region, arrive at the Cliffs of Moher.
These sheer cliffs drop 600 feet to the water below. This is the most
impressive stretch of shoreline on the west coast of Ireland. The
eroded limestone rock through the Burrens has flowers popping
up through the crevices. Continue to Bunratty Castle, near the town
of Limerick. Bunratty is Ireland’s most complete, authentic, and
elaborately furnished medieval castle. Finish the day in Killarney and
check into your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay. (B)

Visit the 19th-century Muckross House. Enjoy the magnificent
Victorian mansion, considered one of Ireland’s leading stately homes.
Imagine yourself in that time when you wander through the elegantly
furnished rooms. Downstairs, however, reveals the working conditions
of the servants employed in the house. Delight in some of Ireland’s
most spectacular scenery as you travel around the Ring of Kerry,
where the sea crashes into the soaring coastline. Weather permitting,
take in a sheepdog demonstration. Stop around lunchtime in
Waterville. Charlie Chaplin brought his family here in the summers.
You can choose from several seafood restaurants along the shore for a
delicious lunch. Finish the day in Kinsale and enjoy a walking tour. See
the Norman French inscriptions at St. Multrose Church, which was
built in 1190 and remains in use to this day. The town courthouse was
used for the inquiry over the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. Check
into your Kinsale hotel for your overnight stay. (B)

Travel to Cork to visit Blarney Castle and see the fabled Blarney
Stone. Legend says that those who kiss the stone acquire the gift
of eloquence. You will see the Rock of Cashel, the traditional seat of
Irish kings. Here, St. Patrick is thought to have converted the King of
Munster. The present ruins are from structures built in the 12th and
13th centuries during the Norman era. Check into your Dublin hotel
for an overnight stay. (B)

Then, board the bus for a ride through scenic Wicklow County to
Glendalough, one of the most beautiful spots in all of Ireland. Here,
St. Kevin founded a monastery in 498. See the Celtic High Crosses
and a stone-roofed church. Explore the wonderful hiking trails around
the two lakes. Finish the day with time on your own this afternoon
in Dublin. (B)

We will carry the people, beauty, and history of Ireland with us as we
return home. (B)