Shamrock Duet
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Highlights:
- While we are all in favor of the joys of the Irish Countryside, we do want to suggest a more urban exposure to Ireland through her two major cities Dublin and Belfast.
- While one is located in Eire and the other still part of the United Kingdom, they both share interesting histories and monumental struggles.
- Today, both offer an exciting nightlife combined with a respect for history. For those available for a week, with an interest in urban escapes, this may fit the bill.
SKU:
Explore: Urban Ireland
Customizable Itinerary - 8 Days (from $3,723 / person)
Day 1: Depart USA
Tonight you leave for Dublin and the beginning of an immersion in Irish urban culture.
Day 2: Welcome to Dublin
When you arrive in Dublin you will be met by one of our drivers who will take you on an orientation tour of the city. Dublin is a compact city so your driver will show you the key areas, many of which you will visit later with a guide. Your hotel is actually a restaurant with rooms and sits right on Stephens Green in the heart of town. Take advantage of the proximity to walk around the green and perhaps visit Grafton Street a pedestrian only street where the main shops are located. The restaurant in the basement of your hotel is noted for its seafood so we will set up an early dinner so you can get a good night’s sleep. If you get your second wind there are plenty of bars within walking distance.
Dinner
Day 3: Origins of Dublin
After breakfast you meet your guide for an exploration of the medieval era of Ireland although the city was originally settled by the Vikings. Christ Church Cathedral was built in 1028 and despite being in Catholic Ireland is actually a Protestant Church. Right next door is a more modern attraction which you will visit. Dublinia is an interactive look at Dublin in the middle ages and other periods of note. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is also Protestant and of the same historical time frame. Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels was Dean of the Cathedral. You stop for lunch at a pub and then visit Dublin Castle which covers much of Dublin history. It started as a medieval castle and was added on to over the years. It was the headquarters of the British Army at the time of the uprising and saw fighting so it covers a lot of time. You will finish up at Trinity College, founded by Queen Elizabeth I and considered as Ireland’s finest university (although Cork might argue) Here you will find the 9th Century manuscript called the Book of Kells. After time to relax and freshen up you will be taken to a pub that dates back to the 11th Century. You will have dinner, listen to Irish music and be enthralled by a storyteller who will speak of folklore and fairies.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Easter 1916
The Easter uprising of 1916 was the start of the process leading to Home Rule for Ireland. Your first stop with your guide will be GPO Witness History Museum. The GPO, General Post Office, was the start of the Easter uprising as armed men stormed and occupied the Post Office and a battle ensued to remove them. The museum now in the building gives you details on the seizure and the siege that resulted in 450 deaths from British Army Officers to young children. The siege was eventually lifted and the survivors put in Kilmainham Gaol which you will visit next. Built in 1796 it served as a main prison and it was here that the survivors were imprisoned with many being executed. In 1924, after independence the Gaol was closed. As a result of the reprisals by the British, many Irish chose to leave Ireland forever. They joined the millions who left previously during the famines. EPIC is part of the National Museum of Ireland and focuses not on the exodus itself but the impact that these emigrants had on their adoptive countries including America, Canada, Australia and even Chile. Names like Kennedy and Reagan will be mentioned. In the evening you enjoy a performance at the Abbey Theatre where the plays by Shaw, O’Casey and Yeats had their debuts.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5: Crossing the Border to Belfast
Since you will be inspired by the performance at the Abbey Theatre we will take you to the National Writers’ Museum where you can learn more about Yeats, Swift, Wilde, Casey, Shaw, Joyce and others. After your visit you will be taken back to your hotel to pick up your luggage and then taken to Dublin’s Connolly Station where 1st Class seats are reserved to Belfast. Upon arrival you will be met by our driver and given an overview of the city highlights before being delivered to your hotel which was originally a linen factory owned by a mayor of Belfast but now transformed into a contemporary boutique hotel. It has a noted bar and the best steaks in the city which you can try.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 6: The Troubles and the Titanic
From 1969 to 1997 a war broke out between members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Protestant Loyalists who wanted to stay under British Rule. The British army was heavily involved. To get a perspective on the causes of the conflict, we will arrange a private tour by a member of Sinn Fein and an Irish Republican activist. You will visit the ‘peace walls” that separate the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods most notably the Catholic Falls Road area and the Protestant Shanklin Road area. Your guide will also take you to places not open to the public. Since 1997, peace has been maintained but the grievances on both sides still remain. Despite the somber topic you will find your guide to be a jovial and hospitable host. After your morning tour you will be taken to the Titanic Experience which is built on the wharf where Titanic was built. You will learn about her building, maiden voyage and tragic end in an intriguing interactive tour.
Breakfast
Day 7: The Sights of the Antrim Coast
Today you will leave the city and head out along the scenic coast of County Antrim. Along the way you will see natural wonders and many locations familiar to fans of “Game of Thrones”. During your day you will be amazed at the Giant’s Causeway where over 40,000 basalt columns are lined up side by side as the result of volcanic activity. You can choose to walk across the Carrack-a-Rede Rope Bridge and view Dark Hedges Road. The land of Lannister, Targaryen and Baratheon will come alive as you see Dunluce Castle and “Lordspot’ harbour. Have lunch at a local pub and finish up your day by visiting Bushmills Distillery and tasting their fine Irish whiskey.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: Return to USA
After breakfast your driver will be waiting to drive you to Dublin airport for the return flight to the USA where you arrive back the same afternoon.
Breakfast
Tonight you leave for Dublin and the beginning of an immersion in Irish urban culture.
Day 2: Welcome to Dublin
When you arrive in Dublin you will be met by one of our drivers who will take you on an orientation tour of the city. Dublin is a compact city so your driver will show you the key areas, many of which you will visit later with a guide. Your hotel is actually a restaurant with rooms and sits right on Stephens Green in the heart of town. Take advantage of the proximity to walk around the green and perhaps visit Grafton Street a pedestrian only street where the main shops are located. The restaurant in the basement of your hotel is noted for its seafood so we will set up an early dinner so you can get a good night’s sleep. If you get your second wind there are plenty of bars within walking distance.
Dinner
Day 3: Origins of Dublin
After breakfast you meet your guide for an exploration of the medieval era of Ireland although the city was originally settled by the Vikings. Christ Church Cathedral was built in 1028 and despite being in Catholic Ireland is actually a Protestant Church. Right next door is a more modern attraction which you will visit. Dublinia is an interactive look at Dublin in the middle ages and other periods of note. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is also Protestant and of the same historical time frame. Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels was Dean of the Cathedral. You stop for lunch at a pub and then visit Dublin Castle which covers much of Dublin history. It started as a medieval castle and was added on to over the years. It was the headquarters of the British Army at the time of the uprising and saw fighting so it covers a lot of time. You will finish up at Trinity College, founded by Queen Elizabeth I and considered as Ireland’s finest university (although Cork might argue) Here you will find the 9th Century manuscript called the Book of Kells. After time to relax and freshen up you will be taken to a pub that dates back to the 11th Century. You will have dinner, listen to Irish music and be enthralled by a storyteller who will speak of folklore and fairies.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Easter 1916
The Easter uprising of 1916 was the start of the process leading to Home Rule for Ireland. Your first stop with your guide will be GPO Witness History Museum. The GPO, General Post Office, was the start of the Easter uprising as armed men stormed and occupied the Post Office and a battle ensued to remove them. The museum now in the building gives you details on the seizure and the siege that resulted in 450 deaths from British Army Officers to young children. The siege was eventually lifted and the survivors put in Kilmainham Gaol which you will visit next. Built in 1796 it served as a main prison and it was here that the survivors were imprisoned with many being executed. In 1924, after independence the Gaol was closed. As a result of the reprisals by the British, many Irish chose to leave Ireland forever. They joined the millions who left previously during the famines. EPIC is part of the National Museum of Ireland and focuses not on the exodus itself but the impact that these emigrants had on their adoptive countries including America, Canada, Australia and even Chile. Names like Kennedy and Reagan will be mentioned. In the evening you enjoy a performance at the Abbey Theatre where the plays by Shaw, O’Casey and Yeats had their debuts.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5: Crossing the Border to Belfast
Since you will be inspired by the performance at the Abbey Theatre we will take you to the National Writers’ Museum where you can learn more about Yeats, Swift, Wilde, Casey, Shaw, Joyce and others. After your visit you will be taken back to your hotel to pick up your luggage and then taken to Dublin’s Connolly Station where 1st Class seats are reserved to Belfast. Upon arrival you will be met by our driver and given an overview of the city highlights before being delivered to your hotel which was originally a linen factory owned by a mayor of Belfast but now transformed into a contemporary boutique hotel. It has a noted bar and the best steaks in the city which you can try.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 6: The Troubles and the Titanic
From 1969 to 1997 a war broke out between members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Protestant Loyalists who wanted to stay under British Rule. The British army was heavily involved. To get a perspective on the causes of the conflict, we will arrange a private tour by a member of Sinn Fein and an Irish Republican activist. You will visit the ‘peace walls” that separate the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods most notably the Catholic Falls Road area and the Protestant Shanklin Road area. Your guide will also take you to places not open to the public. Since 1997, peace has been maintained but the grievances on both sides still remain. Despite the somber topic you will find your guide to be a jovial and hospitable host. After your morning tour you will be taken to the Titanic Experience which is built on the wharf where Titanic was built. You will learn about her building, maiden voyage and tragic end in an intriguing interactive tour.
Breakfast
Day 7: The Sights of the Antrim Coast
Today you will leave the city and head out along the scenic coast of County Antrim. Along the way you will see natural wonders and many locations familiar to fans of “Game of Thrones”. During your day you will be amazed at the Giant’s Causeway where over 40,000 basalt columns are lined up side by side as the result of volcanic activity. You can choose to walk across the Carrack-a-Rede Rope Bridge and view Dark Hedges Road. The land of Lannister, Targaryen and Baratheon will come alive as you see Dunluce Castle and “Lordspot’ harbour. Have lunch at a local pub and finish up your day by visiting Bushmills Distillery and tasting their fine Irish whiskey.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: Return to USA
After breakfast your driver will be waiting to drive you to Dublin airport for the return flight to the USA where you arrive back the same afternoon.
Breakfast
