President's
Tour of Ireland
Day By Day Itinerary:
Friday, May 26 - Day 1
UNITED STATES TO SHANNON
Depart your hometown and take an overnight flight across the Atlantic.
Enjoy in-flight entertainment and meal service as you travel to
start your vacation.
 Saturday,
May 27 - Day 2
SHANNON ARRIVAL & LIMERICK SIGHTSEEING
After customs and immigration formalities at Shannon Airport,
your driver/guide will welcome you to Ireland. Depart Shannon and
drive into Limerick for a panoramic tour of the city, which features
the sights made famous in Frank McCourt’s biography, “Angela’s
Ashes.” Pass the 13th century King John's Castle in the center
of the town. This imposing fortress with its massive walls and towers
has guarded the River Shannon crossing for the past 700 years. Then
return to the Shannon region to visit Bunratty Folk Park, comprises
a collection of farmhouses from different regions of Ireland and
a 19th century village street with a pub, school, general store
and many other buildings where traditional lifestyles and crafts
are demonstrated. After your visit, board the coach and travel through
Ennis and Gort and the pleasant countryside of Country Clare, which
is dotted with ruined castles. Drive past the rounded limestone
hills of the Burren country and around the shores of Galway Bay
to Galway, a bustling city with a unique Irish flavor. Upon arrival,
check into your hotel and enjoy some time to relax and settle in.
In the evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome drink before
dining in the hotel restaurant.
DINNER & OVERNIGHT: ARDILAUN HOTEL, GALWAY
 Sunday,
May 28 - Day 3
CONNEMARA & QUIET MAN TOUR
Today tour Connemara and admire the sweeping views of boglands and
misty mountains. Stop in the quaint village of Spiddal, which retains
the Irish language and many traditional lifestyles. As you drive
along you will see many sheep that graze freely and also tracts
of bogland where some people hand-cut peat for home heating. Continue
to the attractive village of Cong, a place made famous by the 1952
movie of “The Quiet Man” featuring John Wayne and Maureen
O’Hara. Discover places featured in the movie on a brief walking
tour around this tranquil village and see some of the movie memorabilia
in the Quiet Man Heritage Cottage. Return to Galway and enjoy some
time at leisure to relax or explore on your own before joining your
group for dinner.
DINNER & OVERNIGHT: ARDILAUN HOTEL, GALWAY
 Monday,
May 29 - Day 4
CLIFFS OF MOHER & KILLARNEY
Drive around Galway Bay and through the Burren Country, a unique
region of limestone hills renowned for its flora and prehistoric
stone monuments. Stop to view the majestic Cliffs of Moher, a rocky
wall that rises nearly 700 feet above the foaming Atlantic Ocean.
Take a short ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary to the
mountainous countryside of Kerry. Just outside Killarney, visit
the delightful Muckross House, a 19th century furnished mansion
with an interesting history and U.S. connections. Then continue
into Killarney and check into your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of
the afternoon at leisure before joining your fellow travelers for
dinner in the hotel restaurant.
DINNER & OVERNIGHT: INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, KILLARNEY
Tuesday,
May 30 - Day 5
DINGLE PENINSULA & BLASKET CENTRE
Today discover the beauties of the Dingle Peninsula, made famous
by David Lean’s movie, “Ryan’s Daughter.”
Drive along the south shore of the peninsula for plenty of vistas
of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach and rocky headlands.
There will be frequent stops at strategic locations to admire the
views and take photos. Stop in Dingle before continuing to the western
tip of the peninsula. Visit the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn
about the Blasket Islands, inhabited until 1953 by hardy families
who eked out a living by farming and fishing. Return to Killarney
in time for dinner.
DINNER & OVERNIGHT: INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, KILLARNEY
Wednesday, May 31 - Day 6
COBH HERITAGE CENTER & KINSALE
Leaving Killarney, travel southeast through lovely mountain scenery
and into County Cork. Continue through Cork City to reach Cobh,
the harbor town for large ships. Visit the Cobh Heritage Centre,
which depicts the varied history of emigration from Ireland and
many European countries to the United States over the past 150 years.
Cobh was the last port of call for the "Titanic" and many
liners that carried emigrants to the New World. This informative
display is housed in the rail station through which all of the Irish
emigrants had to pass. Then motor along the coast to Kinsale, a
popular yachting center and attractive town with brightly painted
houses. Take a brief walking tour with a local guide to learn the
history of the town. In the center see the Old Courthouse, now a
regional museum and a few miles outside the town see Charles Fort,
built in the 1670s to protect the area against naval attack from
the Continent. Kinsale is renowned as a gourmet capital and the
town abounds with excellent restaurants and cafes, mostly located
on Main Street. After some time at leisure, motor along the south
coast to the town of Rosscarbery and check into your hotel for dinner
and overnight stay.
DINNER & OVERNIGHT: CELTIC ROSS HOTEL, ROSSCARBERY
Thursday, June 01 - Day
MICHAEL COLLINS TOUR & SKIBBEREEN
This morning, drive a short distance to Woodfield, near Clonakilty,
for a Michael Collins tour to visit his birthplace and see other
places famous for their associations. A prominent politician and
leader of Sinn Fein, Collins was largely responsible for negotiating
the 1921 treaty, which established the boundaries between Northern
Ireland and the Republic. See the memorial recently built outside
the place where he was born and a second one that stands in the
center of the village. Opposite see the pub where he is said to
have had his last drink. Next, travel a few miles south of Macroom
to the sight of Michael Collins’s death. Signposts marked
“Site of Ambush” lead to Bealnablath, where the lonely
hero was shot dead in August of 1922. After your tour continue to
the peaceful fishing town of Skibbereen for some leisure time to
shop, sightsee and explore on your own. Then return to Rosscarbery
for an evening at leisure.
OVERNIGHT: CELTIC ROSS HOTEL, ROSSCARBERY
Friday, June 02 - Day 8
WATERFORD CRYSTAL FACTORY & KILKENNY
Depart Rosscarbery and travel through County Cork and along the
southern coast of Ireland through the towns of Youghal and Dungarvan
to Waterford. Visit the Waterford Crystal Factory to see how skilled
craftspeople create masterpieces of glass. Watch all stages of production
from the blowing of molten crystal to the final polishing. In the
showrooms you can see a wide range of tableware and special trophies
and you will have an opportunity to buy. Then travel north to Kilkenny,
a town with many medieval houses and dominated by Kilkenny Castle,
which dates from the 12th century and was the stronghold of the
Butler family. Tour the Castle where a local guide takes you through
the apartments and relates the history of the region. Return to
Waterford and check into your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
DINNER & OVERNIGHT: GRANVILLE HOTEL, WATERFORD
Saturday, June 3 - Day 9
NATIONAL STUD & DUBLIN SIGHTSEEING
Depart Waterford this morning and travel north through Kilkenny
and into the prime horse-breeding country of County Kildare. Stop
to visit the Irish National Stud to learn about Irish horses, horse-breeding
programs and their status in worldwide racing circles. Also visit
the charming Japanese Gardens, designed in classical Asian style
to represent the “Life of Man.” Then depart Kildare
and drive into the greater metropolitan region of Dublin. Upon arrival,
take an orientation drive around Dublin city center. Dublin is one
of the liveliest capitals in Europe but there are plenty of historical
places also. See the main thoroughfares of O’Connell Street
and Nassau Street, the shopping streets and some lovely public parks.
This morning enjoy a city sightseeing tour of Dublin, an elegant
and artistic city with spacious Georgian squares. Tour Dublin Castle
to see the State Apartments where many state functions are held
in the richly decorated chambers. In Trinity College, view the 8th
century Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the gospels.
Then drive to your hotel and check in. Enjoy some time to relax
and settle in before joining your group for dinner.
Tonight attend Doyle's Cabaret in the Burlington
Hotel. Start with a four-course dinner of Irish specialties and
then sit back and enjoy a wealth of traditional Irish music, dancing,
singing and storytelling.
OVERNIGHT: BURLINGTON HOTEL, DUBLIN
Sunday, June 04 - Day 10
RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES
All too soon, your vacation in Ireland has come to the end. Transfer
to Dublin Airport in plenty of time to check in for your flight,
clear security and claim your VAT refund. You may do some last minute
shopping at the duty free stores. Then clear U.S. Immigration before
boarding your aircraft and fly west across the Atlantic Ocean back
to the United States.
Tour Inclusions:
10 days/8 nights
• Round trip flights between Chicago & Ireland
• Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
• Services of a professional Irish driver/guide
• Superior first class hotels private bath/shower for 8 nights
• Full Irish breakfast daily
• All dinners (D) except one in Killarney including
- Doyle’s Irish Cabaret and dinner in Dublin
- Table d’hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Dublin sightseeing tour with local guide
• Tour & a pint at the Guinness Storehouse
• Walking tour of historic Kinsale
• Michael Collins tour in Clonakilty
• Traditional music in a Clonakilty pub
• Ferry ride across the River Shannon
• “The Quiet Man” walking tour of Cong
• Catamaran cruise of Killary Fjord
• Visits and admissions to Dublin Castle, National Stud &
Japanese Gardens, Waterford Crystal Factory, Cobh Heritage Centre,
Muckross House, Blasket Centre
and Cliffs of Moher
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for
one suitcase per person
Tour Costs:
• The cost for this trip is $2,300 per person based on double
occupancy.
• The single room occupancy supplement is $450.
• There is optional travel insurance for cancellation, baggage
theft or illness available for $119 per person and must be paid
with initial deposit.
• A $200 non-refundable deposit is due by February 1, 2006.
• Final payment is due by March 15, 2006.
• You must advise all cancellations in writing to Alverno
College Alumnae Office. Forfeitures for air cancellations will depend
on airline booked and will be advised when seats are confirmed.
Penalties applied against monies paid for land cancellations are
as follows:
- 64-21 days before departure date-25%
- 20-8 days before departure date-35%
- Less than 8 days before departure-50%
- On day of departure-100%
For more information or to register for the trip
contact Samantha Sobocinski at 414-382-6091.
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