Cead Mile Failte – Welcome to Ireland! Upon arrival into Dublin, collect your luggage, pass through passport and custom control, then walk to the arrivals’ hall where you will meet your tour guide, and, or driver. Depending on your arrival time, check into your hotel. It’s possible that your room will not be available until the afternoon. We will begin our adventure with a panoramic tour of the city on both sides of the River Liffey, where we pass by Phoenix Park, the largest city park in Europe. On the other side of the river are Georgian squares characterized by colorful doors. We will celebrate Mass and have dinner before our overnight stay in Dublin. 

Full Irish Breakfast in Hotel.

Today we will travel through the beautiful mountains of Wicklow, also known as the “Garden of Ireland,” until we reach Glendalough. This ancient monastic city, established in the 6th-century by St. Kevin, is in the heart of “the valley of the two lakes.” It was a very important center of learning, as well as a pilgrimage destination. There are many legends regarding St. Kevin and he is often compared to St. Francis of Assisi. Your guide will take the clients on a guided tour, in which you will see an Irish round tower, the ruins of St. Peter and St. Pauls’ Cathedral, and the quaint St. Kevin’s Church which is surrounded by an old cemetery. 

Mass will be celebrated in the Glendalough area on this day.

The tour continues to Baltinglass where we will come upon the ruins of a Cistercian Abbey. We will then pass by Castledermot, where we set our eyes upon the remains of a Franciscan Abbey. We travel southwards to Co. Tipperary 

This evening visit to the Rock of Cashel – standing high in the middle of the “Golden Vale”. These religious buildings dating from the 12th-century form the most spectacular medieval site in Ireland. The Rock of Cashel used to be the seat of the High Kings of Munster. The Cathedral, the round tower, and the Cormac Chapel (which was the first Irish Romanesque church) testify to the significance of this site. 

Drive to Clonmel.

Check in to Hotel Minella for dinner and an overnight stay.

Hearty full Irish breakfast in Hotel

This morning,  we travel through Co. Tipperary and take a tour of the Dingle Peninsula, the most northern of the Kerry peninsulas. This gorgeous taste of Irish landscape looks like it is straight out of the pages of a storybook.

In Early Christian Ireland monks were looking for isolated places to live, such as Gallarus Oratory on the peninsula. 

This oratory, which used to be a sacred place of prayer for monks, dates back to the 9th-century and is excellently preserved. We will visit the town of Inch, where David Lean shot the movie “Ryan’s Daughter.” Inch is the last part of the country where the Gaelic language is commonly spoken! 

Celebrate Mass in Dingle.

We will continue venturing along the Eagle Mount and the cliffs of Slea Head. Our next stop is the Kilmalkedar Church, built in the 12th-century as a part of a complex of religious buildings in the Romanesque style. Late afternoon, drive to Killarney and check in to our Hotel in Killarney for Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, we enjoy a full day tour of the Ring of Kerry.  An awe-inspiring scenic drive around the Ivernagh Peninsula leads us through rolling hills and sparkling lakes. Jaw-dropping cliffs and brilliant, pristine beaches provide a treasure of mountainous views in the area known as the Ring of Kerry.  We’ll see lakes, rivers, waterfalls and even enjoy a sheepdog herding demonstration in Kenmare prior to heading to Ladies View and Moll’s Gap!  More of Ireland’s stunning landscape awaits with the surrounding lakes leading to Macguillycuddy’s Reeks Mountain Range, the highest peak in Ireland.  Named during Queen Victoria’s visit to Muckross House in 1861, Ladies View provided such a stunning view when the queen invited her “ladies in waiting” to admire the remarkable view, that the name was coined and has been used ever since.  We visit Muckross Gardens to view the façade of Muckross House, an old Irish Manor House dating back to the 19th century.  Magnificently maintained gardens filled with an overwhelming variety of flowers, tress, and shrubs line the backdrop of the mountains making for an unforgettable sight.  Mass location to be determined.

Dinner & overnight in Killarney.

After a good Irish breakfast, we will be heading north through Listowel and boarding a ferry at Killimer to cross the Shannon estuary. We will arrive at County Clare, where we will encounter the mystical Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs of Moher rise up to 390 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and allure their many visitors with their beauty. We will move on to Galway, a city that has kept its medieval charm with its colorful streets and authentic pubs. The coastal road from the Cliffs of Moher travels along the blue Galway Bay, with a natural rocky landscape on the other side. 

Mass will be celebrated en route. 

Continue to Westport in Co Mayo for dinner and an overnight.

This morning, travel directly to Knock which is one of the world’s leading Marian shrines, situated in the plains of East Mayo. On August 21, 1879 fifteen men, women and children witnessed an apparition of Mary. The silent apparition lasted two hours, including more than only Our Lady of Knock. The vision was of a lamb and a cross above an altar, with St. John the Apostle, Mary, and Joseph to the left. The apparition is rich in symbolism and is venerated internationally. The original parish church on the site still stands, but we will celebrate Mass in the bigger church that was built to house the shrine’s many pilgrims. This church was named a basilica by Saint John Paul II when he visited in 1979. 

Celebrate Mass at Knock, followed by time for private meditation on the mystery of the apparition’s message. Next you will have free time for lunch and shopping 

Option to discover a little of Croagh Patrick on your own. Return to Westport for dinner and Overnight. 

Full Irish Breakfast in Hotel.

Morning,  depart Westport and travel southwards.  Take a full day tour of Connemara -  this is a most beautiful region with its tiny green fields,  stone walls and thatched cottages. Visit to Kylemore Abbey and Gardens.  The Abbey was founded for the Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium in World War 1. Today,  Kyemore Abbey continues its mission as a Benedictine monastery,  holding its spiritual mission.

Opportunity to celebrate Mass at Kylemore abbey

Afternoon, drive through the Connemara countryside to Recess, Maam Cross and onwards to Oughterard  and continue to Galway.

Check in at your Hotel in Salthill for dinner and overnightCheck-in, dinner & overnight in Knock.

After a hearty Full Irish Breakfast, we will enjoy a cruise on Corrib Lake, which is the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland!  We include a Demonstration of Irish Dance and Irish Coffee making demonstration during the cruise.  This is a great way to appreciate Galway and its surroundings.

Free time in Galway City to enjoy the mediaeval charm of Galway with its colourful streets and authentic pubs and opportunity to visit Galway Cathedral.  A little free time for shopping.

Celebrate Mass in Galway.  Location to be confirmed.

Return to Salthill Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Full Irish breakfast in Hotel.  Morning, travel through the central plain of Ireland to Clonmacnoise.  Visit to Clonmacnoise, which is Ireland’s most important monastic site, overlooking the River Shannon.  Established in 544 by St. Ciarán, Clonmacnoise consists of a walled field containing numerous early churches, a castle, two round towers,  a large number of  carved stone high crosses, and graves. It was once a major center of religion, learning, craftsmanship and trade. 

Continue directly to Dublin with some free time for lunch.

Afternoon, we visit the National Museum in Dublin, situated in the heart of the city. The museum houses a collection of golden prehistoric jewelry considered to be the most beautiful in Europe, as well as much Celtic finery, early Christian ornaments, and other treasured relics.

Check in to your hotel for overnight.

In the evening, we will have a farewell dinner and Show which includes music, song and dance at Taylors Three Rock in Rathfarnham.

Return to Hotel for overnight

Following breakfast, visit Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland. It was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I. visit the ancient library at Trinity College containing over 20,000 manuscripts, among which is the famous illuminated Gospel manuscript: the Book of Kells. We will also visit St. Patrick's Anglican Cathedral. Mass at a local church. 

Afternoon, free for private sightseeing or shopping.

Return to Hotel for Dinner & Overnight in Dublin.

Following breakfast, we will board our bus that will take us to Dublin Airport for our
return flights home. We will bid farewell to our new friends and to a pilgrimage that will be in our memories and hearts for a long time to come.