Four Day Small Group Southern Ireland Explorer

Want to tour the back roads of the south and south-west of Ireland but don't want to join a large coach group? Looking for a little flexibility and spontaneity in your itinerary? Do you have a few days to really get deep into the Irish countryside?

This tour features the towns and attractions whose names trip off the tongue at the very mention of the Emerald Isle, evocative as they are of the "auld sod".

Cork and Cashel, Waterford and Wicklow, Kilkenny and Kinsale, Blarney and Bantry, Glendalough and Guinness! There's history, scenery, Celtic culture, major cities and "back-roads" villages. And, while you see the traditional icons, you will also be getting behind the tourist facade and getting a taste of the "real" Ireland.

Four wonderful days visiting the very best of the southern counties and enjoying great "craic" every evening along the way! It's a wonderful tour whether taken on its own as a short holiday or combined with other tours.

With a maximum group size of 11 and a university educated guide/driver, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience.

Schedule Details Departs: Seasonal - 2008 dates

• April 26
• May 10 and 24
• June 07 and 21
• July 05 and 19
• August 02, 16 and 30
• September 13 and 27
• October 11

Departure Point: Tour departs from centrally located Dublin hotels Departure Time: 8:00am Return details: Tour returns to original point of departure at approximately 6:30pm (Day 4) Hotel Pickup: Tour departs from centrally located Dublin hotels. Please include the details of your hotel at the time of booking. You MUST call the supplier at least 24 hours prior to tour commencement to reconfirm all tour and departure details. If the supplier does not pickup from your hotel, they will advise you of the meeting point when you call. Itinerary:

Day One:
First, to the medieval town of Kilkenny, one of the oldest and most interesting towns in Ireland. It has been called "the marble city" due to the fine and long-quarried limestone in the area. Two of the most impressive local buildings are the ancient castle, dating back to 1192 and having connections with the Norman conqueror, Strongbow, and the magnificent Cathedral of St. Candice which is one of the finest unruined churches in the country.

Continue to the awe inspiring Cashel, the ancient capital of the Kings of Munster and long famous ecclesiastical center. The Rock of Cashel rising above the town, is crowned by the ruins of a cathedral, beside which shelters an outstanding example of Irish Romanesque architecture, Cormac's Chapel. End the day at your accommodation base in Cork for three nights.

Day Two:
Take the mountain road from Killarney to Kenmare and onward to the pretty harbor of Bantry Bay. A lunch here may consist of a seafood plate as the harbor is renowned for its sea harvest. There are other attractions to include here so there will be a fruitful and leisurely stop.

On for a taste of the famed Ring of Kerry, perhaps western Ireland's most renowned tourist route. It's a must see despite the occasionally coach-crowded roads. You will take one or two turns off the main roads and following the back-roads through MacGillycuddy's Reeks. Also on today's itinerary will be time at Muckross House/Killarney Lakes, and a look at the fast-developing and lively village of Killarney.

Day Three:
This is your "Slow-down day" (though the tour is not designed to be rushed). Participants will have an input into how the day unfolds and which of the sites and attractions are given time preference.

The day of discovery includes the city of Cork and the nearby Blarney. Yes, you'll kiss the Blarney stone! The well preserved square is also impressive and in Tudor style, the village has developed around the square. A stone's throw away is Cobh, known historically as Queenstown. Poignant reminders are everywhere of the hundreds of thousands of mostly hungry and penniless Irish who left from here to build a new life, especially in the Famine years of 1844-48. Today it is a pleasant town with streets which climb the steep slope of a hill, the top of which is crowned by St. Coleman's Cathedral.

On the quayside there is a memorial to the victims of the Lusitania, many of whom are buried in the old church cemetery. The ship was sunk off Kinsale in 1915 by a German submarine, an action which was responsible for bringing the USA into the Great War. Another unhappy association is with the Titanic, "the safest liner in the world" as Queenstown was her last port of call on her fateful maiden voyage.

Kinsale also begs your attention. This pretty town, nestling between the hills and the shoreline, boasts a maze of narrow streets, none far from the water and little changed in many hundreds of years. Amongst buildings of later periods are those of another age with historical links to the French, Spanish, British and Americans. Highlights of our visit are Charles Fort and Desmond Castle, (French Prison). Desmond Castle has had a colorful history, ranging from Spanish occupation in 1601 to use as a prison for captured American sailors during the American War of Independence.

Day Four:
Departing Cork the first stop will be at Waterford, the oldest city in Ireland. A walled city of Viking origins, it retains much of it's medieval character together with the graceful buildings from its 18th century expansion. The parameters of the 10th century settlement can be clearly identified in The Viking Triangle. Reginald's Tower is the most historic urban medieval monument in Ireland.

Waterford is perhaps better known as the home of Waterford Crystal, the world-famous hand-crafted, cut glass product and you will visit the center. Also on the itinerary will be Waterford Treasures at the Granary is both a treasury of gold, bronze, silver, crystal and historical documents and a treasure trail that takes you through 1000 years of Ireland's oldest city.

Take the scenic route (is there any other in Ireland?) through Wicklow to Glendalough "the glen of the two lakes", which is a truly spellbinding place - an ancient monastic settlement and two clear water lakes beneath the sheer cliffs of a deep valley which was carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age. Glendalough features the ruins of no less than seven churches and the 6th century round tower. The famous Round Tower is still in near perfect condition even though it is almost 1,000 years old. The excellent Glendalough Visitor Center provides regular exhibitions, informative guided tours of the monastic site as well as an audio-visual show about the rich heritage of the area.

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