Tours

Celtic Christianity in Ireland | May 9, 2023

10 days
Ireland
Starting from $3698* Taxes & Fees Apply

Join us for a 10 - day tour of Celtic Christianity in Ireland on May 9, 2023, starting at $3,698* from New York, NY. You will see Dublin, Glendalough, Trinity College, Downpatrick, Armagh, Galway, The Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, and so much more!

What’s Included

  • All Inclusive Pricing
  • Breakfast and Dinner Daily
  • Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
  • Entrance and Program Fees
  • First Class Hotels
  • Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
  • Hotel Gratuities
  • International Airfare from NY
  • Overseas Airport Transfers
  • Administrative fees

^ Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.

† If air purchased through EO.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 May 9 – Depart the USA

Depart the USA on your international overnight flight.

Day 2 May 10 - Arrive in Dublin

Our representatives will meet you at the airport and escort you to your bus. Enjoy a driving tour of the city that includes a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Check into your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 May 11 – Glendalough & Trinity College

This morning, you’ll pass through the forested countryside of Wicklow County to Glendalough. Here, Saint Kevin established a Monastic community in the 5th century that lasted through Viking invasions until its destruction by English troops in 1398. Return to Dublin this afternoon and visit the Trinity College Library and their display of the Book of Kells, an ornate 9th-century example of the Gospels. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 May 12 – Bru na Boinne, the Hill of Tara & Monasterboice

Head north through the rich history of Celtic life to Bru na Boinne Prehistoric Monuments. You will see one of the Passage Tomb sites here, including Newgrange and Knowth (lesser-known but more expansive). 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 overnight.

Day 5 May 13 – Downpatrick & Armagh

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 will present 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 overnight.

Day 6 May 14 – Kells, Clonmacnoise & Galway

This morning, you’ll cross Ireland, stopping to visit the Monastery of Kells. Here, the Book of Kells was created by monks before being hidden in a bog from Viking invaders. Continue onto Clonmacnoise, an important monastic site and the burial place of kings. Among these ruins are the famous thousand-year-old cross and the most important collection of tombstones in the country. Three high crosses, two hundred graves and the ruins of a 13th-century ring fort also remain. Finish the day in Galway, whose main thoroughfare is lined with buildings that date back to the 15th century, when 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 for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 May 15 – The Burren, Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle

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

Day 8 May 16 – Ring of Kerry, Sheepherding Demonstration & Staigue Ring Fort

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, you’ll take in a sheep dog demonstration. You’ll visit one of the many ring forts, linking the Celtic past into the Christian era. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 9 May 17 – Blarney Castle & Rock of Cashel

You’ll travel to Blarney Castle and Blarney Woolen Mills Shop. At the Castle of Blarney, we will see the fabled Blarney Stone. Legend says that those who kiss the stone acquire a gift of eloquence. Visit the Rock of Cashel, possibly the most photographed site in Ireland, towering over the town of Cashel from its perch on a 200-foot-high outcrop of limestone. Today, impressive stone walls enclose a round tower, a cathedral, a 12th-century Romanesque chapel and high crosses. Continue onto Dublin for dinner and overnight.

Day 10 May 18 – Return to USA

Return to USA

Enhance Your Journey

Northern Ireland extension Starting from $1198

May18-21, 2023 • $1198*

May 18 – Malahide Castle
This morning, depart Dublin and visit Malahide Castle, set on 250 acres of parkland. It was both a fortress and a private home for nearly eight hundred years. The Talbot family lived here from 1185 to 1973, when the last Lord Talbot died. Continue to Belfast and enjoy a driving tour of the city, including areas affected by “The Troubles.” Check into your Belfast area hotel for dinner and overnight.

May 19 – Antrim Coast and Giants Causeway
Travel along the Antrim Coast. You will experience breathtaking views of the Irish Sea and hauntingly beautiful moorlands. The grand finale, however, is the Giant’s Causeway. Sometimes dubbed “The 8th Wonder of the World”, the Causeway is a fantastic sight with 40,000 basalt columns rising from the sea. Legend has it that the Causeway was the path built by Irish giant Finn McCool to enable him to fight the giant across the Irish Sea in Scotland. Pass through the Northern Ireland countryside back to Belfast for dinner and overnight.

May 20 – Belfast
Today, you will enjoy a morning walking tour of Belfast to visit C. S. Lewis’ birthplace and other childhood sites. Belfast has been the scene of many conflicts between the Roman Catholics and Protestants, culminating in “The Troubles.” While visiting Belfast, we will see the remains of the famous shipyards, where ships like the Titanic were built. Visit the East Belfast Mission, where Wesley’s emphasis on reaching the poor and working-class people is put into action! Travel back to Dublin for dinner and overnight.

May 21 – Return Home
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home. Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and traveling companion.

*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions.

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