Four Shillings Short

(Day 1 & 2)  Day 1: Ireland's Heartlands & Waterways tour starts at Shannon Ireland. You will be met at Shannon Airport by Tony Woods Chauffeurs and transported to the famous music town of Ennis, County Clare, where we'll be staying at the Temple Gate Hotel, located conveniently in the center of town. There are many local sites to enjoy including the Clare Museum, Ennis Friary, Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and walks along the River Fergus. We'll have our 1st Group Dinner followed by an orientation meeting & music by Four Shillings Short.  Day 2:  We'll take a day trip to the historic town of Limerick, founded by the Vikings around 922 AD, along the River Shannon. We'll tour King John's Castle (12^th Century) and the Hunt Museum which has amazing collections of antiquities and art. We'll also visit the Grange Stone Circle near Lough Gur (one of Ireland's largest Stone Circles). The evening is free to have dinner at one of the many amazing restaurants in Ennis and hear Traditional Irish Music at the local pubs. 

(Day 3 - 5)  Day 3:  Check out of the hotel and travel North to the Medieval town of Athenry, County Galway. We will visit the Athenry Heritage Center and take a guided Architectural Tour of the town. We end the day in Athlone, County Westmeath, along the River Shannon where we will stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel for 3 nights. Day 4:  Includes a visit to Belvedere House and Gardens, on Lake Ennell with its forest paths, gardens and unusual architecture. Later that day we visit the "Corlea Trackway", a 2000 year old "Royal Road" made of Oak which was used during the times of the High Kings of Ireland. In the evening, we have our 2nd Group Dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel. On Day 5, we take a river cruise down the Shannon to Clonmacnoise, a 6th Century monastic city with High Crosses, Round Towers and Churches. In the evening, we have an Irish Music Session at Biddy O'Dowd's Irish Pub in Athlone. 

(Day 6 & 7)  Day 6: Check out of the hotel and make our way to County Roscommon spending time at Strokestown Park and National Famine Museum where we learn about the Irish Potato Famine and later go on a guided tour of the 12th Century Cistertian Abbey in Boyle. There we have a guided tour of the Abbey and learn about it's history and beautiful Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Then we travel to County Leitrim and check in at The Landmark Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon, situated along the River Shannon. The evening is free to have dinner at a local restaurant and go to one of the pubs for a music session.  Day 7: We have a private concert with the famous Belfast born, Irish Balladeer and Shanty singer Tom Lewis, followed by a "Free Day & Night" in Carrick-on-Shannon. You'll have time to rest, explore the town, take a river walk, go shopping and visit Costello Chapel, the smallest chapel in Ireland.

(Day 8 & 9)  Day 8: Check out of the hotel and travel northwest to the Coleman Music Center in County Sligo, for a presentation of Irish Music and Dance. After that, we head to the Foxford Woolen Mills, County Mayo, with its beautiful Irish textiles, ceramics and art. We tour the weaving shed and have lunch, followed by a trip to see an ancient Dolmen (portal tomb) in Ballina. We end the day in the remote Atlantic seaside town of Belmullett, County Mayo and check into one of Ireland's most unique "boutique" hotels, The Talbot Hotel, where we will stay for 2 nights. Day 9:  Visit the 6000 year old Neolithic site at the Céide Fields, which contains the oldest known stone-walled fields in the World, and drive out to Downpatrick Head with its stunning views of the North Atlantic Coast. We then return to the hotel and have our 3rd Group Dinner.

(Day 10 – 12)  Day 10:  Check out of the hotel and travel South to go walking in the boglands of Ballycroy National Park. We end the day at the Mulranny Park Hotel, overlooking Clew Bay, with beach walks, pool and spa. Day 11:  Free Day in Mulranny where you can take beach walks, rent an electric bicycle and ride along the "Green Way" to Achill Island or Westport, relax in the spa, go swimming and enjoy the beautiful views. Day 12:  We drive along the coast to one of Grace O'Malley's Towerhouses and stop to enjoy the views of the Atlantic. We tour The Deserted Village on Achill Island, have lunch in the seaside town of Keel and then have a private Whiskey Tasting Session at the Irish American Whiskey Distillery. In the evening we have our 4th Group Dinner.

(Day 13)  Day 13:  Check out of the hotel and travel east to Castlebar, County Mayo, stopping to view the Turlough Round Tower (9^th Century) and visit the Museum of Country Life where we'll learn about life in rural Ireland over the centuries. We end the day back in County Clare, returning to the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis. After dinner in town, we'll all meet for a final "good bye" drink.

(Day 14)  Transfer tour attendees to Shannon Airport for flights back to USA or other destinations

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SOUTHERN IRELAND TOUR: JUNE 2 – JUNE 15, 2027: 

This tour travels to many of the coastal towns founded in the 9th & 10th Century by the Vikings. It features the history, archaeology, music, scenic coastline and waterways of County Clare, Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford and Cork.