Four Shillings Short

MAY 2 – 15, 2026: IRELAND’S HEARTLANDS & WATERWAYS TOUR:
This tour explores many of the overlooked places in the midland counties and more remote coastal towns of Ireland along with history, archaeology, music & dance traditions in Counties Clare, Limerick, Westmeath, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo,  Mayo & Galway.

(Day 1 & 2) Ireland’s Heartlands & Waterways tour starts at Shannon Ireland. You will be met at Shannon Airport and transported to the famous music town of Ennis, County Clare, where our tour group will 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 and scenic walks along the River Fergus. On our first night together, we have a wonderful group dinner followed by an orientation meeting and some live music.
On day 2, we visit the historic town of Limerick, founded around 922 AD by the Vikings along the River Shannon, where we’ll tour King John's Castle (12th 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).  In the evening, we enjoy Traditional Irish Music sessions at the many pubs in Ennis.

(Day 3 - 5) On day 3, we leave County Clare and head north to Athenry in County Galway, one of Ireland’s best preserved Medieval towns.  We visit the Athenry Heritage Center for a historical re-enactment and go on a guided  Architectural Tour of this Medieval town.  We end the day in Athlone, County Westmeath, along the River Shannon where we will stay for 3 nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
Day 4 includes a visit to Belvedere House and Gardens, with its manicured gardens, forested walks and unusual architectural towers and follies. We then visit the “Corlea Trackway”, a 2000 year old “Royal Bog Road” made of Oak which was used during the times of the High Kings of Ireland.  In the evening, Four Shillings Short performs at Biddy O’Dowd’s Irish Pub in Athlone.
On day 5, we take a boat cruise down the River Shannon to Clonmacnoise, a 6th Century monastic city with High Crosses, Round Towers and Churches.  In the afternoon, we return to Athlone where you have time to explore the town, Athlone Castle and walk along the river.  Later on, we have our 2nd group dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel

(Day 6 & 7) We leave County Westmeath and make our way north to County Roscommon, visiting the Strokestown Famine Museum where we learn about the Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840’s – 70’s.  Later we stop at Rathcroghan Visitor Center and learn about this archaeologically rich area that dates back 5,500 years.  We end the day in the scenic village of Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, situated along the River Shannon. There you can enjoy river walks, traditional music sessions and visit Costello Chapel, the smallest chapel in Ireland.
Day 7 includes a private concert with the famous Irish Balladeer and Shanty singer Tom Lewis followed by a visit to Boyle Abbey, County Roscommon, with a guided tour of its beautiful Gothic and Romanesque arches and decorated pillars.

(Day 8 & 9) From County Leitrim we leave the midlands and travel northwest to the Coleman Music Center in County Sligo  where we will enjoy a presentation of Irish Music and Dance. After that, we head to Foxford Woolen Mills, have lunch and end the day in the remote Atlantic seaside town of Belmullett, County Mayo, where we will stay at the Talbot Hotel.
On day 9, we visit the 6000 year old Neolithic site at the Céide Fields, which contains the oldest known stone-walled fields in the World, and then walk out to Downpatrick Head to view the North Atlantic Coast.  In the evening we enjoy our 3rd group dinner together.