Custom Ireland Vacation

You can feel the poetry in Dublin, the birthplace to some of the greatest writers in the English language and the spirit of the city that pervades their best-known works. Check out the areas surrounding Kildare Street, home to Leinster House and the Irish Parliament, or discover the verdant city parks nearby, like intimate Merrion Square near the birthplace of Oscar Wilde, or the larger and statelier St. Stephen’s Green, bordered on the north by the elegant front of the Shelbourne Hotel, where foreign dignitaries and rock stars bed down while in Dublin. Explore the offerings at the National Gallery, including works by Renaissance master and Irish notables, or the fascinating historical exhibits at Dublin Castle and Dublin City Hall.

Those looking for an escape to the bustle of city life will enjoy Phoenix Park, filled with monuments that are among the largest and most storied of their kind, including Wellington’s Monument and the Papal Cross, as well as the Dublin Zoo and the domicile of the Irish President.

And no visit to Dublin would be complete without a tour of St. James Gate, where Ireland’s most famous export has been produced for more than two centuries: Guinness. Although they no longer brew Guinness in Dublin proper, the building has been converted to a storehouse and museum, dedicated to teaching the public about the history of the Guinness brand and the special process that goes into creating each dancing pint of stout. But the best surprise comes at the end, when you can enjoy a perfectly poured pint in a bar almost completely surrounded by glass walls and offering a panoramic view over the city and the Wicklow Mountains in the distance.

Today you leave Dublin and head south, through the soft and gentle undulations of County Wicklow and into the heart of southeast Ireland. Here, the sunshine can always be found, as can incredible, indelible monuments to the brave men and women who have called this area home for millennia. You’ll be amazed at the testaments to the cultures who dominated here, from Celts and Vikings to Norman conquerors, all of who made their mark: witness, for example, the incomparable Rock of Cashel, one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in all of Ireland.

The modern meeting places, moreover, are not to be overlooked, as you’ll learn when you spend the night in one of three amazing cities. You’ll enjoy the marble structures dominating the skyline of Kilkenny, Ireland’s premier destination for pub-goers. Or perhaps you’d prefer a stay in Waterford, where you can tour the factory where some of the finest crystal on Earth is produced and maybe pick up a piece or two while you’re there.  Then again, you might be entranced by the charming seaside town of Wexford, where you’ll be transfixed by Hook Head Lighthouse, reported to be one of the oldest on the continent; the sunbathed, serene coast of along the Irish Sea; and the Irish National Heritage Park, featuring an impressive reconstitution of life during the Stone Age and the Bronze Age.

While Dublin might be the political center of Ireland, the locals claim Cork as the island’s true heart of government, and the rebellious spirit of this venerable city is as infectious as it is ubiquitous. Cork city is an underrated hub in its own right, full of local pubs and artisans offering the best of western Irish wares, and it serves as a perfect jumping off point to explore the sights throughout the county. You’ll certainly want to visit Cobh, a town with a strong link to the sea and an excellent exhibition—the Queenstown Experience—detailing the trials and travels of Irish emigrants in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Then head to St. Finn Barre’s Cathedral, one of the most impressive ecclesiastical structures in Ireland before braving the test of kissing the Stone at nearby Blarney Castle, said to bestow the gift of gab to all those intrepid enough to climb the keep and be dangled from above.

Heading west from County Cork to the far ends of the Emerald Isle takes you into the embraces of County Kerry, one of the most famous areas in Ireland and arguably her most scenic. First time visitors will want to journey along the famous Ring of Kerry, featuring breathtaking sights and scenery that will leave you dazzled by the forces of nature and astounded by the area’s allure. Ride the ridges of Macgillycuddy’s Reeks and cast your eye over the famous Lakes of Killarney before visiting Derrynane House, the ancestral home of Daniel O’Connell, and Muckross House, a Tudor mansion that once played host to Queen Victoria.

Casting your eyes out to sea will display the impressive crag of Skellig Michael, a UNESCO World Heritage site, while the panorama offered at the Ladies View is one that will never be forgotten. Then make your way to Killarney, a quaint and charming town that was recently named Ireland’s tidiest, sporting nightlife that is exciting, vibrant, and sure to please and rides in jaunting cars that will show you the best that this up-and-coming city has to offer.

The beauty of land’s end is your destination today, as you set off to explore the Dingle Peninsula at the far reaches of Kerry. Your heart will sing with the wide palette of color evident in this rough-hewn spit of land, from the white of the Atlantic surf to the vibrant green of the inland Irish countryside, from the endless azure of the ocean to the rusted sienna of the wreck of the Ranga still visible on the shore.

Keep an eye out for the far tip of the Ring of Kerry, which can be seen from to stone edifice at Eask Tower, or turn towards the setting sun to catch a glimpse of the Blasket Islands at Ireland’s far western corner. Then discover the settlements that can be found throughout the area, including Tralee, known for its Rose of Tralee International Festival celebrating the culture of the area as well as for its recent explosion in the tourist trade. Or turn toward the headlands of Kenmare Bay, located pristinely between two of Ireland’s most stunning stretches and catering to the tourist population that have increasingly come to discover its well-kept charms.

Today head north into County Clare, in sight of one of the most magnificent coasts and historic monuments on the planet. Stop at the soaring Cliffs of Moher, rising ponderously over the Atlantic to heights of more than 700 feet at the extremes. By the rough-hewn stones of O’Brien’s Tower, you’ll be able to peer miles in to the distance and spot some of Ireland’s most impressive natural features, from the Twelve Bens and Maumturks Mountain Ranges to the Aran Islands, from the northern edge of Galway Bay down to Loop Head and its noteworthy lighthouse in the south. Then head northeast into the heart of the Burren, a stunning and singular limestone landscape that is one of the largest in Europe and home to some of the most diverse and most exquisite species of flora and fauna in Ireland. You’ll see hawks and crows in flight, butterflies floating above the fissures of rock, where beautiful flowers and crawling vines makes their way, seemingly impossibly, out from this lunar-like landscape.

You’ll also experience highpoints of human achievement, as the Burren hosts most than 90 megalithic tombs, including the balancing beauty of the Poulnabroune dolmen, as well as a host of ring forts, such as the impressive Cahercommaun perched precariously on a cliff, and the impeccably preserved Caherconnell Stone Fort.

Your last full day in Ireland takes you into County Galway for an authentic experience of Irish heritage. Tour the quays and the city squares at Galway city, including Eyre Square, renowned for being one of the best in Ireland. Downtown is a delightful mix of fine shopping and delicious restaurants, and the bayside areas of Claddagh and Dillons, the originator of the claddagh ring now famous throughout the world. You’ll also be entranced by the buildings at the National University of Ireland at Galway and the towers and dome of Galway Cathedral.

Near Galway and in the heart of the largest of Ireland’s Gaeltecht regions lies Connemara, an area renowned for its ties to Irish culture and the incredible romance that seems to pervade the soil and fill the air. Here you’ll feel the powerful presence of the Twelve Bens and the western ridge of the Maumturks Mountains, the gentle roll of Lough Corrib and the Owenglin River, and the lilting voices of the native Irish speakers that dominate the area.

Today sees you off from unparalleled Ireland from the western travel hub of Shannon and back home, looking forward for your next chance to enter the warm embrace of the Emerald Isle.