Day 1 Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2 Arrival in Dublin.  Meet Patrick Lyons, your private guide for this tour, and transfer to your hotel for check-in and lunch.  Later this afternoon enjoy an orientation drive in the "Fair City" includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  Then a highlight visit to Oscar Wilde’s TRINITY COLLEGE, famous for the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells and the magnificent Old Library.  Tonight we’ll have a welcome dinner.  Spend the night at Dublin.  (L,D)

Day 3 Dublin-Waterford.  Your first stop this morning is at the Glendalough VISITOR CENTER with its fascinating audiovisual show "Ireland of the Monasteries."  A local expert explains the ruins of this center of Irish Christianity founded by St. Kevin.  Yet more highlights: the Wicklow Mountains; Ireland’s oldest HANDWEAVING MILL at Avoca; Enniscorthy, site of the final battle of the Great Rebellion of 1798; and finally a visit to the world-famous WATERFORD CRYSTAL FACTORY.  Spend the night at Waterford.  (FB,D)

Day 4 Waterford-Killarney.  After a hearty breakfast, head via Youghal and Dungarvan along the estuary to Cobh for a fascinating visit to the QUEENSTOWN STORY.  Hear about the emigration of 1.5 million Irish to the United States from Cove between 1845 and 1851.  Then known as Queenstown, the port was the principal calling point on the transatlantic liner route between Liverpool and North America, and in April 1912 the last port of call for the Titanic.  At Blarney, renowned for its magical Stone of Eloquence, shop for traditional Irish handicrafts.  Stop at Bantry, nestling beside one of the largest natural harbors in Europe.  Head over the mountains into County Kerry, which has some of Ireland’s most breathtaking scenery.  At Kenmare join the fabled "Ring of Kerry" and stop for spectacular photos of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View before arriving in the popular resort of Killarney.  Spend the next two nights at Killarney.  (FB,D)

Day 5 Killarney.  Dingle Excursion.  Panoramic views on Dingle Peninsula, where the 32-mile Slea Head drive affords magnificent vistas of the Atlantic Ocean.  At the BLASKET ISLANDS CENTRE, which is dedicated to the native Irish language and culture, learn about the way of life and unique literary achievements on the string of remote offshore islands evacuated by the last inhabitants in 1953.  Visit Dingle, then pass miles of white sandy beaches, setting for the film Ryan’s Daughter.  The rest of the day is free to relax or shop.  Tonight perhaps a performance at the National Folk Theatre.  Spend the night at Killarney.  (FB,D)

Day 6 Killarney-Ennis.  This morning at leisure in Killarney followed by an excursion by horse-drawn jaunting car to Muckross House with its outstanding gardens.  In the afternoon drive via quaint Adare, renowned for its pretty thatched cottages, to Limerick.  Tonight a banquet at Knappogue or Bunratty Castle.  Spend the night at Ennis.  (FB,D)

Day 7 Shannon-Galway.  A day full of spectacular scenery.  Motor to the Cliffs of Moher, rising 668 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.  Savor the breathtaking panorama of the Clare coast then cross the limestone plateau of The Burren.  Next a special treat: at RATHBAUN FARM watch the farmer shear a sheep and maneuver a flock with the help of a sheep dog.  Then enjoy your morning coffee and home-baked scones in the 150-year-old thatched farmhouse.  In Galway, a vibrant city with a great seafaring tradition, hear about the infamous Lynch Stone, commemorating the day Mayor James Lynch Fitzstephen hanged his son for murder.  Spend the night at Galway.  (FB,D)

Day 8 Galway-Sligo.  Call at a MARBLE FACTORY as you head into Connemara, a stunningly beautiful and remote region of mountains, rivers, and lakes.  At Clifden, a small fishing town in the far west, visit the MUSEUM housed in the old railway station and discover that Marconi chose the town as the site of the first transatlantic telegraph station in 1907.  And it was here that Alcock and Brown landed from Newfoundland on the first transatlantic flight in June 1919.  Visit KYLEMORE ABBEY, the massive castle acquired by the Benedictine nuns, where enterprising Sr.  Magdalena has successfully raised funds on both sides of the Atlantic for the restoration of the house, church, and gardens.  Pause at Westport before continuing on to Knock, a village that attracts pilgrims from all over the world since the townsfolk saw apparitions.  Spend the next two nights at Sligo.  (FB,D)

Day 9 Sligo.  Donegal Excursion.  First stop Drumcliff, for a visit to the grave of the native son and poet W.B. Yeats.  Then step across the border into Northern Ireland to visit the famous BELLEEK POTTERY FACTORY, renowned for its exquisite cream-colored Parian china.  The rest of the day is dedicated to wild and beautiful Donegal.  Follow the scenic Atlantic coast and in Donegal town, founded by Danish Vikings and home of the O’Donnell Clan, shop for hand-knitted woolen goods and other crafts from the region.  Spend the night at Sligo.  (FB,D)

Day 10 Sligo-Dublin.  Stop at Boyle for photos of the Cistercian Abbey ruins, then south to Longford for a visit to STROKESTOWN HOUSE.  Enjoy a guided tour of the restored 1740’s mansion, a stroll through its fine gardens, and at the Famine Museum an insight into the circumstances of the Great Irish Famine of the 1840’s.  Head into horseracing country and drive across the Curragh to the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare, whose thoroughbreds command respect on the racecourses of the world.  Tonight a “Farewell To Ireland” dinner.  Spend the night at Dublin.  (FB,D)

Day 11 Your homebound flight leaves from Dublin and arrives the same day. (FB)

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