Catholic Pilgrimage Tour to Ireland – Land of Saint Patrick

Our 24-hour Tour Director will meet us at the airport and remain with us until our final airport departure. We will have use of a private coach and driver, while touring for the next eight days.

Discover the formidable castle built in the 15th century. It has been preserved just as it would have looked in the 1500s. A tour of the castle will include the Great Hall, Main Guard and South Solar. We will then visit the adjoining Folk Park, an authentic re-creation of life in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century. Our base for the next two nights will be the Killarney area, where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel.

Renowned for its beauty and famed for the splendor of its scenery, Killarney is one of Ireland’s best-loved spots. The idyllic town, located in County Kerry, is filled with friendly faces and surrounded by an incredible number of sites and activities.

During the course of our tour we will gain from the knowledge and insight of three half-day local guides while we are here in Ireland. Discover the famed Ring of Kerry as we take the beautiful drive around the Iveragh Peninsula. We will enjoy a splendid variety of outstanding coastal panoramas and magnificent mountain views, and have the opportunity to stop and explore many small towns and villages on the peninsula. We will visit a lovely small village with brightly painted cottages. (Visits are subject to weather conditions on the day)

Today we will travel from Killarney to Galway. We will stop at the Cliffs of Mother while en route. The rich green fields and rolling hills of County Clare have come to epitomize the Irish countryside. From the barren, rocky Atlantic coast to the charming county towns and the grave limestone landscape of the Burren, visitors quickly discover that Clare holds a variety of beauty.

Take a Walking Tour of Galway’s city center. We will view many of Galway’s most important areas and landmarks, including Eyre Square, Shop Street, the Latin Quarter, Lynch’s Castle, the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, the Quays, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, and the Spanish Arch Our base for the next one night will be the Galway area, where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel. This historic city is strongly associated with Irish language, music, and dance, and is one of the most Irish cities in the country. The lively and bustling university town was very prominent in the Middle Ages, and was the site of a nine-month siege during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. With history, culture, and beautiful surroundings, Galway is a favorite of visitors to the west coast.

We will stop en route at Croagh Patrick and in Knock.

Explore Croagh Patrick, named for St. Patrick because he spent forty days fasting and praying for the Irish here. We will make the trek to the summit to visit the modern chapel and enjoy the spectacular panoramic views over Clew Bay. The Teach na Miasa Cultural Center has much to offer those who prefer to stay at the base of the mountain.

The small town of Knock in County Mayo was an average rural community until 1879, when the apparition of three holy figures appeared on the gable of a church. From that point on the town has been one of the primary Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe, with thousands of visitors every year.

Explore the Shrine and Museum at the Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of Ireland, located in Knock. In 1879, an apparition of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist appeared at an altar on the south gable of the church and was witnessed for more than two hours. Our tour of the Shrine grounds will include the Apparition Chapel and original Gable Wall, the Papal Cross, the Basilica, and the Chapel of Reconciliation. We will conclude at the Museum, where we will learn more about the history of the town.

The intriguing town of Sligo sits at the mouth of the River Garavogue, and due to this important position it grew to prominence under the Normans. An ideal base for exploring the Neolithic and cultural sites of the countryside, Sligo is also the arts capital of northwest Ireland. Our base for the next one night will be the Sligo area, where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel.

For the next three evenings we will enjoy the convenience of our centrally-located Dublin hotel, where daily breakfast will be included.

Welcome to a complex small city, whose 19th-century architecture conceals a modern place filled with trendy shops, pubs, restaurants and boutiques. Long perceived to be stuck in the past, Dublin has experienced a rebirth that has brought new life to the historic, modern, charming, and entertaining city. Spend time wandering the Victorian streets, visiting the incredible churches and museums, exploring the vibrancy of the Temple Bar area, and discovering why Dublin is one of the most popular destinations for Europeans and the world. Tonight we will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

We will begin outside the Bank of Ireland, one of Dublin’s most treasured landmarks, then stroll along Grafton Street, the spine of Dublin’s most popular and stylish shopping district. After viewing the Molly Malone statue, we continue to St. Stephen’s Green, a beautiful 22 acre park in the heart of Dublin, filled with beautifully landscaped flowerbeds, fountains, a lake, and memorials to important Dubliners. Our tour concludes with a walk around Merrion Square, a marvel of Georgian architecture known for its colorful doors and for the famous literary figures that once lived here, including Yeats and Wilde.

Resting silently on the eastern bank of the Shannon, Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland's most profound ancient sites. Founded in 548 AD by St. Ciaran, it soon became one of Europe's great centers of learning and culture. In addition to the extensive ruins, our visit will include the exemplary Visitor Center, with a beautifully designed exhibition, a first-rate audiovisual program, and pleasant tearooms. We continue three kilometers east to view the Clonfinlough Stone, a large boulder near Clonfinlough Catholic Church. Its surface is engraved with crosses and markings resembling human forms in patterns similar to carvings found in Spain and France. Still a mystery, these carvings may date anywhere from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, or even to early Christianity.

We will dine this evening in the lively Temple Bar area. Some of Dublin's best nightlife, restaurants, and unusual shops line these narrow streets between the Bank of Ireland and Christ Church Cathedral.

Visit the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It is said that St. Patrick baptized converts on this site. Consequently, a church has stood here since 450 AD, making it the oldest Christian site in Dublin. The cathedral’s design is primarily Early English in style, and features a 300-foot-long interior and a square medieval tower that houses the largest ringing peal bells of Ireland. St. Patrick's is closely associated with Jonathan Swift, who was dean from 1713 to 1745, and whose tomb lies in the south aisle.

Discover the oldest university in Ireland. Trinity was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. The beautiful campus features cobbled squares, gardens, a picturesque quadrangle and buildings that date from the 17th to 20th centuries. Trinity College is also home to the Book of Kells, an 8th-century version of the four Gospels decorated with elaborate scripting and illumination. We will view this famous treasure and other early Christian manuscripts in the Colonnades, an exhibition area on the ground floor of the Old Library. Tonight we will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Our rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as our Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on our final day.