Musical Ireland

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 six days.

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.

A formidable castle built in the 15th century, Bunratty Castle 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 night(s) will be Killarney (area), where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel.

We will 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).

Your concert performance will be today in the Tralee area. Venue options include Ardfert Cathedral and St. John’s Church.

On the way to Dublin we will visit Blarney Castle, one of the most haunting and striking castles in Ireland. The remains of this impressive fortification include a massive square tower and the famous Blarney Stone, wedged underneath the battlements. It is traditional to kiss the stone to ensure the gift of eloquence. We will also have time to stroll through the gardens and along Blarney Lake before having the opportunity to visit Badger Cave and adjacent dungeons, which penetrate the rock at the base of the castle.

Cashel lies in the heart of Tipperary. The town’s rich history is reflected in its prehistoric raths, medieval castles and monasteries, fortified town houses, and Georgian quarter.

The Rock of Cashel isan extraordinary ruined abbey at the top of a hill near the town center of Cashel. This outcrop of limestone, stretching 197 feet into the sky, possesses sixteen centuries of history. It was the castled seat of the kings of Munster as far back as 360 AD and remained a royal fortress until 1101. Today there are ruins of a two-towered chapel, a cruciform cathedral, a round tower, and a cluster of other medieval monuments. Inside the cathedral, ancient carvings survive in excellent condition.

Dublin is 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.

For the next four evening(s) we will enjoy the convenience of our centrally-located Dublin hotel, where daily breakfast will be included.

Explore Irish fare in a local restaurant.

St. Patrick's Cathedral is 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.

Trinity College is 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.

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.

Your concert performance will be today. Venue options include Christ Church Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Newman Catholic University Church, local schools, St. Ann’s Church and the Powerscourt Townhouse Center.

The Hill of Tara is best remembered as the royal seat of the high kings before Christianity came to Ireland. We will see the remains of Tara's former glory in its grassy mounds, ancient pillar stones, and depressions where the Iron Age ring forts stood. This magnificent site, rising 300 feet above the surrounding countryside, offers impressive views that have changed little over the centuries. We will also spend time in the Visitor’s Center, which features a stirring audiovisual presentation (Visitor centre only open 15 May - 15 September).

Newgrange is Ireland's best-known prehistoric monument and one of the archaeological wonders of Western Europe. This amazing feat of engineering is 36ft high, 260ft in diameter and consists of 200,000 tons of stone, including a 6-ton capstone. After time to explore, we make a brief stop to see the Hill of Slane, where the ruins of a Franciscan monastery built in 1512 by Christopher Fleming are capped by the commanding bell tower of Saint Patrick's Church.

Founded in the 5th century, Monasterboice is one of the most famous religious sites in Ireland. During our visit we will view the roofless round tower, as well as the complex’s greatest treasures, Muiredach’s High Cross and West Cross.

Tonight we will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Dublinia is a historically accurate presentation of the Old City during medieval times, re- created through a series of theme exhibits, spectacles and experiences. Highlights include an illuminated Medieval Maze, complete with visual effects, background sounds and aromas that lead us on a journey through time from the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in 1170 until the closing of the monasteries in the 1530’s. Another area depicts everyday life in medieval Dublin with a diorama, as well as a prototype of a 13th-century quay along the banks of the Liffey. A new addition is the medieval Fayre, displaying the wares of merchants from all over Europe. We will have the opportunity to try on a flattering new robe or even be fitted for chain mail and a proper helm.

Built on high ground in the oldest part of the city, this cathedral is one of Dublin's finest historic buildings. It dates from 1038, when Sitric, Danish king of Dublin, built the first wooden Christ Church here. In 1171, the original simple foundation was extended into a cruciform and rebuilt in stone by Strongbow. The present structure dates primarily from the restoration begun in 1871. Highlights of the interior include magnificent stonework and graceful pointed arches, with delicately chiseled supporting columns. This is the mother church for the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough of the Church of Ireland. The new Treasury in the crypt is now open to the public. While there we might hear the new bells pealing in the belfry.

Stroll along Wood Quay, where the Vikings established their first permanent settlement in Ireland around 841 AD.

Tonight we will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Your concert performance will be today. Venue options include Christ Church Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Newman Catholic University Church, local schools, St. Ann’s Church and the Powerscourt Townhouse Center.

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