Powerscourt House and Gardens:

So much to see at this historic place. You can stroll around the Italian Garden, Walled Garden, Japanese Garden, The Tower valley, Pets Cemetery, Statuary and Gates and of course the beautiful trees that are all around the grounds.

Enjoy the Avoca shop in the house and the great food in the cafè too. 

Powerscourt Waterfall:

Take in the breath-taking beauty of Ireland’s highest waterfall, which cascades dramatically down 121 metres of rugged rock. Atmospheric, romantic, and exciting, it’s a must visit element of Powerscourt Estate.

Glendalough:

Glendalough is home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. This early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the ‘Monastic City’.

The ‘City’ consists of a number of monastic remains, and the most impressive being the Round Tower which stands 30m high. The main group of monastic buildings lies downstream near the Round Tower. The grounds were entered through the Gateway, which has two round headed granite arches.

Beyond St. Mary’s Church is the Priest’s House, a 12th Century building in Romanesque style, with an interesting carving of a much earlier date on the lintel of the doorway.

Just beyond the Priest’s House is a large granite cross (sixth or seventh century) and the “Cathedral”, the largest church on the site, with a nave, chancel and sacristy (11th and 12th C), and St Kevin’s Church.

St Kevin’s Church is commonly known as St Kevin’s Kitchen. This is a barrel-vaulted oratory of hard mica schist with a steeply pitched roof and a round tower belfry (12th C).

Approx 200m east of the Church of the Rock is a cavity in the cliff which is known as St Kevin’s Bed or Hermitage.

Itinerary subject to change depending on availability, weather, and other conditions beyond our control.

Activity level: Low to Moderate

Malahide Castle:

King Henry II gifted Richard Talbot the lands and harbour of Malahide for his services to the crown in 1185. From that point on, the Talbot family became intertwined with Malahide’s history and development.

The original stronghold built on the lands was a wooden fortress but this was eventually superseded by a stone structure on the site of the current Malahide Castle. Over the centuries, rooms and fortifications were added, modified and strengthened until the castle took on its current form.

The Talbots are reputed to have been a diplomatic family and during the eight centuries between 1185 and the 1970s, their tenure at Malahide Castle was broken for only a brief interlude between 1649 and 1660 when their lands were seized by Cromwellian soldiers and the castle was occupied by Myles Corbet, Lord Chief Baron of Ireland.

The final Baron de Malahide, Lord Milo Talbot, lived in the castle until his death in 1973. His sister Rose inherited the estate and subsequently sold it to the Irish State in 1975. Since then, Malahide Castle has continued to play an important part in Ireland’s political and social landscape, hosting international leaders and summits, and welcoming thousands of local and international visitors each year.

Killruddery House and Gardens:

The present structure is a south-facing multi-bay mansion, originally dating from the 17th century, but remodelled and extended in 1820 in the Elizabethan style. It is constructed as variously single, two, three and four storeys in the shape of an irregular quadrangle enclosing a courtyard.

The estate is owned and occupied by the 15th Earl and Countess of Meath— John Anthony Brabazon and his wife Xenia.

As of 2016, their son Anthony Brabazon (heir apparent to the Earl of Meath title) and his wife Fionnuala manage the house, gardens and farm, and also live in the house with their four children. The property is managed as a working farm with a variety of enterprises to earn the funds to maintain the estate and provide a living. They operate tours, events, sports, horse riding, festivals, concerts, filming location rentals, farmers market, cafe, and weddings. The working farm produces food for the events and café with the goal being 100% farm to fork.

The estate has been used as a filming location for a number of films and television mini-series including My Left Foot, Far and Away, Angela's Ashes, Camelot and The Tudors. Into the Badlands The Turning, Fate: The Winx Saga, and Irish Wish were also Christ Church Cathedral:

Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin City is a leading visitor attraction and has been a place of pilgrimage for almost 1,000 years.

In the heart of Medieval Dublin and renowned for its beauty, architecture and exquisite floor tiles, Christ Church Cathedral was founded in 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen. In 1152 it was incorporated into the Irish Church and eventually led by the famous Archbishop and patron saint of Dublin, Laurence O’Toole.

The cathedral is home to a famous 12th century crypt, one of the oldest and largest in Ireland and Britain. The restored crypt houses the important Treasures of Christ Church exhibition which features manuscripts and artefacts that give visitors some impression of nearly one thousand years of worship in the cathedral and nearby churches. Outstanding among the rare church silver is the stunning royal plate given by King William III in 1697 as a thanksgiving for his victory at the Battle of the Boyne. The Treasury also plays host to a rare 14th century copy of the Magna Carta Hiberniae.

Complete a visit by discovering the great range of Christ Church souvenirs and Irish gifts available in the gift shop. All proceeds from the shop support the work of the cathedral.

Itinerary is subject to change depending on availability, weather and other conditions beyond our control
Level of activity: Low to Moderate

Kilkenny Castle:

Few buildings in Ireland can boast a longer history of continuous occupation than Kilkenny Castle.

Founded soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland, the Castle has been rebuilt, extended and adapted to suit changing circumstances and uses over a period of 800 years.

Today, Kilkenny Castle is open to visitors all year round and is largely a Victorian remodelling of the thirteenth century defensive Castle.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to see this grand country house and walk through its fifty acres of rolling parkland with mature trees and an abundance of wildlife.

Other features include a formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and a man-made lake, which were added in the nineteenth century.

There is also a tearoom, playground and several orienteering trails for visitors to enjoy.

Kilkenny Town:

Before you leave the Castle you might want to visit the beautiful Rose Garden.  The Rose Garden to the front of the castle offers spectacular views over the city and it is a firm favourite for both visitors and locals.

Across the street from the Castle in the former stable courtyard is the home of Irish craft – The National Design and Art Gallery. It is a permanent exhibition space for craft in Kilkenny and there is a continuous dynamic exhibition programme that is open to the public. It provides a unique opportunity to walk around the Castle Yard and watch artists and craftspeople at work.

Jerpoint Glass:

An internationally recognised name, a passionate family business of almost 30 years, and part of the world-class Kilkenny craft network, the Jerpoint Glass Studio in Thomastown is well worth a visit. Since 1979 the Master Craftsmen at Jerpoint Glass Studio have designed and created Irish handmade glass for your home. Drawing on 2000 years of glass blowing tradition, the skilled Glass makers individually create each piece in the Jerpoint collection. Jerpoint Glass with its distinctive style combines the beautiful and the functional to bring you the best in contemporary Irish Glass.

You can watch the team of incredibly skilled glass blowers exercise their craftsmanship on this fine art, get close to the action in the artisan studio, enjoy demonstrations Monday through to Friday and learn about a day in the life of a Master glass blower before visiting the gallery shop to find a piece that’s unique and mesmerizing.

All products are proudly handmade in Kilkenny and the gallery also features other craft and art exhibitions throughout the year, making your visit a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Itinerary is subject to change depending on availability, weather, and other conditions beyond our control.

Activity level: Low-Moderate

We take a day off and enjoy this beautiful house. There are so many walks you can take and you might be able to take a horse riding lesson, take time to relax in front of a winter log fire, use the games room and just enjoy your free time from travel.

We will take you out in the evening for an evening meal in an nearby restaurant and a few drinks before you settle for the night.

We can organise horse riding for you on your day off or any evening that you would like to partake in this fun activity.

Belvedere House:

Belvedere House is a Georgian villa on the shores of Lough Ennell near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Open to the public, the estate features several striking follies, including the so-called “Jealous Wall,” which bears testimony to one of the most sordid family squabbles in Irish history.

It all started in 1836, when an ambitious aristocrat, Robert Rochfort, (later the 1st Earl of Belvedere) decided he wanted to marry a popular young woman in Dublin artistic circles, the 16-year-old Mary Molesworth. She evidently sensed he wasn’t quite the catch he appeared, as she resisted his initial advances, but her family, seduced by his power and great name, arranged the match. For a few years, the relationship worked, and the couple had four children. 

Robert lost interest in her. There are suggestions that his mistress poisoned his mind against his wife and other suggestions that it was his brother, George. 

He locked her away in her bedroom for 30 years until he died. During this time she never saw her 4 children.

It is a sad tale that will be told to you by a very impressive tour guide. 

Strokestown House:

Strokestown Park’s Georgian Palladian House is a kind of time capsule you can step inside to gain insights into very different Irish lives.

When Olive Pakenham-Mahon sold this striking Irish Palladian house in 1979, her family had owned it for over 300 years.

Each generation had left their mark on this great house, and each layer they left has a story to tell!

The faded grandeur and fascinating collections in this atmospheric mansion, give us unique insights into everyday life in the Irish country house.

And they offer intriguing clues about Irish experience in centuries past for people living vastly different parallel lives.

The Strokestown Park Famine Archive contains one of the most important collections of documents about the Great Irish Famine in the world.

The archive reveals a vivid insight into the lives of the people who lived and worked here through individual stories and first-hand accounts. Many long-forgotten men, women, and children live on through these documents. Together, they shed light on the power structures, and the social and political relationships, that shaped 19th-century Irish society and its response to the famine crisis.

Discover some of the most poignant records in the Treasures of the Strokestown Park Famine Archive virtual exhibition and view documents from the archive in our National Famine Museum.

Itinerary is subject to change depending on availavility, weather, and other conditions beyond our control.

Activity level: Low

Athlone Castle:

The first real signs of settlement at Athlone grew up in Anglo-Norman times around the castle which was built for King John of England by his Irish justiciar Bishop John De Gray of Norwich.  Though not the first castle to be built at Athlone this castle has endured like no other.  Looking at it today it still incorporates elements of the castle of 1210 together with various additions and alterations which were made in response to advances in warfare. 

Over the centuries it has been the nucleus of the Anglo-Norman settlement; a stronghold of the rival local families the Dillons and the O’Kelly’s; the seat of the Court of Claims; the residence of the President of Connaught and the Jacobite stronghold during the sieges of Athlone.  After the Siege of Athlone it became incorporated into the new military barrack complex.  It remained a stronghold of the garrison for almost three hundred years.

In 1922 when the Free State troops took over the Barracks from their British counterparts, they proudly flew the tricolour from a temporary flagpole much to the delight of the majority of townspeople.

In 1967 the Old Athlone Society established a museum in the castle with a range of exhibits relating to Athlone and its environs and also to folk-life in the district.  Two years later when the military left the castle it was handed over to the Office of Public Works and the central keep became a National Monument.

In 1991 to mark the Tercentenary of the Siege of Athlone the castle became the foremost visitor attraction in Athlone..
Galway City:

Known as The City of Tribes Galway is a beautiful city located on the western seaboard of Ireland. So beautiful is it, that it was once described as the “Venice of the West” by well-known Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. Galway is a vibrant colourful city, recognised worldwide for its friendly people and welcoming atmosphere. In recent decades Galway has emerged as the hub of Artistic, Modern and cosmopolitan energy in Ireland. Galway is second only to Dublin in yearly visitors. With it’s charming streets, shopping and nightlife mixed with culture, traditional Irish music and activities for all the family, look no further for the perfect escape.

Itinerary subject to change depending on availibity, weather and other conditions beyond our control.

Activity level: Low to Moderate.

Today you get to explore Dublin and do some shopping. You have the day to yourselves to visit places like Trinity college, Guinness storehouse. Check out the Spire in O'Connell st. Dublin Castle and so much more. You will have plenty of time to visit shops and get some gifts if you wish. 

Itinerary subject to change depending on weather, availability, and other conditions beyond our control.

Activity Level Low-Moderate

We bring you back to catch your flight home. We won't say goodbye but rather say "see you back soon again and safe flight". 

We hope that you come back to see another part of Ireland with us in the future.