Ultimate Introduction to Ireland with Rob Croskery

Ultimate Introduction to Ireland with Rob Croskery

SI
24 reviews
Jun 25 - Jul 10, 2023
Group size: 20 - 26
Ultimate Introduction to Ireland with Rob Croskery
Ultimate Introduction to Ireland with Rob Croskery

24 reviews

Jun 25 - Jul 10, 2023
Group size: 20 - 26

About this trip

Secret Ireland Tours are delighted to work with Rob Croskery to offer you "The Ultimate Introduction to Ireland" June 25th to July 10th 2023.  We spend 16 Days, 15th Nights in Ireland. Arriving in Shannon airport, going to the West, North West, North, East, South and back to the West again. We have six 4/5 star hotel accommodation around the country and we even get to stay in a Castle hotel too! Three Golf links courses if you wish to play a game of golf. We visit the Aran Islands to experience Island life through the medium of the Irish language. We see amazing coastal scenery, ancient sites, Castles rich in history, waterfalls, gardens, we go around the Ring of Kerry and the lesser known Ring of Beara in Cork. 

The great thing about this tour is that if you decide you do not want to come exploring with us on a particular day, you can relax and enjoy the hotel facilities or just do your own thing. You have two days off and two half-days and we are back in our accommodation every evening by 6.30pm at the very latest. So you can relax before you go out to enjoy the night life.

If you wish to have a game of Golf you will see that we have it as an "add-on". It is not included in the price of the tour as only some people might like to partake. So we will be happy to book your Tee time on one or all golf courses, we will have deposit amounts for all three courses.

The itinerary is below and you can also find it on our website: SecretIrelandToursLLC.com

Terms and Conditions

1  The company requires non-refundable deposits to be paid as per tour in a timely manner. By paying a deposit you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Company.

2  Our tours are all based on double occupancy. There will be an additional supplement for single travelers which will depend on tour taken. 

3  Payment for deposit will hold your place, final balance  payment will be 60 days before the start of your choice of  tour. 

4  Installment plans are available for anyone who would like to avail of them.

5  Travel insurance is something that the company strongly suggests all clients purchase to protect their travel investment. You can find links for Insurance companies on our website www.SecretIrelandToursLLC.com

6  Due to limited capacity on coaches, there may be a limit of one suitcase per passenger. 

7  Participants are responsible for all their property, luggage, backpacks, phone's, laptops etc. 

8  The company tour guide will give all participants phone no's of tour guides and driver at the start of the trip or in an email before the start of the trip, it is vital that you keep these in a safe place.

9  At the start of each day your tour guide will tell you what time you should be ready, or to be on the bus for the next day's journey, it is up to you to contact your guide if you missed announcements on times. 

10 There is a cancellation fee for participants who cancel within 70 days of the start of trip. Please see contract.

11  Some of our trips require walking over stony roads and pathways, it is advised to always bring strong waterproof walking shoes, and waterproof/windproof outer coats/jackets also.

12 We also advise all participants to let us know of food allergies they have.

13 Each participant is responsible for their baggage being brought from the Coach to their accommodation except in the case where the company have booked porterage. The group will be advised where porterage will take place.

14 Conditions, availability, or contractual obligations may warrant for dates, venues, lodging, talent/celebrity headliners/hosts/guests. Ambassadors, tour guides or transportation modes to be changed or cancelled. It is our intent and obligation, within the best of our ability, to substitute and /or accommodate equal or enhanced alternatives. We will not refund any deposits or payments towards the tour due to these conditions.


Covid policies

We are keeping up to date with what is happening in Ireland and also what the Government guidelines are. In Ireland all venue's and hotels who have, or intend to open up to the public are going through Safety Charter course. Once they have concluded the course they are awarded with a Certificate. 

We make sure that all hotels and venue's that we use  have the Safety Charter Cert for your safety. The bus is sanitized each evening and ready for the next day. 

We keep up to date with Government guidelines and we will act accordingly. Your health and safety is our top priority. 

Accommodation links

Trump International Hotel and Golf Resort    Doonbeg Co Clare

Yeats Country Hotel                                             Rosses Point Co Sligo

Fitzwilliams Hotel                                                   Belfast

Maldron Hotel                                                         Shandon Co Cork

Killarney Court Hotel                                             Killarney Co Kerry

Golf Courses (links)

Available Packages

Double room
$3,450
Deposit: $800
Twin Rooms
$3,450
Deposit: $350
Single occupancy
$4,250
Deposit: $350

Available Add-Ons

Old Head Kinsale Golf course
$0
Golf Trump Golf links
$0
Rosses Point Golf Links
$0


Itinerary

Day 1
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park/Quin Crannógs

We pick you up at the arrivals hall at 11 am in the morning of June 25th and bring you West. We first visit the famous Bunratty Castle and Folk village.

Robert De Muscegros, a Norman, built the first defensive fortress (an earthen mound with a strong wooden tower on top) in 1250. 

His lands were later granted to Thomas De Clare who built the first stone castle on the site. About this time Bunratty became a large town of 1,000 inhabitants.

In 1318 Richard De Clare, son of Thomas was killed in a battle between the Irish and the Normans. His followers were routed and the castle and town were completely destroyed. The castle was restored for the King of England but was laid waste in 1332 by the Irish Chieftains of Thomond under the O'Briens and MacNamaras. It lay in ruins for 21 years until it was rebuilt by Sir Thomas Rokeby but was once again attacked by the Irish and the castle remained in Irish hands thereafter. 

Our Second stop in Quin Crannógs in Co Clare.

Crannógs are ancient Irish lake dwellings on artificially constructed islands on which houses were built. Crannógs were constructed of layers of material such as mud, brushwood and stones set inside a palisade of closely-set wooden stakes which consolidated the structure and acted as a defensive barrier. There are 23 recorded surviving crannógs in County Clare. Quin has reconstructed this site and you can walk in and see the dwellings as they were long ago.

Your Organizer


SI
Secret Ireland Tours LLC
24 reviews
We are a 100% Irish-owned tour company that specialises in tours to Ireland. We offer authentic, affordable, unique itineraries to our clients. We have tours for groups up to 12 and up to 30. You will find tours for different parts of the country, different prices, and different times of the year. We bring you to some amazing places. We also offer packages for traveler who do not want to join a tour. If you want to put your own tour itinerary together but you need help, we offer consultation services also.

Reviews

I had a blast. I went by myself on the trip and have made lifelong friends. Jenny our tour guide was so much fun, and went out of her way to make sure we had a stellar trip. Vanessa, the ambassador was a peach. I saw places on this trip I had only read about. Everyone taking the tour was a fantastic group of people. Keith our driver was also very personable and a lot of fun. Mai was accomodating and met our group at our initial gathering point and was so lovely. Only thing is that I notice the tours were a bit more challenging for some of the older members of the group. There was a lot of walking involved. I appreciated that Mai worked to keep the costs down while we were in Scotland where prices were quite high. While we had WONDERFUL accomodation in Ireland, Scotland wasn't quite the same, but the hotels were very clean and in nice areas. I googled the normal prices at those same hotels and know they were still expensive if in the States, so I appreciate Mai's keeping the costs down for the trip so we could experience so many wonderful places to visit.
By Jolynn Y for Epic Adventure to N Ireland/Scotland with Vanessa Hogle on Jun 21, 2025
Thank you Jolynn for your review. I am happy that you enjoyed your trip with us and I am delighted that you made life long friends, that is what it is all about. This was our first time putting a tour together outside of Ireland, and I have learned much from the experience. Yes, I found that the hotels that were available were very expensive in Scotland and across England. I picked Travelodge in Edinburgh because it was recommended to me by someone from Hollywood who stays there all the time, so I did not know how different they were from the Irish hotels that I use and know. I did my best to keep the cost down so that people could afford it. I will be much more careful with hotels that I don't know from now on.
By Secret Ireland Tours LLC on Jun 22, 2025
SI
MW
I enjoyed the tour and they all did excellent (tour guide/Ambassador/driver). They handled any bumps in the road well and really cared about giving a good experience to the guests. These tours never go 100% to plan/itinerary..but that is life and,the tour guide,ambassador and driver handled it all so well and worked hard to give the best experience. The tours with this company are the best value compared to other companies. I will be using them again.
By Mark W for Epic Adventure to N Ireland/Scotland with Vanessa Hogle on Jun 14, 2025
Thank you Mark, I know that you were not well during the tour and I am sorry about that, but I am delighted that you had a good time all the same. We do our best to give good value and we work hard to make sure that things are working well but sometimes things don't go the way it is supposed to. I did not get to meet you when I went to Belfast to meet the group, but we will meet again I hope.
By Secret Ireland Tours LLC on Jun 22, 2025
SI
I had a wonderful experience with everyone on this trip. Our wonderful guide Helen and skill full driver Eddie made my vacation even better than I imagined. Great food, comfortable accommodations were had at the family owned Cawley's Hotel. I can't say enough good things about Mai's Secret Ireland Tours. I can't wait to book them again!
By Ellen A for Springtime in Ireland on Jun 06, 2025
What a phenomenal trip and experience we had on this 8 day trip to Ireland. Mai Herron, owner, planned the greatest itinerary for this tour. She left nothing out and no detail was forgotten. No hiccups whatsoever. We got to see the beauty of Ireland and meet and stay with the wonderful people of Ireland. Our stay in Sligoh was so authentic at the Cawley’s Guest House. The most beautiful part of this stay was Mae inviting her family to play true authentic folk Irish music for us one night. Unbelievably moving and what an experience. Helen, our tour guide and Eddie, our driver were true, true professionals!!! I recommend this tour-Secret Ireland Tours for your visit to Ireland.
By Garry D for Springtime in Ireland on Jun 06, 2025
My Haunted Ireland trip this past Oct 2024 with Secret Ireland Tours, owner Mai Hernon , was absolutely incredible!! If you are considering a trip to Ireland, I feel that you should have a tour guide that is from Ireland and you will find this with Mai Hernon. A born and raised Irish woman who knows all of the rich history from her many years growing up in this beautiful country. From old traditions, to food to the incredible ancient ruins scattered all around this gorgeous country. The Irish people will greet you with smiles and humble hearts ready to serve you with your hearts desires. Extremely impressed with all of our day-to-day site seeing adventures and our late night paranormal investigations in some of the world famous castles. We even stayed for 3 nights at the most haunted castle in Ireland, the beautiful and mysterious Blackwater Castle! This was a life long trip that I treated myself to and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to visit and explore the beautiful Ireland. Mai knew all of the history of each destination and also sang some beautiful old Irish melodies. We went back in time and experienced so many ancient sites, castles, Pat Noon’s Fairy Farm, we walked thru the mystical mountains to the Hellfire Caves and much more. We also had time to go enjoy some local pubs and do some souvenir shopping. Do yourself a favor and book your trip with this company Secret Ireland Tours. You will have a genuine Irish experience with amazing memories! 🍀🇮🇪❤️
By Anne O for Haunted Ireland Halloween with Chris Fleming on Nov 16, 2024
Thank you so much Anne for your wonderful review. We did our best to bring you to most of the places that we had on the itinerary, but as you know, delays outside of our control denied us from going to only one or two places. We did however have surprises in there that we think people liked. I enjoyed giving out the spot prizes on the bus. And as you know, I love singing so that was also a pleasure for me. Getting to know you all is special and watching everybody getting to know each other was and is always great for me. I am hoping that you will come along with us again in the future! You will always be welcome.
By Secret Ireland Tours LLC on Nov 17, 2024
SI
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References

Mai from Secret Ireland Tours was my private driver on a tour that I took around the East, South and West of Ireland and I must say that it was the best experience I’ve ever had. I don’t drive so she met me at the airport in her car and we stayed in Swords Dublin for the first two days. She brought me to all the interesting places in and around Dublin. We visited amazing places like Glendalough, Powerscourt House and Gardens, the Waterfall. We visited Kilkenny castle and the beautiful town of Kilkenny. While we were there we also visited the beautiful Cathedral too. We drove down to the Cork Coast and stayed in a lovely B&B in Youghal. We then went by the coast and visited Drombeg stone circle which was amazing. My favorite place was the little town of Glandore not far from Drombeg. We stopped there to have dinner. The food was out on its own. We drove around the Ring of Beara and the spectacular Ring of Kerry with so many stops. I have so many great photo’s of these places. We finally went to Galway where we stayed in a great hotel just outside the town and we had a great meal there. She brought me to Kylemore Abbey and we saw the Connemara countryside. I have to say I could not believe how much I fitted into this trip and I would not have been able to put it together myself. Mai is from Ireland and knows the country very well and I had the trip of a lifetime with her. She is great company and we have now become friends. 5 stars is not enough. I highly recommend Secret Ireland Tours
By denise m on 10 Dec, 2024
I just returned home after a 10 day tour of Ireland with Secret Ireland Tours. I had absolutely the best time! I absolutely loved each and every moment, location, surprise and people we met along the way. I was amazed at the lodging, but also the historical stops along the way. The 2 Samhain festivals were so memorable. At the end it was almost impossible for me to chose my favorite moment. It was all so very magical and exciting! Mai was such a lovely tour guide and learning about the history of her country was an added bonus. I honestly would do it all over again in a heartbeat 💓. Thank you Mai for filling me with so many incredible memories!
By Cindy D on 07 Nov, 2024