Ireland Trip Itinerary 2010: June 12 - 21 

Day 1: Saturday June 12. Departure. Depart Lafayette by motorcoach to O'Hare in Chicago. Dinner and breakfast are served on international flights. Arrive in Shannon, Ireland

Day 2: Sunday, June 13. Galway, Ireland. We'll be met by our driver and guide as we transfer to our hotel traveling through Ennis and Gort; Jury's Inn, our hotel, will be in a pedestrian walking and shopping area. 

Day 3: Monday, June 14. Cong, Connemara, Galway, Ireland. Start the day in Cong, visit Connemara & the abbey, free afternoon in Galway.

Day 4: Tuesday, June 15. Killarney. A scenic drive along the Atlantic ocean will take us to Ballyvaughn to explore the mystical, timeless scenery of the Burren. Along the way we'll stop by the Cliffs of Moher to climb O'Brien's tower and watch waves crash into the cliffs and reach heights of 200 feet or more. From the Cliffs we'll travel to the village of Lahnich and drive past St. Andrews of Ireland, one of Ireland's most famous golf courses. In Lahnich, we'll stop for lunch at a seaside pub and watch Irish surfers enjoy the Atlantic waves; afterwards, we'll ferry across the Shannon River and arrive at our hotel in Killarney. After checking in, we'll visit an Irish pub for dinner and some traditional Irish music.

Day 5: Wednesday, June 16. Dingle Pennisula & Killarny. During the day we'll explore the Dingle Peninsula with its exciting and scenic landscape of hills, beaches, and waterfalls. We will also stop off at several pubs for a pint or two and some lunch. The afternoon will see us returned to our hotel, where we'll have free time to shop and explore Killarney. For those interested, our guide will arrange a tour.

Day 6: Thursday, June 17: Kinsale. Another scenic route past beautiful lakes will lead us to Blarney Castle, where we can kiss the Blarney stone. The rest of the morning and afternoon will be spent at the Blarney Woolen Mill, considered by many to be the best shopping opportunity in Ireland. After lunch, we'll go a short distance to one of Ireland's prettiest seaside villages of pastel painted homes, stores, and pubs. Here we will arrange a pub night and enjoy some traditional music.

Day 7: Friday, June 18: Cobh, Jameson Distillery, & Kinsale. Our first tour this morning will be to visit Cobh and the Queenstown story where we'll experience the departure of our ancestors from Ireland during the potato famine to the new world. This is also the port made famous by the ill-fated Titanic. Just a short distance from Cobh we'll visit the Middleton and Jameson distillery where we'll see the water of life made. After lunch and some tastings we'll head back to Kinsale, considered the gourmet capital of Ireland, for the afternoon.

Day 8: Saturday, June 19: Dublin. Our final day will begin with a scenic drive through Glendalough and on to Dublin, where we will partake in a guided tour of the famous pubs of Dublin. After check-in at our hotel, we will have the opportunity to explore the Temple Bar and Trinity College areas.

Day 10: Sunday, June 20: Departure to USA. We'll say goodbye to Ireland and fly in to Chicago, then motor coach back to Lafayette.

Price: $250 reservation deposit to Speaker's Travel. Trip fee is $2550 for double occupancy, $2900 for single, and includes round trip transportation, airfare, deluxe motor coach, 8 nights in 4 star hotels, full Irish breakfast each morning, lunch at the Jameson Distillery. For more information, please contact Jon Speaker at (765) 463-5050.

CANCELLATION POLICY PER PERSON: There is a $100 administration fee until February 12.  There is a $150 fee for cancellation from February 13 - April 13. There is a 50% cancellation policy from April 14 - May 13. After May 13, the price is non-refundable.