Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s) to Ireland. Your meals will be served on board.

Cead Mile Failte – Welcome to Ireland! Upon arrival in Dublin, collect your luggage in the baggage claim area and continue through passport and customs control to the arrival hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver. Make your way to the vehicle for your transfer to your hotel. Depending on arrival time, you will check into your hotel. We will begin our adventure with a panoramic tour of the city on both sides of the River Liffey, where we pass by Phoenix Park, the largest city park in Europe. On the other side of the river are Georgian squares, characterized by colored doors, and Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland. It was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. Time permitting, we will visit the ancient library at Trinity College, containing over 20,000 manuscripts, among which is the famous illustrated Gospel manuscript: the Book of Kells. We will celebrate Mass and have dinner before our overnight stay in Dublin.

Today we will travel through the beautiful mountains of Wicklow, also known as the “Garden of Ireland,” until we reach Glendalough. This ancient monastic city, established in the 6th century by St. Kevin, is in the heart of the “valley of the two lakes.” It was a very important center of learning as well as a pilgrimage destination. There are many legends regarding St. Kevin and he is often compared to St. Francis of Assisi. You will be taken on a guided tour, during which you will see an Irish round tower, the ruins of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the quaint St. Kevin’s Church, which is surrounded by an old cemetery. The tour continues to Baltinglass, where we will come upon the ruins of a Cistercian abbey. We will then pass by Castledermot, where we see the remains of a Franciscan abbey. We will finish our day in Tipperary for dinner and an overnight stay.

Today in Tipperary we will see the Rock of Cashel, standing high in the middle of the “Golden Vale.” These religious buildings date from the 12th century and form the most spectacular medieval site in Ireland. The Rock of Cashel used to be the seat of the high kings of Munster. The cathedral, the round tower, and the Cormac Chapel, which was the first Irish Romanesque church, testify to the significance of this site. Our journey continues toward Killarney for dinner and an overnight stay.

This morning, we will behold the Killarney, the most northern part of the Kerry Peninsula. This gorgeous taste of Irish landscape looks as if it is straight out of the pages of a storybook. In early Christian Ireland, monks were looking for isolated places to live, such as Gillarus Oratory. This well-preserved oratory used to be a place of prayer for monks, dating back to the 9th century. We will visit the town of Inch, where David Lean shot the movie, “Ryan’s Daughter.” Inch is the last part of the country where the Gaelic language is commonly spoken. We will continue venturing along the Eagle Mount and the cliffs of Slea Head. Our next stop is the Kilmalkedar Church, built in the 12th century as part of a complex of religious buildings in the Romanesque style. We will return to Killarney at the end of a lovely day for dinner and an overnight stay.

After a good Irish breakfast, we will head north through Listowel and board a ferry at Killarney to cross the Shannon estuary. We will arrive at County Clare, where we will encounter the mystical Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs rise up 390 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and allure their many visitors with beauty. We will move on to Galway, a city that has kept its medieval charm with its colorful streets and authentic pubs. The coastal road from the Cliffs of Moher travels along the blue Galway Bay, with its natural rocky landscape on the other side. We will enjoy dinner and overnight stay in Galway.

Today we will enjoy a cruise on Corrib Lake, which is the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland. It is also the best way to appreciate Galway and its surrounding area. We will also visit Clonmacnoise Abbey, Ireland’s most important monastic site, overlooking the River Shannon. This site was founded by St. Ciaran in the 6th century and consists of a grass field containing numerous early churches, high crosses, round towers, and graves. We will complete our day with dinner and overnight stay in Galway.

This morning, we will direct our pilgrimage to one of the world’s leading Marian shrines, situated on the Plains of East Mayo. On August 21, 1879, fifteen men, women, and children witnessed an apparition of Mary. The silent apparition lasted two hours, including more than Our Lady of Knock. The vision was of a lamb and a cross above an altar, with St. John the Apostle, Mary and Joseph. The apparition was rich in symbolism and is venerated internationally. The original parish church still stands on the site, but we will celebrate Mass in the larger church that was built for the shrine’s many pilgrims. This church was named a basilica by Saint John Paul II, when he visited in 1979. Following Mass, you will have time for private meditation on the mystery of the apparition’s message. You will then have free time for lunch and shopping on your own. We will depart for the hotel in Knock for dinner and an overnight stay.

Today as we leave Knock, we will enjoy plenty of breathtaking scenery while traveling to Dublin. We will arrive in Dublin and visit the National Museum, situated in the heart of the city. Its collection of golden prehistoric jewelry is some of the most stunning in Europe. You will be fascinated with the Celtic finery as well as numerous early Christian artifacts and incredible relics. There will be some free time for lunch and relaxation later in the day. In the evening, we will have a final delicious dinner before retiring for our last overnight stay in Ireland.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, leave by motorcoach and transfer to Dublin Airport for return flights home. We bid farewell to new friends and to a pilgrimage which will be in our memories and hearts for a long time to come.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.