Tour around Ireland
(see also One week tour of England, Two week tour,
Three week tour, Other suggestions)

There are a myriad of choices. Start in Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. In this area you can visit the historic Boyne valley and Newgrange prehistoric site.

Dunluce Castle

You can go south to Glendalough via Powerscourt Gardens or Russborough House, and then continue on to Waterford stopping at the crystal factory. Visit Cashel, the President Reagan Centre, kiss the 'Stone' at Blarney Castle and watch the yachts in Kinsale. Head on to the south-west to Gouganbarra. Stay in Killarney for a few nights to allow time to drive the Ring of Kerry and explore the Dingle Peninsula. Return via the pretty town of Adare.

Or you could go west to the Cliffs of Mohar and the Burren landscape via Lough Gur and Clonmacnois. Explore the area of Galway and Connemara.

Or head north to the spectacular Antrim coast, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and Bushmills whiskey distillery in Northern Ireland. Walk the Giant's Causeway and watch Belleek pottery being made.

There are many places in Ireland connected with famous Americans, including some Presidents.

This is only a suggestion of places to visit. All these itineraries can be "mixed and matched". They can be cut shorter or made longer. There is no set itinerary.

A brief description of the various places mentioned in the itinerary:

Dublin. A Viking town, liberated by the Irish king, Brian Boru, and then captured by the English in 1170. Connections with the authors Jonathan Swift, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett. Location of the Trinity College Library with its magnificently illuminated Book of Kells.

Boyne Valley. Rich, fertile farmland with the earliest human settlements in Ireland. The battle of the Boyne in 1690 securing King William III's position on the English throne.

Newgrange. Europe's most important Stone Age tomb dating from around 3000BC. Older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids.

Glendalough. One of the best known early monasteries in Ireland, with a 100' tall, perfect, round tower.

Powerscourt Gardens. A magnificent example of an aristocratic garden, includes an Italian and a Japanese garden.

Russborough House. A magnificent Palladian mansion containing one of the best private art collections in the country.

The President Reagan Centre. Commemorating his visit in 1984.

Waterford. A port town best known for its lead crystal. A tour showing how the crystal is etched.

Cashel. Containing a cluster of medieval monuments perched on the Rock of Cashel.

Blarney Castle. Famous for the 'Blarney Stone' which confers eloquence on all who kiss it.

Kinsale. Pretty town with a fine yachting harbour protected by Charles Fort, built in the 1600's.

Gouganbarra. An idyllic place for a peaceful stroll beside the lake.

Ring of Kerry. A wonderful drive round the Iveragh peninsula with its land and seascapes.

Killarney. 19thc. Muckross House and Gardens housing the Museum of Kerry Folklife. Killarney National Park.

Dingle Peninsula. A scenic drive, claimed by some to be through the most beautiful part of Ireland, to the Gallarus Oratory, built between 8th and 12th centuries. Some people claim this area to be the most beautiful part of Ireland.

Adare. The broad Main Street with thatched cottages.

Cliffs of Mohar. Horizontal beds of millstone grit and sandstone, 5 miles long and with a height of over 700 feet, home to bird life and rare fossils.

The Burren. A fascinating karst limestone area in County Clare. A botanist's delight.

Lough Gur. An interpretive centre showing the history and archaeology of the area from Neolithic to modern times.

Clonmacnois. The most extensive monastic site in Ireland, founded in 545AD and razed by the English in 1552.

Galway. W. B. Yeats' summer home with a boat cruise on Lough Corrib, the second largest lake in Ireland.

Connemara. Landing of the famous aviators Alcock and Brown after the first transatlantic flight in 1919.

Antrim Coast Road. Providing famine relief work in 1830's. Providing stunning views today.

Giant's Causeway

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Going back in time to see the houses, schools, churches and way of life of old Ireland.

Bushmills whiskey distillery. Holder of the world's oldest extant licence to distil. A distillery tour, with a tasting of the finished product.

Giant's Causeway. World Heritage Site made of 40,000 black, mainly hexagonal, basalt columns.

Belleek pottery. A factory tour, showing how the delicate basketwork is made.