Deluxe Irish Castles Tour 2018 Stay in real Irish castles

Adare is a small town in Co. Limerick, known for its quaint and colourful thatched cottages. Adare is considered to be one of Ireland's most beautiful towns so stop and take in the view. Don't forget your camera today - the perfect chance to capture the essence of old Ireland.

En route to The Giant's Causeway you will travel along the legendary Antrim Coast, a route whose views are so stunning that it is considered a destination in its own right. Prepare to be amazed: here you will find some of the greatest coastal views any travel photographer could hope to capture.

You will be joined by a local specialist guide on a city tour of Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland. You will see and hear all about the history of this once troubled city including the murals of the Loyalist Shankill Road and Nationalist Falls Road.

After two decades of peace, Belfast lives up to its reputation as a welcoming, outward-looking city.

Travelling along the shores of Lough Erne Upper and Lough Erne Lower, you will reach Belleek Pottery, one of the oldest potteries in the world dating from 1857. Today, the visitor centre still displays pieces which date from those early samples over 150 years ago. Touring the pottery, meet and chat with the craftspeople as they produce ceramics which will be exported across the globe.

Situated five miles north-west of Cork city, Blarney Castle is a solid fixture on almost any tour of Ireland. It is best known for the famous "Blarney Stone" which visitors are encouraged to kiss, in accordance with a tradition which spans the centuries.

Built 600 years ago by Cormac MacCarthy, one of Ireland's greatest chieftains, Blarney Castle has attracted millions of visitors who continue to flock here in the hope that they will be gifted with the power of persuasive and elegant speech - or, as we call it in Ireland ... Blarney.

A limestone plateau covering 250 square kilometres, The Burren takes its name quite aptly from the Gaelic for "rocky land" or "great rock". While in one sense very fitting, the name does not do justice to what experts have more justly termed "one of the world's most stunningly unique natural heritage regions".

In another missed opportunity to describe the outstanding beauty of The Burren, and not without a certain relish, Oliver Cromwell's surveyor described it as "a savage land, yielding neither water enough to drown a man, nor tree to hang him, nor soil enough to bury".

In the village of Bushmills, you will visit the old distillery, which was first permitted to distil whisky in 1608 by King James I. Enjoy a whisky tasting in what is thought to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world. Although its grant to distil was given in 1608, it is believed that spirit was probably made here 200 years before that!

You will visit and can choose to cross the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which spans an eighty-foot-deep chasm connecting Rock Island to the mainland. Suspended almost 100 ft (30 m) above sea level, the rope bridge was first erected by salmon fishermen 350 years ago.

At the southern-most tip of Summer Cove, on Kinsale Harbour in Co. Cork, awaits the unyielding presence of Charles Fort, a star-shaped stronghold protecting the harbour from sea invaders since its completion in 1682. In recent decades, Irish heritage organizations have restored the fort to the impressive standards it now displays.

Heritage Ireland notes: As one of the largest military installations in the country, Charles Fort has been associated with some of the most momentous events in Irish history. The most significant of these are the Williamite War 1689-91 and the Civil War 1922-23. Charles Fort was declared a National Monument in 1973. Across the estuary is James Fort designed by Paul Ive in 1602.

Christ Church Cathedral, founded by the Viking King Sitric almost 1000 years ago in 1034. The cathedral crypt is one of the largest in the UK and Ireland, dating back to the 12th Century. Here in the crypt you can see the Mummified remains of the Cat and the Rat which were found in the cathedral organ and a rare 14th century copy of the Magna Carta.

You will also have a unique opportunity to visit the Belfry and ring the Cathedral bells. Please note: Getting to the Belfry in Christ Church Cathedral involves climbing 86 stone steps in a medieval building and crossing the roof at the South transept – quite the experience!

Perched on the banks of the River Shannon, Clonmacnoise is perhaps the foremost of Ireland's monastic cities. For those interested in early Christianity, it is a must-see destination. Enclosed within the ancient city walls are various ecclesiastical ruins including a cathedral, seven ancient churches, three high crosses, round towers and the largest collection of Early Christian graveslabs in Western Europe - all remarkably well preserved and fascinating to anyone, not just those with a special interest in Ireland's religious history.

More commonly known today as The Kings Road, the road from the North to King's Landing in the massively successful television show Game of Thrones. The Dark Hedges is a road of old, curvy beech trees, planted in the 18th Century.

Covering the road from sunlight the trees create an eerie atmosphere, ideal for the sometimes dark plots present in Game of Thrones. The road has become a very popular tourist attraction over the past number of years and are now seen by many as an integral part of their Northern Ireland Tours.

You will be joined by a local specialist guide on a city tour of Derry and the famous city walls. The city fortifications are among the best-preserved in Europe and were completed in 1618 to defend the city from Gaelic chieftains in Donegal. Standing at up to 25 feet tall and thirty feet wide, it is little wonder that these fortifications were never breached.

Your time here in Derry will cover the full richness of local history and culture, from throughout the centuries and more recently.

Travelling by boast across Lough Erne, you will reach Devenish Island and the ancient monastic settlement which was founded there some 1500 years ago.

Devenish Monastic Site was founded in the 6th century by Saint Molaise on one of Lough Erne’s many islands. During its history it has been raided by Vikings (837 AD), burned (1157 AD) and flourished (Middle Ages) as a parish church site and St Mary’s Augustine Priory.

Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage site, known in Gaelic as Clochán na bhFomhórach or Clochán an Aifir, The Giant's Causeway is an area of 40,000 basalt columns, formed into a regular interlocking pattern by an ancient volcanic lava flow.

However, given the scale, the geometric regularity, and the sheer natural beauty of this feature, it is easy to understand why the ancients believed its origins to be more mystical than geologists would now have us believe.

According to Gaelic mythology, the causeway was built by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool) so that he could reach Scotland and fight with his Scottish rival, Benandonner. As with all great rivalries, the outcome varies depending on whose version is being recounted.

An ancient monastic settlement, Glendalough (meaning: Valley of the Two Lakes) presents today's visitors with a chance to walk not only through the idyllic hills of Ireland's East, but also through the rough-hewn landscapes of ancient Irish history. Founded in the Fifth Century by St. Kevin, the settlement would grow to be very powerful at its zenith some four hundred years later. By the start of the Fifteenth Century, this stronghold was in decline but the stone monuments and buildings remain as evocative and powerful today as they surely must have been then.

Guinness is more than just a brand, indeed, more than just a beer. And that's not just for the Irish, but for the many millions of Guinness-drinkers worldwide. The site of the brewery itself is massive, at a staggering 26 hectares, but it will be the old grain storehouse which you visit. Shaped like a giant pint of the black stuff, this most popular of Dublin attractions towers over the surrounding neighbourhoods, with the top-floor Gravity Bar offering a delightful panorama across the Dublin cityscape which can only be enhanced by a well-earned pint to cap-off your visit.

Situated close to the River Boyne. The Hill of Tara is an archaeological site located between the towns of Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath. According to legend it was the seat of the High King of Ireland. The Hill of Tara was in use as far back as the Neolithic era, from then until the 12th century it was used as a sacred and political centre.

Farms and rural life have always been at the heart of Irish cultural life. And they have remained largely unspoiled by the ravages of time. Compared the to the modern, size-farming of North America, this visit will feel like a step back in time! We invite you to enjoy a homecooked lunch on a traditional Irish farm, meeting the local people whose families have worked this land for generations.

The Old Midleton Distillery is home to Ireland's other globally-recognizable tipple, Jameson's Whiskey. While Jameson's is enjoyed by millions worldwide, you don't need to be a whiskey-drinker to enjoy this fascinating visitor experience. There is much to discover here for everyone.

The Old Midleton Distillery has the world's largest pot still, with a capacity of over 30,000 gallons! You won't get through it all but, after the tour you might like to enjoy a complimentary drop of the sweet nectar yourself. Well, since you've come all this way...

The location of the castle has been historically significant since Strongbow constructed the first building a wooden tower in 1195 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways.

Construction was completed in 1213 only to be recommenced in 1260, when the site's first stone structure was erected by William the Earl Marshall.

At Nancy's Point just outside Leenane Village you will board the "Connemara Lady" for a spectacular 90 minute cruise on Ireland's only fjord. Cruising the sheltered Killary Harbour fjord is the ideal way to take in the dramatic sweep of the landscape, as you pass between the Twelve Bens and the Maam Turk mountains to the South, in County Galway, and the Mweelrea mountains to the North in County Mayo. Not to mention the views out to the Atlantic at the mouth of the fjord.

The fjord's sheltered waters are perfect for mussel farming and you will see the ropes at several points on the fjord. You will also see some circular salmon farms, closer to the shore. Sheep dot the hills and now ramble freely over the remnants of potato ridges which stand testimony to The Great Famine of the 1840's. Return to Abbeyglen Castle via the rugged and lonely Inagh Valley.

Kylemore Abbey is not only one of Ireland's most attractive buildings; since 1920, it has also been home to the Sisters of the Benedictine Order in Ireland. Even today, Kylemore continues to operate as a working Abbey: here, the sisters live, work and pray, as well as welcoming visitors from across the globe.

Among Kylemore's many notable attractions are the unmistakable Victorian Walled Gardens, restored in 2000 and now open to the public visitors. As a heritage garden, this beautiful space is worked using only Victorian gardening methods. Only seeds and strains from the 1800s are ever planted here.

The building of Kylmore Castle was inspired by Margaret Henry, to whom the Gothic Church still stands in tribute, serenely secluded in Kylemore's woods. It was Margaret's husband Mitchell Henry who produced, from little more than desolate bog land, the beautiful attraction we now know as Kylemore. Following Margaret's death in 1874, Henry returned to Kylemore to live, and he remained here until his passing in 1903.

Kylemore has something for everyone, no matter what your age - visitors can enjoy the restored rooms of the Abbey, The Gothic Church and the Gardens. Many make use of the shuttle bus service between the Abbey and Gardens, but it is a very pleasant walk along the tree-lined avenues, too. For our little visitors there is a play trail, colouring in the restaurant - and don't forget to make a wish at the Giant's wishing stone.

In County Meath visit the Loughcrew Gardens for a breathtaking spectacle from 17th and 19th century and pleasure gardens for a relaxing afternoon.

The main gardens are approximately six acres in area and include a lime avenue, extensive lawns and terraces, plus magnificent herbaceous and physic gardens. The gardens play host to wall routes of various lengths, a medieval moote and St. Oliver Plunkett’s family church and Tower House.

To reach the Devenish Island monastic site, we will be travelling by boat across the beautiful Lough Erne, a journey taken by all visitors to this sacred place across the centuries, from faithful pilgrims to marauding invaders.

The lough comprises two great lakes to make up the second largest lake system in Northern Ireland. A beautiful, tranquil place - don't forget your camera!

Situated in the old market town of the same name, Macroom Castle was once the home of Sir William Penn, whose son was later to found the state of Pennsylvania.

Understood to have been constructed in the reign of King John (1199-1209), the castle was built on the site of an earlier stronghold. During the 1960s, large sections of the structure was deconstructed for safety reasons. What remains gives a unique insight into a long-passed ancient world, constructed almost three hundred years before Columbus set sail for the New World.

They are one of the most popular and frequently most hyped attractions on any of our Ireland Tours, and the views will not disappoint. Rising to a height of 203 metres, these sheer vertical cliffs hold a steady, undulating line against the tireless advance of the Atlantic below. A better view of the sea and setting sun you will not find.

Another thing you will not find is the visitor centre; at least, until you get close, you won't find it. Designed very cleverly to blend into the local landscape, this extensive attraction is all but invisible as you approach the cliffs themselves. Inside, it is large, modern and informative. An immensely popular tourist attraction, and with good reason.

Just over a mile south of Kildare town, The Irish National stud is perhaps the biggest tourist attraction in this part of Ireland. In her historic 2011 visit to Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II fed her passion for all things equestrian by visiting the stud which is home to some of the world's finest horses. Owned by the Irish government, the stud breeds competition-quality stallions for breeding programs the world-over.

Hourly guided tours of the stud bring you face-to-face with renowned stallions and feature a visit to the intensive-care unit for newly-born foals and visitors between February and June can even see foals being delivered.

The Japanese Gardens provide opportunity to meditate on your time in Ireland so far, and add a very pleasant side note to the main attraction, the stud itself.

Pubs (public houses) play a huge part in the culture of Ireland, and have done throughout the ages. Sometimes busy, often noisy, but always friendly and welcoming places to meet the locals. In a pub, you will see a full cross section of Irish society - it's a place where people from all classes, ages, interests and backgrounds can mix.

Irish pubs are known for their music, and you will see on this a lot on your own visit to Ireland. A trad session (or traditional music session) is an informal gathering of musicians (almost always in a pub) who play traditional folk music together, not as a formal performance, but more in the style of what jazz, funk and rock musicians would call a 'jam' session; structured and based around a familiar tune, but relatively free-flowing and with a small degree of improvisation (mainly in harmony).

Ireland has more than its fair share of outstanding archeological sites, but the Rock of Cashel is arguably the most impressive. The 'rock' from which it takes its name is in fact a limestone hill, covered in luscious green, rising from the plain which characterises the surrounding area. The word 'cashel', by contrast, is derived from the Irish gaelic word caiseal, meaning stone fortress.

In both respects, the Rock of Cashel lives up to its title. The rock itself is vast and imposing, and one can only imagine the difficulties it would have posed for attackers throughout the ages who had designs on the stone fortress above. The masonry of the fort itself is no less spectacular and is remarkably well preserved almost a full millennium after its original construction.

An extensive multimedia tribute to the world's most famous ocean liner, The Titanic Experience is located at the top of the slipway from which the ship made its first and only descent into the Belfast Lough and the waters of the Irish Sea beyond. Opened in 2012 for the centenary of the ship's launch and tragic demise, the museum has rapidly become Ulster's most visited tourist destination, outstripping even The Giant's Causeway.

Cleverly put together, the attraction encapsulates more than simply the scale of the ship, more even than the scale of the disaster which befell it; drawing on all the sights, sounds and smells of the age, the museum recreates all facets of this most fascinating period of history, bringing to life the experiences not only of the passengers, but also of the ship workers who realized this vision of early twentieth-century engineering.

Ireland's most prestigious university is arguably its most attractive, too. Covering no less than 16 hectares, the college buildings and grounds are a poetic tribute to the best of Victorian architecture. Receiving its charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1592, Trinity remained exclusively protestant until 1793. Today, such prejudices and exclusions are long gone, and Trinity enjoys a global reputation as a leading institution for learning, teaching and research.

The Book of Kells

Visitors to Trinity College will generally have to queue to see The Book of Kells, but it is a wait which few regret: if you are interested in artefacts of this kind, then this ancient document will really breathe life into the history you will discover during your tour of Ireland. This, the world's best-known illuminated book, was produced by monks in 800 A.D. and was moved to Kells in Meath from its original location on the Island of Iona. It is now located in the Old Library of Trinity College where it draws half a million visitors annually, making it Trinity's most popular attraction.

Visiting Tullamore D.E.W whiskey distillery, you can learn about the art of Irish whiskey-making and discover the secret that gives Tullamore D.E.W. its unique complexity with a tour of Triple whiskey tasting.

Your route will take you via Strabane and Omagh in County Tyrone to the Ulster American Folk Park to an open-air museum located on the restored boyhood home of Judge Thomas Mellon, founder of the Pittsburgh banking dynasty. The Park's permanent exhibition, called 'Emigrants', examines why two million people left Ulster for America during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.

Waterford crystal is known the world over for its quality and, throughout a history which dates back to its establishment in the South-East of Ireland in 1783, it has been a landmark of its own in this part of Ireland. Today, Waterford Crystal is no less recognisable than its sister-brands, Wedgewood and Royal Doulton.

The visitor centre is a modern building on The Mall, a tour of which teaches visitors how crystal is made. Undoubtedly the most popular part of the tour is the blowing room, where the crystal glasses, vases etc. are 'blown' into shape.