Thank you!!As we planned our family trip to Ireland, our travel agent with Wander Your Way helped us find My Ireland Tour. I would definitely recommend My Ireland Tour to anyone who prefers a small private tour of Ireland. The folks at My Ireland Tour clearly listened to our travel agent because the suggested itinerary clearly reflected our interests and personalities, offering the variety and the flexibility we specifically asked for. The coach was comfortable, providing enough room for all of our personal items and safe passage throughout the counties that we toured. The Rock of Cashel was our first stop, an interesting glimpse into the history that we were to encounter throughout Ireland. The Happy Pig B&B in Kenmare was tip top, having that warm cozy feeling that our family appreciates. We absolutely loved our time in Kenmare…. restaurants and pubs, traditional Irish music that we stumbled upon, the quality of shops, the friendliness of the shopkeepers! We enjoyed journeying through the spectacular Ring of Kerry. Your choice of The Blind Piper Pub for our lunch was perfect…. the fire in the fireplace inside the pub area captured the essence of the area and immediately drew us in and the food tasty! Muckross House had something for all of us. Some enjoyed the history of the home, admiring the weavers' work while some simply enjoyed walking the grounds. Heaton's Guest House was a beautiful choice for our stay in Dingle. The rooms were beautifully decorated and clean, the breakfasts delicious, and afternoon tea and chocolate cake in the gathering room an unexpected treat! We had asked for time to go to Mass on Easter Sunday. So, we attended mass at St. Mary's, a special experience for us all. Touring Dingle Peninsula was on our itinerary, providing breathtaking views of coastal and mountain scenery. The Wild Atlantic Way and the Cliffs of Moher was a highlight. Kylemore Abby and the Gothic Church built to honor the owner's wife was amazing. We requested to stay at Ballynahinch Castle. What an experience..... it is remote and elegant, steeped in history, surrounded by beautiful gardens and a flowing river. However, I think our family would all agree that the real star of the week was Brian, our guide and driver. His Irish warmth, wit, his knowledge of the geography, the religion, the economy, the folk lore, made the trip fun and fact filled. He filled the hours we were together with so much information answering hundreds of questions. He went above and beyond leading to many bonus stops as he called them.... Anascaul with the story of Irish explorer Tom Crean, … the Red Fox Inn for Irish coffee…..Celtic Crystal in Moycullen, meeting the owner and an artisan who demonstrated creating designs on a crystal bowl and beautiful pieces for sale of which I brought home several … stops at memorials that honored those who died in the famine …. many stops for random “Kodak moments”. And the list goes on. The most kindest 'bonus' that Brian arranged was a meeting on the Saturday before Easter with Brian deStaic in Dingle. We had explained that one reason that our family had chosen Ireland to celebrate my husband's 70th birthday was the connection to Irish heritage, even though we have not been able to trace anyone to any specific County. Knowing the Gaelic alphabet and Irish-Gaelic name variations, Brian took it upon himself to call Brian deStaic to ask if he would have time to meet my husband. He did, and they did, a highlight for my husband. Besides all of that, he was a safe driver navigating the twists and turns and complicated Irish roads. He didn't just drop us off and say 'see you later'; he accompanied us everywhere making sure we arrived at any point of location safely and making sure we knew where the coach would be parked upon our return. He would allow ample time for exploring the different points of interest. Our family is grateful to My Ireland Tour and our guide for creating and implementing a trip where memories were made that our will forever cherish.
