Leprechauns, shamrocks and the colour green are truly a big part of Ireland itself. The beautiful landscape and mystical folklore is what brings people to this fabulous island. We now add to that, with visits to quilt shops and exciting excursions. Meet guest speaker, author and pattern designer – Nikki Foley, Irish Quilter. If you believe in the luck of the Irish then this may be the tour for you.
$4795 Cdn / $3660 US per person double occupancy (includes all taxes)
$1397 Cdn / $1085 US per person single supplement in addition to (includes all taxes)
Tour starts in Dublin, Ireland and ends in Dublin, Ireland
* Land Package Tour Includes:
- 12 days 11 nights deluxe hotel accommodation double occupancy
- Dublin, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Killarney & Galway
- Visits to fabulous “Patchwork” quilt shops
- Enjoy a talk and trunk show with guest speaker, Irish Quilter, Nikki Foley
- Includes 19 meals – 11 Breakfast, 1 Lunch & 7 Dinners
- Guided Panoramic Tour of the City of Dublin, Ireland
- Spend time perusing the Trinity College, Book of Kells
- Explore UNESCO World Heritage Site – Newgrange Passage Tomb
- Enjoy dinner & show of Traditional Irish Dancers
- Tour Avoca Weaving Mill – oldest in Ireland
- Guided tour of Kilkenny Castle
- Visit Cobh Heritage Centre – last port before the “Unsinkable Ship” Titanic sailed
- Guided tour of Cobh
- Guided tour of Kinsale with free time to explore quaint picturesque town
- Visit to Blarney Castle & shop the Blarney Woolen Mill
- Tour Dingle and Slea Head Drive on the Wild Atlantic Way
- Stop and explore The Blasket Centre
- Enjoy a Jaunting Car Ride and a stop at Ross Castle
- View the picturesque Cliffs of Moher
- Explore Galway – Free time
- Tour of Kylemore Abbey & Walled Victorian Gardens
- Visit a Sheep Herding Demonstration
- Enjoy a class on Irish Scone Making and Tasting (must have 20 people to happen)
- See and experience the Connemara Sheep and Wool Centre
- Visit Ireland’s oldest Licensed Distillery – Kilbeggan Distillery
- Admission to all venues
- ALL excursions as listed on the final itinerary
- Luxury coach transportation to all excursions
- Services of a Professional Irish Tour Manager and Irish Bus Driver who will remain with the group for your entire tour
*May be subject to change
*Your Land Package Tour does not include:
- Airfare (We can book the flight for you)
- Transportation to & from the hotel
- Gratuities for the guides and bus driver.
- Lunches and some dinners (unless indicated)
- Insurance coverage, Medical and/or cancellation
- Telephone calls, souvenirs, additional snacks or drinks
- Excess baggage costs (overweight and oversize luggage may have additional costs levied by the airline)
*May be subject to change
Itinerary
B – Breakfast L – Lunch D – Dinner
Day 1 – Dublin Airport, Ireland
(Wed) – “Fàilte go hÉirinn” (Welcome to Ireland) Today, we will get ourselves acquainted with our new surroundings as we wait for fellow quilters to arrive and our exciting itinerary to begin. In the evening, we will all meet for some fun and excitement at our welcome dinner.
Stay overnight outside Dublin, Ireland
Meal(s) – D
Day 2 – Newgrange – UNESCO World Heritage Site & Book of Kells
(Thurs) – Today we will travel way back in time to visit and walk the tomb passage created over 5200 years ago, making Newgrange even older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza. Before heading there, we will make a stop at Boyne Valley Wools for a unique experience involving sheep, wool, crafts and other animals. After lunch, we will head back into the city of Dublin to visit and view Trinity College, the Library and one of Ireland’s most prize possessions, the 9th century manuscript, The Book of Kells. All a must see. After a long day of walking, we will end back at the hotel where you can put your feet up and relax before heading to dinner.
Stay overnight outside Dublin, Ireland
Meal(s) – B
Day 3 – Panoramic Tour of Dublin, 2 Churches & Irish Dance and Music Show
(Fri) – After a hearty Irish breakfast, we will board our bus for a guided panoramic tour around Dublin. We will visit Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After your lunch, you will have free time to walk around and enjoy the many Irish shops in Dublin and maybe pick out your favourite pub for a pint of Guinness. After your souvenir shopping, we will head back to the hotel to get ready to head out to enjoy a dinner and show filled with Irish song and dance. Lots of fun and entertainment.
Stay overnight outside Dublin, Ireland
Meal(s) – B, D
Day 4 – Weaving and Woven
(Sat) – This morning we are off to see what the rest of Ireland has to offer. We will start with the Avoca Weaving Mill. Built in 1723, it is the oldest weaving mill in Ireland. Here we will have a tour and enjoy shopping for new treasures made right on the premises. You cannot get any more Irish than that. In the afternoon, we will have a guided tour of Kilkenny Castle and view the Ros Tapestries that are being temporarily housed in the castle. These beautiful 15 panel tapestries, each approximately 6’ x 4’ in size, depicts the romantic Norman history, linking many of the Norman sites in Ireland’s Ancient East. It is one of the largest series of embroidered tapestries in Europe. Once we arrive at our hotel or after dinner, you may want to take a stroll around the grounds. The hotel is steeped in horse racing history.
Stay overnight in Kilkenny, Ireland
Meal(s) – B, L, D
Day 5 – The Unsinkable Titanic & Kinsale
(Sun) – As we wind our way down to the beautiful coast, our first stop will be the Cobh Heritage Centre. Queenston (Cobh) was the last port where the ill-fated Titanic set sail, April 11, 1912 on her final journey to America. From a beautifully restored railway station, the museum will share with us many immigration stories, photos and even a message found in a bottle from the Titanic and more. We will meet up with our tour guide who will show us around this lovely town. Our afternoon will be spent in the seaside fishing village of Kinsale. Kinsale is not only one of the most picturesque and oldest towns in Ireland but it is also known as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland. With lots of pubs and restaurants, it is a colourful place to explore the shops of many talented artists and entrepreneurs before heading to our hotel and dinner for the night.
Stay overnight in Cork, Ireland
Meal(s) – B
Day 6 – Blarney Castle & An Irish Quilter – Nikki Foley
(Mon) – Visitors from all over the world come to visit this famous castle built in 1446 and we are no exception. Blarney Castle will be our first stop of the day where we will enjoy walking the grounds at our own pace and finish a short walk away at the Blarney Woolen Mill and Shop. Once you are finished, take time to relax with lunch (on your own). We will then board the bus and head to Killarney, where we will call home for the next two nights. One way to see Killarney is a ride in a Jaunting Car. This horse drawn cart will take us through Killarney National Park with awe inspiring views of Ireland’s highest mountain range. We will circle out to Ross Castle and Lough Léin where we will have some leisure time to look around before heading back into Killarney Centre for some free time. This evening, we will have dinner at Moriarty’s Heather Restaurant, at the Gap of Dunloe, where we will enjoy a talk and trunk show from our guest speaker, Nikki Foley, owner of The Sewing Shed. Nikki is an established quilter and author whose work has been exhibited all over the world.
Stay overnight in Killarney, Ireland
Meal(s) – B, D
Day 7 – Dingle & Slea Head Drive
(Tues) – A beautiful drive this morning will take us to Dingle, a thriving fishing town and the only town on the Dingle Peninsula, where you can wander and have lunch. Some of Ireland’s finest coastal scenery can be found on the Dingle Peninsula. It is an area that is well known for its rugged coastline, which we will see, stop to admire and take photos of as we travel the Slea Head Drive. Along our coastal tour, we will visit the museum all about the Blasket Islands and the extreme people who lived there and why. When we arrive back at our hotel, it will be time for dinner, relaxation and put your feet up. Prepare for another fun filled day tomorrow.
Stay overnight in Killarney, Ireland
Meal(s) – B
Day 8 – Fabric, Fabric, Fabric & The Windy Cliffs of Moher
(Wed) – For the next two days, Galway will be our new home but first we will make several stops along the way. We say goodbye to Killarney and head through the story-book town of Adare, with its thatched roof cottages, stone bridges and medieval monasteries. Dubbed “Ireland’s Prettiest Village ” We will continue and stop and shop for our favourite word, fabric. At this lovely shop, our new friend Christine will also provide us with demonstrations, tea, coffee and sweets. Yummy! Once we say goodbye, we will stop for lunch before moving onto one of Ireland’s most famous sites – The Cliffs of Moher. Nearly 14 km of vertical cliffs rise up to meet us and on a clear day the views are spectacular. We will start at the interpretive visitor centre that is a large dome that has been built into the natural landscape. From there we will follow the well-built walk-able paths to view the cliffs. You can divide your time looking over the massive ocean and doing a little souvenir shopping. Tonight, we will enjoy a group dinner close to the hotel.
Stay overnight in Galway, Ireland
Meal(s) – B, D
Day 9 – Fun & Fabric
(Thurs) – This morning, we will start with a trip to another quilt shop. Lots of fun and fabric. Then we will pop on over to the Spiddal Crafts Village, a community of artists and crafters where you can watch them work while you shop for unique treasures. Afterwards, we will head back into Galway where you will have the rest of the day to explore this wonderful city. Visit the popular 18th century Erye Square, The Latin Quarter and the Spanish Arch or wander through the shops & restaurants just outside our hotel door. The evening is also yours to enjoy maybe even finish the evening with a traditional Murphy’s ice cream, only found in Ireland.
Stay overnight in Galway, Ireland
Meals(s) – B
Day 10 – Kylemore Abbey & Herding Demonstrations
(Fri) – Excitement reigns this morning as we head to the beautiful Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens. This romantic setting was built in the 1800’s by a wealthy business man for the love of his wife and his beloved Ireland. You may have a light lunch (on your own) while we are there with time to browse the Craft & Design Shop afterwards. Chocolates, jams, soaps and pottery are all made by hand in Kylemore. In the afternoon we will head to a 10,000 acre farm where we will be wowed by a sheep herding demonstration out in the hills of the world renowned Connemara region. Should it be available we will end our time there being shown how to make Irish Scones. The tasting will be the best part before we head onto our next hotel.
Stay overnight in Delphi, Ireland
Meal(s) – B, D
Day 11 – Kilbeggan Distillery
(Sat) – Today the bus will take us back towards Dublin but not without some great stops along the way. Just a few minutes from our hotel, we will visit the Connemara Sheep and Wool Centre and from there we will make a stop at, you guessed it, another quilt shop. Our last shop to pick up any last special quilty finds. We will then head to lunch and onto Ireland’s Oldest Licensed Distillery founded in 1757, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey Distillery. Here we will be given a tour and a tasting. You may wish to take a small taste home as a gift to a special someone. After our time in Kilbeggan we will enjoy our scenic ride back to the Dublin area. Tonight we will share our last night at a farewell dinner.
Stay overnight in Dublin, Ireland
Meals(s) – B, D
Day 12 – An Irish Farewell
(Sun) – After a hearty breakfast, we will say our last goodbyes to our new friends and head across the water to share our excitement. “Slán abhaile” and “Slán go foil.” Have a safe trip home and goodbye for now.
“May your joy be as deep as the oceans
Your troubles as light as its foam
And may you find sweet piece of mind
Wherever you may roam”
*May be subject to change