A Touch of Romance Ireland Tour 2025

Day 1.
Dublin.
Morning arrival where we make our way to our hotel, Clontarf Castle! Picture the Scene: hordes of Viking warriors driven from Clontarf Strand by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland. They would ultimately have their revenge: the legendary warlord would be slain as he knelt in prayer, close to where Clontarf Castle stands today. The rest of the day you are free to enjoy Dublin. Want an excuse to cozy up over a drink? Be sure to stop at the Dawson Lounge—also known as Dublin’s smallest pub. The intimate pub only has a few seats in its tiny underground bar, which means you have no choice but to snuggle up over a few pints. Overnight at Clontarf Castle. Enjoy a Romantic Welcome Dinner this evening at Clontarf! Enjoy the Complimentary Champagne in your room!

Day 2
Dublin.
Today you may want to start out with a visit to the Stately St. Patrick’s Cathedral which may not have the relics of Saint Valentine, but Ireland’s national cathedral does have a “’til death do us part” love story. The church is the final resting place of Irish author Jonathan Swift and Stella, whom he called the “most beautiful, graceful and agreeable young woman in London. While strolling the streets you may want to stop off at the Guinness Storehouse for a pint. The 7th floor circular glass gravity bar offers amazing views of Dublin. Why not visit “Love Lane” in Dublin. Designed by Anna Doran, Love Lane is part of the Love the Lanes initiative by Dublin City Council. Artists were given free rein to create an ‘open-air gallery,’ with one becoming a very romantic tribute. Make your way back to your hotel to relax and plan dinner. Tonight, you may want to have dinner at Trocadero where they pride themselves on being Dublin’s theatre restaurant. They have attracted stars of the stage and screen for nearly sixty years and diners from Dublin and beyond are brought back to St Andrew’s Street time and again by excellent food and a wonderful atmosphere. Enjoy dinner in the glow of candlelight for a meal you will not soon forget. Overnight at Clontarf Castle.

Day 3
Dublin-Limerick-Tralee.
Morning departure from Dublin. We make our way through Kildare with an optional stop at the Irish National Stud Farm and Japanese Gardens. It is then through the midlands. We continue through Limerick, Ireland’s 3rd largest city and home to author Frank McCourt who wrote Angela’s Ashes. Limerick is an area steeped in history. The origin of Limerick city dates to the 9th century a site settled by the Vikings. Limerick City is known as “City of the Broken Treaty”, due to the treaty which was signed surrendering the city to William. The terms of the treaty included respect for the rights of Catholics were immediately breached. The treaty was signed on the Treaty Stone which can still be seen today. King John’s Castle is a fortified 13th century Castle on ‘King’s Island’ in the heart of medieval Limerick. It is then through quaint picturesque Adare famous for its thatched roof cottages to Romantic Ballyseede Castle. Take a step back in time with a hotel steeped in history that offers luxurious surroundings within 30 acres of private gardens and woodland. Romantic Dinner and overnight Ballyseede Castle.

Day 4
Dingle.
Today the journey begins with some of the most magnificent scenery in all of Ireland. The little town of Dingle is straight out of a story book. The fishing boats in the harbor and tiny brightly painted pubs portray a time that has continued to stand still. The population of 1500 people and only 52 pubs are ready to welcome you this afternoon. Worth the wait is the native seafood chowder served up at lunch time with freshly baked brown bread. We continue to Slea Head. Along the way, we will see beehive style huts, originally inhabited by 12th century monks, which overlook the rugged Blasket Islands. The awe-inspiring beauty of this particular area is unmatched. There is no other landscape in western Europe with the density and variety of archaeological
monuments as found on the Dingle Peninsula. Overnight Ballyseede Castle.

Day 5
Tralee-Cong.
After breakfast we depart Tralee. We take the Tarbery Ferry into County Clare and head towards the west coast, the Wild Atlantic Way. You may take a tour of Ireland’s stony place – the Burren (Bhoireann). It is home to rare alpine plants, delicate wonders that grow in the thin soil and crevices – gentians, orchids, and maidenhair ferns amongst others. The survival of both alpine and Mediterranean plants in this unusual habitat continues to arouse and to delight its visitors. The Burren contains dozens of megalithic tombs, Celtic crosses, and a ruined Cistercian Abbey dating from the 12th century, Corcomroe. You can find villages abandoned since famine times and green roads on which you can walk for miles without ever seeing a car. Continue and gaze at the majestic awe of the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs, a spectacular natural phenomenon, rise 660 feet above the Atlantic. O’Brien’s Tower is the best location from which to view the Cliffs. From this vantage point one can see the Aran Islands as well as The Twelve Pins and the Maum Turk Mountains to the north in Connemara. As you leave the cliffs, you’ll travel through the little village of Liscannor and just across the bay, you’ll see the beautiful seaside village and golfers’ mecca, Lahinch. We continue to vibrant Galway. We arrive at Ashford Castle, a five-star hotel and one of the Leading Hotels of the World. This 13th-century fairytale castle overlooks a picturesque lake and is one of the most luxurious castle hotels in all of Ireland. Once on the grounds of the estate, you will feel transported back in time. Ashford was once home to the world-famous Guinness family, renowned for their brewing expertise. Perhaps you will choose to walk among the 3 million species of shrubs, trees, and flowers that the spectacular gardens have to offer. Ashford Castle also offers an equestrian center, a spa and a 9-hole golf course (not included). Tonight, we enjoy a gourmet dinner in the George V dining room. Sleep like a king or queen this evening. Dinner an overnight at Ashford Castle.

Day 6
Cong-Connemara-Cong.
After breakfast we meet our driver guide in the lobby of the hotel. Connemara, (Conmaicnemara – the tribe of Cormac by the sea), white sand beaches, dark bogs and tall jagged mountains make this one of the most scenic and unspoiled areas in the country. Wild and rugged, in some places here, Gaelic remains the only spoken language. We travel first to Clifden, (An Clochan). Founded in the early 19th century by John D’Arcy, it retains much of its Georgian architecture. Placed at the head of a broad Atlantic Bay and nestled below the Twelve Bens, the town is blessed by its beautiful setting. Known as the capital of Connemara, Clifden is a lively location full of shops, pubs, restaurants, and cafés. OPTIONAL STOP AT CONNEMARA BREWING COMPANY. Make our back to Ashford Castle for your Romantic Massage! Overnight Ashford Castle.

Day 7
Cong-Clonmacnoise-Cavan.
After a full Irish Breakfast, we travel via the Irish midlands to Clonmacnoise. The ancient monastic site of Clonmacnoise is situated at the crossroads of Ireland in County Offaly and dates back almost 1,500 years. St. Ciaran, the son of an Ulsterman who had settled in Connaught, chose the site in 545 AD because of its ideal location at the junction of river and road travel in Celtic Ireland. The location borders the three provinces of Connaught, Munster, and Leinster. The monastery is on the east side of the River Shannon, in what was then the Kingdom of Meath, but occupying a position so central it was the burial-place of many of the kings of Connaught as well as those of Tara. Saint Ciaran was educated by St. Diarmuid of Clonard and St. Finian – tutor of the ancient Saints of Ireland. His last place of formal learning before establishing his own monastery in Clonmacnoise was with St. Enda on the island of Inís Mór off the coast of Galway. Here, under the tutelage of the strict disciplinarian Enda, he learned Sacred Studies, Prayer, and labor. We then make our way to Cabra Castle for our overnight. Dinner and overnight Cabra Castle.

Day 8
Cavan-Dublin Airport.
Today make your way to Dublin Airport via private transfer for your flight home and some duty-free shopping. You will already be planning your next trip to the Emerald Isle.