DAY 01: DUBLIN

On arrival at Dublin airport

Upon arrival in Dublin, we will take a panoramic tour. The north side offers great civil monuments such as the GPO (General Post Office) on its main thoroughfare, O'Connell street, the Custom House along the Quays, as well as the Phoenix Park, the largest public park in Europe. The south side appears more sophisticated with its vast Georgian squares characterised by colourful doors, along with Grafton street and its luxurious shops. This part of the city is also dominated by Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland, where the famous book of Kells is permanently exhibited in the Library. The university is facing the medieval district where Ireland's most important cathedral, St Patrick's, can be found.

For lunch you will enjoy a Dublin speciality called CODDLE, it is a semi-thick stew made with sausages, bacon and potatoes.

Visit the Guinness Storehouse. This Museum, located in the old hop depot, will illustrate the history of this delicious beer and how it has become the biggest and most famous brewery in Europe. An interesting exhibition covering Guinness's advertising campaigns throughout the times is followed by a visit to the bar for tasting which ends the tour.

Overnight in Dublin

DAY 02: DUBLIN / KILKENNY

Your first visit today will be the Carlow Brewery Company, which is a microbrewery set up with the aim to revive the tradition of brewing. It produces a range of handcrafted beers and is housed in a superb stone building, formally the old goods store for the railway. All beers are brewed the natural way (no additives…) and naturally, you will not leave without tasting some samples!

Today for lunch, you will taste delicious ROAST LAMB with mint sauce accompanied with a local Kilkenny beer, Smithwicks.

This afternoon we will visit Kilkenny Castle, built on the site of a fort founded by Strongbow. It has been the principal residence of the Butler Family for 600 years. Rebuilt and modified throughout the centuries, you will visit the superb Victorian style apartments. The Long Gallery shows an interesting collection of paintings. All around the castle is a park of 50 hect. Across the road from the castle, stop at the Kilkenny Design Center, established in the old stables. This center promotes Irish Art & Craft shops and is subsidised by the State. You will be able to see and buy quality Irish products and taste delicious home-made cakes.

Overnight in Kilkenny

DAY 03: KILKENNY / CORK

In the morning, we will visit the Rock of Cashel, which is perched on a rocky mount. These religious buildings, dating from the 12th century, form the most spectacular medieval set in Ireland. The vestiges of the Cathedral, the Round Tower and the Cormac Chapel, the first and most elaborate of the Irish Romanesque churches, testify to the glory of the site.

Lunch will take place in Midleton Distillery where you will savour IRISH SMOKED SALMON with home-made brown bread.

After lunch, we will visit the distillery. Founded by the Murphy Brothers in 1825, the old building holds the Jameson Heritage Center where we learn about the history and process of Irish whiskey making. We will also see the largest alembic in the world. A tasting at the bar will conclude the visit.

Before returning to your hotel, you will greatly enjoy this very interesting and delicious visit at Hederman Smoke House in Cobh. Frank Hederman has created the most delicious smoked mussels as well as salmon, eels and mackerel. The visit is quite unique and takes you through the different stages of production. You are invited to taste this wonderful product! Overnight in Cork

DAY O4: CORK

This morning, we will start with a walking tour of Cork City. Nestled in the arms of the River Lee, Cork, the third city in Ireland, is dominated by water. Although it keeps its medieval feel, Cork is an industrial city as well as an important university center. Cork's architecture only blossomed during the nineteenth century; Victorian constructions fringe the thoroughfares, like St Patrick's and Grand Parade. St Finbar's neo-Gothic Cathedral at the south, and at the north Shandon's church, with its pepper-pot steeple, look out over the city center. Cork is a pleasant, lively and popular town with an ancient Huguenot area. Cork is also known for its vast avenues, edged with trees, like the neo-classic City Hall or the South Mall, which bring elegance to the city.

At the end of our tour, we will spend some time in the temple of food: the English Market. This market has been restored and reopened in the 1980's and will make any food lover smile. You will see organic vegetables, large stalls of fresh fish and meat with the Cork speciality 'Drisheen' (sheep and beef blood pudding) or pork feet. And you can also discover and taste Irish cheeses.

You will then be ready to enjoy your lunch at the Farmgate Café in the English market, where you will taste 'DRISHEEN' served with tripes. This café is the only place left in Cork that serves it daily. Mrs. Harte only cooks with products from the market.

In the afternoon, we will visit Kinsale, which is a lovely picturesque little town, considered the gourmet capital of Ireland. Visit the International Museum of Wine, this museum is housed in Desmond Castle, a 16th century house.

This interesting exhibition traces the history of Irish families who left for France or Australia to become wine makers as well as the wine connections between Ireland and Spain, France over the centuries. Walk around this picturesque town and browse in the many gourmet stores.

Overnight in Cork

DAY 05 : CORK / CLARE

Today, we will leave Cork and visit Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Here you will see how soda bread, apple pie and scones are made. Morning tea and scones in the tea-room or in Mac's pub. Bunratty Castle, dated from the 15th century, was restored in the sixties with furniture dating from the same period. All around it is a folk park, where 19th century rural life in Ireland has been recreated. Fishermen and craftsmen's thatched cottages from Clare or Limerick were reconstructed in their smallest details in order to preserve them. Actors in costumes play different characters that help to animate village life (the schoolteacher or the doctor...).

Have lunch in Bunratty, in Mac's pub, where you will enjoy the Irish Traditional meal: IRISH STEW. The tea-room in the park makes the best apple pie of the whole country. 

Continue on to Milltown Malbay, where you will attend a cooking demonstration in Berry Lodge (not available in July / August). Enjoy a real Irish cooking class in the lovely home of Mrs. Meade. She will teach you how to make traditional meals (with fish) or desserts using local products such as carrageen and seagrass. 

Overnight in Clare.

DAY 06 : CLARE / GALWAY

You are not far from the Cliffs of Moher, the most majestic cliffs in Ireland. They rise 215 metres from the Atlantic Ocean and extend for over 7 km along the coastline. From this height, you can admire the Aran Islands, the Connemara mountains and the many sea birds that colonise this place from Spring.

Being near the sea, we will enjoy a SEAFOOD lunch.

Continue on to Galway and stop at Paddy Burkes Pub, to taste oysters, accompanied by a pint of stout (Guinness). This pub is a very famous venue during the September Clarenbridge Oyster Festival, where everybody stops here for a taste and a drink.

Diarmuid Kelly, owner of Kelly Shellfish, can come in and give an informal talk about the mussel and oyster industry in Ireland.

Overnight in Galway

DAY 07: GALWAY / DUBLIN

Return back to Dublin. Free afternoon for some last minute shopping

Day 08: DEPARTURE

Depart from Dublin Airport.