Ireland Tours 2012

Posted on Monday, August 22, 2011

The beautiful landscapes, jovial people, rich history and of course, world famous ales have helped the Emerald Isle to earn its fittingly stellar reputation.  Dublin's thriving nightlife and famed Temple Bar district reveal the source of inspiration for countless writers and poets.  Cork is where 6th century ruins and the magical Blarney Stone reside.  Galway is a medieval fishing city and Gaelic cultural center.  County Kerry's rolling hills are dotted by quaint farmhouses and historic  homes.  Waterford is home to the famous crystal-works and an enchanting harbor. 

Browse Ireland tours for 2012 and 2011

Leeds Castle, Ireland

Posted on Sunday, March 06, 2011

Leeds Castle is probably one of the most beautiful castles in existence, and is located in Kent, England. The castle is nearly 900 years old, having been built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur.  It was built on two islands in the middle of a lake that serves as a moat, on the River Len. There are 500 acres surrounding it containing parks, gardens, and even aviaries that hold rare birds from all over the world.

Leeds Castle was first used as a royal palace in 1278 by King Edward I. Edward II captured Leeds Castle on Halloween of 132 from Baroness Badlesmere when she refused admittance to his consort, Isabella of France. Isabella had tried to force entry, and Lady Badlesmere ordered her archers to fire upon her. Lady Badlesmere was held prisoner for these actions in the Tower of London until 1322.

The castle avoided destruction in the 1640’s during the English Civil War, only because the owners had taken sides with the Parliamentarians. Lady Olive Baillie was the last person to privately own the castle. She bought the castle in 1926, and after her death in 1974, the Leeds Castle Foundation preserved the castle and its grounds. It was opened to the public in 1976.

People continuously flock to Leeds Castle because of the beautiful scenery and the aviaries. The gardens are filled will gorgeous, vibrantly colored flowers including azaleas, roses, poppies, and daffodils. Close to the gardens, there is a pay-and-play golf course open to the visitors. There is a PGA professional available to give lessons, too. There are two different kinds of mazes: a tall, winding yew maze for adults to get lost in, and a turf maze intended for young children to try out. The aviaries hold all sorts of different rare and endangered birds, including Red-billed Blue Magpies and Toco Toucans. Here, all the species of birds are encouraged to breed. There are cameras inside the nests of some, and you can view what goes on inside from monitors. There is even a ‘duckery’, where very rare black swans are housed.

If a simple tour won’t do for you, you can take a ride on a Segway, choosing from three different kinds of tours. If you like to climb, you can ‘Go Ape’… The Go Ape experience is obstacle course built in the trees with bridges, ladders, tunnels, and zip lines. For lovers of all things strange, there is even a dog collar museum—the only one in the world, as a matter of fact. The collection contains over 100 collars spanning a time period of five centuries, the most recent being from the 21st century.

You can visit Leeds Castle year-round, with exception of holidays. It opens at 10 am daily, the last ticket is sold at 3 pm, and gates close at 5 pm. Ticket cost are £10 for children 4 years to 15 years, £15 for senior citizens over 60 years of age, and £17.50 for adults.  Keep in mind many escorted tours include the admission and a tour of the castle.

What You'll See When Touring in Ireland

Posted on Friday, September 03, 2010

Your friends have told you about many of the sights they enjoyed in Ireland:  Dublin’s pubs and Abbey Theater; Ha’Penny Bridge over the Liffy River and , of course, kissin’ the Blarney Stone!!  And you wondered, as they extolled the beauty and history of the fantastic Ring of Kerry, what’s the Ring of Kerry…who’s Kerry and what kind of ring?

To begin, the Ring of Kerry is a 110 mile loop on the Ivenagh Peninsula in south-western Ireland.  Here you will encounter the raw beauty that is real Ireland.  Rolling hills and forested valleys, colorful villages and towns; traces of ancient monasteries and stone circles, such as the Seven Sisters, erected by pagans during the Bronze Age.  Starting in Killorglin, and proceeding on a counter-clockwise route, you will enjoy the Ireland of your dreams; verdant, charming and sparsely settled (except you will see lots of other tourists!). Note that I said counter-clockwise…the road is narrow and tour buses are many, so you can avoid traffic problems by starting early and stopping at any and all sights that may intrigue you.  Yes, you can do this by tour bus, but you’ll miss the leisure of stopping at an out of the way town, having a pint at a small pub, or just dreamily looking out over the ocean and mulling over the year of history, the Troubles and the Great Famine.

Take your time…yes, you can drive the entire Ring in a day, but so much nicer to stop for the night at a charming B & B,  relax over a fine dinner, perhaps enjoy an Irish Night with set-dancing, or just chat with the locals. After a hearty breakfast you can be on your way. You’ll have a chance to drive Coomanaspig Pass, the highest point accessible by car; from which you can see the Skellings and other small islands.  There’s a sixth century hermitage once inhabited by monks. Or you may wish to pay homage to Daniel O’Connell, the Emancipator, at Derrynane House, his home, now restored.

And oh, the names!  MacGillycuddy Reeks, Staigrefort, Rossbeigh, Bog Village and Black Valley, Killarney.  Rossmaine and Cahersiveen and Cahsrdaniel…what names, how lilting!! 

How about a stop in Kenmare to see and perhaps buy, some Kenmare Lace, started as a cottage industry during the "Little Famine Years" by the Poor Clare nuns, and still being hand-made by the local women.  Take a jaunting car ride, and think back to the great classic movie with John Wayne and Barry Fitzgerald, "The Quiet Man" .  Look closely at the road side, especially if there’s a rainbow:  that brief movement in the bush?  Leprechauns!!

I must admit, my favorite tour was a drive on the Dingle Peninsula…further north and the westernmost area on the European continent. Only ten miles wide and forty miles long, from Tralee to Slea Head The locals will tell you that they’re so far west that the next parish is Boston!!!  But you may have a bit of trouble understanding the people in the villages; they often speak An Gaeltacht, a Gaelic-English mixture. But they are friendly and they’ll be glad to regale you with stories of their family, their history and a lot of lore…you’ve heard of  a load Malarkey, haven’t you?

Drive through the Connor Pass to Dingle, the most westerly town in Europe, and then Tralee.  You will be rewarded with beautiful drive, green and rugged and not too touristy.  The fishermen still sail out, not for your camera, but for their family’s living.  Only about 1500 people live in Dingle Town…but it is calculated that there are 500,000 sheep in the hills.

Along the way to your delightful hotel at the world’s edge, you will find Bronze Age settlements, monasteries from the Middle Ages, scenes straight out of the movie "Ryan’s Daughter" and even some of the "beehive huts" where hermit monks once lived.  The scent of peat, as you linger with your coffee after a wonderful dinner, and you’ll know you’re near the ocean, as the sea breeze wafts into your bed room and you snuggle into your feather duvet…dream, relax, know that you are truly in Ireland.   

Half Off Companion Fare on Select Ireland Tours

Posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Companion half off! Book a tour and the companion travels for half price on select departures Glimpse of Ireland 8 days (October 2 and 16, November 20) or Irish Jaunt 5 days (October 9 and November 6)   Call today! Offer ends September 4, 2010

Terms & Conditions: *Glimpse of Ireland and Irish Jaunt Companion Half off land special, buy one and get the second person at 50%. Valid when entire package is booked and paid in full with Brendan Vacations between August 13 and September 4, 2010, based on double occupancy. Valid on October 2, 16 and November 20 "Glimpse Of Ireland" departures and October 9 and November 6 "Irish Jaunt" departures ONLY. Offer is valid for new bookings only and is not combinable with any existing promotions or discounts. Promotion cannot be booked online. Once payment is received, cancellation penalties may apply. Offer is subject to limited availability, other conditions and may be withdrawn at any time. Please mention promo code when booking: BVIJGOI.

Things to Do in Dublin, Ireland

Posted on Friday, May 28, 2010

Each year thousands of people take on the adventure of traveling to Dublin, Ireland and are presented with an abundance of things to do throughout. This is one place that will keep you going from beginning to end with its buzzing city life as well as beautiful country life.

There is an abundance of places that you can visit while traveling to Dublin. Whether you want to take a stroll through the many parks, gardens or museums or touch up your knowledge on Dublin through the colleges, libraries, churches or heritage sites there is an extensive amount of things that you can do here.

Dublin is jam packed full of historical buildings, galleries and castles that are open to the public to see and experience. You will have the ability to see exactly what Dublin is all about just by taking a stroll through the city and lands.

Some popular places to visit in Dublin include:

The Christ Church Cathedral
The Trinity College Library which is the home of the Book of Kells
The Ardgillan Castle
The Dublin Zoo
The National Gallery of Ireland

The list goes on. Dublin has many different things that you can do and it really does cater to every interest that a person may have. When planning a trip to Ireland ensure that you plan for a few days in Dublin so that you can experience everything it has to offer and you don’t miss out on anything that you really wanted to see, but may not have had time for.