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

New High Speed Rail Service

Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Flying Scotsman is an express train that runs between London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland, and is currently operated by the East Coast Main Line Company. It has been in almost continuous use since the railway it runs on was built in 1862.

In 1862, the Flying Scotsman was actually named the Special Scotch Express, and it would depart at GNR’s London Kings Cross at 10 am, with a simultaneous departure from North British’s Edinburgh Waverley. The journey originally took a long 10 ½ hours, which included a half-hour stop in York as a lunch break. However, the time was reduced to 8 ½ hours in 1888 due to increasing competition with other railways for the Race to the North. The Race to the North was where trains would actually race to see who could get to the appointed destination first.

From 1900 on, the train took on dramatic modernizations, including heating and dining cars. Now, passengers could take their lunch on the train, so the York stop was reduced to only 15 minutes. However, the travel time of 8 ½ hours stayed the same. In 1924, it was the London and North Eastern Railway that officially renamed the Special Scotch Express the Flying Scotsman, which had already been its unofficial name since the 1870’s.

Private operators of Anglo-Scottish trains that run on the East Coast Main Line have maintained the name of the Flying Scotsman, and the former Great North Eastern Railway even called itself The Route of the Flying Scotsman. When British Rail was privatized, GNER operated the Flying Scotsman from 1996 to November of 2007, and then National Express East Coast took over until November of 2009. It is now operated by East Coast, which is a publicly operated railway company that had been created after National Express East Coast had collapsed. The northbound service once again leaves London King’s Cross at the traditional time of 10 am, and the southbound service departs from Edinburgh at 1 pm.

An InterCity 225 Mallard set mostly operates the now-modern Flying Scotsman, and the travel time only takes 4 hours and 25 minutes going down, and only 4 hours and 41 minutes coming back up. It now makes stops at Peterborough, York, Darlington, and Newcastle.

On May 22nd, 2011, East Coast will begin a new, early morning Flying Scotsman service at 5:40 am, and it will only stop at Newcastle. The train will arrive in Edinburgh at 9:40 am, making the trip a short 4 hours long. The express train is being introduced as part of the largest timetable overhaul within 20 years on the East Coast Main Line, and they are hoping it will lure in business passengers that are traveling for morning meetings away from air travel. East Coast expects the new timetable to bring in more than three million additional seats to the route when it begins this May, with nearly 20 new weekday services.

Northern Ireland Natural Wonder

Posted on Thursday, May 12, 2011

To visit the Giant’s Causeway, remember one direction: North. There, in the County of Antrim, Northern Ireland, at the North Channel convergence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, is one of the planet’s most fascinating natural wonders: an ancient landscape of some 40,000 stair-stepped columns of black basalt leading into the sea.

This UNESCO World Heritage site began to take shape some 60 million years ago, with series of massive volcanic eruptions. The cooling lava formed into distinctive polygonal (mostly hexagonal) columns, which were eventually eroded by retreating sea ice during the Ice Age. Irish legend tells of the giant Finn MacCool using these steps to cross the sea toward his sweetheart’s home on the Hebrides island of Staffa.

A circular walk leads past amphitheaters of stone columns and formations with names like the Honeycomb the Wishing Well, the Giant’s Granny and the King and his Nobles, past Port na Spaniagh, where the Spanish Armada ship Girona foundered, past a wooden staircase to Benbane Head and back along the cliff top. In addition to the geologic intrigue of the site, fauna and flora among the rock formations include seabirds, such as fulmar, petrel, cormorant, shag, redshank guillemot and razorbill, and plant species such as sea spleenwort, hare’s foot trefoil, vernal squill, sea fescue and frog orchid.

The Giant’s Causeway truly is one of the world’s great natural wonders.

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.

Ireland Small Groups tours 2011

Posted on Friday, February 18, 2011

We are excited to announce new small group tour for Ireland for 2011. Travel in style with no more than 24 passengers in a small luxury motor coach. Stay in unique, historic castles and manors, enjoy exclusive sights and activities and delight in the authentic flavors of the region. Mingle with the locals while you sample fresh produce in quaint village pubs and local markets. Travel with an experienced driver/guide who, in addition to handling all of the travel details, will enrich your vacation with a wealth of expert knowledge and a great sense of fun. Discover Ireland the Brendan way - Intimate, Immersive and Experiential.

	Castles and Manors (2011-12) Vacation Type: Small Group Discoveries Duration: 11 days From: $2,899 land only Tour Code: BRCM11 Look no further, the ultimate Ireland experience is here. Spend 11 days taking in the absolute best of Ireland on a Small Groups Discoveries tour featuring overnight stays in Dublin, Kilkenny, Killarney, Ballynahinch Castle and Donegal where a personalized, professional tour guide highlights the ins and outs of every charming Irish destination.
	Tastes and Tales of Ireland (2011-12) Vacation Type: Small Group Discoveries Duration: 9 days From: $2,399 land only Tour Code: BRITT11 This 9-day Small Groups Discoveries tour takes you across Ireland’s scenic countryside bringing you up close and personal with the cuisine, culture, and locals. Your overnight stays feature the cities of Dublin, Cork, Killarney and the magnificent Dromoland Castle, one of Ireland’s most prestigious national treasures. Take it all in with the services of a personalized, professional tour director.
	Castles, Lighthouses & Pots of Gold (2011-12) Vacation Type: Small Group Discoveries Duration: 9 days From: $1,799 land only Tour Code: BRCL11 See it all. Experience the majesty of Ireland on a personalized, 9-day Small Groups Discoveries tour with overnight stays in the cities of Dublin, Wexford and Killarney. Highlights include a professionally guided historic Dublin city tour, Hook Peninsula excursion visiting cook lighthouse, a visit to Blarney Castle and much more!