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The
Dady Brothers18th Annual Musical Ireland Tour
July 1-10, 2008:
Galway, Clifden, Achill Island, Dingle, Cliffs of Moher, and so much more!
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55 folks had a wonderful time in Ireland.
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The
Dady Brothers Tour itinerary |
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July 1st, Tuesday, Day 1
Fly from Buffalo to Shannon on Delta Airlines Flight #6260 leaving at
11:27 am arriving JFK at 1:05 pm.
There will be a second flight departing Buffalo at 1:50 pm and arriving
at JFK at 3:21 pm.
Everyone departs from JFK on Delta #102 at 7:50 pm and arrives in
Shannon at approximately 7:35 am the next morning.
Those traveling out of Buffalo will be handled as first sign-ups for the
flights. |
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July 2nd,
Wednesday, Day 2
After arriving, collecting our luggage and passing through customs, we’ll
board our motorcoach on our way to for
tea and scones at the famous
Cahergal Farmhouse
to help rejuvenate
ourselves.
Afterwards, we’ll make our way towards
Galway
you’ll be able to check into your rooms as soon as we get there.
For those of you that have some energy left and would like to see
Galway City
for a couple of hours, we’ll arrange to take you there in the afternoon so
you can explore a little on your own.
Galway
City
is called the City of Tribe’s. There are quaint little
shops, places to eat and enjoy a ‘pint’ or two. You may want to take a
one-hour city tour on the famous double-decker bus.
Those of you that would like to ‘regroup and relax’ yourselves can rest this
afternoon until our evening ‘get together’ before dinner.
Hotel:
Galway Bay
Hotel |
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Cahergal Farmhouse
Galway Bay Hotel |
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July 3rd, Thursday, Day 3
After
breakfast this morning,
we’re on our way to Renvyle for the next two days.
We’ll head out to Moycullen stopping at
Connemara Marble for a short tour.
Connemara Marble is one of Ireland’s most original products. Geologists
estimate this natural green rock, quarried at the Streamstown Marble
Quarries two miles north west of Clifden, is about 500 million years
old. Unique to the region, the marble shows twisted and interlocking
bands of serpentine, in various shades of light green and dark green.
Afterwards, we’ll stop in
Clifden a couple of
hours for you to explore the town.
Clifden
is set
between the Atlantic Ocean, 12 Ben Mountains and preserved bog lands.
The town was founded at the start of the
19th century
by John D'Arcy who lived in Clifden Castle (which is now a ruin that can
be seen from the Sky Road west of Clifden).
Clifden gained prominence in the early
1900s
when
Guglielmo Marconi
built his first high power transatlantic
long wave
wireless telegraphy
station four miles south of the town to minimize the distance to its
sister station in
Glace Bay
Newfoundland.
The first point-to-point fixed wireless service connecting Europe with
North America opened 17 October
1907
and closed 25 July 1922 after suffering serious damage in the
Irish Civil War.
From here we make our way to our hotel for the next 2 nights. The
Renvyle House Hotel nestles between the mountains and shores of the
Atlantic Ocean on the unspoiled coast of Connemara.
Hotel:
Renvyle House Hotel |
Connemara Marble factory and showroom
Clifden
Renvyle House Hotel |
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Kylemore Abbey |
July 4th , Friday, Day 4
This morning you're free to rest up a little, relax in the beautiful
surroundings, and take those much wanted pictures, etc., before we head to
Kylemore Abbey for lunch and then a tour of the Abbey.
Nestled at the base of Duchruach Mountain (1,736 ft) on the northern shore
of Lough Pollacappul, in the heart of the Connemara Mountains, it is
regarded as one of Ireland's most romantic buildings. The Abbey is the
monastic home of the Irish Benedictine Nuns and a renowned international
girls' boarding school. However, it was built in the 1860s as a county seat
for Mitchell Henry, the son of a wealthy Manchester merchant.
We'll drive around Croagh Patrick on our way to Westport
Hotel:
Castlecourt Hotel in Westport |
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July 5th, Saturday, Day 5
This morning we make our way to
Achill Island. It is
Ireland's largest offshore island with its golden beaches and unspoiled
beauty. The island has some of the highest and most spectacular sheer
cliff faces in Europe.
We'll return back to Westport
in the afternoon for you to explore the city on your own.
Hotel:
Castlecourt Hotel in
Westport |
Achill Island
Westport
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Athenry Castle
Gort
Thoor Ballylee
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July 6th, Sunday, Day 6
This morning we leave for the west of Ireland.
We’ll travel down through Tuam, stopping at
Athenry Castle. The
Castle has a three-story tower surrounded by outer walls. During
the 13th century
it
was built by Meiler de Bermingham, who was granted much of the land of
Connaught in 1235. After an attack on the castle in 1316, town walls were
erected. These walls remain partially intact to this day.
Next, we on to
Gort and Thoor Ballylee,
W. B. Yeats summer home,
which he found so full of history and romance that we was inspired to write
“The Winding Stair” and “The Towers Poems”.
Hotel:
Woodstock Hotel |
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July 7th, Monday, Day 7
We’ll be on our way to the majestic
Cliffs
of Moher for a magical view of Ireland.
Situated in County Clare and bordering the Burren area, the Cliffs of Moher
are one of Ireland's most spectacular sights.
On a clear day, the Aran
Islands are visible in Galway Bay as well as are the valleys and hills of
Connemara.
To the south of the cliffs is Hag's Head; the cliffs reach their
highest point just north of
O' Brien's Tower.
Afterwards, we’ll make our way for a special afternoon in Milltown Malbay
for the
Willie Clancy Music festival.
Hotel:
Woodstock Hotel |
Cliffs of Moher
O'Brien's Tower
Willie Clancy Music Festival
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Dingle Peninsula
Slea Head drive |
July 8th, Tuesday, Day 8
After breakfast this morning, we leave on our way
to Killimer to take the car ferry over to Tarbert on our way to the
Dingle Peninsula.
This afternoon, we’ll take a driving tour of
Slea Head before
returning to Dingle for you to explore all the shops and pubs in Dingle.
Hotel:
Dingle Benners Hotel
Dingle Benners Hotel |
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July 9th, Wednesday, Day 9
Today we'll be heading towards Adare, which is a beautiful, picturesque
village with thatched cottages. Here you'll have time to walk around this
lovely village.
The
Trinitarian Abbey is situated next to the Heritage Center; this is the
only recorded Trinitarian monastery in Ireland. It was originally built by
the Fitzgerald Clan for the Trinitarian order of monks in the early 13th
century.
The
Wishing Pool is opposite the Heritage Center. This small pool is
contained in a triangular space, bounded on two sides by masonry walls and,
on the road side, by a coursed stone parapet wall, with access to a local
stream (a small tributary of the river Maigue) on either side. This was
used, in bygone days, by the women of Adare as a laundry washing pool, as
well as a watering place for horses.
Next, we'll stop
at the Blarney Woolen Mill for you to
do some last minute shopping before making our way to the hotel.
Sadly, this
evening is our final night in Ireland on this tour. After dinner, we'll get
together for an enjoyable time together!
Hotel:
Old Ground
Hotel
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The Trinitarian Abbey
The Wishing Pool
Old Ground Hotel |
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July 10th, Thursday, Day 10
After a bit of Duty Free shopping and turning in our VAT (Value Added
Tax Vouchers) at the airport, we'll depart Shannon airport on Delta #123
at 9:05 am and arrive at JFK at 11:10 am.
There will be two flights back into Buffalo: one leaving JFK at 1:40 pm
and arriving in Buffalo at 3:15 pm.
The second flight leaves JFK at 4:05 pm and arrives in Buffalo at 5:44
pm. |
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If you have a special
request or question, please email
Laurie or call
775-626-9225
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The
Dady Brothers'