Ireland 2024 Coast to Coast
Road Scholar
We decided to take a new approach to travel after Covid. We previously did our tours with Grand Circle Tours and Overseas Adventure Travel (sister companies). We enjoyed all our trips with them but decided to try Road Scholar for a more educational approach. In the future, we will use all these companies and possibly others (we are looking at a cruise in 2025).
This Ireland trip was a bus tour of the Coastal areas of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It was an 18-day trip beginning October 7th in Belfast and ending October 24th in Dublin. We stayed in nice hotels with breakfast included. The physical effort required was listed as moderate on Road Scholar's website. It was a challenge for us to walk in the range of 3-4 miles a day. Our age is beginning to slow us down.
The Tour
We spent two to three nights in cities and towns; including Belfast, Derry (also known as Londonderry), Galway, Killarney, Cork, and Dublin. Some of the highlights included Belfast City Hall, the Robinson Library in Armagh, a tour of Bushmills whiskey, Kylemore Abbey, the Burrens, the cliffs of Moher, Muchross House, Blarney (in the pouring rain), Cobh (related to the Titanic and the death ships heading to America). In Dublin, we visited St. Paul's Cathedral, Dublin Castle, and Glendalough. We also enjoyed a "literary pub crawl" and a performance at the Abbot Theater.
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Belfast City Hall |
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The Burren |
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Cliffs of Moher |
October is generally cool and rainy in Ireland. Our trip was not too bad on that score. It was chilly, but the rain was only bad on several days. In Blarney, we ran into an all-day downpour. I made my way to a local pub for a Guinness, while Kathy and her sister Susie found some shops to help support the local economy. Fortunately, I kissed the Blarney stone long ago, so I didn't make the effort this time (I sure hope I don't lose the gift of gab).
Our group was 21-strong and a great bunch. Our tour leader, Kate Healy, was a delight. She had a great attitude and was always there for us. She is the only trip leader we have had that sang to the group on our bus trips.
One of the main reasons for our interest in this trip was the Irish people. It is a fascinating country(s) with an interesting history and mostly happy folks. The music was good, the Guinness was smooth and strong, and the craic was great. I love Ireland and hope to return again someday.
Photos
Here are three links to my photos from the trip. I split them into three so you don't need to fight through a huge file of images. Take them one at a time and over three sessions if you like. When you open Google Photos via one of the links below, click on the first image for a full-screen view, then click on theℹ symbol (in a circle at the top right of the picture) for full information about the location. On the right of the image is an arrow pointing to the right which you click to advance to the next image. You may also view the file as a slideshow, but the information will not show, only the image. Use the ESC key to back out of the album or slideshow. It was a great trip and I hope you enjoy the photos.
Websites of interest:
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