On your arrival in Dublin you’ll travel on to your historic accommodation in County Louth to the north of the city and unwind after your journey.

Your accommodation:  An historic, characterful and elegantly furnished country house offering Bed & Breakfast accommodation. 

Today you are perfectly placed to explore the array of historical sites in the area from the prehistoric passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, to the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre located on the site of the famous battle. Also nearby is Drogheda, one of Ireland’s oldest towns where you’ll find a shrine to the martyred Saint Oliver Plunkett housed in St Peter’s Church; and just to the north of the town are the remains of the 5th century monastic settlement at Monasterboice. 

Today you’ll journey west to County Sligo and the Atlantic coast. En route you might like to visit the famous Marble Arch Caves. These extensive, subterranean caves are set in a beautiful mountainous landscape and form part of the Global Geopark – you can even take a boat trip in these river caves! You’ll also pass by the Glencar Waterfall which features in one of W.B. Yeats’ poems – the nearby Glencar Lough is a charming beauty spot.

Your accommodation: A stylish and luxurious, family-run Bed & Breakfast with a warm welcome near to Sligo town.

Optional: Add an extra night here and make a day trip to visit the delightful Donegal town! 

You may want to walk off your delicious breakfast with a climb up Knocknarea to see Queen Maeve’s grave, a large unopened cairn sitting atop an imposing mountain which dominates the skyline of this area! Then head into Sligo town to visit the exhibition about Yeats; or explore the beautifully restored Lissadell House, a 19th century stately home and gardens with an interesting history. The Neolithic monuments at Carrowmore, Carrowkeel and Creevykeel are all within striking distance too. Then make your way south to your charming hotel in County Mayo where a delicious dinner is included this evening.

Your accommodation:  A privately-owned 4-star hotel  serving excellent food near Clew Bay.

Today you can venture to the North Mayo coastline to discover the Ceide Fields, a huge archaeological site and the most extensive Stone Age monument in the world! Then wind your way down the west coast of the county to Achill Island, a rugged mountainous island connected to the mainland by a bridge and famous for its five blue flag beaches! You can visit the Deserted Village, an abandoned settlement of 80 – 100 ruined cottages, and call in at the pretty village of Mulrany nearby for lunch before returning to your hotel to relax for the evening and perhaps enjoy dinner there again.

Today’s route to your next stop in Galway is packed with points of interest and scenic beauty. Just a few of the many highlights are the attractive Heritage Town of Westport; the scree-covered Croagh Patrick mountain, an ancient place of pilgrimage; and the haunting National Famine Monument located at the foot of the mountain. Further on you’ll pass by Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only natural fjord, and the village of Leenane which featured in the film, ‘The Field’. You can stop to take a boat trip on the fjord, or head on down through the beautiful Connemara National Park to your waterside accommodation for the next two nights.

Your accommodation: A unique and charming former Harbour Master’s House, now lovingly restored with quirky touches and fabulous breakfasts.

Explore County Galway at your leisure today. We highly recommend a visit to Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden, a 19th century castle and abbey in a beautiful location, now home to Benedictine Nuns. Or head on to discover the pretty village of Cong – where the film The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was filmed – you can visit the Quiet Man Cottage Museum for a full-on Quiet Man experience!

Driving south to County Clare today, perhaps you’d like to visit colourful Galway City as you go and seek out some traditional music in a pub or courtesy of a street busker! Then journeying on to Clare you’ll pass through the dramatic, other-worldly limestone landscape of The Burren before you reach the famous Cliffs of Moher – another must-see!

Your accommodation:  A charming, traditional country inn with Michelin-star dining.

If you’d like to explore a little more of the rocky Clare landscape today, take a drive through the Burren National Park and visit the Burren Perfumery where they make wonderful organic products – it’s also the perfect place to enjoy a spot of lunch or some afternoon tea and cake! Alternatively, you could take a trip to one of the Aran Islands, a group of islands with fascinating religious and cultural history, numerous ancient monuments and where the locals speak Gaelic as well as English! Once back on the mainland, there are some excellent local restaurants to choose from in the area.

Optional: Why not factor in an additional night and stay over on one of the Aran Islands?

Leaving the wild Atlantic coast behind, you’ll travel back to Ireland’s capital city today. If you like, you can make a stop at Limerick city – founded by the Vikings in the 9th century, it’s one of the oldest in Ireland and has much of interest including the sprawling King John’s Castle by the river. Or simply head straight for Dublin to make the most of your time there!

Your accommodation:  A contemporary boutique B&B or a luxury city centre hotel – the choice is yours!

Dublin is a city packed with cultural and historical highlights from cathedrals to museums to galleries and much more. Just a few of the city’s attractions are The Book of Kells exhibition & Old Library at Trinity College; Dublin Castle; The Irish Emigration Museum; The Guinness Storehouse; and Kilmainham Gaol Museum. Or perhaps you’d like to take it easy on your final day and stroll through St Stephen’s Green before making your way along cobbled streets to Temple Bar for a pint of the black stuff!

Today you make your way home – we hope with plenty of very special memories of Ireland’s Ancient East.