Ireland 2007

OUR FIRST TRIP
We are fortunate to have Richard Finnegan '64, Director of Stonehill's Irish Studies Program, serve as our faculty guide for the inaugural Alumni Travel Program trip to Ireland.

Forty-eight travelers are scheduled to visit Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, the Cliffs of Moher as well as the cities of Dublin and Galway.

Peter LaBreck '96, Associate Director of Alumni Affairs, will chronicle the group's travels in an online Travel Journal.

Day 1 - Depart Boston:

We will depart in the evening from Boston's Logan Airport on a regularly scheduled flight. Dinner and breakfast will be served prior to arrival.


Day 2 - Arrive Shannon-Killarney:

Upon our morning arrival, we will be greeted by our local tour guide who will escort us to our motorcoach and be there to inform, assist, and guide us throughout our trip. Our first stop will be Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, where we will relive 19th century village life (and perhaps share a beverage at Durty Nellie's!).

From there we will travel to one of Ireland's loveliest towns, Adare. Adare is nestled on the banks of the River Maigu and offers several thatched cottages and ruins galore to explore! After sightseeing we will travel to Killarney, our home base for three nights. There we will have time to rest and relax or explore this vibrant town.

HOTEL: Killarney Court Hotel, Killarney


Day 3 - Dingle Peninsula:

After breakfast, we will travel to Blennerville and then down the historic Dingle Peninsula, one of the most unspoiled areas in Ireland with majestic coastal views, hidden historic sites and varied mountain scenery.

Along our route we will stop at Mount Brandon - known to many in the Stonehill community by Chet Raymo's book, Climbing Brandon: Science and Faith on Ireland's Holy Mountain.After our day of touring we will return for dinner in Killarney and leisure time. Killarney is a great place to enjoy the traditional music and entertainment of County Kerry.


Day 4 - Ring of Kerry:

We will board our motorcoach for a full-day excursion of the spectacular Ring of Kerry. After a break for lunch (on our own) in one of the Ring's pretty seaside villages, we will continue back to Killarney. We will enjoy dinner and an evening of leisure for our last night in Killarney.


Day 5 - Cobh and Dublin:

After checking out of our Killarney hotel, we will make our way to County Cork. We will visit Cobh, one of the three main islands in Cork Harbor. Delve into the history of the over 6 million émigrés who left this port between 1848 and 1950, the 40,000 convicts transported upon the Coffin Ships off to the Australian Penal Colony, or the send-off of the ill-fated Titanic, all at the Heritage Center. Lunch on your own before we head for the famous Rock of Cashel, which "the devil himself spit out," on our way to Dublin. Once in Dublin we will check into our hotel, and enjoy dinner and the nightlife of Ireland's capital.

HOTEL: Temple Bar Hotel, Dublin


Day 6 - Dublin:

We'll have a full day in Dublin with visits to the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, the National Museum and the Guinness Storehouse. We will also enjoy dinner with Stonehill alumni living in the area and the current students spending the semester in Dublin.


Day 7 - Galway:

After breakfast we'll depart from Dublin and make our way across the country to Galway. Along the way we make several stops, including an ancient monastery. After checking in at our hotel in Galway, we will enjoy dinner with Stonehill Alumni living in the area and current students spending the semester in Galway. We'll then spend leisure time on our own in one of Ireland's cultural centers!

HOTEL: The Clayton at Ballybrit, Galway


Day 8 - Cliffs of Moher and Burren:

We will visit the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher. These sheer cliffs rise out of the sea at a height of about 650 feet and stretch for a distance of five miles. Then, on to Burren, or Boireann, meaning rocky land in Gaelic, where we will view the limestone plateau of County Clare.

A surveyor of Cromwell's characterized it as, "…a savage land, yielding neither water enough to drown a man, nor a tree to hang him, nor soil to bury him." We'll return to Galway for dinner and another great evening on the town.


Day 9 - Galway-Shannon:

We will check out of our hotel and depart for Shannon Airport for our return flight to the U.S. We will clear customs in Ireland, which means we will not have to do so in Boston. There will be plenty of time to visit Europe's best duty-free shops.