Christian Guided Ireland Tour

Today we will meet at Newark International airport for our flight to Shannon, Ireland via wide-body aircraft arriving the next day. Meals served on board.

This morning we arrive in Shannon and are met by our escort. Our first stop in Ireland is Bunratty Castle a Viking Trading Camp in 970. The present structure is the last of four castles to be built on the site. We will see the Bunratty Folk Park a living reconstruction of the homes and environment of Ireland of over a century ago. Continue on to our hotel where we check in for dinner and overnight.

This morning we depart for the Cliffs of Moher, where we look out over the Atlantic Ocean. Standing over 700 feet above the sea, the Cliffs boast one of the most amazing views in Ireland. Continue on to Adare, one of Ireland’s most picturesque villages with thatched roof cottages throughout the town. It was here that John Wesley preached to the people of Adare in 1765 from the shade of an ash tree. Today a stone makes the spot where the tree stood. Our next stop will be Ballingrane where we visit the Embuty Heck Memorial Church, built in 1766, where John Wesley visited thirteen times over the years. Continue to Killarney, ‘Heaven’s Reflex’, one of Ireland’s most lovely districts. Poets, painters, writers and musicians have never fully succeeded in conveying the varied beauty of form and color of this wonderland of mountains and lakes. Check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today after breakfast enjoy a jaunting car ride through part of Killarney National Park, ending at Ross Castle. Next we will enjoy a sheepdog demonstration at Kissane Sheep Farm. Continue our day with one of the most beautiful rides you will ever have as we drive the Ring of Kerry, a scenic contrasts from golden coastline to majestic mountains. En route you will see in the distance, The Great Skellig, an enormous mass of precipitous rock rising sheer out of the ocean to a height of 700 feet, where stone steps, hewn by the ancient monks lead from the ocean to the monastic ruins on the summit. Visit the Skellig Experience before we continue our Ring of Kerry tour. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today we begin our day with a to visit to Blarney Castle, one of Ireland’s oldest and most historic castles. Here we can visit the Gardens and the famous Blarney Stone, believed to have the power to bestow the gift of eloquence on all those who kiss it. Treat yourself to quality Irish-made goods at the Blarney Woolen Mills. Continue on to the port city of Kinsale where we will visit St Multose Church, built in 1190 and which remains in use to this day. The courthouse was used for the inquiry over the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. Continue on to Cobh where we will visit the Cobh Heritage Center, situated within a beautifully restored Victorian railway station. Here we will learn about Irish Emigration and hear about the ill-fated Titanic and Lusitania. Continue on to Cork for dinner and overnight.

We begin our day with a brief walking tour of Cork and the English Market. Continue on to Kilkenny. The medieval heritage is evident in the city’s treasure trove of historical buildings and landmarks, exemplified by the magnificent Kilkenny Castle. Kilkenny is arguably the pre-eminent medieval city in Ireland. Our tour of the city will include the Castle and Cathedral, and the Church of St. Canice. Continue on to Dublin where our panoramic tour of the city will include Christ Church Cathedral, built in 1172, and Phoenix Park with its many monuments. Check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today our tour of “Dublins Fair City” includes  St.  Patrick’s  Cathedral, built next to the well where Patrick baptized converts on this visit to Dublin. In 1789, Wesley led a large number of Dublin Methodist to the Cathedral for Holy Communion. Next we stop at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, the first Methodist chapel in Ireland, and visit St. Mary’s Church, where John Wesley’s first sermon was preached in what was  called  Evening  Prayer.  Continue on to the Church Pub, a church Wesley preached at in Ireland.   We  will  view  the  National  Gallery of Ireland, O’Connell Street, then a visit to Trinity College, housing the 9th century Book of Kells. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

We transfer to the airport for our flight home with unforgettable memories to cherish always.