September 1
Depart your gateway city for Shannon, Ireland aboard scheduled jet service.  (Provided for air-inclusive participants only.)

September 2:
Ennis
Upon your arrival in Shannon, transfer by motorcoach to the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis. (Transfer provided for air-inclusive participants only.)  En route, stop at the historic Knappogue Castle to enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast.
Excursion: An Orientation to Ennis.  Take an afternoon tour of medieval Ennis and step into the 13th century.  See the remains of a Franciscan friary, with its echoes of early monastic life, and the Creagh tomb, its carved alabaster panels depicting scenes from the Passion.

September 3:
The Burren
Educational Focus: The History of Ireland and County Clare.  Examine the influence of the Celts, Romans, Vikings, Anglo-Normans and British and how each helped shape County Clare and Ireland itself.
Excursion: Mysteries of the Ancient Burren.  This wild limestone plateau is a vast, lunar-like landscape of deeply fissured limestone, precipitous gorges, sink holes with a wealth of flora sprouting in the crevices and vestiges of ancient inhabitants from 5,000 years ago.  Climbing steeply above the Atlantic are the Cliffs of Moher, where the views go on for miles.
Local Flavor: Enjoy lunch in a local pub.  This evening gather for a Welcome to Ireland Reception and Dinner.

September 4:
Coole Park/Thoor Ballylee
Educational Focus: Literature: Ireland’s Great Treasure.  Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats and James Joyce are some of Ireland’s renowned literary masters.  Examine the unique environmental and historical conditions that have shaped Irish literature over the centuries.
Excursion: Coole Park and Thoor Ballylee.  Visit Coole Park.  See the copper beech bearing the initials of Yeats and other literary masters.  Nearby, Yeats once lived in the 16th-century tower of Thoor Ballylee.
Independent Exploration: The afternoon is yours to pursue your own interests.
Local Culture: After dinner, enjoy the art of a shanachie, or traditional Irish storyteller.

September 5:
Inishmore
Excursion: The Aran Island of Inishmore.  Experience the rugged natural beauty of Connemara.  Cruise to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands, where the charm and tranquility of traditional Irish culture still thrive.  Walk to Dún Aengus, a stone fortress perched on high cliffs overlooking the Atlantic.

September 6:
Ennis
Educational Focus: Irish Roots.  Learn about the Great Irish Famine, a tragic event that spurred mass emigration.  Today, forty-four million Americans trace their roots back to Ireland.  A representative from Clare Heritage Center will discuss the practical aspects of researching Irish ancestry, offering valuable advice on how to trace your own Irish roots using the many genealogical sources available.
Independent Exploration: The day is free to individually explore Ennis.

September 7: The Rock of Cashel
This morning, transfer to Kilkenny.
Excursion: The Rock of Cashel.  En route, stop to view the Rock of Cashel, a splendid limestone outcrop rising from the plains in County Tipperary, and the fortress of Brian Ború, the high king of Ireland.
Local Flavor: Enjoy lunch at Bru Ború Heritage Center.
Upon arrival in Kilkenny, check into the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel, and enjoy an exclusive Welcome Reception with Kilkenny’s City Fathers in the Town Hall.  After the reception, savor a delicious dinner.

September 8:
Kilkenny
Excursion: Historic Kilkenny.  See the Old Jail House, Black Abbey and St. Francis Abbey.  Visit Kilkenny Castle and view historic paintings and tapestries in the Long Gallery.
Local Flavor: Lunch is served at Kyteler’s Inn, once the home of Dame Alice Kyteler, tried for witchcraft in 1323.
Excursion: Bród Tullaroan.  This fascinating Heritage Center showcases 9,000 years of Irish history from the Stone Age through the early Norman period, including a restored 17th-century thatched mansion.
Local Flavor: Enjoy dinner at the Heritage Center followed by an evening with a shanachie.  Through the centuries, the art of storytelling has preserved Ireland’s folklore.

September 9:
Irish National Heritage Park.
Excursion: Irish National Heritage Park.  Located near Wexford, the park highlights Irish history with exhibits ranging from the Stone Age to the early Christian era.
Excursion: Waterford Crystal.  Learn about the making of Ireland’s beautiful crystal at the Waterford Crystal Visitor Center.

September 10:
Jerpoint Abbey
Excursion: Jerpoint Abbey, the Dunbrody Famine Ship and Woodstock.  Explore the preserved Cistercian Jerpoint Abbey with its cloisters dating to the 14th and 15th centuries.  Visit the Dunbrody, a replica of the ship used to transport Irish emigrants to America.  Listen to “passengers” tell their stories.  This afternoon, stroll through the Woodstock House Demesne, a national park surrounding the quaint village of Inistioge.

September 11:
Independent Exploration
Educational Focus: Contemporary Ireland.  Discuss Ireland’s government and the country’s role in the European Union.
Independent Exploration: The day is free to pursue your own interests in Kilkenny.
Tonight, enjoy your Graduation Ceremony, Farewell Reception and Dinner with lively traditional Irish music and entertainment.

September 12
After breakfast, transfer to the Dublin airport for the return flight to your gateway city. (Transfer and flight provided for air-inclusive participants only.)

Note: Itinerary may change due to local conditions.  Many excursions in this program involve an element of walking as some of the finest attractions are not closely accessible by motorcoach.

Exclusive Highlights

• Discover the wonders of two distinct regions of Ireland with five nights in ancient Ennis and five nights in Ireland’s prettiest inland city, Kilkenny.
• Explore the ancient Burren, one of Europe’s most mysterious regions, and the majesty of the Cliffs of Moher.
• Cruise by boat to the Aran Island of Inishmore and see the prehistoric fortress of Dún Aengus.
• Enjoy a Welcome to Kilkenny Reception hosted by the City Fathers at the Kilkenny Town Hall.
• Listen to an authentic Irish shanachi, and experience the ancient art of Irish storytelling.

Included Features

• Round-trip scheduled jet service to Shannon, Ireland and returning from Dublin.*
• Motorcoach transfers to and from the airports, including baggage handling.*
• Five nights in Ennis at the historic Old Ground Hotel; five nights in Kilkenny at the first-class Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel.
• Three full meals each day, including a breakfast buffet, a two-course lunch and a three-course dinner.  Enjoy tea or coffee with all meals.
• Some meals are served at local restaurants and feature a culinary experience of authentic regional specialties.
• Special Welcome Reception.
• A festive Graduation Ceremony followed by a special Farewell Reception and Dinner.
• Informative educational programs, presented by local experts, will enhance your insight into the region.
• All excursions.
• Highlights of Ennis.
• The Burren and Cliffs of Moher.
• Coole Park and Thoor Ballylee.
• The Aran Island of Inishmore.
• The Rock of Cashel.
• Highlights of Kilkenny and its castle.
• The Bród Tullaroan Heritage Center.
• The Irish National Heritage Park.
• Waterford Crystal Visitor Center.
• Jerpoint Abbey, the Dunbrody and Woodstock House Demesne.
• Consultation services of a Passenger Service Representative prior to departure.
• Services of a professional Campus Director and Expert Local Guides throughout your stay.
• Detailed travel and destination information to assist you in your planning.
• Deluxe travel wallet.
• All U.S. and foreign governmental airport/departure taxes and fees, airport security surcharges, VAT, service charges and port charges, if applicable.*
• Automatic $250,000 Flight Insurance for all passengers ticketed by AHI International, subject to policy terms.*

*Provided for air-inclusive participants only