Day 1 - Travel via short sea crossing to Ireland and on to the hotel.
Day 2 - Wicklow and the Vale of Avoca
After breakfast you depart
for a tour of the Wicklow mountains, with a visit to Glendalough, a former
monastic site first founded in the sixth century by St. Kevin. The Gateway
arches lead you through to the cashel where you can see the well photographed
round tower and remains of several churches and cathedrals. Continue on to
the Vale of Avoca, which was the setting for the well known television series
'Ballykissangel' before returning to the hotel for dinner.
Day 3 - Dublin & the
Guinness Storehouse
This morning we have arranged a trip to the Guinness Storehouse,
the fermentation plant at St. James's Gate Brewery which has now been totally
transformed into a place where you can experience one of the world's best known
brands in a totally unexpected way. The rest of the day is free to explore
this city of famous writers and musicians, with its great shopping, diverse
nightlife and Georgian Architecture. By way of contrast St. Stephens Green
is one of Ireland's best-known parks and a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle
of the city's streets with an ornamental lake, gardens, shrubberies and tree
lined walks.
Day 4 - Russborough House & Powerscourt Gardens
We have two
visits planned for today, starting with an excursion to Russborough, which
was built for Joseph Leeson, later the Earl of Milltown and is built of granite
in the Palladian style. Important features in the house include stucco ceilings,
marble mantelpieces, inlaid floors and a lavish use of mahogany in doors, dados
and the staircase. The house which is beautifully maintained, contains paintings,
fine furniture, tapestries, carpets, porcelain and silver.
From here it’s on to one of the worlds great gardens, Powerscourt. It
has been designed to reflect the desire to create a garden which was part of
the wider landscape. To the north formal tree plantations framed the vista
from the house, while a walled garden, fish pond, cascades, grottos and terraces
lay to the south. Today visitor’s continue to enjoy the gardens which
first began to take shape over two and a half centuries ago.
Day 5 - Return journey home.