The Nine to the North- A Tour of Northern Ireland & Ulster

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This evening we depart Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on our non-stop flight to Dublin, Ireland.

BROCHURE 

We arrive in Dublin in the morning. We will have breakfast at Man-O-War and enjoy our first moments on the island. We we will then travel north to Downpatrick. Here we will visit the  The Saint Patrick Centre, one of Northern Ireland's leading attractions and a must see destination on the way from Dublin to Belfast; no trip to Ireland is complete without a visit to the National Grave of Saint Patrick. Discover his incredible story at the Saint Patrick Centre in the medieval town of Downpatrick just 35 minutes south of Belfast. We will then make our way to Belfast. 

More details to come!

Today we’ll begin with a morning city tour of Belfast, including a visit to Crumlin Road Gaol (Jail). This is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast. Built in 1845, It is the only remaining Victorian era prison in Northern Ireland. 

In the afternoon we will visit Titanic Belfast, a monument to Belfast's maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city's Titanic Quarter where the RMS Titanic was built. 

More details to come!

Enjoy a free day in and around Belfast. A golfing excursion can be arranged. There are also plenty of shops, sites, restaurants, and pubs to enjoy. 

More ideas and details to come!

Ian Gould will be performing for the group at a local pub this evening. Certainly a few local friends will join him. 

This morning we head over to Carrickfergus Castle, a Norman castle built in 1177, situated in the medieval town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of Belfast Lough.

After exploring the castle, those who are brave enough will take their chances on the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. It spans 20 metres and is 30 metres above the rocks below.  

Next we will step out on to one of the most amazing places on the planet; The Giant’s Causeway. The Giants Causeway comprises around 40,000 thousands of mostly hexagonal basalt columns descending gently into the sea. Depending on who you believe, the stones were formed either by an underwater volcano’s geological actions or by a giant named Finn McCool, who lived and battled along the north Antrim Coast.

  Our next stop is the small village of Bushmills, settled on the banks of the Bush River where we will find the Old Bushmills Irish Whiskey Distillery, the oldest working distillery in Ireland. For over 400 years Old Bushmills has kept to the philosophy that hand crafting small batches is the way to produce beautifully smooth tasting Irish whiskey. We’ll enjoy a tour of the distillery along with a sample. We will then board the train in Coleraine to Derry.

 Derry Walls tour and Guildhall, Museum of Free Derry, visit and sampling at St. Brendan’s Irish Cream

More details to come!

In the footsteps of giants...

Flanked by the wild North Atlantic Ocean and a landscape of dramatic cliffs, for centuries the Giant’s Causeway has inspired artists, stirred scientific debate and captured the imagination of all who see it.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway

The Vacation Price Includes: • Economy-class air transportation by scheduled airline service • Transportation by deluxe private motor coach with accompanying Irish Driver/Guide • First class hotel accommodations • Irish breakfast each morning at the hotels, and other meals indicated in the itinerary • Sightseeing as detailed in the Day by Day Itinerary including applicable entrance fees • Luggage handling for one suitcase per person at the hotels • Taxes for included ground services, departure taxes, Customs service charges, and airline security fees • All performances by Ian Gould! The Vacation Price Does Not Include: Items of a personal nature such as passport fees; laundry and cleaning; telephone calls; optional tours and excursions; tips to the Driver/Guide and local guides, tips to hotel and breakfast room staff; luggage handling at airports; personal travel protection; meals other than those stated above, and drinks with meals.  

Discover more about RMS Titanic, uncovering the myths and legends surrounding her story. Dive into the Ship Fact Files for fascinating trivia about many other great ships built in the famous Harland and Wolff shipyard and explore our exclusive Titanic Stories - original pieces of research on the world's most famous ship.

http://titanicbelfast.com/

The Stone Fort of Grianán of Aileach is sits on a hilltop in Inishowen County Donegal. 250m above sea level, the stone fort was probably first built on an earthen rath. The view from Aileach is breathtaking. The glistening waters of Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly are clear, as is the form of the entire peninsula. A windy and exposed place, Grianán has been a silent witness to the history of Ireland.  

https://www.wildatlanticway.com/plan-your-trip/details/grianan-of-aileach

Kylemore Abbey is a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The abbey was founded for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I.

https://www.kylemoreabbey.com/

It takes bold brewers to brew bold beers. In 1759, Arthur Guinness took out a 9000-year lease on a brewery; the brewers then brought you the blackest beer with the most colorful flavor, and braved the perils of the high seas to transport it across the globe.  

https://www.guinness.com