In September of l998, we went with the Allen Tours travel group on a trip to Ireland. We took a bus trip each day and toured all of Southern Ireland. We had a wonderful Irish bus driver who was very informative and kept us laughing with his Irish wit and stories. On our 1st day, we toured Bunratty Folk Park, King John's Castle and Limerick City. The 2nd day, we saw the Cliff's of Moher and the Burren Region. The 3rd day, we visited Galway Bay and Connemara where we saw unforgettable land of lakes and mountains. Day 4, we took a jaunting horse ride along a lake to the Muckross House and Gardens, where we enjoyed a guided tour of the Victorian Manor House in a fairy tale setting. Day 5, we took a sighseeing our in Killarney and traveled along the famous Ring of Kerry. We saw the Iveragh Peninsula, the largest of the peninsula's which projects into the Atlantic Ocean. The panorama of the Seacoast and mountain range and the Lakeland vistas is one of the most scenic drives in Europe. Day 6, was spent sightseeing at the Blarney Castle where we saw and kissed the famous blarney stone. We shopped at the Blarney Woolen Mills and toured Cahir Castle. We also saw the process of glass blowing at Tipperary Crystal Factory and saw a wide range of Waterford crystal. On our last day, we visited Dublin, Ireland's capital city. There we toured St. Patricks Cathedral and the beautiful grounds surrounding it. Each night after we returned back to our hotel, we always enjoyed some type of Irish entertainment and dinner, which was included as part of our tour package. The Irish music was simple with sounds of the fiddle, accordion and pipes and the dancers were so very talented. We returned home as weary travelers, but very blessed that we had the opportunity to visit this wonderful "green" country!
Muckross House & Gardens
Galway Bay
Double Rainbows