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Irish Central Heritage Tour of Ireland is announced - POLL

Join us in May for a six day trip of a lifetime to the Emerald Isle

JANE WALSH,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, November 14, 2011, 7:18 AM

Updated Monday, November 14, 2011, 10:56 AM

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19 Comments

Fortress of the ancient Celtic kings - the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary

Photo by Getty

IrishCentral.com Poll

Irish Central is proud to announce its first annual tour of Ireland departing May 23 2012.

It will be a six nights seven days trip of a lifetime back to the Emerald Isle in conjunction with Tourism Ireland and CIE Tours (click here for details).

Land prices start at $1568 dollars for the tour with air fare included starting at $2100. The tour will depart on May 23rd with another tour planned for October . There is a $100 discount per couple for those who book before November 30th.

The tour will also be the beginning of the launch of the IrishCentral travel club which will feature a range of travel activities in the coming months and years as well as discounts, special offers and newsletters.

“We are very excited to bring our readers with us to Ireland said Niall O’Dowd, Founder of Irish Central.

There has been an incredible interest in travel to Ireland among readers to the site and we are looking forward to sharing this unique experience with them.”

A special treat will be an Irish central get together and Irish storytellers night as part of the trip.

He pointed out that an online survey of Irishcentral readers showed that a whopping 92 per cent of the 1,000 surveyed expressed a wish to visit Ireland either for the first time or to go again.

“Ireland clearly has a special place in the hearts of our readers and we want to bring them together on the experience of a lifetime in May next year,”he said.

He pointed out the highlights of the first trip as:

- Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
- Killarney
- Dublin
- Waterford Crystal visit
- Merry Ploughboy Pub Dinner & Show
- Cliffs of Moher
- Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens
- Foynes Flying Boat Museum & Irish Coffee
- "IrishCentral's Storyteller Night"

For more information click here or call us on 1 866 553 1447.

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19 Comments

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trancekimba | Jan 16, 2013, 10:56 AM EST

I have wanted to come to Ireland since I was small. I heard stories of Ireland from my gram but she was gone from my life way to soon. I am thinking of a bed and breakfast because I really want the true Ireland not the places that want to sell you something just to say you have been to Ireland. The only thing I worry about is renting a car and going our own. I know someday I will come over and I hope it is soon while I can still climb up to places to see the sunrise and to go to the villages and talk to the locals.

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billie061 | Dec 02, 2011, 10:53 PM EST

P.S if anyone ever wants to come over indepentant especally for the first time I would gladly escort them around and show them the real ireland. We have a beautiful resort In Blessington overlooking the lakes very reasonably priced and its an ideal base from Dublin and other counties.

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billie061 | Dec 02, 2011, 10:44 PM EST

I was a tour rep with globus some years back, 48 of my clients got stranded on 9/11 they were due to go home the next day. They had to stay on an extra week, I moved into the hotel with them for that week to look after them, I organised trips and nights out but in the real Dublin not organised crap, they were a group of women average age 65 plus. I brought them one night up to the Sithfield area to a famous trad pub, very working class area, they heard some kids talking and wanted to know what accent was it It was the true Dublin accent. They were shocked as they had'nt heard a real Dublin accent. I had rang the pub before we left as a friend of Dads owned it he organised a gang of trad players and food, they loved it when the coach came at closing, we found it difficult to get them to leave. I brought them to my home town of Blessington and they were stunned when they saw our lakes and scenery. They actually said they had a better week then on the tour the week before. they were a very happy bunch of Ladies despite 9/11 and thank God none of them lost anyone . but my point been those whistle stop tours are a nightmare.

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exarans | Nov 29, 2011, 04:34 PM EST

We agree with KerryLKing.Then we are open and perhaps want to expand the tour on our own.

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Searlit | Nov 17, 2011, 11:50 AM EST

If I could get off the bus and stay in Lisdoonvarna, I would go.

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KerryLKing | Nov 14, 2011, 08:24 PM EST

I own an agency & have traveled to Ireland 10 times in the past 6 years. This is an OK tour, but only for "1st time" visitors. Suggestion: If doing another in October, why not doing that as a "more specialized tour" with more indepth travel experiences. As an Ireland Specialist, I've escorted both types of tours and believe you will get a better turn-out from doing these as 2 separate tour destination types. I myself "did the touristy stops" the 1st time there....but since then I've done such incredibly "indepth travel" that I've found places that even some of the Irish locals had no idea that the places existed in Ireland. Now that's my idea of travel...getting to know the land and it's people!!! If you are in need of assitance, please feel free to contact me via your site & I'll forward my company info to you.

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mamaginnty | Nov 14, 2011, 07:56 PM EST

If doing these tours then they should stay of the motor ways instead of going from one tourist trap to another. The people will never know Ireland unless they travel through the villages and towns.

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Harliemt | Nov 14, 2011, 06:30 PM EST

The whole tour is far to commercial and not historic. I have been over to Ireland each year for the last 21 years. Any big city in the US has an Irish pub some even have Medievil banquets. Waterford crystal can be seen at Macy's. What about Connamara, Kylemore Abbey and of course don't miss Kinsale and the Burrens.

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Niall O'Dowd | Nov 14, 2011, 03:37 PM EST

Thanks for the comments.We had to start with a particular tour but will hope to greatly expand the choices in the future

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S.Connolly | Nov 14, 2011, 02:57 PM EST

I've been to the Holy land b4 with the exact tour from CIE. Great tour company but JMJ, I want to see Tara's Circle, the Stones, Druid ruins, Fairy bushes, New Grange, Howth, the ancient important sites that tell the real Irish history. The other thing, staying at a 5 star hotel is great along with the food but spending only 1 night at every stop putting out the luggage at 6:30 AM every day becomes hell. This is a good trip if your healthy and young enough for the it all. If you put together a trip with the above sites in it...count on me! Slan.

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TiocfaidhArmani | Nov 14, 2011, 01:14 PM EST

I’m Irish and think your list of events is very good including the pub (Merry Ploughboy), it’ll be a good traditional night with a lot of craic agus ceol so good choice although you’ll be criticised for that of course. You’re always going to get “how come you’re not including this and that in the tour” but overall that’s a good selection to fit into a week with a good variety. Just please while in Dublin do something like the 1916 walking tour or Kilmainham Jail and let them see a bit of history about the people who died for Ireland. Just a recommendation but good selection and for a week that’s fitting in a lot. Maybe next time include Belfast for stuff about the Titantic and the murals. Just a suggestion but enjoy the trip folks :)

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JerryLynch | Nov 14, 2011, 12:55 PM EST

You picture "The Rock of Cashel," but it's not listed on the tour? I don't know that I'd call "Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet," "Merry Ploughboy Pub Dinner & Show" and "IrishCentral's Storyteller Night" classic examples of Irish heritage?

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kilkenny999 | Nov 14, 2011, 12:30 PM EST

not a proper tour if you miss out the historic fishing port of howth in north dublin. its where the vikings first landed in ireland,and the seeds of an irish republic were sown.

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orderofchaos | Nov 14, 2011, 12:17 PM EST

I'd love for a future tour to include NI.

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oonafitz | Nov 14, 2011, 12:16 PM EST

Interesting poll. No option for No, it's not what I'm interested in.

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