ESCORTED TOURS IRELAND DESTINATIONS
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Leah Mackay, Travel Counsellors “I was blown away by the Irish National Stud. But the best part about the trip was most certainly our tour manager, Will. He was able to answer every question and was so knowledgeable, with a wicked sense of humour. Before going on the Cosmos tour, I’d have said it was mainly for older people, but I was so wrong. It’s perfect for those who have limited time to immerse themselves into the local culture.”
Jade Harris, The Travel House “I loved the Cliffs of Moher and the night at Bunratty Castle. My favourite place had to be Killarney and the Ring of Kerry – I’d never been to Ireland, and this was exactly how I pictured it. A tour was the best way to see what the country had to offer.”
Emily Garlick, The Cruise Village “Taylors Irish Cabaret was amazing! I would recommend anyone visiting Dublin to go to this show. My other highlight was experiencing the medieval lifestyle at Bunratty Castle – eating dinner without a fork is far more difficult than I’d expected.”
w IRELAND IN VIEW An hour’s drive west of here took us to County Kerry’s life and soul, Killarney. Lined with traditional, live-music pubs built into old-world buildings, this atmospheric, tourist-centric town is the gateway to the iconic Ring of Kerry, the 125-mile circular route that meanders along the coast. Driving along a section of its long, empty road gave us movie-set scenes of wild, craggy cliffs on one side and the open sea on the other, mist veiling everything in an eerie and ethereal cloak. Stopping at the Dingle Peninsula – one of the most westerly points in Europe – felt like standing at the edge of the world, with nothing in sight bar a huge stretch of water sprawling out in front like a sheet of silvery glass. A local man stood by the roadside, muttering something in Gaelic to what appeared to be his pet goat – this is Ireland at its most quintessential. Just as enchanting were the
dramatic hills that greeted us as we rolled through Killarney National Park, glimpsing mirror lakes peeping out from deep-cut valleys, and pink rhododendron clinging to green cliffs.
The highlight here was Waterville.
A man by the roadside muttered something in Gaelic to what appeared to be his pet goat – this is quintessential Ireland
ABOVE: Killarney National Park
LEFT: Cliffs of Moher
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l guinness-
storehouse.com/en l irishnational
stud.ie
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blarneycastle.ie l taylorsthree
rock.ie
A favourite holiday spot for Charlie Chaplin in the 1950s, this is a classic seaside town at its best, with wafts of seaweed and salt in the air, cliffs plunging into open sea and a wild and windy beach covered in grey shingles. It’s the type of place you can imagine heaving in the early 1900s, now desolate bar a few stray souls who linger around its remaining cafes and B&Bs. I was thoroughly charmed. It set the expectations high for our penultimate stop, the Cliffs of Moher, but if anywhere could outdo it, it was this place. Scenes from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince were filmed here, and it feels properly fantastical, with dramatic, razor-like ledges jutting out over an expanse of ocean, and stepped walking trails winding along the top taking you to see the best of it. Like much of Ireland, it’s wild, rugged and sparse, weathered by years of erosion and a harsh climate. The pure air filling my lungs and stealthy sea breeze whipping my cheeks left me feeling a little intoxicated – and all without a goblet of mead or a pint of Guinness in sight. Book it: Cosmos’s nine-day Irish Discovery tour starts at £1,148 per person, including flights from Heathrow, private home pick-up, accommodation, transfers, a tour director, some meals and porterage. The itinerary visits Dublin, the Cliffs of Moher, Limerick, Killarney, Adare, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney and the House of Waterford Crystal.
cosmos.co.uk
13 September 2018
travelweekly.co.uk 63
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