Megan Allen Tour - Itinerary 2014 Fri, May 2 U.S. TO DUBLIN Depart BWI (AA-3026 at 3:00 pm). Arrive JFK at 4:20 pm. Depart JFK (EI-108 at 9:15 pm). Overnight flight. Sat, May 3 DUBLIN ARRIVAL & STROKESTOWN HOUSE Arrive DUB at 8:55 am. Complete customs and immigration. The CIE Tours driver/guide welcomes and escorts you to the coach. Stop at The Coachmans Inn in the town of Roscommon for an Irish-style breakfast. Drive to Strokestown to visit the Strokestown Park House (17th century mansion). See the lifestyle of the affluent owners, the servants and farmers, during the 1840s Famine. The Museum of the Famine documents the conditions during that period. Check into the hotel. Some free time before dinner. Group dinner in the hotel restaurant. Go to bed early. OVERNIGHT: HARVEY'S POINT HOTEL, DONEGAL Sun, May 4 DONEGAL AT LEISURE The entire day is free. Group dinner in the hotel restaurant. OVERNIGHT: HARVEY'S POINT HOTEL, DONEGAL Mon, May 5 GALWAY PANORAMIC Drive to Galway and tour the principal sights, and to the large modern cathedral on an island on the River Corrib. See the Spanish Arch in the Claddagh area (formerly a fishing village), the City Museum, National University of Galway and the Cathedral of Our Lady. Drive thru the countryside to Lahinch. Check into the hotel. The afternoon and evening are free. OVERNIGHT: LAHINCH GOLF & LEISURE CLUB, LAHINCH Tue, May 6 FOYNES MUSEUM & DINGLE Drive to the coast of Clare to see the Cliffs of Moher (700 ft rock wall rising from Atlantic). (Alter: Golfers may play a round.) Return to Lahinch (pick-up golfers) and take a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary to Tarbert. Drive east to the town of Foynes and Foynes Flying Boat Museum. The port of Foynes was the air hub between the U.S. and Europe, during the '30s and early '40s. Group served Irish coffee. From Foynes, drive south into the mountainous county Kerry and out along the Dingle Peninsula to reach Dingle town. Check into the hotel. Some free time before dinner. Group dinner at The South Pole Inn. OVERNIGHT: DINGLE SKELLIG HOTEL, DINGLE Wed, May 7 DINGLE PENINSULA TOUR & DINGLE BREWERY Drive along the Dingle Peninsula south shore and view heathery mountains, sandy beaches and rocky headlands. Frequent photo stops. At the base of Conor Pass, stop at Dingle Brewing company for plant tour and lager sample. Drive to the peninsula western tip, where the scenery becomes wilder with the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Drive past early Christian monastic beehive huts and small fishing villages. Return to Dingle. Dine on your own. OVERNIGHT: DINGLE SKELLIG HOTEL, DINGLE Thu, May 8 BANTRY BAY & KINSALE Depart Dingle. Drive thru the mountains to Glengarriff and Bantry Bay, where a mild climate allows sub-tropical vegetation to thrive. Continue along the coast thru fishing towns to Kinsale (popular yachting center). Check into the hotel. Free time to explore the scenery and pubs. Group dinner at the White House Restaurant in Kinsale. OVERNIGHT: ACTONS HOTEL, KINSALE Fri, May 9 GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE Visit The Kinsale Garden of Remembrance, established by Kinsale lady, Kathleen Cait Murphy (30 years a nurse in NYC). She established a 9/11 memorial at Ringfinnan, Kinsale, with a tree for each of the 343 firemen and their chaplain. Stop at Ringaskiddy, a village on the western tip of Cork Harbour. Return to the hotel. The afternoon and evening are free. OVERNIGHT: ACTONS HOTEL, KINSALE Sat, May 10 DUBLIN Depart Kinsale. Drive northeast via the outskirts of Cork city and thru the midland region (area of farms and marketing towns). Drive thru the towns of Portlaoise and Kildare and into metro Dublin. Check into the hotel. The afternoon and evening are free. OVERNIGHT: ASHLING HOTEL, DUBLIN Sun, May 11 DUBLIN TO THE U.S. Transfer to Dublin Airport. Check-in, clear security and claim any VAT refund. Last minute shopping at the duty free stores. Depart DUB (EI-105 at 10:45 am). Arrive JFK at 1:15 pm. Then, depart JFK (AA-3044 at 4:29 pm). Arrive BWI at 5:49 pm. Drive home.