10 Night Aran Islands, Donegal & Causeway Coast Knitting Tour

Begin your knitting tour of Ireland with a transfer from Dublin Airport to your hotel (for arrivals prior to 10:30am on start day of tour or pre-night packages). Meet with your guide and fellow travellers for an introduction and embark on your first part of the tour with a visit to the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History. Discover how Irish people lived in the past as you wander the recreated rooms showing typical furniture styles from the 17th century right through to high styles of the 19th century. The textile exhibition may be of special interest where ‘The Way We Wore’ section displays typical Irish clothing and jewellery from 1760s onwards. Our next stop is at Christ Church Cathedral for a guided tour of one of Dublin’s oldest operational buildings – over 1000 years old! The remainder of the day will be free for you to relax and refresh before your welcome dinner at your hotel. Overnight in Dublin, Dinner and Bed & Breakfast included.

First thing today we pay a visit to ‘This is Knit’, one of Dublin’s famous yarn stores for an informative talk on the developments in the Irish hand knitting scene over the years as well as a two hour ‘Moebius Knitting’ workshop on the stunning ‘Glenties Cowl’ pattern, designed by Lisa Sisk.  For this workshop you will be using Soft Donegal yarn from Studio Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. After your workshop we will stop at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse for a guided tour. This museum discusses the history of Ireland's most famous export, through various interactive exhibition areas including ingredients, brewing, transport, cooperage, advertising and sponsorship. This evening dinner is not included so that you can sample one of Dublin’s many restaurants and bars at your leisure. Overnight Dublin, Bed & Breakfast Basis

After breakfast, it’s on to the coach again to travel to Tullamore D.E.W. Heritage Centre where you will discover how Daniel E. Williams went from stable boy to distillery manager, creating the whiskey which still bears his initials today.  We will enjoy lunch here before continuing to Rossaveal in County Galway for the ferry to Inis Mór (also spelled Inishmore), the largest of the three Aran Islands. On arrival, we will meet with some Aran Island locals for an introduction to Aran life which will pay special attention to the history of Dun Aonghasa in preparation for your visit the next day. Dinner will be served at the hotel accompanied by your hosts.  After dinner, enjoy a quick traditional Irish dancing lesson or if your tired feet are not up to the task, you can watch the instructor demonstrate some simple steps! Overnight Inis Mor (Inishmore), Dinner Bed & Breakfast Basis

This morning, enjoy a knitting workshop where you will learn the traditional methods and stitches the way the Aran Islanders do it!  Then it’s off for a tour of Inis Mór with your local guide. The island is littered with more than 50 different monuments of Christian and pre Christian origin and you will pay a visit to the impressive cliff top fort of Dún Aonghasa. This historic fort consists of three terraced walls surrounding an inner enclosure, a platform on the edge of a three-hundred-foot high cliff. Please note that the walk to the fort is up a sharp incline and suitable footwear should be worn and is not recommended for those who may have walking difficulties. The views from Dún Aonghasa are breathtakingly spectacular. On your tour you will also visit some of the local knitwear shops on the island and enjoy a delicious meal at Teach Nan Phaidi! Overnight Inis Mor (Inishmore), Dinner Bed & Breakfast Basis

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.

After collecting your rental car, your Irish Tourism itinerary will direct you as far as Kilkenny where your vacation begins. Often referred to as ‘Ireland’s Medieval Capital’ Kilkenny has a varied collection of pubs for you to enjoy, some are tranquil sanctuaries to engage in pleasant conversations and others are contemporary hot-spots well known for late night sessions. On route to Kilkenny from Dublin there are a number of places that you might wish to stop. The National Stud & Japanese Gardens for example has been a stop for many the horse enthusiast since the early 1900’s. Here you will find a museum detailing the history of the horse in Ireland, the stud farm itself where race horses are conceived, born and raised and the magnificent Japanese Gardens, regarded by many the seasoned traveller as the finest of their kind in Europe. Characterised by superbly renovated old buildings, Kilkenny City is small and compact enough to explore on foot, yet full of interesting sites to see. You might visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century castle renovated in Victorian times or Saint Canice's Cathedral with its neighbouring round tower which is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny. The round tower may be climbed by visitors who wish to gaze over Kilkenny’s interesting and varied scenery from above.