Tour Overview

‘Excellent’

Your tour begins in Dublin where we pay a visit to the National Museum of Decorative Arts. Here you can catch a glimpse of how Irish people in the past lived through their clothing and textiles. The next day in Dublin we will have a ‘knitting with wire’ workshop and you will be introduced to Tunisian crochet with one of our expert designers. Leaving Dublin, we will head for Connemara in the West of Ireland. Connemara is characterised by coastal coves and bays, fishing villages and by its vast expanse of mountainous scenery. Before we leave Galway we will enjoy a knitting workshop with Anne O’Maille of Ó'Máilles of Galway. Established in 1938, this shop became famous in the 1950s for outfitting the entire cast of the film The Quiet Man. The next two days of your trip will be spent on Inis Oirr (Inisheer), one of the famous Aran Islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay. You will enjoy knitting and dyeing workshops and learn the traditional methods and stitches the Aran Island way! Your time on the islands will include sightseeing and even a bit of Irish music and dance! The next part of the tour takes place in the south of Ireland where we visit the famous Ring of Kerry with its stunning ocean vistas and we will enjoy a knitting workshop with Carol Feller and Liz Spillane. Return to Dublin via the famous Blarney Castle where legend has it if you kiss the stone you will never be lost for words and have as the Irish say, ‘the gift of the gab’!

Departure Dates

  • 18th September 2023
  • 15th April 2024
  • 16th September 2024

What's included

  • Transfers on arrival and departure by private coach (for arrivals prior to 10.30am on tour start date and departures on tour end date)
  • Sightseeing as per itinerary in a luxury coach with an experienced driver and licensed guide
  • Accommodation in rooms with private facilities for 10 nights
  • Irish breakfast daily
  • 5 hotel table d’hote dinners
  • 4 sit down lunches
  • 1 farewell meal in a Dublin restaurant
  • Entrance to the following attractions: National Museum of Decorative Arts and History, Christ Church Cathedral, Kylemore Abbey, Glen Keen Sheep Farm, The Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle
  • Ferry to Inis Oírr, Aran Islands
  • Inis Oírr guided tour
  • Aran Island baking & butter making demonstration
  • Ring of Kerry guided tour
  • Connemara guided tour

Workshops/Knitting Activities Included in This Tour:

  • Knitting with wire workshop with Pauline Gallagher
  • Knitting workshop with Anne O’Maille in Galway
  • Aran Island knitting workshop with Una McDonagh
  • Aran Island spinning & dyeing workshop
  • Knitting class with Carol Feller in Killarney
  • Traditional knitting with Liz Spillane
  • Basket weaving demonstration with Ciaran Hogan
  • Kerry Woollen Mills tour
  • Hedgehog Fibres Studio
  • Important Note: Attractions, Workshops and Demonstrations May Change According to Availability and Scheduling 

Tour highlights

  • Cobh Heritage Centre
  • Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms
  • Titanic Walk
  • Bantry House & Gardens
  • Blasket Centre
  • Crag Cave & Kingdom Falconry
  • Desmond Castle & Wine Museum
  • Kinsale
  • Mizen Head Signal Station
  • Molly Gallivans Cottage & Farm
  • Skellig Experience
  • Garnish Island
  • Blarney Castle
  • Hunt Museum
  • Limerick
  • King Johns Castle
  • Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms

Overnights for this tour

  • Dublin 2 Nights (Camden Court Hotel (or similar)
  • Galway 3 Nights (Galway Bay Hotel or similar)
  • Inis Oirr, Galway 2 Nights (Quality en-suite B&B on Inis Oírr)
  • Killarney 2 Nights (Lake View)

Accommodation options

  • Optional pre-night packages available should you wish to spend a night or two extra in Dublin before the tour starts. Please see pricing section for details.

Tour itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Shannon

Arrive Shannon Airport and meet with your experienced Irish driver/guide. All of the drivers we use are qualified guides and have great personalities that really will make your trip unforgettable. Drive the short distance to Vandeleur Walled Gardens. The beautiful old stone walls contain this sheltered garden (2.158 acres), which is set among 420 acres of native woodland. After the visit, take the short ferry crossing over the River Shannon into County Kerry and travel to the Heritage town of Listowel stopping to visit The Garden of Europe which also houses Ireland's only public monument to the memory of the millions who died in the Holocaust. Continue on to Killarney, Ireland’s premier tourist resort. After checking into your hotel, take a stroll through the town centre, visit Killarney National Park and Muckross House or take a boat ride around one of its lakes. Overnight Killarney DBB

Day 2 - Ring of Kerry

After breakfast, travel around the famed Ring of Kerry towards Kilorglin and Cahirciveen stopping at Kells Bay Gardens. The gardens contain one of the foremost collections of Southern hemisphere plants, mainly from Australia, New Zealand and South America. Leaving Kells Bay Gardens, we head for Valentia Island and Glanleam, an 18th century house with 50 acres of superb tropical gardens, most of which are now dense woodlands. The wonderful setting with a beach, a lighthouse and acres of green fields surrounding the house, make it perfect to soothe body and soul. Continue around the 100 mile scenic route passing through the colourful village of Sneem and pause at Moll's Gap to view the Three Lakes of Killarney. Overnight Killarney DBB

Day 3 - Bantry House & Gardens

This morning, we head south on a picturesque drive to Bantry, stopping at Bantry House And Gardens. The house has a collection of tapestries, furniture and art treasures which were mainly collected by the 2nd Earl of Bantry, Richard White, during his travels through Europe in the 1800s. The Gardens are home to sub tropical plants and shrubs - reflecting the best in European design and style. Features within the 45 acre grounds are the Hundred Steps, the Italian Garden and the largest Wisteria circle in Ireland. Continue on eastwards to Lisselan Gardens, designed in the 1800s and laid out in Robinsonian style, enhancing the natural features and contours provided by the valley and the river Argideen flowing throughout. This garden provides visitors with magnificent seasonal colours and has 12ha of gardens and woodlands with a variety of plants, trees, shrubs and flowers that flourish in this mild Gulf Stream enhanced climate. Travel back to Killarney via Blarney, to visit the famous castle and stone which, according to legend, gives the gift of eloquence to all who kiss it. Enjoy a stroll around the village green or visit Blarney Woollen Mills which houses quality Irish made goods. Overnight Killarney DBB

Day 4 - Depart Shannon

After breakfast, make our way back to Shannon Airport via Adare, known as the prettiest village in Ireland. Adare is lined with stone thatch cottages, some of which are craft & art shops, and contains two Abbeys and a Priory which date back to 13th century. Continue to Shannon Airport via Limerick and Bunratty Castle where a short stop will be made for any last minute shopping. Arrive at Shannon Airport in time to check in for your flight home.

Route map

 

Tour attractions

Tour Prices

  • Non-Knitter Partners & Friend

Do you have a partner or friend that doesn't knit? They are welcome to come along, ask our sales representatives about our non-knitter discount!

10 Night Southern Ireland Knitting Tour with the Aran Islands

Notes

Pre Tour Arrangements (Optional/Additional): 

Package A

  • 2 x Pre-Nights at Camden Court (or similar)
  • Arrival Transfer
  • 2 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Ticket
  • Per person sharing one room - €375
  • Supplement if single room is required - €125

Package B

  • 1 x Pre-Night at Camden Court (or similar)
  • Arrival Transfer
  • 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Ticket
  • Per person sharing one room - € 233
  • Supplement if single room is required - €68

Prices in other currencies are indicative only. Please note that we charge in Euro.

Detailed Enquiry Form

Please enter your vacation requirements in the form below. If your enquiry requires a more immediate response, please use the Tollfree & International numbers as listed down the page.

For customers based in North America, please note that as we are based in Ireland, we are 5 hours ahead of EST.

Detailed enquiry form

Please enter your name
Please enter a valid email address

Party details

Preferred Accommodation

Accommodation Types (you can select more than one option)


Leave this field empty

Let us show you the magic of Ireland

See what people say about the vacations we plan

Let us show you the magic of Ireland

See what people say about the vacations we plan

  • Member of