Tour
August 23-27, 2026
Please meet in the Clontarf Castle Hotel lobby at 10am on Sunday so our driver, Dermott, can start loading up. We will aim to leave around 10:30am.
EachtraJoin us for a 5-day, private bus tour of Ireland after the celebrations.
Itinerary
Five days from Dublin to the Atlantic coast — Galway and Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, then the lakes and mountain passes of Kerry, before winding back to Dublin.
- 1
Sun, Aug 23 · 10:30/11am
Pickup at Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin — then west to Galway
- 2
Aug 23–24 · 2 nights
County Galway — Salthill Hotel, on the seafront promenade
- 3
Mon, Aug 24 · open day
Aran Islands, or Connemara & Kylemore Abbey
- 4
Tue, Aug 25 · en route
Cliffs of Moher & the Burren
- 5
Tue, Aug 25 · en route
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
- 6
Aug 25–26 · 2 nights
County Kerry — Scotts Hotel, Killarney town centre
- 7
Wed, Aug 26 · open day
Ring of Kerry, or the Dingle Peninsula
Thu, Aug 27 — scenic drive back to Dublin for drop-off (location TBC).
Where we’re staying
Galway, Salthill Hotel
Nights 1–2 (Aug 23–24)
Our Galway base sits right on the Salthill promenade, looking out over Galway Bay, with sea-view rooms and a full Irish breakfast each morning. It’s a relaxed seaside spot, and Galway City’s medieval Latin Quarter is only minutes away on foot along the prom, or a quick taxi/bus.
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Right outside: stroll or run the Salthill Promenade — Ireland’s longest — and follow the local tradition of “kicking the wall” at the far end. The national aquarium, Galway Atlantaquaria, is on the prom, with sandy swimming spots along the bay.
In the city (minutes away): the Latin Quarter, the Spanish Arch, Galway City Museum, Galway Cathedral, and Eyre Square.
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In Salthill (near the hotel) — BlackCat Bistro, a well-liked neighborhood spot
Latin Quarter classics — McDonagh’s for legendary fish & chips, Cava Bodega for Spanish tapas, and Ard Bia at Nimmo’s for a lovely riverside room by the Spanish Arch. The Pie Maker is a cosy, fun stop.
A special dinner — Aniar, Galway’s Michelin-starred restaurant (book well ahead).
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Right in Salthill, O’Connor’s Bar is a one-of-a-kind spot crammed with Irish memorabilia, with trad by the fireplace most nights. In the city, Tig Cóilí (two sessions a day, no TVs — just tunes) and Taaffes (sessions around 5pm and 9pm) are Latin Quarter institutions, while across the river in the West End, The Crane Bar (upstairs listening room, music nightly) and Monroe’s Tavern (trad seven nights) are the local favourites.
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Galway’s cobbled Quay Street, High Street and Shop Street are lined with independents. Highlights: Thomas Dillon’s Claddagh Gold (the original maker of the Claddagh ring, with a tiny free museum), the Kilkenny Shop and Galway Woollen Market for knits, and Judy Greene Pottery for Irish ceramics.
Killarney, Scotts Hotel
Nights 3–4 (Aug 25–26)
Our Kerry base is right in the middle of Killarney town, so the restaurants, pubs, and shops are all on the doorstep — and Killarney National Park begins just a short walk away. Full Irish breakfast each morning.
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Right nearby: Killarney National Park — Ross Castle, Muckross House & Gardens, Torc Waterfall and the lakes, with jaunting-car (pony-and-trap) rides from town. St Mary’s Cathedral is a pretty walk, and the town’s trad-music pubs are steps from the door.
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Cronin's — a family-run favourite for local Irish cooking (ask about the shepherd's pie).
Quinlan's Seafood Bar — fresh Kerry seafood.
Bricín — traditional boxty, a Kerry potato specialty.
Murphy's and the Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder — hearty food and a good pint or dram.
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The Danny Mann, O’Connor’s Traditional Pub (High Street) and Courtney’s are dependable for trad sessions; The Killarney Grand has music nightly with Irish dancing on Wednesdays; and J.M. Reidy’s — a former sweet shop full of character — is great for a lively night. Everything’s within a short walk of the hotel.
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Killarney town is full of Irish-craft and woollen shops — Quills Woollen Market (trading since 1938) and the Aran Sweater Market for authentic knitwear and tweeds, Christy’s Irish Stores for gifts, and Serendipity Irish Crafts on College Street for handmade pieces. For brand-name bargains, the Killarney Outlet Centre is a short walk. If the group visits Muckross House, the Muckross Craft Centre next door has a resident weaver and potter.
Travel information
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Pickup is from Clontarf Castle Hotel on the morning of August 23rd at 10:30/11am. We finish with a drop-off in central Dublin (location TBC) on August 27th. Please plan your travel around those two points.
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Pack for four seasons in one day: layers, a proper waterproof rain jacket, and comfortable walking shoes — the cliffs, forts, and island walks mean uneven ground. We only change hotels once (Galway, then Killarney), so no daily repacking — but keep a small daypack handy for water, snacks, a camera, and your rain shell on out-days.
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Either works — just sort it before you fly.
eSIM (cheapest, ~$5–8): buy and install at home on wifi; it activates when you land. Airalo is the easy budget pick — a 5GB plan covers the trip, 10GB if you'll lean on hotspot or video. Holafly is unlimited-by-the-day if you'd rather not track data at all. Your phone needs to be unlocked and eSIM-capable (iPhone XS or newer, most recent Androids).
US carrier day pass (zero setup, ~$10/day): Verizon TravelPass and AT&T International Day Pass are one toggle — pricier over five days, but nothing to install. Some T-Mobile plans already include international data, so check yours; you may be set.
One eSIM covers both the Republic and Northern Ireland with no roaming between them (not needed for this route, but good to know).
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When you land, we recommend using an ATM in the Arrivals / baggage hall — there’s one in both terminals, and they don’t charge a withdrawal fee. Skip the currency-exchange desks; their rates are poor, and you can’t easily swap dollars for euros anywhere in Ireland, so there’s no point arriving with cash to exchange.
The one rule that matters: when the ATM — or any card terminal in a shop or pub — asks whether to charge you in dollars or euros, always choose euros. Picking dollars (“charge in your home currency?”) triggers a bad convenience exchange rate.
You won’t need much. Tap-to-pay works almost everywhere, so €50–100 per person covers pubs, tips, and the odd cash-only spot for the whole trip. Tell your bank you’re traveling before you go, and use a card with no foreign-transaction fee if you have one.
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Sockets are Type G (three rectangular pins), 230V so bring a UK/Ireland adapter.
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Ireland is a bit different from home: Uber works, but it only dispatches regular licensed taxis — there's no private-driver UberX, and the fare is the same NTA-regulated meter rate as any cab, plus a small booking fee. Most locals use FREE NOW (the most drivers) or Bolt (often the lowest booking fee); both are on iOS and Android, and every driver is licensed and Garda-vetted.
In Dublin and Galway, taxis are plentiful — hail one, use a rank, or book in an app. In Killarney and out on the peninsulas, cabs are scarcer, so pre-book or phone a local company rather than expecting one to appear in the app, especially late at night. Taxis take card or cash.
For our trip the coach covers the touring days, so you'll mainly want a taxi for evenings out and for getting to Clontarf Castle Hotel the night before pickup.
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WhatsApp seems to work best for overseas communication. We recommend you download the app and set up an account before leaving the US. We’ve created a WhatsApp group for important communications while we’re on the tour: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FQcEEa9rpXpD501dHQX1Xr?s=sh&p=i&mlu=4
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At the Cliffs of Moher, stay inside the official visitor area and on the paved paths; the coastal edges are unstable and unfenced. If the group picks the Aran Islands on Aug 24, the ferry crossing can get choppy — pack motion-sickness tablets just in case.
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It's customary to tip the driver-guide at the end of the trip if you've enjoyed it. A group whip-round is the easiest way to handle it.