Day 1

June 24

Wednesday

USA-Ireland. Meet and greet at Kennedy Airport Departure Lounge bar. Introductions for newcomers. Depart USA for overnight flight to Ireland. Dinner, cocktails and in-flight entertainment are served shortly after take-off.

Day 2

June 25

Thursday

Shannon-Cliffs of Moher-Burren-Galway. After clearing customs travelers from New York, Boston and Chicago are united and met by your professional Irish Driver Guide and Hammond Tours Group Escort. Leaving the airport we journey through the lovely Shannon Region past stunning landscapes, Atlantic seascapes, and everywhere the artifacts of Ireland’s ancient history. We travel north through Lahinch stopping at The Cliffs of Moher. These sheer wild walls rise from the Atlantic Ocean to a height of nearly 700 feet and are a sight to behold. Last year on our trek up to O’Brien’s Tower we watched a gentle mist come in from the ocean. Within minutes it had enveloped us and dispatched any traces of jet lag. We then pass through the solitary beauty of the Burren – a craggy bed of limestone dotted with tiny plants and flowers that thrive in the mild winters. We’ll see megalithic tombs, ringforts, souterrains, cairns, holy wells and stone rows. We will make a stop at Lady Gregory’s Estate outside Gort where WB Yeats wrote some of his most beautiful poems. With a bit of luck we will see the Wild Swans of Coole. Then on to the tribal city of Galway. (Kirwans were one of the 12 tribes but everyone feels at home in this bustling town.) .Look out across Galway Bay and see the outlines of the Aran Islands, made famous by the playwright Synge who lived there for long periods, and distilled his experiences into Playboy of the Western World. The adventurous could even take a ferry out to the islands. But don’t miss the last boat back, for the rest of us will be enjoying Galway, one of the most youthful cities of Europe, full of craic, despite its long turbulent history. It boasts many bookstores, pubs, cafes and nightlife. We’ll check in early to the Imperial Hotel, leaving you plenty of time to explore the cobbled streets and take a nap. Later on we’ll rendezvous for a drink in the bar of the Imperial Hotel. Overnight in Galway.

Day 3

June 26

Friday

Galway-Connemara-Cong-Westport-Sligo. After a Full Irish Breakfast we depart early from Galway. We take in the magnificent views of the Connemara region, Ireland’s treasure of wild, natural beauty where Gaelic remains a spoken language. We will make our first stop at Cong and visit Kylemore Abbey, the amazingly scenic and monastic home of the Benedictine Nuns. Then it’s north through County Mayo to Westport which enjoys the designation as one of Ireland’s Heritage Towns. Situated in the shadow of Croagh Patrick, Westport overlooks Clew Bay. One of the few planned towns in the Country, Westport was designed in the 18th Century by James Wyatt. It has become one of Ireland's established tourism centers, with many outstanding features, most notably the beautiful tree lined boulevard known as The Mall, running parallel to the Carrowbeg River. Time permitting we’ll stop at Matt Molloy’s bar for a pint or sandwich. Matt is a longstanding member of The Chieftains. Then on to Yeats country and a visit to the grave of the poet at Drumcliff where one can read his epitaph "Cast a cold eye on Life, on Death. Horseman pass by”. Our final stop is historic Sligo town, where Yeats spent much of his childhood. Overnight in Sligo

Day 4

June 27

Saturday

Sligo-Dublin. After a full Irish Breakfast we travel through The Irish Midlands. Our journey takes us across the” broad majestic Shannon” at Athlone through Longford & Mullingar with stops along the route. We arrive in Dublin in time for a full afternoon of shopping and sightseeing. Those who wish can be dropped at Kilmainham Jail where Padraig Pearse, Sean McDermott, James Connolly and Robert Emmet were executed and many others such as Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Davitt and Eamonn DeValera were incarcerated. Make your own way by taxi to the Trinity Capital Hotel or stay on the bus and check in first, then visit Kilmainham, Trinity College (The Book of Kells), and the many pubs, museums and other areas of interest in downtown Dublin. Take in a play at the Abbey Theatre. To book seats go to www.abbeytheatre.com Or join me for drinks at some at some well known hostelry. Overnight Trinity Capital Hotel. Dinner is on your own.

Day 5

June 28

Sunday

Dublin-Wexford. This morning, stay in bed late for a well-earned rest, explore the lovely gated parks like St. Stephen’s Green and Merrion Square, or stroll down the banks of the Grand Canal where Patrick Kavanagh wrote Ragland Road and I met Bridie (see Page 60, Green Suede Shoes). Depart Dublin and pass south into glorious, mountainy County Wicklow through the wooded Glen of the Downs. On then to County Wexford, past brooding Enniscorthy, scene of the Battle of Vinegar Hill to my hometown. Wexford was originally a walled town; the streets positively breathe history. Henry II did penance in Selskar Abbey for the murder of St. Thomas aBeckett. Oliver Cromwell slaughtered women and children in the Bull Ring after a traitor opened the West Gate. Visit the Church of St. Ibar’s on the Main Street where The Duke of Wellington was married before defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Have a pint with Mr. Joss Kielty, the proprietor of Mary’s Pub, one of the last of its kind in Ireland – bring your cameras. I will perform at the Arts Center (formerly the Town Hall where I began my musical career as a teenager playing in showbands). Meet many of my old friends and family and join us afterwards for a party in Mary’s Pub. Overnight and dinner at The Talbot.

Day 6

June 29

Monday

Wexford-Clonakilty-Killarney. A tearful farewell, then we head west for a tour of the beautiful South Wexford coastline past Loftus Hall where the devil appeared during a card game and on to fabled Hook Head which sports one of the oldest working lighthouses in the world. At New Ross we cross the Barrow River into Co. Kilkenny. On then to Waterford City (home of the crystal) which Strongbow’s Normans burned in 1169 and where he married Eva, daughter of the King of Leinster, amidst the flames and carnage. We pass under the shadow of the Comeragh Mountains and into Youghal – whose harbor is renowned for a skinny dip by some members of the Black 47 entourage in ‘03, and on through Cork City (home of Rory Gallagher). Now we head into one of my favorite parts of Ireland, Rebel West Cork where we stop at Clonakilty for a couple of pints in DeBarra’s Public House (Noel Redding of The Jimi Hendrix Experience was leader of the house band for many years) or a visit to The West Cork Regional Museum (aka The Michael Collins Museum). Collins was born nearby and I wrote Big Fellah in this beautiful town. You don’t have to be a mystic to feel Collins’ unquiet presence all over this turbulent land. We then head north through some wonderful scenery over the Derrynasaggart Mountains to Killarney for overnight at the Killarney Avenue Hotel and a farewell party we call The American Wake. Killarney is an excellent town for shopping and stores remain open late.

Day 7

June 30

Tuesday

Killarney-Shannon-USA. After a hearty Irish breakfast, we travel north to Shannon Airport where you have ample time for some last minute duty-free shopping before boarding your flight home. Remember this is merely a sketch of what you’ll see and do. There’s always an adventure waiting around the corner in Ireland. But one thing we can guarantee you is that this trip will rejuvenate you and leave you with many warm memories and newfound friends. You’ll never feel quite the same again. Visit www.black47.com (Forum) and speak to the happy veterans of other trips. See you at Kennedy Airport!!!