Delights of Donegal, Ireland

Day 1

We travel to South Wales making suitable stops along the way. We board the ferry from Pembroke to Rosslare (approx. 4 hours) and then travel a short distance to our hotel, the Talbot in Wexford. Time to freshen up before our evening meal.

Day 2

Avoca, Bray and Bundoran, County Donegal
After breakfast we travel along the east coastal route to Avoca, the filming location for ‘Ballykissangel’ and home to Avoca Handweavers, Ireland’s oldest weaving mill. We continue our journey alongside the Wicklow Mountains National Park via Wicklow to Bray for our lunch stop. Bray is known as the ‘Gateway to the Garden of Ireland’ and is the longest established seaside town in Ireland. We then head for the beautifully located Lakeside Manor Hotel on the shores of Loch Ramor for our afternoon refreshment stop before continuing to our hotel, the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran with fantastic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Time to freshen up before our evening meal.

Day 3

Slieve League Cliffs & Glencolmcille Folk Village
This morning we visit the highest marine cliffs in Europe, the towering Slieve League Cliffs, standing a staggering 609m high above the Atlantic Ocean. From the cliffs’ visitor centre, we board a minibus for a guided tour of the cliffs, where we will gain ani nsight into the local wildlife and spectacular geography of the area. This afternoon, we make our way to Glencolmcille Folk Village where we step back in time and take a self-guided tour exploring the replica thatched roof cottages and dwellings of a rural Irish village.

Day 4

Belleek Pottery & Donegal Bay Cruise
Today, we make the short journey to Belleek Pottery, where we enjoy a guided tour of Ireland’s oldest pottery producer, experiencing all the production areas with the chance to chat with the craftspeople along the way. We have free time for lunch in Donegal before embarking on a cruise of Donegal Bay (subject to tidal timings). We enjoy full commentary of the points of interest along the way with an onboard sing-a-long musical cabaret on the return leg of our journey!

Day 5

Wild Atlantic Way Drive, Rosses Point & Sligo
Our day starts with a fabulous scenic drive, taking in parts of the Wild Atlantic Way as we travel south past Mullaghmore to the picturesque Rosses Point. Here, we meet our guide outside Harry’s Bar and enjoy a one hour walking tour, discovering the history of the area’s coastal heritage while we admire the gorgeous backdrop of the Wild Atlantic Way. This afternoon, we travel to Sligo where we have time for lunch and to explore at leisure. We follow in the footsteps of the poet Yeats and visit the sights and scenes that inspired him. Attractions include the Sligo County Museum & Art Gallery, Yeats Society Memorial Building and Sligo Abbey.

Day 6

Bundoran to Wexford
After breakfast we head to the pretty town of Athlone, perched on the banks of Ireland’s longest river, the Shannon. Spend time at leisure discovering this town which is also home to Sean’s Bar - Ireland’s oldest pub. We can join Karen for a drink in here. Afterwards we continue back too ur return overnight hotel. Opportunity to purchase our last Guinness in the bar before our evening meal.

Day 7

Home
After an early start we travel to Rosslare to catch the morning ferry crossing back to Pembroke. We travel through Wales and into England back to home area.

B=Breakfast Included, D=Dinner Included