Information

Package overview

St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, over 500,000 spectators on the streets, a worldwide television audience, it does not get much bigger than this! In conjunction with the parade in Dublin your Band can compete in the International Band Competition in Limerick as well performing in towns and cities around Ireland.

As official travel partner of the Artane Band, Ireland’s best know and internationally acclaimed youth band, we can offer your group the opportunity of, workshops, joint performances, or just socialising with them.

Let us introduce Ireland to you.

Included in this package

7 nights’ hotel accommodation, based on sharing a twin or double room with Private W.C., bath & shower facilities with Full Irish Breakfast served daily at named hotels below.
Evening meal at hotel each evening except Day 3
Dinner & Entertainment at Taylors Three Rock on Day 3
Admissions (see below)

NOT included in this package

Lunches except on day 2 in Causey Farm
Drivers tips or gratuities
Porterage
Any items not specifically mentioned as being included

Additional info

Admissions:

Clonmacnoise
Historic walking tour of Galway
Kylemore Abbey
Bunratty Castle
Cliffs of Moher
Trinity College & the Book of Kells
Travel and transfers by luxury touring coach with services of professional driver for 8 days.
A half day experience at Causey Farm including light lunch (soup and sandwiches)
Causey Farm activities include; learning to play the Bodhran, brown bread making and learn to play hurling
A band exchange with Artane Band, Dublin, meet the local band and perform for each other and together (joint piece to be determined)
March through the town of Athlone and enjoy a performance with the Ravens Band
Services of a Tour Manager for 8 days (to assist managing the group and coaches)
Hire of lorry and driver to transport the bands equipment for 8 days.
All local Taxes and charges

IMPORTANT

Itinerary’s are subject to change
The costs are based on a per person sharing basis in the hotels as listed. Please note that in some hotels students may be required to share beds

Itinerary

DAY 1

Céad míle fáilte go hÉirinn

Arrival to Dublin Airport from your transatlantic flight.

Meet with your Tour Director & Driver/Guides and begin your Irish adventure, first enjoy a panoramic Dublin City Tour including a visit to Trinity College.

Visit Trinity College

Welcome to the Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition – a “must see” on the itinerary of all visitors to Dublin. Located in the heart of Dublin City, a walk through the cobbled stones of Trinity College Dublin will bring visitors back to the 18th century, when the magnificent Old Library building was constructed. Inside is housed the Book of Kells – a 9th-century gospel manuscript which is world famous.

Some free time and lunch under own arrangements in Dublin.

Continue to your hotel and check in.

Dinner, Bed & Breakfast at your hotel in Dublin

DAY 2

Depart your hotel after breakfast for Navan, Co. Meath, be sure to pack old clothes for this day!!!

Over a three hour period the group will take part in a number of Irish Farm Activities such as:-

Cutting turf
Making a Sugan Rope
Milking a cow
Sheepdog demonstration
Baking brown Bread

Or – Irish Cultural Activities such as:-

Dancing a jig
Playing a bodhran (Irish Drum)
Enjoy a Traditional Irish ceili
Play hurling

Light Lunch of soup & brown bread will be served on-site before departing and returning to Dublin

This afternoon meet with the Artane Band for an exchange, time to get to know each other in the Artane Music School. Rehearse a piece of music together, then perform some pieces separately and finished with a combined final.

The Artane School of Music is the home of the world famous Artane Band which was founded in 1872 and has grown and developed to become a centre of excellence in music learning and performance in North Dublin. Students are given the opportunity to develop as musicians and as people while performing locally, nationally and internationally. The Artane Band perform regularly, from parades in small towns around the country, to a packed Croke Park to concerts in the National Concert Hall, and everywhere in-between! The Artane Band is one of the busiest performing groups in Ireland.

The Band has toured the USA on seven occasions, as well as trips to Canada and Russia. They have also shared a stage with performers such as Perry Como, Neil Diamond, U2, and James Last, as well as the Boston Pops Orchestra. More recently, the Artane Band was asked to open the Oxegen Rock Festival with up and coming rock band, “The Brilliant Things”. But it is perhaps through their performances in Croke Park, the Home of Gaelic Games, that the band is best known, although this makes up less than half their public performances throughout the year.

Dinner, Bed & Breakfast at your hotel in Dublin.

DAY 3

St. Patrick’s Day

The Band will have the opportunity to perform at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin today.

Optional participation in a local parade in Celbridge afternoon at 4pm

Return to your hotel after the Parade to freshen up.

Dinner & Entertainment at Taylors Three Rock or similar

Taylors Irish Night involves a rip roaring evening of traditional Irish song and dance accompanied by a great selection of quality Irish food to delight your pallet.

Return to the hotel.

Bed & Breakfast at your hotel in Dublin.

DAY 4

Today the Band will perform in the International Band Competition in Limerick. A large conference room will be reserved for the group at their hotel for the group on this morning from 08h30 – 11h00 to facilitate rehearsals etc.

Lunch under own arrangements

This afternoon visit Bunratty Castle & Folk village, step back in time and enjoy exploring this ancient castle dating back to 1425. Enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes of this enchanting place as you stroll from house to house or around the charming village street complete with school, post office, doctors house, hardware shop and McNamaras Pub.

Dinner, Bed & Breakfast at your hotel in Clare.

DAY 5

Visit the Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s top visitor sites. Looming over Country Clare’s west coast, the cliffs stretch foe 8 kilometres and 214 meters over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Unchanged for millennia, the landscapes of the cliffs have for centuries welcomed visitors, who come to marvel at their splendour and be at one with nature. The cliffs are the largest mainland colony for nesting seabirds in Ireland. Visitors can see puffins, kittiwakes, fulmar and many others. The new visitor centre is covered by the grass hillside. It features a virtual reality cliff face adventure, the ledge that provides a WOW factor for visitors and is a must for all ages, together with the coffee shop, tourist information desk and retail shop.

Afternoon arrival in Galway.

Enjoy a historic walking tour of Galway city centre which commences on Eyre Square and takes you too many historic sites including, Lynches Castle, St Nicholas Church, Nora Barnacles House (James Joyces wife) and the Spanish Arch.

Return to your county Clare hotel.

Dinner, Bed & Full Irish Breakfast at your hotel in Clare

DAY 6

Depart on full day tour of Connemara visiting Kylemore Abbey.

“Connemara is a savage beauty”, Oscar Wilde

From the rugged Twelve Bens mountain range in the north through lake-rich Roundstone Bog to the golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean. This natural terrain and unspoilt environment offers the visitor a wonderland of sights, experiences, adventure and activities. The people are warm, friendly and extend a hospitality which is the essence of Ireland.

At Maam Cross turn onto Lough Inagh Valley at Recess and onto Kylemore Abbey for a guided Tour.

Set in the heart of the Connemara mountains is the Kylemore Abbey Estate, home of the Irish Benedictine Nuns. Visit the picturesque Abbey (reception rooms, video and exhibition) and enjoy a stroll to the beautifully restored Gothic Church; browse in the craft shop and sample our home cooked food in the restaurant.

Dinner, Bed & Breakfast at your hotel in Athlone

DAY 7

This morning depart Athlone to visit Clonmacnoise ancient monastic site.

In the afternoon enjoy a final performance with the Raven’s Marching Band Athlone.

Free time for shopping in Athlone under own arrangements

Dinner, Bed & Breakfast at your hotel in Athlone. Enjoy live Irish music entertainment with traditional Irish dancers.

DAY 8

After a final breakfast this morning we depart for Dublin Airport where we say a final farewell to the Emerald Isle before our return transatlantic flight.