We have the great fortune of being a private group for our May 2018 tour of Ireland.  This gives us some real flexibility, so I would like to post this month on some options we might consider for Day 5.  Some of you may have read or heard about our 2009 Ireland tour and how we (as a private group) were able to reroute our tour bus for a day to see Charles Fort and the Titanic exhibit at Cobh Heritage Centre.  For me that was an especially memorable day of our tour, with breathtaking scenery and a fascinating tour.  

          From talking to a few of our participants individually, it would appear we have an opening in our May 2018 itinerary to make a similar change that would allow us to see more of what our participants are most interested in.  Our current Day 5 itinerary is a bus tour of The Ring of Kerry.  This is a scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula with plenty of nice views and a visit to the Bog Village (a replica early 18^th century village of small thatched houses).  While this day trip is very popular among itineraries for tours of Ireland, it also has a few minor drawbacks for our group.  First, about a third of the group has been to Ireland before and already toured The Ring of Kerry.  Now, if we keep the itinerary as is those participants would still have the option of staying in Killarney that day or joining a local tour for one of the surrounding areas.

          However, we do have the option as a private group of modifying our itinerary for that day to see sights that appeal more to the whole group as the second drawback of the present itinerary is that a few participants have discussed with me preferring time in Irish towns (including just more time in Killarney) to a full day of driving around the countryside.  My proposal would be to reroute our tour bus on Day 5 to see a more balanced itinerary of scenic countryside and still stop in an Irish town or two, along with stops at other points of interest.  

          Killarney is a great starting point for many day tours, so there are a lot of choices to consider, and the group would have to agree on the new route before we’d change our Day 5 itinerary.  I’ve outlined three unique full day tour options below.  

Dingle Peninsula

Driving from Killarney to Dingle, we would stop briefly at scenic Inch Beach.  The town of Dingle is known for its traditional Irish music.  The plan would be to spend a few hours, including lunch time, in Dingle enjoying the great coastal views, music, pubs and shopping in this quintessential Irish town.  We would then continue on to Slea Head Viewingpoint for some breathtaking views.  From there we would return to Killarney via Conor Pass, one of the highest Irish mountain passes you can travel through. 

 

 To view this route:  http://bit.ly/2zdGYg4

Upper Beara Peninsula and Drombeg Stone Circle

Driving south from Killarney we would pass through Killarney National Park with a stop at Torc Waterfall.  Proceeding through scenic Molls Gap, we would next stop in Kenmare.  Kenmare, a picturesque Irish town, is a good stopping point for lunch, shopping, pub stops and just enjoying another highly recommended Irish town.  We’d then travel through Glengarrif and the Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve.  A coastal drive takes us past Bantry to Drombeg Stone Circle.  (Depending on time, either Glengarriff or Bantry would be lovely towns to stop in along the way.)  Drombeg Stone Circle is a popular megalithic site in Ireland, likely dating from the late Bronze Age.  After a stop at the stone circle, we’ll proceed back to Killarney via an interior route with its own lovely views of the Irish countryside. 

 To view this route:  http://bit.ly/2A3IbYn

Killarney National Park and Upper Beara Penninsula

This option focuses heavily on Killarney National Park but also takes us to Kenmare and a nearby stone circle.  We would again see Torc Waterfall, but first we’d make stops at Ross Castle and Muckross House, Gardens and Traditional Farm.  Proceeding through Molls Gap we would stop for lunch, shopping, pubs, etc in lovely Kenmare.  We would then visit nearby Uragh Stone Circle, a Bronze Age stone circle with five megaliths, the highest being ten feet tall.  We would return to Kenmare and then back to Killarney while seeing more of the Irish countryside. 

 To view this route:  http://bit.ly/2jNblHq

           Now that I’ve offered my suggestions for a Day 5 itinerary, I’m curious what our participants and those interested in our tour think of the sights we might see. I'd love for you to comment, message me or even vote in some upcoming polls on our Facebook event page.