EXCURSIONES EN TIERRA

Learn to play Gaelic football and hurling, two decidedly Irish and wildly popular games that share similarities to sports you may be more familiar with.

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a scenic drive to a sporting club that is ideal for the Gaelic games that you will be playing. The Gaelic Athletic Association promotes many of these traditional games throughout Ireland, the history of which you will learn during an introduction to the organization. You will also gain an understanding for how dominant sports such as hurling and Gaelic football came about and the basic rules of both.

Then, the fun will begin. With a hurling stick in hand, you will practice driving the ball through the goal. A coach will be standing by to offer tips to increase your chances of scoring. The sport of hurling is more than 3,000 years old and is considered the world’s fastest field game. If you’re good in lacrosse, field hockey and baseball, you will likely be a skilled hurler.

You will also have the chance to try Gaelic football. It is played with a round ball that is somewhat smaller than a soccer ball. The ball can be caught, kicked and passed, but with certain conditions that the coach will explain. For instance, if you carry the ball, you can only take four steps.

Following your invigorating immersion into Gaelic sports, you will enjoy a drink at the club.

Designed for the first time visitor to Ireland, this tour allows you to experience its beautiful scenery, charming towns, flavors and musical tradition. Start with a scenic drive through the Irish countryside, accompanied by your knowledgeable guide. Soak up the beautiful scenery with its rolling hills, expansive farmland and colorful houses, before arriving at Kinsale. Kinsale is a heritage town of Ireland, rich in history, charming lanes and picturesque waterfronts. Spend time independently exploring the town, browsing the small shops or relaxing at one of the many cafes.

Visit Blarney Castle set up high above the village. Set in a sprawling park, this romantic ruin was once a stronghold of the McCarthy clan and features 18-foot thick stone walls. After visiting the castle ruins, if you're feeling adventurous, you many climb to the top of the castle to enjoy the amazing views, and to kiss the renowned Blarney Stone. Those who do so, are said to be gifted the power of eloquence. If you don't wish to kiss the stone, you can stroll to the nearby Blarney Woollen Mill Shop. Set in a converted mill, it offers high quality traditional Irish goods.

Midday, enjoy a traditional Irish lunch at a local hotel accompanied by a wonderful group of musicians. You’ll find your feet tapping and your hands clapping as the infectious Irish music entertains you.

Depart from the pier and travel to the city of Cork. Cork is a compact, vibrant Irish city, filled with history, culture and creativity, famous for its people, sports and festivals. Today the Lee flows through the city in two main channels, so that you find yourself constantly crossing bridges. In fact, it is this feature of the city that gives it its distinctively continental air. As well as offering the many amenities of a large city, it still manages to retain the pleasant charm and friendliness of a country town. During your free time you might like to explore The English Market, the Old Courthouse, City Hall and the renowned Bells of Shandon or St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral whose spires dominate the city skyline.

Take some time to enjoy this city independently with the comfort of knowing that there will be a luxury coach awaiting you for your return journey to port.

Discover the legend of the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle while immersing yourself in the serene beauty of the Irish countryside.

Leave Cork behind and travel north to picturesque Tipperary. It is Ireland’s largest inland county, with breathtaking scenery in its hills and mountains, its plains and river valleys and is renowned for its rich pasturelands which boast the best Irish dairy products. Rich in ancient heritage, Tipperary was once the home to Ireland’s High Kings.

Before you reach the town of Cashel, the rock that bears its name appears on the skyline, rearing up from the landscape in a series of limestone ridges and topped by the serenely beautiful Cathedral of St. Patrick. Visit the Rock of Cashel, an impressive pre-Christian settlement. Enjoy lunch in a restaurant nearby. Travel to Cahir, located on the River Suir to visit Cahir Castle. Rooms in the keep are whitewashed and contain armor displays and period furnishings from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The scenic return route climbs in a zigzag course to the gap, with a series of magnificent views and descends into County Waterford and on to Cobh.

Irish whiskey is world famous and today, you’ll have the opportunity to visit one of Ireland’s most famous distilleries and enjoy an orientation tour of the city of Cork.

Cork, a city of steeples and bridges, is a compact city in size yet diverse in its range of activities. Its quays that stretch all the way from Cork Harbour into the heart of the city welcome ships from the seven seas. The city center is actually a small island between two channels of the river with streets lined with shops, arcades and boutiques. Your panoramic tour introduces you to Cork. You’ll see the spires of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, the old Courthouse, City Hall and the renowned Bells of Shandon.

A visit to the Jameson Experience in Midleton, takes you right into the heart of the cherished whiskey-making tradition. You’ll enjoy a guided tour of this beautifully restored 18th-century industrial complex, which includes a fully operational water-wheel and a copper still - the largest in the world. An audio-visual presentation breathes life into the Irish whiskey legend.

You are invited to relax in the atmosphere of a traditional Irish pub and sample a glass of Ireland’s finest whiskey. Afterwards, why not visit the craft shop or the coffee shop at the Jameson Experience where you can lose yourself in the charm of another age.

Join your expert guide on a walking tour through a town rich in seafaring history and traditions. Follow the footsteps of the last people to board the ill-fated Titanic, visit the Cobh Heritage Center and sample an Irish coffee at a typical pub.

You’ll learn of the great ships and majestic liners that sailed from this port, full of emigrants in search of a better life. This was the last port of call of the RMS Titanic. As you walk through town, you’ll stop to admire many historical buildings and monuments, including the Annie Moore sculpture, the Lusitania Peace Memorial and the Titanic Memorial.

You’ll also visit St Colman’s Cathedral and your guide will provide you with insightful information and share some stories of the Titanic and Lusitania with you. Stop at a typical pub and enjoy an Irish coffee. Visit the Queenstown Story in the Cobh Heritage Center and its exhibition tracing the story of emigration and the great liners that graced Cobh’s harbor in the past.

A relaxed pace of life and beautiful scenery blend together on this tour through the picturesque Irish countryside with a visit to the sailing village of Kinsale. Travel via the Lee tunnel and the Five Mile Bridge to Charles Fort where you’ll stop for a perfect photo opportunity of Kinsale Harbour.

You’ll drive to the nearby village of Kinsale and enjoy tea or coffee with biscuits. Admire magnificent Georgian homes and the Dutch influence of its architecture. With its broad harbor and rich maritime past, Kinsale is the perfect town in which to stroll. There are several small gift and souvenir shops where you can browse for that special memento of Ireland during your free time. The changing scenery unfolds at each bend of the road on your return.

Disfruta de una visita al legendario castillo de Blarney y de un recorrido para conocer Cork, la segunda ciudad de Irlanda, o ¡la verdadera capital de este país como les gusta llamarla a los lugareños! Dirígite hasta el pequeño pueblo de Blarney, que yace a la sombra del castillo de Blarney. Sigue siendo uno de los lugares más legendarios de Irlanda, rodeado por paisajes que quitan el aliento y con una gran cantidad de folklore y leyenda. Disfruta de tu visita al castillo y, si tienes espíritu aventurero, en tu tiempo libre, puedes intentar besar la renombrada piedra Blarney. Se dice que aquellos que lo hacen son recompensados con el don de la elocuencia.

O si no, puedes disfrutar de un paseo por los jardines. En Blarney también se encuentra Blarney Woollen Mills, uno de los mejores centros de artesanía y regalos de Irlanda. Disfruta de un café irlandés aquí y echa un vistazo a la amplia gama de ropa, cristales, ropa blanca y productos de artesanía irlandeses.

Un tour panorámico te mostrará Cork. El río Lee fluye junto a la ciudad, conectado por muchos puentes, lo cual brinda a la ciudad su aire continental distintivo. Es una ciudad universitaria con un carácter único, es la ciudad del jazz, el cine, la ópera y el teatro. Sin embargo, consigue mantener el encanto y la simpatía de una ciudad de campo. Verás los chapiteles de la Catedral de San Fin Barre, el antiguo Palacio de Justicia, el Ayuntamiento y los renovados Bells of Shandon.

A walking tour of the lively city of Cork and a stop for a drink at a traditional pub is a perfect way to enjoy the charms of Ireland. Your guided tour enables you to discover the rich historical past of this vibrant city. Historic Cork is a city of steeples and bridges and was truly made for walking. Although its compact size makes it entirely visible from many vantage-points, this charming city offers an abundance of lovely Old-World sites for you to discover.

Drive through the rolling countryside to the city of Cork and begin your walking tour. Follow your guide down the South Mall, one of the most gracious streets in the city, then cross the Parnell Bridge. From this point, you’ll have spectacular views and photo opportunities of City Hall, the bank, College of Commerce and Morrison's Island. As your walk continues along the quays, the slender spire of the Holy Trinity Church can be seen across the river. Stop at the Parliament Bridge to admire its gracious arch and gleaming limestone. As you approach the South Gate Bridge, the three spires of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, part of the city's skyline, suddenly come into view, giving you a perfect photo opportunity of this ornate church, which you will visit.

Continue down Sharman-Crawford to Clarke's Bridge, a beautiful stone structure dating back to 1776, and continue on to Cork's bustling main thoroughfare. The classical limestone façade of the Courthouse, located in a street full of red brick buildings, is one of Cork's most enduring sights. Walk down North Main Street and Castle Street into the heart of this cosmopolitan city filled with pedestrian lanes, cafes, bookshops and antique shops. You will also stop at a local pub for a refreshing beer before the return to Cobh.