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North West Ireland
From £2,895
Summary
On the trail of The Tain Bo Cuailnge
This tour takes you to sites linked to the early Irish epic the Tain Bo Cuailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley), a heroic tale of the first century AD set among the tribal society of the north and west of Ireland. The tale is celebrated as the Irish or Celtic equivalent of the Iliad and tells of a battle between Queen Meabha of Connacht and the champion Cú Chulainn of the Red Branch warriors from of Ulster. These stories and the dramatic landscape of county Sligo were major inspiration for the literary output of William Butler Yeats and the paintings of his brother Jack.
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Your Departure date
Today's Price
£2,895
Deposit: £500 Single supplement: £395
Includes flights
Keeping you safe on your next tour
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FREE 'Travel Safe' kits for every traveller
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Self-drive options
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Enhanced Health and Safety audits
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Distanced seating on coaches
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'Get me home' service and private airport transfers
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COVID protocols at our hotels, and aboard our cruise ships
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Packed lunches and flexible dining options
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Flexible balance payment date and COVID-friendly refund conditions
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COVID-testing and training for tour staff
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Constant monitoring and post-tour tracing
Meet your Experts
Tony O’Connor
Andante Guide Lecturer
Tony O'Connor is a specialist in the Roman Empire, who has excavated widely across Britain, Europe and North Africa. He is particularly passionate about Roman North Africa, having excavated in Libya for many years.
Adrian O’Neill
Andante Guide Lecturer
Adrian is a passionate and energetic historian and general tour guide who was born and bred in Sligo. He studied Archaeology and Classical Studies at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) where he developed a strong interest in the broad spheres of early Greek and Roman history.
Your itinerary
Day 1 - London – Belfast
We depart from London and arrive in Belfast. Our tour starts with a visit to the Ulster Museum which features significant archaeological finds from Northern Ireland.
Hotel: Belfast
| Meals included | Dinner |
|---|
Day 2 - Belfast - Sligo
This morning, we drive to Armagh to visit Navan Fort, legendary Emian Macha, a large hilltop enclosure assumed to represent an ancient ceremonial site. In the afternoon we transfer to Sligo.
Hotel: Sligo
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 3 - Sligo
Our walking tour this morning will acquaint you with the colourful character and heritage of Sligo, a vibrant county town with a rich history and an inspiration for major literary figures. A short drive north of Sligo, below Ben Bulben mountain, we find W.B. Yeats’s grave at Drumcliffe church, and the Baronet of Sligo’s Country House, Lissadell, where Yeats was a regular guest.
Hotel: Sligo
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 4 - Carrowmore & Culleenamore
Our day is spent on the Cuil Iórra peninsula starting with Carrowmore which is considered the largest prehistoric cemetery of Ireland, where some 30 monuments are still visible on site. Afterwards we’ll enjoy lunch in the popular small seaside town of Strandhill. The coast is dominated by Knocknarea the “Hill of Kings” in reference to the myth that on the mountain the ancient Kings were once crowned. On the top is a 34-foot-high burial cairn and the tradition is that the legendary queen of Connacht is buried here. We take a scenic walk along the southern end of Strandhill’s main beach where the sand dunes give way to a wide tidal estuary. Inside this estuary are the sweeping sandbanks of Culleenamore where evidence of Bronze age shell middens remain.
Hotel: Sligo
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 5 - Carrowkeel & Creevykeel
This morning, we spend time at the extensive megalithic cemetery at Carrowkeel and then enjoy the scenic splendour of the Gleniff Horseshoe. We encounter one of the best and largest examples of an Irish Court Tomb at Creevykeel. The nearby seaside village of Mullaghmore is associated with Lord Palmerston and the Mountbatten family.
Hotel: Sligo
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch |
|---|
Day 6 - Rathcroghan
We visit Rathcroghan, ancient Cruachan, the Iron Age capital of the province of Connaught and the mythical home of Queen Maeve (or Medba). Its many mounds and earthworks are central to ancient Irish myth and lore. At Corlea we see an Iron Age road, built in the 2nd century BC, the largest of its kind to have been uncovered in Europe. At the end of the day, we visit the Drumshambo Distillery for a taste of Irish Whiskey.
Hotel: Sligo
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 7 - The Céide Fields & Deerpark Court tomb
We visit the unique Neolithic Céide Fields. A system created to tame this tough landscape set up over five thousand years ago, these are the oldest known field systems in the world and one of the most extensive prehistoric sites in Europe. We return to Sligo to visit the Deerpark Court tomb.
Hotel: Sligo
| Meals included | All meals included |
|---|
Day 8 - Sligo – Belfast - London
This morning we journey back to Belfast and transfer to the airport where we take our flight back to London.
| Meals included | Breakfast |
|---|
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Expert Guide Lecturer
- Local travel aboard a private air-conditioned coach
- Meals as per the itinerary, wine and tea or coffee with dinner
- Accommodation
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
- All activities as per the itinerary
- All taxes & gratuities
- Field notes
| Tour Departure | Tour ID | Departure date | Return Date | Guided by | Price | Deposit | Single supplement | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 2022 | ANWI220525 | 25 May 2022 (Wednesday) | 1 June 2022 (Wednesday) | Tony O’Connor Adrian O’Neill | £2,850 (inc. flights) |
£500 | £395 | Book your trip |
| 10 August 2022 | ANWI220810 | 10 August 2022 (Wednesday) | 17 August 2022 (Wednesday) | Tony O’Connor Adrian O’Neill | £2,895 (inc. flights) |
£500 | £395 | Book your trip |
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