* Autumn Tour of Ireland / October 13 – 22, 2016 * Visiting Dingle, & Bunratty: Ireland’s Southern Gems The Irish Cultural Center’s Rose Baker & Pat Baker to Host the Trip! Please Join Us!

Tour the wild and beautiful South West Coast of Ireland! Embrace two of Ireland’s gems, Dingle & Killarney, on a leisurely paced autumn tour through gorgeous countryside, charming towns, and bustling cities. Multiple night stays in Dingle & Killarney allow you to immerse yourself in the beauty, hospitality and ’s Historic South West Coast Towns.

***** Total Cost: $2,580 per person / double room occupancy; $2,880 single room occupancy (limited availability)

What You Need To Do! Deposits, Payments and Application • Initial Deposit: $1,000 to reserve your seat on the trip. (See forms of payment on page 3). Tour is limited (48 passengers) and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. • Application: Your Initial Deposit must be accompanied with a completed reservation application and copy of your passport. • Final Payment Due: June 13, 2016. Balance due amount: $1,580 per person / double room occupancy; $1,880 single room. • Travel Insurance: Information available upon request.

The Irish Cultural Center Tour Includes: • Round trip bus coach transportation from Elms College to Boston’s Logan Airport, including driver’s tip • Round trip airfare from Boston to Shannon, Ireland via Aer Lingus • Eight (8) Nights Top Rated Hotel Accommodations o Dingle Skellig Hotel: www.dingleskellig.com; Killarney International Hotel: www.killarneyinternational.com; and the Bunratty Castle Hotel: www.bunrattycastlehotel.com • Full Breakfast and Dinner Meals included o Full Irish breakfast daily, except day of arrival o Tea, coffee and scones at the Meadowlands Hotel in on day of arrival o Eight dinners, including Kate Kearney’s Cottage Irish Night o One pub lunch: South County Pub in Douglas, Co. Cork • Admission to: Blarney Castle, Blasket Centre, Gallarus Oratory, Dingle Brewing Company, Horse-drawn Jaunting Cart Ride in Killarney, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park • Optional day trips (included in cost of tour): day trip to Blarney, Drive tour of , Gallarus Oratory, Kilmalkedar Church, and • Deluxe touring motor coach for all transportation and sightseeing with the services of a professional Irish driver/guide throughout • Porterage of one (1) suitcase per person • Tips & taxes while in Ireland (Note: Gratuity to the driver/guide in Ireland is included)

The ICC reserves the right to make changes to the itinerary as needed, due to weather or other circumstances. Trip Details and Itinerary Day 1: Depart by coach from Elms College to Boston’s Logan Airport. Leave Boston at 7:15 p.m. aboard Aer Lingus Thursday, October 13 Flight EI 134.

Day 2: Arrive at Shannon Airport at 6:15 a.m. local time. Board coach for land transportation. Stop at Meadowlands Friday, October 14 Hotel in Tralee, Co. Kerry for tour sponsored coffee, tea, and scones around 9:00 a.m. Arrive at Dingle Skellig Hotel around 1:00 p.m. After checking into your hotel room, unpack and rest/relax or take stroll into Dingle town. This evening you will enjoy a gathering with your fellow travelers for a welcome drink in the Blasket Pub at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner in the Dingle Skellig Hotel restaurant at 6:30 p.m.

Day 3: After Skellig Hotel breakfast, the day is free to relax or explore Dingle and the surrounding area. Tour hosts Saturday, October 15 will provide suggestions to make sure you experience the best of Dingle. You can take a harbor tour to see Dingle’s most famous resident, Fungi the Dolphin. Stroll around town and enjoy one or more of Dingle’s 52 pubs. If you are interested in jewelry or crystal, go to Brian De Staic’s workshop and store on the Bay Road past the piers and Sean Daly’s crystal store across from St. Mary’s Church on Green Street. Sean is a former Waterford Master Cutter who does beautiful work. Your choices are many as you savor your time in this colorful and charming harbor town. Dinner at the Dingle Skellig hotel at 6:00 p.m. *Catholic Mass is held at St. Mary’s Church on Green Street at 8:00 p.m.

Day 4: After Dingle Skellig Hotel breakfast, depart at 9:15 a.m. for an optional tour around the scenic Dingle Sunday, October 16 Peninsula. We will drive past little harbors and wide stretches of sandy beaches, leading southward to Slea Head. This is the most westerly point in Europe, “Next Parish America” and off this coast many an Armada was lost. The awe-inspiring beauty of this particular area is unmatched. Enjoy a visit to the Blasket Centre where you will learn about life on the , inhabited until 1953, and about the families who immigrated directly to Springfield, MA. You are on your own for lunch at the Blasket Centre. We will also visit Kilmalkedar Church, a spectacular early-Christian and medieval ecclesiastical site and the Gallarus Oratory, more than 1,000 years old and one of Ireland’s oldest religious structures, built of stone without mortar. Dinner at the Dingle Skellig hotel at 7:30 p.m. *Catholic Mass is held at St. Mary’s Church on Green Street at 11:30 a.m.

Day 5: After Dingle Skellig Hotel breakfast, bus leaves at 9:45 a.m. for a stop at Brian De Staic’s workshop and store Monday, October 17 in Dingle. Brian de Staic has been designing and handcrafting jewelry for 40 years, with one of the largest workshops in Ireland. Treat yourself or that special someone to a piece of jewelry made on the Peninsula. Afterwards, we will make our way to the Dingle Brewing Company, nestled at the base of the majestic in the historic former Dingle Creamery building, which dates back to 1888. During our visit, you will learn about the brewing process, in which the use of the site’s own pure spring water is crucial, and the history of the Creamery itself. At the conclusion of our tour, you will be able to savor a pint of their finely crafted Tom Crean’s Lager (named in honor of the local Antarctic hero from ). Return to Dingle Town and the remainder of the afternoon is free for you to discover the many charms that this town has to offer. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Foley’s Pub in Inch with Irish music.

Day 6: After Dingle Skellig Hotel breakfast, depart at 9:00 a.m. for Killarney. We travel via Inch Strand and the Tuesday, October 18 small town of Milltown to Killarney. Enjoy a traditional horse-drawn jaunting cart ride to experience the hidden delights of Killarney. After checking into your hotel room, the remainder of the day is free to independently explore this lovely town. Enjoy shopping or a stop at a pub. Dinner at the Killarney International Hotel at 7:00 p.m.

Day 7: After Killarney International Hotel breakfast, bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. for an optional day trip to Blarney Wednesday, October Castle. We will drive through the rich farming county of Cork. At Blarney, stop to climb to the battlements of 19 Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also visit the Blarney Woolen Mills, which has an excellent range of Irish products of all types. You will also have time to browse around the village, charmingly set around a large village green. After our visit to Blarney, we will stop for a tour-sponsored lunch at the South County Pub in Douglas, Co. Cork. Returning to Killarney for dinner at the Killarney International Hotel for 7:30 p.m.

Day 8: After Killarney International Hotel breakfast, bus leaves at 10:00 a.m. for an optional day trip to Kenmare Thursday, October 20 with time to explore this picturesque town with its unique charm and inherent beauty. This town has been officially recognized for its historical, cultural, and environmental significance and has been bestowed the title of Kerry’s first Heritage Town in Ireland by the Ireland Tourist Board. On our return journey, we will travel through the picturesque Molls Gap with its sweeping views of the MacGillycuddy Reeks mountain range, which includes Carrantuohill, the highest mountain in Ireland. We will arrive back in Killarney by mid-afternoon with the remainder of the afternoon free. In the evening, we will drive to Kate Kearney’s Cottage for dinner at 6:30 p.m. and traditional Irish entertainment with songs and step dancing. Day 9: After Killarney International Hotel breakfast, depart Killarney at 9:00 a.m. for Bunratty. We will make a stop Friday, October 21 at the beautiful village of Adare and then make our way to Bunratty. At Bunratty, we will visit the acclaimed 15th century castle and 19th century folk park, where you are invited to look into Ireland’s medieval past and wander through the medieval courtyard and folk park. After checking into your hotel room, the remainder of the day is free. You may visit the Bunratty Mills shopping village located at the foot of the hotel grounds or stop by the famous pub called “Durty Nelly’s” that is adjacent to the hotel. Dinner at the Bunratty Castle Hotel at 7:00 p.m.

Day 10: After Bunratty Castle Hotel breakfast, depart at 8:20 a.m. for Shannon Airport. Enjoy last minute shopping at Saturday, October 22 Shannon’s Duty Free Shop. Our Aer Lingus Flight EI 135 departs at 11:40 a.m., arriving in Boston’s Logan Airport at 2:40 p.m. local time. We will arrive by coach back at Elms College in Chicopee around 6:00 p.m.

Forms of Payment • Check: made payable to the Irish Cultural Center. Mail checks, Reservation Application and copy of passport to Sean Cahillane at 46 Thornton Street, Springfield, MA 01104-1527. • Credit card: Visit the Autumn Tour page on our website at www.IrishCenterwne.org to pay online with a credit card through PayPal. A charge of 2.2% and $0.30 per transaction fee will be added to credit card payments. Mail Reservation Application and copy of passport to Sean Cahillane at 46 Thornton Street, Springfield, MA 01104-1527. • Members in good standing with the Irish Cultural Center are entitled to a refund of €30 to be provided by the tour hosts upon arrival in Ireland.

For more information or reservations - Visit the ICC website at www.IrishCenterwne.org or contact: Rose Baker at 413-519-2135 or [email protected] Pat Baker at 413-348-3263 or [email protected] ICC office at 413-265-2537 or [email protected]