University of Notre Dame Performing Arts Advisory Council Spring Meeting | May 2018 Journey to Ireland | Tour Itinerary DAY 1 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 Arrival into Dublin Airport Private transfer to the 5-star Merrion Hotel The Merrion, located in the heart of Dublin city center, is a luxurious 5-star property and a proud member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The Merrion occupies some of the finest and most beautifully restored Georgian buildings in Dublin city center. The gracious public rooms with crackling peat fires epitomize the relaxed elegance for which The Merrion is known. As much a favorite with Dubliners as it is with visitors to the city, The Merrion’s worldwide reputation is rooted in a happy marriage of effortless style and unparalleled service. Afternoon at leisure Private welcome reception and dinner at The Merrion Hotel Post-dinner gathering, The Merrion Hotel Featuring Irish poetry and music with Stephen Rea (Oscar-nominated actor), Marina Carr (dramatist and winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize, from Yale) and Síbéil Ní Chaside (traditional Irish singer). Poems by Yeats and Heaney and songs such as My Lagan Love and The Parting Glass. Overnight at The Merrion Hotel DAY 2 | THURSDAY, MAY 24 Full Irish breakfast at The Merrion Hotel Morning Council Meeting, Dublin Global Gateway, O’Connell House, Merrion Square Buffet lunch at O’Connell House Afternoon visit with Louise Kennedy Louise Kennedy is an award-winning and internationally recognized fashion designer, dubbed by the Irish press as “the uncrowned queen of Irish fashion.” Pre-theatre dinner in the One Michelin Star Chapter One Restaurant Dublin’s premier pre-theatre dining venue, Chapter One is located in the north side of Parnell Square in the former home of whiskey maker John Jameson. The award-winning cuisine is a delicate blend of old style with innovative twists with an emphasis on organic and seasonal ingredients. 7:30 p.m. Performance of Assassins at the Gate Theatre The city’s most elegant theatre, housed in a late 18th-century building, features a generally unflappable repertory of classic Irish, American and European plays. Orson Welles and James Mason played here early in their careers. Even today it is the only theatre in town where you might see established international movie stars work on their credibility with a theatre run. Assassins is a multiple Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim that examines the lives of nine people who assassinated or attempted to assassinate the President of the United States throughout history. These notorious characters gather on stage in pursuit of a twisted American Dream with Sondheim’s signature blend of intelligently stunning lyrics and beautiful music combining to create a bold, original, disturbing, and alarmingly funny show. Overnight at The Merrion Hotel DAY 3 | FRIDAY, MAY 25 Full Irish breakfast at The Merrion Hotel Bespoke private tour of Trinity College's Old Library and the Book of Kells Curator Anne Marie Diffley will delight us with a tour of the Old Library, including special access to the Book of Kells, a “work of angels,” widely regarded as the most exquisite manuscript ever created. Coffee with Trinity College Provost Patrick Pendergast at the Provost’s House We will enjoy time with Provost Paddy Pendergast at the Provost's House, considered to be one of the finest eighteenth-century buildings in Dublin. Late afternoon: transfer to County Meath for guided tour of Newgrange We will have a private tour with leading archaeologist Geraldine Stout, who has written extensively about the sites at Newgrange. These megalithic passage tombs have significant astrological, spiritual, and ceremonial importance. Predating both Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramids in Egypt, Newgrange is best known for its accuracy as a time-telling device: for five mornings during the winter solstice, the rising sun dramatically illuminates the passage and chamber. Visit to the Hill of Slane, birthplace of the shamrock, with Professor Kevin Whelan, Academic Director, Notre Dame Global Gateway Dublin Home to fifteenth-century Slane Abbey, the Hill of Slane is the site where Saint Patrick lit his Pascal Fire, in direct opposition to the pagan beliefs of Laegaire, the High King. As the Druids celebrated their feast day on the Hill of Tara, Saint Patrick prepared the Easter feast on the Hill of Slane, lighting his paschal fire there before the Druids could kindle their ceremonial fire at Tara. Seeing the flames at Slane, the Druids warned Laegaire, that if Patrick’s fire was not put out immediately, it would burn forever in Ireland. A well-preserved tower remains here among the ruins of a Franciscan Monastery founded by Saint Erc, a follower of Saint Patrick. Transfer to Stackallen House Private dinner at Stackallen the residence of Carmel and Martin Naughton, preceded by a tour of its gardens Overnight at The Merrion Hotel NORT IRELD IREAND Kylemore bbey Ballynahinch astle Galway D S DAY 4 | SATURDAY, MAY 26 Full Irish breakfast at The Merrion Hotel Check out of hotel and depart to Galway with on-bus commentary by Professor Kevin Whelan Group lunch at Glenlo Abbey The Glenlo Abbey Estate is situated overlooking the River Corrib some two- and-a-half miles upstream from Galway City. It is the ancestral home of the Ffrench family, one of Galway’s famous ‘tribes.’ Transfer to Kylemore Abbey Beautiful Kylemore Abbey and the Victorian Walled Gardens sit amidst a dramatic landscape at the water's edge in western Ireland. Built in the late 1800s as a private home, this Gothic castle became a Benedictine monastery in 1920. Since that time, the Benedictine nuns have restored the Abbey, the Gothic Chapel, and the extensive gardens and woodland nature trails on the grounds to create a place where guests can enjoy the magic, beauty, and peacefulness of this extraordinary place. In 2015, Notre Dame and the Benedictine Community at Kylemore Abbey formed a partnership to create a center to advance their shared spiritual, cultural, and educational missions. Afternoon Tea with Mother Maura Hickey, Benedictine Abbess of Kylemore, Mitchell Henry Room Tour of the Kylemore Abbey Global Center, Gothic Chapel, and Victorian Walled Gardens with Lisa Caulfield, Notre Dame’s Academic Director of the Kylemore Abbey Global Center Transfer to 4-star Ballynahinch Castle Hotel The authentic and unpretentious 4-star Ballynahinch Castle Hotel stands on a 450-acre private estate with woodland, rivers, and trails in the heart of Connemara County Galway. Proudly overlooking its famous salmon fishery against a backdrop of the beautiful 12 Bens Mountain range, Ballynahinch Castle Hotel exudes the hospitality and tradition of the region. Private group dinner Overnight at Ballynahinch Castle Hotel DAY 5 | SUNDAY, MAY 27 Full Irish breakfast at Ballynahinch Castle Hotel Check out of hotel Private airport transfer (Shannon or Dublin Airports) for return flights Please note: this itinerary is subject to change. For assistance with travel arrangements, please contact: Anthony Travel | Distinctive Events Ruth Tarwacki | Jamie Gillespie 574-344-2133 [email protected].