Each day we will visit some of these typical areas from our home base at Hillcrest House. It is not possible to see everything during each tour, as we also like to take time for unscheduled stops. Our guides will plan each day considering the interests of the group, and special events taking place during your time in Ireland.
We often start each trip with a visit to Ballintubber Abbey, or Baile Tobair Padraig, in Irish. It is one of the oldest Abbeys in Ireland dating back to the twelfth century, named for the natural spring nearby, where St. Patrick baptized his first Irish converts.
Hillcrest House lays half way between the City of Westport and the Village of Newport. Both capture the flavor of true Irish towns with their tree-lined canals and colorful shops. After a stop in Westport we drive along the shores of Clew Bay, stopping at Murrisk Abbey, at the foot of Croagh Patrick. Ireland’s Holy Mountain, named after the national saint, is one of Mayo’s best-known landmarks. Later in the day we will be at the ocean on the west coast of Mayo at a remote rocky shore called Barnabawn Point.
Another day we will spend the morning photographing in and around the town of Cong. Photo locations include Cong Abbey, the forest and river as well as the town itself. The picturesque village of Cong was the setting for John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara’s film The Quiet Man. The King of Connacht founded the abbey ruins in the 12th century. In 1198 the last High King of Ireland died in the abbey. After lunch we will have the opportunity to photograph an area of rolling hill, sheep and a myriad of stonewall, on a hillside flowing down to Lough Corrib.
Driving north today, our first stop will be along the ocean on the Atlantic drive in Mulranny. After lunch on Achill Island we will continue photographing along the ocean and given time, wind up at the deserted famine village at Keel. Achill Island is the largest island off the Irish coast. To get there, we will drive over the bridge at Achill Sound. Wrought by wind and water, the island is an arrangement of rock, cloud, and cliffs falling off to the sea.
Today we visit one of the few remaining round towers in Ireland, Turlough, standing amid a field of ancient carved gravestones. Nearby is the new Museum of Country Life, one of Ireland’s National Museums, well worth the stop.
We photograph along the shores of Doo Lough and the Connemara Mountains, where we will see some of the most stunning landscapes in all of Ireland. After lunch in the town of Louisburgh, we will spend the afternoon photographing in the Sheeffrey Wood, a place where we must be careful not to disturb the leprechauns who inhabit the forest. spend the afternoon photographing in the Sheeffrey Hills, a place where we must be careful not to disturb the leprechauns who inhabit the forest.
We can spend an entire day in the old city of Galway. Winding streets of antique shops and art galleries will entice you as we view the city. You will find many handcrafted items such as traditional Irish sweaters, prints, and pottery, or shops filled with books or Irish music. Be sure to take at least one piece of Ireland home with you. Galway is a lively city that may even present you with dancers and musicians performing in the streets and alleyways. If it is boats you are looking for, the river nearby is lined with colorful examples to photograph.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Contact us for specific pricing on each tour. Tours run March - October every year.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Ireland
Photography and Videography
Cultural Journey
|
