From Notre Dame v Navy to the Galway Summer Races – Top 10 Events You Can’t Miss in Ireland, 2012

From Notre Dame v Navy to the Galway Summer Races
Top 10 Events You Can’t Miss in Ireland, 2012

2012 is a big year for events in Ireland! With Notre Dame and Navy set to face off in September in Dublin, the yearly St. Patrick’s Week and the Tall Ships Race returning to Ireland; 2012 is action-packed with events offering something for everyone.

1. Notre Dame vs Navy
Dublin, September 1, 2012
In 1996, Notre Dame and Navy faced off in Dublin, and thousands of Notre Dame and Navy fans traveled to be a part of it. The Notre Dame-Navy series has been played annually since 1927, making it one of the longest uninterrupted intersectional series in college football and creating a long tradition of rivalry between the two teams. Celtic Tours fans who travel to Ireland to attend the Notre Dame-Navy game will also be guided to the beauty and fascination of Ireland. The game is scheduled for Sept. 1, 2012.

2. St. Patrick’s Week 
Throughout Ireland, March
The whole world is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! And Dublin is the stage for the biggest and best St. Patrick’s celebrations in the world, the St. Patrick’s Festival. Thousands of Irish people and visitors alike will paint the town green for six fantastic, fun-filled days.

3. Galway Summer Races
Galway, July
Adrenalin-pumping action, heart-stopping finishes and breath-taking fashion; you are at the Galway Races. Situated on the outskirts of Galway city, in the West of Ireland, the Galway Racecourse is the place to be.

4. Tall Ship Race
Dublin, August
Leave the present day behind and experience the thrill of the open water as you take part in the Tall Ships Festival this summer in Dublin, Ireland. There’s beauty in a mass of sails and rigging, the sight of 100 ships sailing into the Irish port will stir your maritime soul. One of the most thrilling and colorful events in the world, Dublin is expecting to host 50 majestic Tall ships, 1500 sailing trainees and an anticipated 500,000 maritime, music and festival fans on the quays of Ireland’s Fair City.


5. 50th International Eucharistic Congress
Dublin, June
The 50th International Eucharistic Congress is a week long programme of events, linking faith and culture, with a particular focus on the gathering of people of every nation, language and way of life around the table of the Lord.

6. Puck Fair
Killorglin, August 10 -12
Killorglin, in the geographical heart of Kerry, is the venue for one of Ireland's most unusual street festivals - Puck Fair. The fair is one of Ireland's oldest and longest celebrated and is held without fail on 10th, 11th and 12th August every year with 12 hours of free family street entertainment.


7. Cahirmee Horse Fair
Cahirmee, July 12
Cahirmee Horse Fair is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland, and is reputed to date back to the time of Brian Boru. The Duke of Wellington bought his horse, Copenhagen, which he rode at the Battle of Waterloo, at the fair. Napoleon also bought a horse at Cahirmee. The Fair came to Buttevant from Cahirmee Fair Field in 1921 and has been held in Buttevant since. Visitors to the fair can see the buying and selling of horses on the streets, while a horse show will also be held with a number of prizes available, including the best horse of the fair.

8. Galway Christmas Market
Galway, Dec 14 – 24
Galway's famous bustling market has been trading in Church Lane by St Nicholas's Church in the City centre for centuries, and it really comes to life during the Christmas event when it will be open from the 14th to 24th December. There will be hundreds of stalls selling a great variety of food and crafts. There will be food such as madras curry, sushi, crepes and mount-watering hand-made chocolates, among many other delights. Or, you can buy great quality ingredients for your Yuletide festivities.

9. Volvo Ocean Yacht Race
Galway, July 3-8
One of the most exciting, high-adrenalin yacht races in the world will wind its way into Galway City on 3rd of July 2012 after eight months at sea.

10. Rugby Six Nations Championship – Ireland v Wales
Dublin, Feb and March
Following Ireland’s defeat to a strong Welsh side, putting an end to their world cup dreams, Ireland will be looking to make amends at what promises to be a great match as both teams kick off their RBS 6 Nations campaign.

Looking for something a little different? Check out this Festival and Event Calendar provided by Discover Ireland

Plan your next event vacation to Ireland with Celtic Tours World Vacations. Events are also great ways to get a group trip together, visit our website or give us a call at 1-800-833-4373 to start planning your vacation to Ireland today!

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Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

Aviva Stadium, a €410 million four level state-of-the art facility opened in May and has a seating capacity of 50,000. Aviva stadium was designed by Populous in conjunction with local Dublin-based Scott Tallon Walker. Populous, one of the world’s leading sports architecture firms, had previously been involved in projects such as Reliant Stadium, Heinz Field, Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards and the Sydney Olympic Stadium.

What an exciting venue to host the Notre Dame v Navy rematch in 2012! The two colleges previously played in Ireland in 1996 when Notre Dame triumphed over Navy in Croke Park. Notre Dame and Navy have played continuously since 1927, making the Notre Dame/Navy rivalry the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football.

“To see this stadium is to believe it has to be one of the finest venues in the world,” said Chet Gladchuk, the Naval Academy Director of Athletics. “Although modest in capacity, few stadiums anywhere has attended to the detail, aesthetics and fan comfort found at Aviva. I guarantee those who travel to Ireland and attend this event will enjoy an experience that will be awesome and a memory not to be forgotten. Navy is very much looking forward to our visit and the wonderful experience we expect our coaches, players, fans and friends will enjoy.”

Welcoming the event Aviva Stadium Director, Martin Murphy, said: “We are all delighted that Navy has chosen Aviva Stadium for their game against Notre Dame in 2012”. “We fully realise just how important this game is in the U.S. sporting calendar and we are looking forward to hosting what will undoubtedly be a fantastic event. The selection of Aviva Stadium for this game is a huge endorsement of the stadium and it is a terrific boost for Irish tourism as I have no doubt the teams’ fans will travel in great numbers. We are confident they will have a memorable time in Ireland.”

Be part of the excitement!

Over 12,000 Notre Dame fans traveled from the US to be a part of the 1996 Notre Dame and Navy game.  The draw for the 2012 Notre Dame v Navy rematch is expected to be far larger than the 1996 game and seats are filling quickly.

Now is the time to reserve your guaranteed space!

INDIVIDUALS LAND RATES NOW AVAILABLE!

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Irish Road Bowling

The ancient sport of Irish Road Bowling is played on public roads throughout West Cork, offering boisterous competition, cheering fans and shouting wagers. Travelers who happen upon an Irish Road Bowling game sometimes feel that they’ve stepped into an alternate universe. But can be quickly filled in by a number of onlookers.

The game is similar to golf only the “bullet” is lofted towards a finish line. The player or team with the fewest shots wins the game. The iron ball used is the size of a tennis ball, weighing 1.75 pounds.With distances along country roads being up to 4 km, great skill is used to loft bullets around tight curves and negotiate gradients.

Irish Road Bowling has been played throughout Ireland longer than anyone can remember. History suggests that Irish Road Bowling was once more widespread than it is today with games being played in Scotland, the north of England and in North America up until the 19th century. Today, Irish Road Bowling is being reintroduced into the Irish communities throughout the world but most games can be viewed only in County Cork and in the extreme north of Ireland in County Armagh. Both areas have their own unique styles of game.

As the game is played on public roads (usually secondary), it is advised when approaching a host of men on either side of the road, shouting and peering intently to pull over and follow any advice given.

Irish Road Bowling is quite an exciting sport with bets on both sides, inciting shouting and wagers often giving advice to the bowlers. The event can be quite a spectacle and one really good way to learn more about the history of Irish sport.

If Irish Sports is your fancy, you can also check out the GAA Museum and Croke Park in Dublin. Croke Park is somewhat famous among Americans for the 1996 Notre Dame v Navy game and is the suggested host for the upcoming 2012 Notre Dame v Navy rematch. Learn more about this exciting Irish sporting event at Celtic Tours.

Celtic Classic College Football

Be a part of the excitement! In 1996 Notre Dame and Navy faced off in Dublin, Ireland. Over 12,000 Notre Dame fans traveled from the US to be a part of the game. James Clarity, of the NY Times wrote, “If St. Patrick had made a miraculous appearance in Croke Park today, he could hardly have received more clamorous support than the Notre Dame football team did. Notre Dame thrashed Navy, 54-27, before 38,651 constantly roaring fans who, if they did not understand the rules of the American game, knew that their adopted Fighting Irish were winning what had been billed as the Shamrock Classic.” Read more of this article.

The Notre Dame-Navy series has been played annually since 1927, making it one of the longest uninterrupted intersectional series in college football. Famed rivalries do not come any better than this! In 2012, they are scheduled to rematch in Croke Park. Why not turn this exciting game into the vacation of a lifetime? Now is the time to reserve your guaranteed space!

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