Free in Ireland

Everybody loves FREE! And Ireland has plenty of it. Whether you are visiting for the first time or the hundredth, here is a short list of some of the free attractions and activities in Ireland.

Museums & Galleries: All Ireland's National Museums are free of charge! Visit the Natural History, the Archaeology and History and the Decorative Arts and History Museums in Dublin and learn all about the country's colorful past. Many Art Galleries are free too - try the National Gallery or Ireland's Museum of Modern Art. www.museum.ie

St. George's Market: One of Belfast's oldest attractions, there has been a Friday market on the St. George's site since 1604. Home to some of the finest fresh produce, this charming Victorian building attracts visitors from near and far to sample the delights of Friday and Saturday markets. Sample the produce, relax with a coffee and a newspaper against a backdrop of live jazz or flamenco music. This market is a real Saturday treat and a great outing for all the family.

St. Anne's Cathedral, Belfast: Explore the treasures of this Irish-roman-style cathedral. Mounted on top of the cathedral is the new, modern spire, 'Spire of Hope', rising 100 metres above the city. www.belfastcathedral.org

The Causeway Coastal Route and the Giant's Causeway (Co. Antrim): The Giant's Causeway, the source of legends of gigantic proportions, is a 50 to 60 million year old landmark of Ireland's natural and mystical beauty. Located in County Antrim, the causeway was named the fourth greatest natural wonder of the United Kingdom and is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. Entry is free (although there is a fee for nearby parking). www.causewaycoastandglens.com

Downpatrick Cathedral and St. Patrick's Tomb: This 19th century gothic cathedral was constructed on a sacred site. Its cemetery contains the tomb of St. Patrick. www.visitdownpatrick.com

Connemara National Park, Co. Galway: the park covers 2,957 hectares of magnificent landscape. The Interpretation Centre presents expositions on the fauna and flora, and a film. Visitors can make use of the hiking trails and picnic areas. www.connemaranationalpark.ie

Hunt Museum, Co. Limerick: Entry is free every Sunday between 14:00 to 17:00. One of the most beautiful private collections of art and antiques in the world, ranging from Neolithic to modern times, and includes a range of works by Renoir, Picasso and Yeats. www.huntmuseum.com

Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo: The tradition of pilgrimage to this holy mountain stretches back over 5,000 years from the Stone Age to the present day without interruption. Croagh Patrick is renowned for its Patrician Pilgrimage in honour of Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. It was on the summit of the mountain that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD and the custom has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation. www.croagh-patrick.com

Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry: one of the most popular parks in Ireland, its history-rich scenery will leave you speechless. Walk amongst its 10.236 hectares to see its Torc Waterfall. www.killarneynationalpark.ie

Muckross Friary & Gardens, Co. Kerry: This Franciscan Friary was founded in the 15th century and is in a remarkable state of preservation. The cloister and its associated buildings are complete and an old yew tree stands in the centre.

Kilmacurragh Arboretum in Co. Wicklow: Around the ruins of a fine Queen Anne style house lie 52 acres of wild Robinsonian gardens began in 1715 and further expanded with the advice of the Directors of the Botanic Gardens in Dublin during the 19th century. Rare trees and shrubs abound for you to explore. Admission is free.

With so much to do and see in Ireland, it can be hard to choose. Let the travel experts at Celtic Tours help you. Visit our website to learn about our Irish Vacations!

Lost Gardens of Heligan

As if straight from the pages of a fairytale, the Lost Gardens of Heligan lay in literal slumber for almost 75 years. A motto etched into the limestone walls in barely legible pencil still reads “Don’t come here to sleep or slumber”.

The gardens were originally created by members of the Cornish Tremayne family over a period from the mid-18th century to the 20th century and still form part of the Tremayne family Heligan estate. The gardens were neglected after the first world war, after the childless death of Jack Tremayne.

The Heligan estate came under the ownership of a trust to the benefit of several members of the extended Tremayne family. One of these, John Willis, lived in the area and was responsible for introducing record producer Tim Smit to the gardens. He and a group of fellow enthusiasts decided to restore the garden to its former glory, and eventually leased them from the Tremayne family. Discovered amongst brambles and ivy, the enthusiasts restored the gardens to their present day glory. Heligan offers 200 acres of Victorian Productive Gardens, romantic Pleasure Grounds, lush sub-tropical Jungle and more to explore.

The Jungle sits in a steep-sided valley, creating a microclimate at least five degrees warmer than the Northern Gardens. Here the exotic palette of plants brought back from across the world, both by the intrepid Victorian Plant Hunters and more recent collectors, flourish before your eyes.

The Giant’s Head, Mudmaid and Grey Lady wait to be discovered along Woodland Walk. This sheltered path comes to life as these woodland sculptures reveal themselves, emerging silently from the beautiful natural landscape.

Throughout the gardens and estate, which are actively managed to encourage wildlife populations, you may observe many fascinating creatures, from birds, insects and amphibians to moths, bats and even the famous barn owls.

Discover the Lost Gardens of Heligan on your Celtic Tours Corners of Cornwall tour of England.

Corners of Cornwall

Corners of Cornwall

Gourmets will love the fine food, history buffs will relish the architecture, literature lovers will delight in scenes straight from the printed page and breathtaking views will impress absolutely everyone. This is the tour that has it all, but even its busy schedule allows ample scope to embrace the back roads and add a few adventures of your own.

Your Corners of Cornwall Coach Tour Includes:

* 6 nights in unique, traditional accommodation, in rooms with ensuite facilities
* Experienced Driver/Guide
* All mini-coach transportation
* Full English cooked breakfast daily
* Three-course evening meals x 3
* Entrance fees as listed: The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pendennis Castle, Cornwall, Gardens of Trebah, St Michael's Mount, Launceston Castle

Visit Celtic Tours website to learn more about this and other great tours of England

*This tour is guaranteed with a minimum of 4 passengers.

Top 10 Group Travel Experiences

Here are just a few of Celtic Tours favorite group itineraries. So gather up your favorite group of people: your co-workers, church group, family members or affinity group and start planning your trip today!

1. Celtic Dream: Our premier tour offers you an updated itinerary in 2011. This tour has added attractions for 2011 and features most of the major historic and scenic attractions of Ireland. The Celtic Dream is acknowledged by visitors and Travel Agents as being the best value tour offered to Ireland.

2. St. Patrick’s Week: What could be more fun and exciting than celebrating St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Ireland with your favorite group of people?

3. Experience Italy: Experience a transforming journey to Italy featuring a visit to Turin to view the Shroud. For over 39 years, Celtic Tours World Vacations has provided spiritual journeys to connect travelers with their faith. There is no greater experience than visiting the sites where history, culture and religion connect people through a hands-on experience with their faith. This is a great tour for church groups or any group

4. Experience Spain: Our new Spain Experience tour is designed for small groups of 10 or more. Great for Family and Friends. Join Celtic Tours on this amazing vacation including 3 nights in Madrid and 3 nights in Barcelona.

5. Experience France: Our new France Experience tour is designed for small groups of 10 or more. Discover Nice and Paris with your family and friends!

6. Experience Portugal: Our new Portugal Experience tour is designed for small groups of 10 or more. Great for Family and Friends.

7. In a Tuscan Villa: Our Tuscan Villa Stay features an authentic Italian Villa stay for four nights. This is an excellent program for both individual and group travel and has become a popular base for touring the Tuscan region while enjoying the warmth and charm of Villa Casagrande!

8. Celtic Delight: Featured in many publications, this tour takes in some of the most scenic areas in Southern Ireland including Kilkenny Castle, Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Cobh Heritage, Blarney, Killarney, Foynes Flying Boat Museum and Limerick for a farewell Medieval Castle Banquet.

9. Heart of England: This new and unique program brings you some of the most famous landmarks in England, great for those with limited time! Great for small groups of 4 or more!

10. Corners of Cornwall: Gourmets will love the fine food, history buffs will relish the architecture, literature lovers will delight in scenes straight from the printed page and breathtaking views will impress absolutely everyone. This is the tour that has it all, but even its busy schedule allows ample scope to embrace the back roads and add a few adventures of your own.

At Celtic Tours, we do groups your way! If you do not see something here, just check out our website to see what other group tours we offer. Or call our group reservations and we can customize your group itinerary for you!

Scotland Whisky Regions

Scotland is divided into six whisky-producing regions; Speyside, Lowlands, Highlands, Campbeltown, Islands and Islay. Although each whisky is unique, the malts produced in each region have some common characteristics which separate them from whiskies from other regions. These differences are the result of several factors as for example the use of different raw materials, climate variations and different production techniques.

Islay

Islay is a small island west of the Scottish mainland and is the home of many well-known malt whiskies. Although a few milder versions exits, Islay whisky in general is smoky, peaty and salty and has quite a bit of tang and tar thrown into the mix. The island once had 23 distilleries operating at the same time but the number of active distilleries is now down to eight. Islay is a centre of "whisky tourism", and hosts a "Festival of Malt and Music" known as Fèis Ìle each year at the end of May, with events and tastings celebrating the cultural heritage of the island. The whiskies of the distilleries along the southeastern coast of the island, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg, have a smoky character derived from peat, considered a central characteristic of the Islay malts, and ascribed both to the water from which the whisky is made and to the peating levels of the barley.

Lowlands

As the name suggests, the Lowlands is a flat region without mountains. It is also the southernmost part of Scotland. Whisky from the Lowlands is single malt whisky traditionally triple distilled giving it a smooth and slightly fiery taste. It is also very light in salt, peat and smoke as opposed to many other whiskies. Any Lowland whisky is a fine aperitif.

Speyside

Speyside boasting the highest concentration of distilleries in Scotland, is the undisputed center for whisky in Scotland. Speyside is geographically part of the Highlands but is considered a separate region because of its size and the different characteristics of Speyside whisky as opposed to other Highland whisky. The region has received its name from the river Spey which cuts through the area. Many of the distilleries use water straight from the river Spey in their production process. The malt is considered to be refined, sweet and elegant. If you wish to introduce a friend to the world of whisky, a Speyside is a good choice with its rich flavour, complexity and relatively mild character.

Highlands

The Highlands is the largest of the whisky producing regions in Scotland. The whisky is often powerful, has a rich flavor and is quite smoky although slightly less so than whisky from the Islands. Compared to the Lowlands, Highland whiskies often taste very different from each other. This is partly due to the size of the region which allows for greater differences in the microclimate, but variations in raw materials and productions techniques also play an important part. The word ‘glen’ is commonly used in the name of both Highland and Speyside distilleries and means ‘valley’.

Campbeltown

The region Campbeltown was once a flourishing whisky region and the city of Campbeltown was considered to be the whisky capital of Scotland. In 1886 there were no less than 21 distilleries in and surrounding the city. Today only three distilleries remain. Campbeltown is still referred to as a separate whisky producing region, but today the reason is mostly historical.

Islands

It is not uncommon for this region to be confused with Islay but Islands is in fact a separate production region which consists of the islands Mull, Orkney, Jura, Arran, Shetlands and Skye. It is a source of constant debate whether Orkney belongs to the Islands or in fact should be counted as part of the Highlands region. Whisky from the Islands may be described as a milder version of Islay whisky and is often appreciated by those who have enjoyed whisky for a few years. The well-known whisky Talisker is produced on the beautiful Island of Skye. The Blackwood Distillery is the most recent addition to Scotland’s family of distilleries and is currently being built on one of the Shetland Islands.

Learn more about Scotch Whisky on your Celtic Tours Whisky Tour of Scotland

The Ancient Art of Falconry

The ancient art of Falconry is reputed to be the oldest sport in the world. Evidence suggests that the art of falconry may have begun in Mesopotamia, China or Mongolia around 2000BC, as a means of catching food for yourself and your family.

Falconry spread westwards reaching the shores of Europe long before the end of the first millennium. Historically, Falconry was a popular sport and considered a status symbol among the nobles of medieval Europe and Asia. It was largely restricted to the noble classes due to the commitment of time, money and space. Falconry continued to be symbolic of status in art, long after it was popularly practiced.

Falconry is an art that requires long hours, constant devotion, finesse, subtlety and skill. The falconer must train a bird of prey to fly free, hunt and then return to captivity. A beginning falconer should begin with knowledge; learning about the various gaming birds, their stages of life, characteristics, prey, car, feeding and suitability for the falconer and the hunting environment.

Ireland’s First School of Falconry, at Ashford castle, offers visitors the chance to experience the ancient art of Falconry first hand on a private Hawk Walk. They specialize in lessons using beautiful Harris hawks, but in addition to hawks the school is home to a variety of eagles, owls and falcons. Within minutes of arriving, you will have a hawk on your glove and be setting off to fly your hawk or hawks in the gardens and woodlands surrounding Ashford Castle.

Ashford Castle is a medieval castle, located deep in the heartland of Mayo and set against a spectacular backdrop of forests, lakes and mountains. The stately architecture, surrounded by magnificent gardens makes Ashford Castle, a place where time stands still. Ashford Castle was built in 1228 for the de Burgo family, whose surname became the Burkes or Bourkes. They owned the castle for 3 and a half centuries until it was purchased by Noel Huggard in 1939. He opened the estate as a hotel, which became renowned for the provision of its country pursuits, such as angling, shooting and falconry.

In 1951, Ashford Castle played the backdrop to The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. In its time, the castle has played host to many notable guests including: John Lennon, George Harrison, King George V of the UK, Oscar Wilde, Ronald Reagan, Ted Kennedy, Brad Pitt, Princess Grace and Pierce Brosnan to name a few.

While staying at Ashford Castle, you can enjoy a wide range of relaxing or exciting activities. Book a Spa treatment or Fly a Hawk in the School of Falconry, take a Picnic in the Walled Garden or catch Wild Trout or Salmon here, in one of the most famous fisheries in Ireland. Just 40 minutes from Galway city, and within easy driving distance of Shannon International Airport, Ashford Castle is perfectly situated to welcome all ages of visitors, from every corner of the globe.

Enjoy the majesty of staying in a medieval castle with Celtic Tours. Ashford Castle is a featured hotel on many of our Ireland vacations, including our Deluxe Deluxe Self Drive Vacation.

Deluxe Deluxe: Ireland Vacation Package

Deluxe Deluxe!
6 Nights Accommodations; 2 nights at the beautiful Lakeside hotel, 2 nights Ashford Castle, 1 night Dromoland Castle and 1 night at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin
+ car rental, breakfast and hotel taxes!
 based on twin room sharing at excellent properties -
pre-booked at no charge!

No hidden charges - no small print!

Package Highlights:This leisurely self-drive vacation brings you excellent properties - pre-booked at no additional charge! Bringing you the best of Ireland at a comfortable pace!

This package offers the following hotel accommodations:2-nights at the beautiful Lakeside Hotel in Killaloe
2-night deluxe 5-star renowned Ashford Castle1-nights at the deluxe 5-star Dromoland Castle
1-night at the deluxe 5-star Westebury Hotel

Should availability demand, the hotel order may be altered to accommodate availability and/or hotels may be substituted with equal or greater value hotels, where necessary.

This package also includes:
Standard Shift Group A Car Rental for entire package. Upgrades to larger cars and/or option to include Collision Damage Waiver are available.
FREE Ireland Admission Discount book to over 100 sites throughout Ireland.
FREE Celtic Tours 5-minute phone card.
Please note, this package is already discounted and further discounts and promotions do not apply to this package.

Learn more about this and other great Celtic Tours Vacations