Day 1 (Monday): Morning departure and travel to Holyhead for the ferry crossing to the Emerald Isle. Upon arrival we continue our journey through Ireland to the Central Hotel, Donegal for a 4-night stay.
Day 2 (Tuesday): Today we visit the walled city of Derry in Northern Ireland. Prosperity and peace have made this compact city, with its tumultuous history, one of the most fascinating to visit in the British Isles.
Upon arrival, enjoy an hour and a quarter’s tour of Derry by bus with a local guide. The tour begins with a panoramic drive along the river front to the Iskaheen viewing point where you will see many of the city's key landmarks which will be explained in detail by your guide before you disembark the coach for photographs. The tour then proceeds back across the river Foyle into the famous Bogside to view the murals which explain the political conflict and to view the location of Bloody Sunday. Next stop is the 17th century city walls where you will enjoy a short walk on top of the only intact walled city in Ireland.
The tour then finishes at the Guildhall (the city hall) for a short guided tour of the building including its iconic stained-glass windows and great hall.
During the tour your guide will explain all the key aspects of the city's history including early Christianity, the plantation of Ulster, the siege of Derry, emigration to Britain and the new world, the two World Wars and the modern political conflict/peace process.
Afterwards, enjoy some free time in Derry. Take advantage of the opportunity to walk across the Peace Bridge or visit one of the city’s many fascinating museums. We return to our hotel late afternoon, in time for our evening meal.
This evening, enjoy an evening of informal entertainment at the hotel by the North Wales Male Chorus.
Day 3 (Wednesday): A free day in delightful Donegal. In the centre of town is the Diamond, an open pedestrian area surrounded by shops, cosy pubs, wonderful restaurants and delightful coffee shops. Donegal town centre is also known for a monument dedicated to the four authors of ‘The Annuals of the Four Masters’.
There is plenty to keep you interested on a coach tour to this bustling small town. Donegal Castle, the 15th century seat of the O’Donnell Chieftans and the remains of a Fransciscan Abbey sit in its delightful bay. There is plenty to see and do but above all Donegal has splendid scenery that will delight any visitor!
Return to the hotel in time for your early dinner at 4.30pm. The coach will then transfer you to the Derry Methodist Church for the 7.30pm evening concert by the North Wales Male Chorus. They will present a varied programme which includes traditional male voice pieces, well-known Welsh choruses, arrangements of popular songs from the musicals, one or two opera choruses as well as original items composed for the choir by their MD. The coach will transfer you back to your hotel at the end of the concert.
Day 4 (Thursday): We start the day with a visit to Belleek Pottery, where the entrance and a guided tour is included. Afterwards, we journey to the Mullaghmore Peninsula, see the harbour where Lord Mountbatten was assassinated in 1979. We continue to Drumcliffe Church, where the poet WB Yeats is buried before concluding the day in the coastal town of Sligo.
Day 5 (Friday): We make the journey back to Dublin, there will be time for coffee in the town of Virginia en-route, then to the port for the 2.50pm sailing to Holyhead.