The Wild Irish Country Tour
Let's go to Ireland!
Ray Turner will be your host on The Wild Irish Country Tour.
Ray grew up in Ireland and is also a long time resident of Boulder City, Nevada. He will share the Wild Atlantic Way and the most beautiful parts of the country with you.
There are two tours scheduled for 2027, March 6th-21st and October 27th- November 10th . We start out the tour in the capital of Ireland, Dublin City, then we leave Dublin in comfort on a Luxury Touring Bus, to see and experience some of the most beautiful places in Ireland. We will hear some of the best Traditional Music and song as we travel along the "Wild Atlantic Way" which is one of the highest rated destinations in the world.
In March we will enjoy the St Patricks Day Parade in Clifden, County Galway, surrounded by the incredible beauty of beauty of Connemara.
In October we will attend the 3 day Púca Halloween Festival in Trim the birthplace of Halloween itself. We will bring our own costumes to wear to the Púca Parade and the annual lighting of the Halloween Fire.
On both tours we will tour impressive Castles, Museums, attend Birds of Prey and Sheepdog Demonstrations, the magnificent Clifden Arts Festival Grande Parade, Kylemore Abbey, the Cliffs of Moher, attend the Celtic Steps Show in Killarney and much more!
See the full itinerary below!
Visit the Wild Irish Country Tours Facebook page to see much more!
Call (702) 461-6842 to arrange an in person meeting with Ray to tell you more about this once in a lifetime tour and answer any questions you may have.
Wild Irish Country Tour Itinerary
Dublin City, 2 Nights
We will be in Dublin for 2 nights and explore some of Dublin's best cultural attractions. Our Hotel is located in the heart of the Cultural Center of Dublin and is close to Saint Stephens Green, a very beautiful and historic Park.
On our first evening in Dublin we will have a group "Welcome Dinner" at Davy Byrne's Pub, a very historic and beautiful Dublin Pub immortalized in James Joyces masterpiece,
"Ulysses". This Welcome Dinner is included with the tour price, as is the "Farewell Dinner" on our final night.
We will spend our time visiting Cathedrals, Museums, Art Galleries, Restaurants, Shops, Historic Pubs and more.
While on the tour, most evenings you will have the freedom to explore the towns we visit. Most pubs start their Traditional Music Sessions at 9pm and finish around 11pm. Restaurants and Pubs will be literally on your doorstep in each town we visit.
Ray will be always close by when you choose to do your own thing and he will be at your service 24/7 should you need anything at all. You can walk comfortably and safely throughout them.
All Activities and Admissions to attractions visited on this tour are included in your tour price, with the exception of some optional attractions you may choose to visit in Dublin.
Airfare and Travel Insurance is not included! Ray is happy to help you select your flights and help you with booking.
Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, 1 Night
On our way to Kilkenny we will stop at wonderful Glendalough, a 7th Century Monastery founded by Saint Kevin in the Wicklow Mountains. It has a very rich history.This is one of the most beautiful and historic places in Ireland
This evening we will check-in to our Hotel "The River Court" and then you are free to explore the town and perhaps take a stroll by the beautiful River Nore.
Tomorrow after checking out of our Hotel we will take a guided tour of Kilkenny Castle.
Then we will travel onward to our next destination, Killarney in beautiful County Kerry.
Killarney, County Kerry, 3 Nights
Killarney, County Kerry, 3 Nights
Killarney Town in County Kerry is known for its welcoming pubs, lively Traditional Irish Music Scene and the young and the old out having fun! There are many great Shops, Restaurants and Pubs, right on your doorstep.
While in Killarney on the September tour we will attend the popular Celtic Steps show. It features World Champion Irish Dancers, Traditional Irish Music, and Song.
Some of our daytime activities will include a trip by boat across the Killarney Lakes and then take Horse and Trap up into the mountains to the Gap of Dunloe in Killarney National Park. On the March tour we will visit Muckross Estate in Killarney National Park by Horse and Trap and tour the majestic stately house that Queen Victoria once visited and see the room she slept in. Afterwards we will visit the Torq Waterfall.
On the March and September tours we will also take a day trip on the Ring of Dingle, stopping at some ancient pre-historic sites along the Wild Atlantic Way taking in incredible ocean views, the highlight of the day will be a stop for several hours in Dingle Fishing Village, where you can have lunch and get an up close view of the harbor and explore the many colorful Shops, Galleries, Restaurants and Pubs.
Also of interest in Dingle are the magnificent Stained Glass Windows of Harry Clarke located at "Diseart" the former Presentation Sisters Convent. This Harry Clarke Stained Glass installation is considered a National Treasure and it is a a favorite of Ray.
Doolin, County Clare, 2 Nights
Clifden, County Galway, 3 Nights
Killarney, County Kerry, 3 Nights
We travel onward to the village of Doolin famous for its Traditional Pubs and Music.
On our way up to Doolin we will take a guided tour of the famous Cliffs of Moher.
We will have a lunch stop first and afterwards you will have plenty of time to enjoy and admire the views of the famous cliffs before we continue on to Doolin.
The Cliffs of Moher are a signature point on the Official Wild Atlantic Way.
While in Doolin we will tour the "Burren" which is a desolate limestone landscape of incredible beauty and unique Flora.
It is home to the Poulnabrone Dolmen which is a Stone Age Portal Tomb that is estimated to be over 6,000 years old.
We will visit the Poulnabrone Dolmen as well as see an interesting and close up Birds of Prey Demonstration and attend a Sheepdog Demonstration.
In the evenings we will have Pubs with Traditional Irish Music right on our doorstep.
Clifden, County Galway, 3 Nights
Clifden, County Galway, 3 Nights
Clifden, County Galway, 3 Nights
Clifden is a charming town that is completely surrounded by natural beauty in the heart of the Connemara region. It is surrounded by Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Coastal Views with Sheep around every bend. You can take a walk in the evening or mornings down Beach Road which hugs the Clifden Bay.
There are many great Pubs, Clothing Shops, Bakeries, Galleries, Book Shops etc in Clifden. The people here are very friendly, you might make a new friend in Clifden! The Clifden Arts Festival is taking place while we are in town in September. It's a monthlong festival and it ends with the spectacular Grande Parade and Street Party that brings in families from the surrounding countryside, its a highlight of the tour that you are sure to love and remember. On the March tour we will experience the Clifden Saint Patricks Day Parade.
On one of our days in Clifden we will take a coastal excursion enjoy a presentation by Malachy Bodhrán a master craftsman who is famous for his handmade Traditional Irish Drums called Bodhráns. You may have seen his drums being played by Traditional Musicians in pubs and his drums were used exclusively on the original Riverdance World Tour. You'll have the opportunity to purchase one of your own, its the ultimate souvenir of Ireland. People come from all over the world to buy these drums.
Malachy also has a great gift shop with fun and interesting souvenirs.
Also on this excursion we will visit the "Connemara Smokehouse" and be given a very interesting demonstration by owner Graham Roberts on the art and history of his family smoking Salmon in Connemara, the demonstration ends with a tasting session.
The Smokehouse is located at Bunowen Pier which is a spectacularly beautiful spot on the Wild Atlantic Way, from here you will have views of the ruins of one of Grace O' Malley's castles' in the distance, she is better known as the Pirate Queen. Here you will also enjoy the impressive ocean views.
The following day we will visit one of Irelands most loved attractions, the Kylemore Abbey, It was built as a romantic gift by Mitchell Henry to his new wife Margaret. The history of Kylemore Abbey is very interesting and moving.
Kylemore Abbey is situated in one of the most beautiful locations in Ireland on the shore of Pollacappal Lough.
It also hosts a miniature gothic Cathedral and romantic Victorian Walled Garden.
While in Clifden you get to see and drive across the Roundstone Bog, a vast and beautiful landscape featuring lakes, rocky outcrops and diverse peatland plant communities as well as the many fearless sheep that line the road.
Trim, County Offaly, 1 Night
Clifden, County Galway, 3 Nights
Clifden, County Galway, 3 Nights
Few places in Ireland contain more Medievil buildings than the town of Trim, Trim Castle is foremost among these buildings. Upon arrival in Trim we will take a guided tour of Trim Castle and then check in to our guesthouse, which is located direcly across the road from the Castle. The Castle is the largest Anglo Norman fortification in Ireland. Often called King Johns Castle, it was built in its day to be impregnable. It is located on the banks of the mystical River Boyne which has a nice easy riverside trail you can walk if you choose in the evening.
Trim Castle was used as a major filming location in the Movie Braveheart.
On the October tour we will be in Trim for the 3 Day Púca Halloween Festival in the birthplace of Halloween itself called "Samhain" in Gaelic, pronounced "Sowen". We will be bringing our own costumes with us! which of course is optional.
Dublin, our final night
Dublin, our final night
Dublin, our final night
Today we will visit one of Irelands greatest treasures, "Brú na Bóinne" (Palace of the Boyne).
Famous for the prehistoric Passage Tombs of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth, which were built circa 3200 BC. It is a UNESCCO World Heritage Site and Europe's largest and most important concentration of
megalithic art.
Newgrange Passage Tomb is surrounded by 40 Satellite Passage Graves constituting a "Funerary Landscape" recognized as having ritual significance.
Again today, we are in River Boyne territory, this ancient river is named after the Celtic Goddess Boánn, she was worshipped as the goddess of poetry, fertility and knowledge and it is she who is said to have created the River Boyne.
The highlight of today will be an intimate guided tour of Newgrange Passage Tomb, venturing deep inside to the Kings Chamber where we will hear all about its history and historical significance.
We now are in the famous Boyne Valley where the Vikings first invaded Ireland pillaging Towns and Monasteries for their golden artifacts.
The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre Exhibition is a fully interactive visitor experience exploring the Neolithic culture, landscape and monuments.
Tonight we spend our last night at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport and have our "Farewell Dinner" before departing for the USA tomorrow.