Thursday, May 18 – Dublin

Today we will enjoy a comprehensive bus and walking tour of Dublin! Our day features some of the most beautiful and important sites of the city, including Trinity College and the Book of Kells,  the General Post Office, St. Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street, Dublin castle and more. We’ll enjoy a hearty lunch and of course, some Irish whiskey along the way. Tonight we’re all on our own for dinner. 

In the evening you might consider joining your tour director for a show at Dublin’s famed Gaiety Theatre! Shows and prices TBD.

Saturday, May 20 – Corrib Lake Cruise, Knock

Following breakfast we will depart for Corrib Lake, the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland. A morning cruise along Corrib Lake’s pristine shores is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of the Irish countryside. 

Following the cruise we’re back on the bus and headed to Knock. Located in the plains of East Mayo, Knock is one of the world’s leading Marian shrines! Here, on August 21, 1879 fifteen men, women and children witnessed an apparition of Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist. Ever since this event millions of pilgrims have visited Knock, Pope St. John Paul II among them. 

Upon arrival in Knock we will check in at the lovely St. Mary’s guest house, located within the grounds of the shrine. We will then enjoy a spiritual journey through the shrine which will culminate with a rosary in the Apparition Chapel.

Sunday, May 21 – Knock, Croagh Patrick, Westport

After Mass and breakfast we’ll board the bus and set out into the Hills of Connemara towards the great mountain known as Croagh Patrick. Nearly fifteen-hundred years ago St. Patrick climbed this very mountain, fasting for forty days and forty nights. He did so in order to be more like Christ. Ever since St. Patrick’s time the tradition of climbing Croagh Patrick has been continued, handed down from generation to generation. Today, we will become a part of that great living tradition. Before embarking on this 2500-foot climb we will say prayers at the foot of the mountain as a group. Asking God for the grace of holy perseverance we will then start the hike. 

For those who are not able to climb the mountain, our tour bus will bring you to the nearby town of Westport for a shopping trip and a stroll! Westport may be Ireland’s most charming small town, complete with stone bridges, seaside vibes and more history and culture than one could ask for! 

Following the tour of Westport the group will then return to Croagh Patrick, rendezvous with the climbers and then the whole group will return to Knock for a hearty dinner. 

Tuesday, May 23 – Belfast

Today begins with a panoramic bus tour of Belfast, which will take us past the leaning Albert Memorial Clock Tower (Ireland’s Big Ben!), the Opera House and through the Shankill and Falls, where we will learn the history of the violent period known as the Troubles which so divided Ireland just a few decades ago. 

After lunch we will visit the Harland and Wolff Shipyard, the very place where the Titanic was built and launched in 1912. We’ll then embark on a virtual journey through the Titanic at the Titanic Belfast, an incredible attraction which recreates the story of the world’s most famous ship right beside the historic site of the original ship’s construction. Highlights include breathtaking views to the slip-ways where the Titanic was launched and a voyage to the bottom of the sea, in the unique Ocean Exploration Centre! Our tour concludes with a step on board the SS Nomadic, the last remaining White Star Line ship in the world, which was built to act as a tender ship (mail or passenger carrier) between the port and the Titanic itself. After this incredible journey through history we will return to our hotel for dinner and bed.

Thursday, May 25 – Stirling, Edinburgh

Today we depart on a day trip for the medieval city of Stirling, one of Scotland’s most beautiful and historically important cities. Here we will visit the impressive Stirling Castle, which sits atop a volcanic rock that towers above the surrounding town and countryside. This castle once served as a royal residence for Mary Queen of Scots. We’ll then enjoy lunch and a stroll through the old town. 

In the afternoon we will visit the Wallace Monument. This monument pays tribute to Wallace and in particular his great victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. Here we’ll learn the story of the Scottish people and their fight for independence. We’ll then visit the Battlefield at Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeated King Edward II in the first war of Scottish Independence in 1314. In the evening we will return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. 

Friday, May 26 – Edinburgh

Today we will enjoy a full day in Edinburgh. First we visit and celebrate Mass at Saint Patrick’s Church, where we will visit the Shrine to the Venerable Margaret Sinclair (Sister Mary Francis of the Five Wounds) as well as a Shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 

Following lunch we will walk Edinburgh’s “Royal Mile,” an incredible thoroughfare that will take us right through the center of the city and past some of Edinburgh’s most incredible landmarks. We will then have a bit of free time for shopping at the many interesting shops in Old Town. 

In the afternoon, we will visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the Queen when she is visiting Scotland. Finally we will visit Edinburgh Castle for a grand tour of this popular tourist destination. In the evening we will return to the hotel for dinner. 

Saturday, May 27- St. Andrew’s, Edinburgh

Today we will depart for St. Andrews. St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and the town named in his honor sits about 50 miles northeast of Edinburgh on the east coast of Fife overlooking the North Sea. This ancient city has played an incredibly important role in the history of Scotland, and is known in particular as the beginning of the bloody conflict between Protestants and Catholics following the Protestant Reformation. 

As our bus winds its way through the lowlands towards this incredible city, our guide will bring the history and stories of this place to life. Upon arrival we will enjoy a light lunch and then embark on a walking tour known as the St. Andrew’s Circuit. This tour will take us past more than twenty places of interest, from the Blue Stone of Pictish days, to the beaches famous for the filming of Chariots of Fire. The tour concludes at the ruins of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, the original seat of the Catholic Church in Scotland and the most important place of worship in Scotland until the 16th century, when Catholicism was outlawed and the church was destroyed. Here we will offer prayers and officially conclude our walking tour. We’ll then return to Edinburgh for our farewell dinner together!