ITINERARY

Wednesday, August 5

We depart Killary Lodge by coach after our Main Conference closing circle. A one-hour drive takes us to Louisburgh and the Granuaile & Famine Centre. The center is dedicated to two important aspects of Irish history: Grace O’Malley the Pirate Queen, and the Famine of 1845-1852 (known also as the Great Hunger). After our visit we head to Roonagh Pier for a lovely 20 minute ferry ride to Clare Island, where we will stay for two nights. Our dinner tonight will take place at The Stone Barn restaurant, part of an organic and regenerative farm on the island.

Thursday, August 6

Our day will be spent exploring Clare Island, with plenty of time for contemplative walking and attunement to its towering cliffs and white sand beaches. We’ll also have a late afternoon opportunity to talk with Ciara from Macalla Farm, who will speak to us about Clare Island’s fascinating history, culture and inhabitants.

Friday, August 7

We will take an early afternoon ferry back to the mainland and board our coach for our journey to Sligo. Along the way, we will stop at Innisfree Lake, a spot immortalized in the work of beloved Irish poet William Butler Yeats. We will continue on to Sligo, a charming town on the banks of the Garavogue River with deep connections to Yeats, and with Ben Bulben Mountain in the distance. Upon arrival, we will check into our hotel and have dinner there.

Saturday, August 8

After breakfast, we will head to Carrowmore on the Coolera Peninsula, the largest and oldest collection of Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland, dating from the 4th millennium BC. After our tour, we will head to the village of Mullaghmore for a self-guided exploration of the beautiful beach and peninsula. We will have lunch at a nearby restaurant and then head back into Sligo Town for a walking tour focused on the life of W.B. Yeats. We’ll have dinner in a traditional restaurant in Sligo followed by an evening of poetry and  live music at The Yeats Society, right in the heart of Sligo Town on the River Garavogue.

Sunday, August 9

We will depart by coach after breakfast for the two-hour ride to the coastal town of Glencolumbkille, located on the southwest Gaeltacht tip of County Donegal. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and first settled by Neolithic peoples, Glencolumbkille sits in a lush green valley, west of dark boglands, and is a place of rocky coastline, pristine beaches and crystal-clear ocean waters. We will check into our hotel, have lunch, and then enjoy an afternoon of independent exploration. Glencolumbkille offers plenty of walking and hiking opportunities, including loop trails that begin and finish at St. Columba’s church in the village, and pass by stone towers and along soaring cliffs. We’ll come back together to enjoy an illuminating talk on the renowned Irish poet, artist and mystic, AE George Russell, offered by scholar and author Réamonn Ó Ciaráin. We’ll follow this with a shared dinner and an optional evening in town at a pub with traditional Irish music.

Monday, August 10

We leave after breakfast for the three hour drive by coach into Northern Ireland. We’ll stop along the way to have lunch near the banks of Lough Neagh, Ireland’s largest freshwater lake that was created (according to legend) by the giant Finn McCool. After lunch we’ll have a short drive to Belfast where we will check into our hotel. Participants will be invited to go on a scheduled Van Morrison Walking Tour or have free time to explore such things as the Titanic Museum, the Botanical Gardens or shopping elsewhere in Belfast. We will gather together for our final dinner in Belfast.

Tuesday, August 11

All participants will check out after breakfast at our hotel, and make their own way to their next destination.

*Schedule subject to change.