Treasures of Ireland

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Ireland and beyond. We explore Ireland’s natural beauty, its ancient Roman, and Imperial heritage, its World Heritage Sites, and world famous cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Ireland, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

Nowhere else in the world is so much tragedy, exaltation, hope, and disappointment quite so compressed as they are in Ireland. Nowhere else are these historic trials, tribulations, and triumphs such a part of contemporary events and so integrated via song and words into daily life. In Ireland, the past is the present and the present is the past. In this small group tour taking in the history of ancient Ireland and contemporary Ireland, we step out into the evocative land itself, and absorb the poignant history and culture that the country has to offer.

These escorted small group tours of Ireland explore the treasures of Ireland. A popular Ireland vacation program for the couple or the single traveller interested in this style of small group travel. It is a trip designed especially for senior travellers seeking to move beyond the beaten track for the tourist and the usual destinations advertised by other tour companies to experience real Ireland. As we travel on our guided tours, our experienced local tour guide and tour operator share their own stories and knowledge of Ireland, the emerald isle, with you on this small group adventure that takes you to Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Our tour itinerary

Our tour begins in Dublin and takes you clockwise around Ireland to finish in Belfast, Northern Ireland. On the way, we take in quaint villages, stunning scenery, and hidden gems. Our tour takes you to the Cliffs of Moher, Giant's Causeway, and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Some of our key stops include:

Dublin:

The capital of Ireland, Dublin, is home to around a quarter of the nation's population, and is a character-filled city of poets, playwrights and pubs. Our tour explores the history of Ireland at medieval landmarks such as Dublin Castle and St. Patrick's Cathedral, and soaks up the city's legendary literary history, from the ancient Book of Kells to the city streets that inspired Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, and James Joyce.

Cork:

Ireland's second city, Cork, is a charming cathedral city with a laid-back vibe, while the surrounding county - Ireland's largest - is the quintessential Ireland of green hills and villages. En route to the city we visit the ancient royal site of the Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle - where a kiss to the famous Blarney Stone will endow the visitor with the gift of eloquence!

Kerry:

In the south-west corner of Ireland, County Kerry is home to some of the island's most spectacular scenery. The Ring of Kerry has been a tourist destination for centuries thanks to its stunning and windswept landscape of Atlantic coast, lakes, and mountains. The nearby Dingle Peninsula is home to ancient Celtic forts, Christian sites, and the charming fishing village of Dingle.

Galway:

On Ireland's west coast, County Galway is home to stunning scenery - white sandy beaches, charming villages, and looming mountains. The capital, Galway, is a historic medieval city with a large student population, where streets and pubs heave with live 'trad' music.

Aran Islands:

Off Ireland's west coast, the remote Aran Islands are wild and windswept, a place where traditional Irish culture and Irish language live on in daily life. With the help of a local historian, we will explore these fascinating islands, including the spectacular Bronze Age fort of Dun Aengus, the most impressive in Europe, and the Christian ruins of the 'Seven Churches', dating from the 8th to the 11th centuries.

Donegal:

Long left off the tourist trail, remote Donegal is home to some of Ireland's most spectacular scenery: remote mountain passes, vivid blue lakes, and the northern beginnings of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. Proudly independent from the rest of Ireland (the county only barely shares a border with the rest of the Republic), Donegal is over 1/4 Gaeltacht (Irish speaking), and home to a rich local tradition of weaving, known as donegal tweed (which is always written with a small 'd').

Belfast:

Our tour ends in the Northern Ireland city of Belfast, a city that will likely surprise you with its beautiful natural setting and grand Victorian architecture. On our visit, we learn about the city's troubled history from locals on a tour of the evocative and colourful murals of West Belfast, and explore the tragic sinking of the Titanic, which was built in the city's shipyards.

Highlights of Treasures of Ireland tour

The fabulous landscape and the visit to the Aran Islands will create memories that will last well beyond your trip. These memories are paired with the locals stories heard and enjoyed over a meal or drink. Senior travellers joining us on this tour will enjoy the opportunity to spend time at each destination. The Treasures of Ireland tour is a combination of day tour and long-staying dream vacation. This time is spent learning and sharing in a country that has experienced one of the largest historic migrations of its people, and one that touches so many today.

Highlights of our tour of Ireland include a stop in Belfast to learn the history of the area, including a visit to the famous political murals. We also visit the Harland Wolff shipyard. During the tour, we also enjoy a performance the National Folk Theatre (Siamsa Tire) in Tralee and you'll have free time to enjoy a performance at Abbey Theatre (own cost). We experience a walking tour of Powerscourt Manor in the Wicklow Mountains, taking in its glorious gardens and grounds.

We also have an article on the History of Ireland and Ireland's Gems, which you may find helpful.

This small group escorted tour exploring the treasures of Ireland is an 18-day program. This multi day tour is paired with our Scottish Isles program, should you wish to continue your travels with us afterwards. We also offer a short tour of Belfast city. All of our tours to Ireland can be found here. All of our tours to Europe can be found here.

If you are a senior or mature-aged traveller with a thirst for knowledge and an open inquisitive mind, we would love to have you on board for our next departure. For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.

History of Ireland

Ireland (Irish: Éire) is an island carved into two after centuries of subjugation, foreign domination, and various conflicts that lasted through the 20th century. Though Ireland had been home to peoples since the late Neolithic, Celtic culture arrived in Ireland during the Iron Age. During this period, Ireland was divided into a number of small kingdoms or clans (tuatha), surrounded by a landed aristocracy whose wealth was primarily in cattle (airi aicme); with the island finally unifying under the one king in the 10th century AD. There were no urban centres, and the population was primarily based around agriculture, cattle, and rural industries, such as dairying, weaving, and spinning.

Though Ireland was never under the dominion of the Roman Empire, Christianity nonetheless reached the island through trade with Rome. Tradition holds that the 5th century St Patrick converted the population from Celtic paganism. Following Patrick, Ireland became a centre of Christian life. Irish missionaries became major proselytisers of Christianity, converting pagan tribes in Scotland, the north of England, and what is today northern France and western Germany. In a time when Europe was barely literate, Irish monasteries became centres of classical and religious learning, and produced the beautiful illuminated manuscripts of which The Book of Kells is the most famous.

From 795 through to the early 11th century, Ireland became the victim of extensive Viking raiding. Eventually the Norse seized territory, establishing the capital of Dublin, and became trading partners of the Irish. In 1014, the Norse were defeated by the Irish High King Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf.

In the 12th century, Anglo-Norman adventurers began to conquer territories on the east coast of Ireland, paving the way for the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland under Henry II, in 1171. Though technically under English rule, the Middle Ages would see Ireland essentially ruled by a mix of local Irish and Anglo-Norman aristocrats - who increasingly adopted Irish culture and intermarried with the Irish population.

Though England would soon be swept up in the Protestant Reformation, Ireland remained Catholic. The reign of Elizabeth I and her Stuart successors saw the crown reestablish control over the population of Ireland. Significant population transfers occurred, including the Plantation of Ulster, which brought Protestants from England and the Scottish lowlands to settle in the north of Ireland.

The nadir of Irish control over Ireland came in the 18th century with the Protestant Ascendancy, in which the Anglican elite monopolised political rights. Irish culture and language virtually died out, except among the starkly impoverished peasantry of the island's west coast.

However, the subsequent century would see movements for Irish independence re-emerge. The French and American Revolutions inspired the formation of the Society for United Irishmen in the 1790s, whose rebellion was brutally suppressed in the absence of promised French support, while the early 19th century saw the struggle for Catholic emancipation succeed in 1829.

The 19th century would also be defined by poverty and tragedy. Ireland's population, mostly subsistence farmers, would be plunged into famine when the potato became blighted in the mid-1840s. Roughly a million people died of starvation, and more fled abroad to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia. Emigration continued through the 19th century, and by 1911, Ireland's population was half what it had been before the Famine.

Following the Famine, the independence movement split between the revolutionary Fenian secret society, and the more moderate movement for home rule and land reform. By the late 19th century, however, young Irish men and women had become frustrated with the slow pace of the home rule movement. A cultural nationalist movement emerged, devoted to the renewal of the Gaelic language and traditional Irish theatre, music, and sport.

On Easter Monday 1916, around a thousand nationalists occupied key spots in Dublin, proclaiming an Irish Republic. Street fighting continued for around a week, until the Republican leaders were forced to surrender. Their execution by the British government galvanised popular support for independence.

1919 saw the outbreak of the Irish War of Independence, which ended in 1921 with the establishment of the Irish Free State, which, notably, included the southern counties but not the north. The treaty divided the independence movement, leading to the Civil War of 1922-1923. In 1949, the southern part of Ireland became the independent Republic of Ireland, while the north remained part of the United Kingdom.

Once among the poorest and most socially conservative countries in Europe, the Republic of Ireland became economically prosperous and socially liberal over the course of the 20th century. Northern Ireland, however, remained ravaged by conflict between the IRA and unionist paramilitaries. The 'Troubles' raged through the 1970s and 1980s, finally ending with the Good Friday Agreement, which saw power shared between the Catholic and Protestant communities of Northern Ireland.

Articles about Ireland published by Odyssey Traveller:

• History of Ireland
• Ireland's Gems
• Learning about Ireland for Seniors 
• How The Atlantic Ocean Shaped Early Life in Europe

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.

External articles to assist you on your visit to Ireland:

• An alternative road trip in County Kerry, Ireland 
• Visitor Attractions: The Book of Kells
• The Rock of Cashel
• Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geo Park
• Ancient Ireland
• The Best of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way
• Exploring Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way