THIS TOUR STARTS 1ST JUNE 2012

Overview

Join us on our 1 Day Tour to the south-east of the country, ‘the secret Ireland’, unspoilt and waiting to be discovered.  We will take you on a fascinating trip through the medieval town of Wexford where you will get a guided walking tour through its meandering streets built by the Vikings and see the many spectacular churches and Abbeys with a local guide.  From there we will take you on a short drive to the coastal village of Kilmore Quay with its many thatched cottages and cute fishing harbour.  There you will board a boat ( WEATHER PERMITTING ) which will take you to see one of Ireland’s great natural wonders, the Saltee Island bird sanctuary. These islands are in fact an unofficial principality when the owners father declared himself ‘Prince of the Saltees’ in the 1950’s and refused to pay any land tax to Wexford county council !  The Saltee Islands are alive with thousands of birds including puffins, gannets and razerbill among many others. 

On your return you can grab some lunch in the picturesque village of Kilmore Quay before we bring you to see the oldest working lighthouse in the World at Hook Head.  The present structure is over 800 years old standing proud at the tip of the hook peninsula made famous by Strongbow during the great Norman invasion of Ireland when he said, I’ll take Waterford “by Hook or by Crook” ( meaning ‘one way or another’) a common phrase still widely used today.  On our way back to the mainland you will pass the haunted Loftus Hall Estate. 

Partick Kennedy  came from a small farm just a few miles outside the town of New Ross.  He left Ireland in 1848 during the great famine and in just three generations, one of his decedents became the most powerful man in the world.  JFK visited this place several times during his life, the last time was just 4 months before this fatal assassination.   On to our next stop to the town of New Ross to see the spectacular and historic Dunbrody emigrant ship on the quays.  This was the very spot where Patrick Kennedy set sail with his new bride to America on a famine ship exactly like the Dunbrody.

DETAILS

THIS ONE DAY WEXFORD TOUR LEAVES DUBLIN EVERY MORNING AT 6:50AM FROM THE TOURIST OFFICE AT SUFFOLK STREET ( OUTSIDE THE OLD STONE CHURCH ) IN THE CITY CENTRE.  THE TOUR WILL ARRIVE BACK TO DUBLIN CITY CENTRE AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30PM

PRICE : €55 EURO PER PERSON

PRICE : €50 EURO FOR STUDENTS / OAP

THIS 1 DAY WEXFORD TOUR INCLUDES A GUIDED TOUR OF WEXFORD TOWN / KILMORE QUAY / BOAT TRIP TO THE SALTEE ISLANDS ( Weather Permitted ) / HOOK HEAD / THE DUNBRODY TALL SHIP.

ITINERARY

6:50am

We depart from the tourist office at Suffolk Street and after your guide introduces himself we’ll head south out of Dublin through the historic town of Enniscorthy were the great 1798 rebellion took place, and on to the town of Wexford. 

9:15am

Once we park up you’ll be met by a local guide who will bring you on a fascinating walking tour of Wexford town.  Wexford has a long and remarkable history and due to its geographical location it holds a diverse mix of Viking, Norman and Old Irish blood.  It is the birthplace of Commodore John Barry, founder of the U.S. Navy, William Lamport aka Zorro and Thomas D’Arcy McGee, father of the Canadian Confederation, so you’ll have many interesting stories told to you by our local guide !

10:30am

From Wexford town your guide will take you on a spectacular drive through unspoilt countryside to the costal harbour village of Kilmore Quay.  There you will board a boat (WEATHER PRIMITTING) and at approx 11:00am and experience the fresh sea breeze and raw coast landscape as you sail across to the great Saltee Island bird sanctuary.  In the 1950’s the owner Michael O’Neill declared the Saltees a principality and announced himself as the ‘Prince of the Saltees’.  He refused to pay any land tax to the government and after the threat of a high court action; he was allowed to register his son as a ‘Prince’.  Today the Saltees are one of Ireland’s great undiscovered natural wonders.  During the summer period it is home to tens of thousands of rare birds from puffins, gannets and razorbills among many, many more.  Your skipper will drive you around the island which will give you the best views of the nesting birds and also many seals who consider the Saltees as home.  After your boat ride you will return to Kilmore key for some lunch and maybe a short walk around the village to see its many cute thatched cottages.

12:30pm

We will now bring you on a beautiful coastal drive to the great hook head peninsula.  Standing proud at its very tip is Hook Head lighthouse.  After lunch at the hook head café you can experience stepping inside the world’s oldest operational lighthouse, now  800 years old and one of Ireland’s 7 Wonders.  Entry into the lighthouse is included in your ticket price ( though lunch is not included ). Up until recently, the lighthouse was operated by a lighthouse master who was responsible for turning the massive light on and off and general maintenance of the lighthouse.  The stretch of water that leads into Waterford city, home of the famous crystal factory has seen many attempted attacks from invasions over the centuries.  One of the most famous being that of Strongbow  ( Richard Fitzgilbert DeClare ) who lead the anglo-norman invasion of Ireland. 

2:30pm

We drive inland from hook head as we pass the great haunted Loftus House Estate which stands alone on the peninsula as we make our way to the town of New Ross.  President John F Kennedy’s great grandfather lived just a few miles from this town which was the very place he sailed to America from to start his new life with his young bride in 1848.  Here you will stand on the very quay and see the impressive and historic emigrant tall ship, The Dunbrody.  This is an exact recreation of the famous famine ship that took thousands of starving Irish peasants from the quays of New Ross and sailed the never ending journey to America to begin a new life. 

4:30pm

After we spend some time at the Dunbrody, we will set our sights on the capital, and make our way back home to Dublin.  At this stage of the day you will be an expert on Irish history, so how about a quiz on the way home to shorten the journey time !! 

7:30pm

You should arrive back in the centre of Dublin.