Wellfleet Harbour Actors Theatre

Day Two | Saturday May 10th

Morning arrival into Dublin airport and meet with your tour guide and awaiting coach.   

Travel to Cork stopping in Cashel to visit Cormac’s Chapel and afternoon tea in Cashel Palace Hotel.

The Rock of Cashel

A spectacular group of Medieval buildings set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale including the 12th century round tower, High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, 13th century Gothic cathedral, 15th century Castle and the restored Hall of the Vicars Choral.  Attractions include an audio-visual show and exhibitions.

Afternoon Tea in Cashel Palace Hotel

Today, Cashel Palace’s afternoon tea channels the glamorous high society era, bringing an Irish flavour to this beloved tradition. Expect delicate bone china, signature loose leaf tea in silver pots and cake stands laden with decadent treats. Served in our impressive Queen Anne Room, you shall find deep sofas, high ceilings, chandeliers, tall windows, a log fire and walls hanging with equine art – the perfect setting for lingering over delicious pastries, savouries and cakes!

Suggested hotel – The Trident Hotel, Kinsale Co Cork x 2 nights

Kinsale is one of the most picturesque, popular and historic towns on the south west coast of Ireland. It has been hailed as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland, with no shortage of cafes, pubs and restaurants to suit every taste and budget. Old Head of Kinsale is a Signature Point of the Wild Atlantic Way. Old Head is a remarkably dramatic piece of Ireland, protruding more than two miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Located in County Cork on the South West coast, The Old Head of Kinsale is home to a world-class, 18-hole golf course.       

Welcome dinner in your hotel on arrival

Dinner in your hotel this evening

Day Three | Sunday May 11th

Transfer Cork City Centre where we visit and walk through the English Market.

Cork’s iconic English market has been trading since 1788.  One of the oldest and certainly the best covered market in Europe, it has survived famine, flood, war, fires, and multiple recessions to remain a strong part of Cork’s retail environment.

“…the stomach and soul of Cork city, it provides nourishment for both… It’s great to have a chat and to look into the eyes of the person selling to you.  The market is a true gem…” – Ross Lewis: Chapter One.  Significant to the City as a commercial asset, the building is also architecturally significant so is valued as a heritage and tourist attraction.  Renowned as a food market, it is an important part of food culture in Cork, with an emphasis on fresh, local produce with traditional Cork foods as well as an array of international delights.   The stallholders are local and independent food producers or retailers, often with generations of families working in the Market.  The traditional serve-over-counter stall trading also ensures that the service to the customer is personal and unique. The reputation and history of the market has attracted thousands visitors each year – heads of state, celebrities and tourists from across the globe have come to see the market.

From Cork city transfer a short distance to Cobh

Cobh is a town in Ireland, on an island in Cork city’s harbour. It’s known as the Titanic’s last port of call in 1912. Titanic Experience Cobh is a themed attraction in the former White Star Line ticket office. More displays on the liner are in the Cobh Heritage Centre, which also explores how Cobh became an embarkation point during Ireland’s mass emigrations.

Take a historical walking tour of Titanic Trail Tour.

Learn about the maritime history of Cobh during this walking tour created by historian Dr. Michael Martin. The town, which sits off the south coast of Cork, was the last port of call for the Titanic and a receiver of survivors of the Lusitania sinking. Limited to a small group, the

From the City we travel to Midleton where we visit the Jameson Distillery

Let us take you on a journey from past to present. In Midleton, come face to face with the world’s largest pot still on one of our memorable experiences at the old distillery of Jameson Irish Whiskey.   We’ve just embarked on an exciting upgrade journey which will see the buildings here at Jameson Distillery Midleton transformed between now and 2025, just in time to celebrate our 200 year anniversary. You may notice some construction work when you arrive for your visit, however we ensure that our experiences are running as usual with minimal interruption.

Top-notch Comedic Dinner Theatre Jam-Packed with all Things Cork City

Delivered by the most entertaining locals that anyone has ever met! That’s what our audiences say!

Cork in a capsule: people, quirks, history, humour, music, food, drinks, and language | We are PURE CORK!

Hysterical Histories is PURE CORK. This high-octane, laugh-out-loud until your belly aches comedic theatre experience is unlike anything else in Ireland, or around the world!

Corkonians (i.e., Cork people) believe that Cork is the centre of the universe and the REAL capital of Ireland. It is a place known for having its own unique way of speaking, habits, and sense of humour. Over its 1500-year history, Cork has emerged as a county full of quirky and intriguing characters that are richly celebrated through Hysterical Histories.

Led by Angela Newman (a well-known, established Irish actress whose family have worked in music, arts, and theatre for more than five generations), this unforgettable theatrical performance was crafted with friends and fellow actors, Marie O’Donovan and Darragh Keating. Born out of a shared love for the arts, food, history and all things Cork, multiple highlights include:

• High-octane comedic experience: there is nothing like this on the planet
• Cork welcome: interact with the local actors | no Cork-related questions left unanswered
• Professional actors: delivered by established working actors | from theatrical families |
• Cork humour: distinct in nature | a style all of its own | laugh out loud funny
• Music: live music performance | folk music | music and rhymes | witness quirky Cork
• Cork fare: | local drinks | local dishes | locally sourced seasonal ingredients | all Cork!
• The Audience: family friendly | ideal for all ages | learn how to speak Cork
• Added extras: Hysterical Histories Cork app | souvenirs for children and well-behaved

Day Four | Monday 12th May

This morning we check out of our hotel and travel to Galway

Visit Blarney Castle.

Built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftans, Cormac MacCarthy, and has been attracting attention ever since. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney making it a world landmark and one of Ireland’s greatest treasures.   Now that might have something to do with the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of our tower. Kiss it and you’ll never again be lost for words.

From Blarney we head towards Galway and visit Cliffs of Moher enroute.

You simply cannot travel to Ireland without paying a visit to Ireland’s top tourist attraction, the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, situated in County Clare along the wild Atlantic Way. The Cliffs of Moher have majestically faced the Atlantic for over 350 million years and their beauty is incomparable – it is Ireland’s most visited tourist attraction and when you visit you will understand why.

Check-in to your Galway Hotel for 2 nights

Dinner in your hotel this evening

Day Five | Tuesday May 13th

Depart on full day tour of Conneamara including a visit to An Ciuin Theatre, Spiddal

Visit Kylemore Abbey

Set in the heart of the Connemara mountains is the Kylemore Abbey Estate, home of the Irish Benedictine Nuns. Visit the picturesque Abbey (reception rooms, video and exhibition) and enjoy a stroll to the beautifully restored Gothic Church; browse in the craft shop and sample our home cooked food in the restaurant.

This afternoon immerse yourselves in a performance of traditional Irish music, Sean Nos dancing and Storytelling particular to this area of the Gaeltacht in Connemara.

Free for dinner in Galway

Day Six | Wednesday May14th

We check-out of our Galway Hotel and travel to Dublin.

Dublin, Ireland’s capital, is one of the friendliest cities in the world. Founded in the 9th century, the city is proud of its Viking past and it’s streets and buildings are a living museum of its history since then, with medieval castles and cathedrals on display alongside the architectural splendours of the 18th-century when Dublin was the most handsome Georgian city of the British Empire. On our tour today you will experience Dublin in its own unique way, from the famous highlights to it’s hidden gems.

Poets, playwrights, authors and balladeers have drawn endless inspiration from Dublin’s streets, stories and characters. Whether entranced by the Grand Canal’s tranquillity or energised by tall tales told in city pubs, wordsmiths have always penned poems, ballads and novels about Dublin. When you visit, open your eyes and ears. Maybe you’ll also be stirred to add another story or song to the long list inspired by Dublin.

Bespoke Tour at the Abbey Theatre – 2 hours

Join expert guide, Jennifer Carbery, on a bespoke tour of the Abbey Theatre. Having worked in the Arts and Heritage industry as both a historian and an academic, Jennifer’s passion for the arts sets the scene for your private tour. You’ll have exclusive access behind the scenes, allowing you to truly explore this famous theatre.

Theatre Tour:

Follow us on a journey through the national theatre’s foundations and visionaries. Spot iconic influencers, actors and directors from our extensive portrait collection. Walk the corridors of literary and theatrical legends whilst revealing some of the quirks of our architectural magic box design, from 1966.

Immerse yourself in the creative world and processes that enable brilliant plays and texts come to life on the stages at the National Theatre. Discover the intricate journey directors, designers and makers undergo to bring the page to the stage on our behind-the-scenes tour.

Highlights

• The Portrait Collection
• The Costume Department
• The Props Room
• Hair & Make-Up

Check-into your Dublin central Hotel for 3 nights

Day Seven | Thursday, May 15th

Early morning expert tour of the Old Library and the Book of Kells including an introduction to the new digital exhibition.

The Book of Kells , Trinity College Library, sometimes known as the Book of Columba) is an illuminated manuscript and Celtic Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created in a Columban monastery in either Ireland or Scotland, and may have had contributions from various Columban institutions from each of these areas. It is believed to have been created c. 800 AD. The text of the Gospels is largely drawn from the Vulgate, although it also includes several passages drawn from the earlier versions of the Bible known as the Vetus Latina. It is regarded as a masterwork of Western calligraphy and the pinnacle of Insular illumination. The manuscript

Connisseur Experience Guinness Storehouse.

Join the select few who are taken behind the scenes at the home of Guinness.

Enjoy an intimate and exclusive guided tour of St James Gate with a Guinness Brewery Ambassador.  Embark on an unforgettable journey through the working brewery that has stood here for the past three centuries.  A once in a lifetime experience Guinness lovers will go in the tunnels underground and marvel at modern technology at Brewhouse 4.  Perfect the art of pouring beautiful Guinness and finish with a pint overlooking Dublin’s skyline at the Gravity Bar.

Pre-theatre Dinner in a local Dublin restaurant

Attend a performance at the Abbey Theatre – schedule announced closer to the time

Day Eight | Friday, May 16th

This morning continue our tour of Dublin with a visit to St Patricks Cathedral

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral has been part of Ireland’s history for over 800 years and today is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Dublin. Built between 1220 and 1260 in honour of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral offers visitors a rich and compelling cultural experience and is one of the few buildings left from medieval Dublin. St Patrick baptised Christian converts on this site 1500 years ago.

Afternoon is free in Dublin for personal shopping and sightseeing

Farewell dinner in Dublin

Evening Theatre performance  – Dublin Dance Festival take place for optional performances

Dublin has several other theatre houses to attend including the Gate Theatre, The Olympia Theatre, Smock Alley and the Gaiety to name a few

Day Nine | Saturday May 17th

Coach transfer to Dublin airport for return flights – transfer time 45 minutes.

Optional Day – extension tour to Belfast

08.00hrs          Check-out and depart hotel

10.45hrs          Arrive Belfast  – comfort stop en-route

Belfast is Northern Ireland’s capital. It was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, which famously struck an iceberg and sunk in 1912. This legacy is recalled in the renovated dockyards’ Titanic Quarter, which includes the Titanic Belfast, an aluminium-clad museum reminiscent of a ship’s hull, as well as shipbuilder Harland & Wolff’s Drawing Offices and the Titanic Slipways, which now host open-air concerts.

We start the day with a Belfast City Tour with Blue Badge step on guide, followed by a visit to the Titanic Centre.

Titanic Belfast is a visitor attraction and a monument to Belfast’s maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city’s Titanic Quarter where the RMS Titanic was built.

After the visit we have some time at leisure in the City before checking into our centrally located hotel.