Sustainable and Conscientious Travel in Ireland

Arrival

Welcome to Ireland! At Cork airport, you will be met by your chauffeur in the arrivals hall where you will enjoy a comfortable private transfer to Liss Ard Estate. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Nestled on the southern coast of West Cork, Liss Ard Estate epitomizes the enchantment of the Irish countryside on a vast domain covered with cypresses and century-old cedars. This elegant Georgian-style manor offers bright guest rooms furnished in a modern country style and divided between three buildings, each with its unique character. Its restaurant features in-season produce from the garden and meat and fish supplied by local producers, for a farm-to-table culinary experience. On the grounds, take the time to enjoy a nearly metaphysical experience, contemplating the sky from the Sky Garden, a giant earth-and-stone crater lined with emerald grass, the work of renowned artist James Turrell.

Organic Foods

Meet your driver-guide in the lobby of your hotel, he will be with you for the remainder of the trip. Today you will farm to fork experiences in West Cork. Your first stop of the day will take you to Clonakilty where you will visit one of Ireland’s leading Permaculture Farms. Permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient, the owner of the farm will show you around the farm and give you an incredible insight into the future of farming and how they produce their organic products. Option to visit local Farmer’s Market if in season. Following this head onto the town of Kinsale, the gourmet capital of Ireland, for a food tour of the town focusing on meals based around the organic products you would have seen earlier that day. Enjoy the evening at your leisure back in Liss Ard Estate.

Enchanted Ireland

Depart Cork and head to Shannon Lakelands.
Get to see the parts of Ireland many rarely do & enjoy a diverse range of experiences as you discover a ‘secret’ Ireland with these private day-tour experiences.
Gain exclusive access to a range of unique locations & extraordinary private properties, combined with a burst of genuine Irish hospitality as you meet the locals.
Fuse these locations with elements of Irish art, architecture, castles, culture & more with a carefully chosen selection of locally sourced artisan food & drink tasting experiences.
With exclusive access, this is a true private behind the scenes taste of Ireland like never before. One of the experiences you will have will include a a visit to a bog to meet with a local artist. Nestled between blanket bog and dense forest escape to this hidden retreat and feel cocooned by nature.  Totally hidden and off the beaten track this enchanted location reveals Ireland at its most authentic offering you deeper insight to the culture and countrymen of this storied isle, with lush tastings of local artisan producers, a restored 18th century cottage and outbuildings with revelry inspired by centuries gone by. Combined with an indulgent insight to the now protected Irish peat bog which when combined has a greater carbon lock-up than the rainforests.

Unseen Connemara

Tour to Bundorragha Harbour where you will visit mussel and oyster farms along the fjord, with explanations and demonstrations of what is involved, Sampling fresh oysters with a glass of Guinness or white wine.  On returning, travel along the fjord to a scenic spot or deserted island (weather permitting) to enjoy a special picnic lunch.

After lunch, a visit to a deserted Famine Village, only accessible by boat, where you can begin to understand the complex tragedy of the famine. This includes everything from the dependency on the potato to the culture and politics of the time and the harsh evictions that soon followed and scattered the Irish to the four corners of the world. A very special and memorable day to treasure forever.

Sheep, Sheep, Sheep

The day will be themed around sheep farms.

You will visit a traditional sheep farm to watch a demonstration of sheep shearing, working sheep dogs and turf cutting. Followed by a visit to a local craftswoman workshop to learn about spinning and dying wool. All dyes are natural and come from Lichens, berries, plants, vegetables, and anything that grows in the locality. Finish by visiting a sheep milk yogurt and cheese farm, where you will get to taste some delicacies and engage with a local family. Return to your hotel.

Oysters Farm

You will begin today with a trip to a local Oyster Farm, where you will enjoy a tour of the farm including theinsight into how the oysters are grown. You will learn how to pick the oysters with the opportunity to do it yourself, finally getting the chance to taste the freshest of oysters on the shore. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure, perhaps head to Connemara National Park to hike the Diamond Hill, with its incredible views from the top. Onto County Mayo this evening, where you will be staying in the wonderful Mount Falcon Estate.

Horseback in Sligo

You will head to County Sligo today, discovering this amazing county on horseback. You will meet your guide and archaeologist at the stables where you will set off on your tour. Throughout the experience, your guide will point things out to you along the route and will offer to take photos and videos of you while riding. This leaves you free to soak up the experience and the magnificent Sligo scenery. After a small country lane, you enter fabulous sand dunes filled with natural flora such as the pyramid orchid. Rabbits, hares, foxes and sheep inhabit this beautiful area. You might even hear a skylark sing overhead. You’ll walk or trot along one of the most secluded beaches in Ireland as waves roll in and seabirds pick for crabs in the seaweeds. Your guide will tell you about the local Spanish Armada and Irish famine history of this area. An impressive castle called ‘Classiebaun’ stands proud in the distance on Mullaghmore Headland making the beach one of the most scenic in Ireland. Mullaghmore is the signatory point in Sligo on the Wild Atlantic Way. On return home, Benbulben Mountain dominates the skyline. When you return after your fabulous experience, you will be served tea/coffee, treats and biscuits at the stable yard and you can give your horse a carrot for making you feel free and wonderfully refreshed. Back to Mount Falcon to relax for the evening.

Hike in the Burren

You will venture back south today, heading for the Burren for a guided hike through this amazing landscape. The Burren (meaning ‘great rock’) stretches across northern Clare, a windswept, lunar-like landscape of barren grey limestone that was shaped beneath ancient seas, then forced high and dry by a great geological cataclysm. Wildflowers in spring give the Burren brilliant, if ephemeral, colour amid its stark beauty. Villages throughout the region include the music hub of Doolin on the west coast, Kilfenora inland and charming Ballyvaughan in the north on the shores of Galway Bay. South of Ballyvaughan, a series of severe bends twists up Corkscrew Hill. Built as part of a Great Famine relief scheme in the 1840s, the road leads to prehistoric and Iron Age sites including Gleninsheen Wedge Tomb, Poulnabrone Dolmen and Caherconnell Fort. Throughout the region, there are fantastic opportunities for walking and rock climbing. A part of the Burren forms the Burren National Park, the smallest of the six National Parks in Ireland. Option to visit a private brewery and a smokehouse. Enjoy your evening in Gregans Castle situated in the heart of the Burren.

Seaweed Foraging

Continue your exploration of County Clare today, first with a visit to the Cliffs of Moher, a sheer precipice running for some 8kms along Ireland’s west coast and soaring some 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, these cliffs are among the most famous in Europe and are a must see. Meet a storyteller at a private location beside the Cliffs and learn about myths and legends from the Isle of Ireland. Drive to Doolin and ferry to one of the Aran Islands. A true Irish experience awaits, locals speak Irish as well as English in a setting of Celtic churches of historical significance. Your day will include unique cultural experiences, traditional music, dance and crafts, local food producers and pubs & restaurants that ooze character and personality. The emphasis will be on providing a local experience and frequenting areas not widely known to mass tourism. Genuine local people who will share their experience in a very personal and up front manor is what we believe in. Return to Doolin and enjoy your final evening at your leisure back at Gregans Castle.

Departure

Departure day. Enjoy a comfortable private transfer to Shannon airport in time to catch your flight home.