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Traveling with Atlas Obscura amid COVID-19 How We’re Adapting Our Trips Destination Requirements (via Embassy Pages)Join us as we traverse Ireland from the capital city to the northwest coast and into Belfast. “What’s the story?” is a standard Dublin greeting and one that tells us so much about Ireland’s people. Here, it's said, everyone has a novel in them…if they’d only go home and write it. We will meet storytellers of this land, young and old, hailing from both cosmopolitan cities and islands that time has forgotten. We will trace the inspiration of some of Ireland’s famed writers whose art transcended political divisions to be held aloft in both the north and south. We will hunker down in the institution that is the Irish pub, a place which is captured in these lines: “it was a place where divisions were abolished, where people were taken on their own terms, where hierarchies were dispensed with.” As such, it could well be said to be a microcosm of Irish society, which has always tended to be less concerned with class than with sociability. These microcosms of society – from Dublin to Donegal and onwards to Belfast – were public houses where history was made. Their counters and corners were places of commerce, storytelling, and conviviality. As we travel, we’ll take our time to connect, chat, share stories and experiences, and meander along roads often missed by most travelers.
Arrive in the colorful capital city of Dublin and take time to settle into our city center hotel, which can date its history back to the 1800s. Situated opposite Dublin’s government offices, it has always been a favorite with writers – many of them journalists cocking a keen ear to the conversations of passing politicians. From here, we are an easy stroll to the cultural and literary gems of the city and our knowledgeable local guide will be on hand to recommend ideas and tips for visits to The Book of Kells, National Gallery, and Little Museum of Ireland amongst others. This evening, over pints and pub grub, we’ll get to know each other in friendly surroundings while a local Dublin culture enthusiast will introduce us to the lay of the land and the heart of a good Dublin story.
The Mont Hotel, Dublin
Welcome Dinner
This morning James Joyce will be our inspiration. In the company of a literary guide, we’ll follow in the footsteps of Leopold Bloom, the protagonist in Ulysses, with visits to the historical General Post Office on O’Connell Street, Sweny’s Pharmacy, the Palace Bar, and Trinity College. After lunch, we’ll venture into the historic working-class neighborhood of The Liberties and other spaces of literary inspiration. And, because many an Irish story started (or ended!) with a sip of whiskey, we’ll visit the Pearse Lyons distillery for a tasting experience. This evening is yours to explore Dublin’s streets at your own pace. Consider a trip on the DART to Howth or strolling along the Liffey to the favorite pubs of Dublin locals in Stoneybatter.
The Mont Hotel, Dublin
Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast this morning, we’ll set out together traveling west. The west of Ireland is noted as a distinctive part of the “soulscape” of Ireland, both as a notion and a physical place that holds sway over much of the country’s art, literature, and lore. On our way, we’ll share some of these tales before taking a pause in Galway city, rightly famed for its culture, arts, and gastronomy. A local guide will introduce us to the irresistible colored streets before we enjoy time for independent exploration and lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll continue further west past rugged shaggy white sheep and onwards to the unpretentious company of lively Westport. We’ll get to know each other even better this evening over dinner followed by a stroll through the streets to find a toe-tapping traditional music session.
The Wyatt Hotel, Westport, County Mayo
Breakfast, Dinner
Facing into the fearsome Atlantic ocean off the west coast, Clare Island is a storied place heavy with history, majesty, and myth. Today we’ll catch a ferry from Louisburgh in County Mayo out to this mountainous island that seems a world away. The island, like Louisburgh, is furrowed with the potato beds that betrayed the local inhabitants so cruelly in the past. They are as integral a part of the landscape of the island as the castle that sits at the entrance to the half-moon harbor and was once the home of Granuaile, the pirate queen of Connaught. Sheltering in the island’s harbor walls is a boat named The Dolphin and within her hull, she holds rare casks. These casks are the treasures of a visionary voyage that has united the Irish traditions of seamanship and distilling rare and celebrated spirits and showcases the resilience of an island community through Clare Irish Whiskey. On this island visit, we’ll experience the past and present through her folklore, myths, and tales.
The Wyatt Hotel, Westport, County Mayo
Breakfast, Lunch
The Nobel Prize-winning poet, William Butler Yeats, will take center stage today as we explore the region around Sligo. This area had a formative influence on the poet after he spent his childhood summers here. It has often been said that the otherworldliness of the countryside, combined with local folktales and Yeats’ own imagination, created a Tír na n’Óg (Land of Youth) of the heart. To explore this country, from Ben Bulben to Knocknarea and Drumcliffe Churchyard to the Glencar Waterfall, creates a personal connection, outside of time and space, in which the spirit of the writer and mind of the traveler can coexist for a brief and unforgettable moment. This evening, we’ll arrive in Donegal, a charming coastal village on the Wild Atlantic Way with time to relax in the coastal surroundings for the evening. A local food writer and Donegal native will join us for a drink this evening to share her passion for the west coast.
Mill Park Hotel, Donegal, County Donegal
Breakfast, Lunch
Myth and legend seem to always accompany the people in this part of the world and today, a local Gaeilgeoir (Irish language enthusiast) will introduce us to the tales of Cúchulainn, Queen Meadhbh. Weather permitting, we’ll take to the high sea to step foot on Tory Island. To visit Tory Island is to take several giant steps back into the past, to a time when English was not spoken. Here stories are told not only with words but also through art, and on Tory, we can see the history of “primitive” art and artists who were attracted by the “constant flux of light and color”. Should sea conditions mean our island visit is ill-advised, we will explore the peninsula and onwards to Slieve Liag, the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Before the arrival of Christianity to Ireland, this was an ancient place of pilgrimage with ancient stone remains dotted around the area. This evening, music and sean nós (unaccompanied) singing will accompany a pub dinner.
Mill Park Hotel, Donegal, County Donegal
Breakfast, Dinner
Today we traverse the wild coastline from the Irish Republic into Northern Ireland. The Northern Causeway Coast is one of the most stunning drives in Ireland and, arguably, all of Europe. Today we’ll experience her little-explored western edge, marked by winding roads as we venture further north and then east through the magical scenery of Glenveigh National Park. We’ll experience a land bursting with myths and legends such as the Children of Lir, the Grey Lady, and the Vanishing Lake. We’ll stop in Derry for an interpretive walk along the historic city walls, which were built in the 1600s to protect the Scottish and English planters that had moved to Ulster as part of the Plantation of Ulster. We’ll walk the remnants of these walls and through local neighborhoods, hearing local stories, history, and witnessing the collision of current affairs. From here, it’s time to make your own conclusion about one of Northern Ireland’s most famed myths – that of the Giant’s Causeway. Legend has it that the giant Fionn Mac Cumhaill was living in Northern Ireland when another giant, Benandonner, threatened Ireland from his home in Scotland. Fionn retaliated by tearing up chunks of the Antrim coastline and hurling them into the sea. The newly-created path – the Giant’s Causeway – paved a route over the sea for Fionn to reach Benandonner. When you see and feel its majesty, you can decide if you choose myth over geology! From here, we'll travel south to Belfast.
Europa Hotel, Belfast
Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, we’ll learn about the history and politics of Northern Ireland with a guided walking tour taking in Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods and the Peace Walls. We’ll follow this up with a visit to the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's University to celebrate the Belfast son and poet who transcended borders and united political foes. Heaney, who died at age 74 in 2013, was from a Catholic and nationalist background. This identity was manifest in his famous line: “Be advised my passport’s green. No glass of ours was ever raised to toast the Queen.” But poems like Death of a Naturalist, Digging and Mid-Term Break tapped into a humanity that cut across the political divide and enchanted readers around the world. In the afternoon, there will be time at leisure to explore the city. This evening, we’ll share a farewell dinner together before moving to the Crowne Bar across for a night dedicated to creating and sharing our own stories.
Europa Hotel, Belfast
Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
The listed price of the trip is per person based on double occupancy.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room: You’ll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $570. After booking your trip, please request a private room when you fill out your traveler information form and we’ll add the option to your booking and final balance.
Our trip begins with a welcome drink in Dublin at 5:30 p.m. on Day 1. We recommend you arrive in Dublin by 3 p.m. that day so you can settle into your hotel room before meeting up with the group. Our trip concludes in the morning on Day 9. If you are leaving Belfast directly after our trip, we recommend departing any time that day. If you are booking onto the May 2022 departure of this trip, consider also joining the Poetry and Music in the Scottish Lowlands trip that begins on May 14, 2022.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking between two and four miles over the course of each day, going up and down stairs, and remaining on their feet for long periods of time. We’ll be spending time in rural areas and sometimes walking on uneven terrain.
We will be staying at comfortable, centrally-located, 3- and 4-star hotels.
Your participation in this trip provides significant financial contributions to the communities we visit, directly supporting small businesses, schools, villages, and local families. In addition, this trip's focus on traditional customs will help to preserve and maintain them for future generations.
Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, though in most cases ingredients can't be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
U.S. passport holders do not require a visa for travel to the UK or the EU, but this may vary depending on traveler citizenship. Please check requirements for travel to the UK, the EU, and any countries passed through in transit. A passport is required for international travel. We recommend your passport expire at least six months after your return home.