IRELAND CONCERT TOUR ITINERARY LINKS Day 1, Thursdy, July 5--en route to Dublin, Ireland Day 2, Friday, July 6--Arrive Dublin Day 3, Saturday, July 7--Dublin/Kilkenny Day 4, Sunday, July 8--Kilkenny Day 5, Monday, July 9--Kilkenny/Waterford/Blarney/Killarney Day 6, Tuesday, July 10--Killarney/The Ring of Kerry Day 7, Friday, July 11--Killarney Day 8, Saturday, July 12--Killarney/The Burren/Galway Day 9, Sunday, July 13--Galway/Excursion to the Connemara Day 10, Monday, July 14--Galway/Westport Day 11, Tuesday, July 15--Westport/Shannon Day 12, Wednesday, July 16--Shannon/en route to the U.S.
Schedule of Payments Cancellatiion Schedule Name Changes Credit Card Payments
Director: Lynda Ables Number of Participants: 75 Air Transportation: Delta and American Airlines Land Transportation: Barton’s Transport Tour Escorts: Nathalie Batsale and Melissa Reed
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CONCERT TOUR OF IRELAND KERRVILLE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CHOIR July 5 - 16, 2007
Day 1 - Thursday, July 5: ENROUTE TO DUBLIN, IRELAND 11:30 am Delta passengers should assemble at the San Antonio Airport for check-in. 12:30 am American passengers should assemble at the San Antonio Airport for check-in. 02:25 pm Delta flight #647 (50 pax reserved – 30 passengers, to date) departs for Dublin with a change of planes in Atlanta. 03:44 pm American flight #1356 (60 pax reserved – 26 passengers, to date) departs for Dublin with a change of planes in Chicago. 05:52 pm Delta flight arrives in Atlanta. Passengers should check in for Delta flight #158 to Dublin. 06:29 pm American flight arrives in Chicago. Passengers should check in for American flight #92 to Dublin. 07:15 pm American flight #92 departs for Dublin. 08:30 pm Delta flight #158 departs for Dublin. Dinner and overnight on board your flight.
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Day 2 - Friday, July 6: ARRIVE DUBLIN Breakfast on board your flight. 08:30 am American Airlines flight #92 arrives in Dublin.Collect luggage, clear customs and meet your Ambassador Tours escort, Melissa Reed, and your private motorcoach. American passengers have been assigned as the orange coach group. 09:30 am A local guide will meet the American passengers at Dublin Airport, board the coach with you and depart to the city centre with a panoramic sightseeing tour en route. 09:20 am Delta Airlines flight #158 arrives in Dublin. Collect your luggage, clear customs and meet your Ambassador Tours’ escort, Nathalie Batsale. Delta passengers have been assigned as the green coach group. 10:30 am Your local guide will meet you at the airport, board your private motorcoach with you and depart to the city centre with a panoramic sightseeing tour en route. The orange coach group will begin your tour at Trinity College, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I on the site of an Augustinian monastery (Admission included) See the Book of Kells, the most richly decorated of Ireland’s medieval illuminated manuscripts. 12:00 noon Both groups should meet at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for rehearsal. 01:00 pm Perform a recital at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This is Ireland’s largest church and was founded beside a sacred well where St. Patrick is said to have baptized converts around AD 450. A stone slab bearing a Celtic cross and covering the well was unearthed at the turn of the 20th century. It is now preserved in the west end of the Cathedral’s nave 02:00 pm Independent lunch. 03:30 pm The orange coach group will tour Dublin Castle. (Included) since the Anglo-Normans built a fortress here in the 13th century. 03:30 pm The green coach group will visit Trinity College and see the Book of Kells. (Admission included) 04:30 pm The green coach group will tour Dublin Castle. (Included) 04:30 pm The orange coach group will transfer to your Dublin hotel for check in. Time to unpack and rest 05:30 pm The green coach group will transfer to the hotel and check in. 06:00 pm Dinner at the hotel. Evening at leisure and overnight at the hotel. Return to to
THE BURLINGTON Upper Leeson Street Dublin 4, Ireland Phone: 011 353 (0) 1660 5222 Fax: 011 353 (0) 1660 8496
Day 3 - Saturday, July 7: DUBLIN / KILKENNY 07:30 am Full Irish breakfast at the hotel and check out. Free time this morning.
10:30 am Board your coaches and transfer to Christ Church Cathedral.
11:00 am Rehearsal time has been scheduled for your choir.
12:00 noon A recital performance has been scheduled for your choir at Christ Church Cathedral. (Confirmed)
Independent lunch.
02:30 pm Mid-afternoon, board your coach and travel southwest to Kilkenny. In the 13th century Kilkenny rose to prominence when the Irish Parliament met at Kilkenny Castle.
03:30 pm Arrive in Kilkenny and check in to your hotel.
Leisure time to explore what is without a doubt Ireland’s prettiest inland city.
07:00 pm Dinner at your hotel.
Evening at leisure followed by overnight.
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KILKENNY RIVER COURT HOTEL The Bridge, John Street Kilkenny, Ireland Phone: 011 353 (0) 56 772 3388 Fax: 011 353 (0) 56 772 3389
Day 4 - Sunday, July 8: KILKENNY 08:00 am Full Irish breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 am Board your coaches and depart for St. Canice’s Cathedral.
11:15 am This morning, attend and participate in church services in St. Canice’s Cathedral (Confirmed) Second in size only to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, St. Canice’s from the 13th century has endured the ravages of time to remain standing as one of the most solemn yet breathtaking churches in Ireland. The exterior is Early English style. The interior is Gothic, and appears somber but striking due to the use of black marble taken from nearby quarries. Medieval statuary is plentiful, both on tombstones and as memorials. On the ground of the cathedral sits perhaps its most unique attraction, the Round Tower, standing 102 feet high and ascendable by wooden stairs. It was originally part of the monastic community at the root of the city, and it is one of the few buildings that still survive. It was built in 847 by King O’Carroll of Ossory. St. Canice’s Library, housing a collection of volumes dating back to the 16th and 17th century, stands nearby.
After church enjoy your independent lunch.
02:00 pm Visit to Kilkenny Castle will be planned (admission included), where you may also visit the Kilkenny Design Centre. Housed in the Castle’s stable block, you can see craftspeople in action and buy their work.
The remainder of the afternoon free for independent sightseeing.
08:00 pm Dinner has been arranged for your group this evening at Kytelers Pub on Kieran Street.
Overnight in the hotel.
Day 5 - Monday, July 9: KILKENNY / WATERFORD / BLARNEY / KILLARNEY 07:30 am Full Irish breakfast at your hotel and check out. 08:30 am Load luggage, board coaches, depart Kilkenny and travel south to Waterford.
10:30 am Visit the Waterford Crystal Factory (admission and factory tour included). Here you may watch master-craftsmen mouth-blow and cut fine crystal goblets and bowls. Shop for a souvenir in the gift shop after your tour and enjoy your independent lunch in the cafeteria. 02:00 pm Early this afternoon, head west to Blarney.
03:00 pm Visit to Blarney Castle (admission included) where you may “kiss the Blarney Stone”. It is said that the gift of eloquence is bestowed upon all who kiss the stone.
There will be time for shopping at the Blarney Woolen Mills located just across the road from Blarney Castle.
05:00 pm Board your coaches and continue traveling west to Killarney.
06:00 pm Arrive in Killarney and check in to your hotel.
07:30 pm Dinner at your hotel.
Evening at leisure and overnight.
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CLARION HOTEL RANDLES COURT Muckross Road Killarney Co. Kerry, Ireland Phone: 011 353 (0) 64 35333 Fax: 011 353 (0) 64 35206
Day 6 - Tuesday, July 10: KILLARNEY / THE RING OF KERRY 08:00 am Full Irish breakfast at the hotel.
09:00 am Board your coaches and depart for an excursion on to the Iveragh Peninsula. Called the “Ring of Kerry”, this scenic drive is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Ireland. An independent lunch stop will be made about half-way around the “Ring”.
04:00 pm Return to Killarney later this afternoon.
Independent dinner.
This evening, a concert performance has been scheduled for your group at the Franciscan Friary Church in Killarney. (Confirmed) Your audience tonight may include members of the tiny Killarney Methodist Church, which is located just across the street.
Following your concert performance, return to your hotel for overnight.
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Day 7 - Wednesday, July 11: KILLARNEY 08:00 am Full Irish breakfast at your hotel.
09:00 am Board your coaches this morning and transfer to Muckross House. (Admission included)
09:30 am Assemble at the steps leading to the front door.
09:45 am Visit this beautiful Victorian mansion that was built in the Elizabeth style in 1843. (Admission included) Period furnishings decorate the interior. A museum of Kerry Life displays the history of southwest Ireland and a craft center is located on the site with numerous workshops. Stroll through the landscaped gardens or walk the short distance to Muckross Farm, a working farm that continues to use traditional farming techniques.
11:30 am Board your coaches and return to Killarney.
The remainder of the day is free for your independent lunch, sightseeing and shopping.
Independent dinner this evening.
Leisure time and overnight at your hotel.
10:30 am Golfers should transfer independently to the Ballybunion Golf Club’s Old Course. 12:12 pm Tee time for one foursome at Ballybunion Golf Club. 12:26 pm Second foursome tees off at Ballybunion. Play golf at Ballybunion Golf Club. Ranked by many golf guides as one of the top ten golf courses in the world, it is situated on the Atlantic coastline next to the Southern entrance of he River Shannon. The course has huge dune like Lahinch, but without the blind spots. 06:00 pm Golfers return independently to Killarney.
Day 8 - Thursday, July 12: KILLARNEY / THE BURREN / GALWAY 08:00 am Full Irish breakfast this morning and check out of your hotel.
09:00 am Board your coaches and travel north through the Irish countryside, stopping along the way for your independent lunch. Early afternoon, your drive will take you through an area called “The Burren.” Derived from the Gaelic word boireann which means “rocky land”, Burren is an apt name for this vast limestone plateau in northwest county Clare.
Few trees manage to grow in this desolate place, yet other plants thrive. From April to August, an astonishing array of “flowers adds splashes of color to the austere landscape. In the southern part of the Burren, limestone gives way to the black shale and sandstone that form the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. A stop will be made at the cliffs where you may follow the path to a viewpoint rising 650 feet out of the sea.
Board your coach and continue on to Galway.
04:00 pm Arrive in Galway and check into your hotel.
Enjoy free time before dinner to explore the city. Galway is both the center for the Irish-speaking regions in the West and a lively university city. Due to its compact size, it is easy to explore the narrow, winding streets full of shops and historic sights.
08:00 pm Dinner at your hotel and overnight.
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GREAT SOUTHERN HOTEL 15 Eyre Square Galway, Ireland Phone: 011 353(0) 91 564 041 Fax: 011 353(0) 91 566 704
Day 9 - Friday, July 13: GALWAY / EXCURSION TO THE CONNEMARA 07:30 am Full Irish breakfast at your hotel.
08:30 am Board your coaches for a scenic drive through the Connemara. This wild region in the west of Galway encompasses bogs, mountains, and a rugged coastline.
10:00 am Stop at Kylemore Abbey (admission included). Kylemore Abbey was built in the 19th century for a wealthy English businessman. With its setting on the strikingly beautiful Kylemore Lake, this magnificent white granite and grey limestone building is one of the most photographed houses in Ireland. It is now a girls’ boarding school run by a group of Benedictine nuns.
After your visit board your coaches and return to Galway. Your trip will take you through the small fishing village of Clifden where you may have your independent lunch and spend some time exploring this charming village.
Later this afternoon, return to Galway.
Independent dinner in Galway.
This evening, a formal concert will be planned in St. Nicholas Collegiate Church. (Confirmed) Your concert may be a fund-raiser for the AIDS West organization.
Return to the hotel for overnight.
10:15 am Golfers should transfer to Lahinch Golf Club. 11:50 am Tee time for one foursome at Lahinch Golf Club. 12:00 noon Second foursome tees off at Lahinch. Play golf at Lahinch. Founded in 1893 by a Scottish Regiment of British Army officers stationed in Limerick, Lahinch with its towering sand dunes, undulating fairways and rolling greens is the perfect example of a true Irish links Set in the sand dunes of west Co. Clare and bounded by the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, it is indeed a humbling experience to play this historic course. 05:30 pm Golfers return independently to Galway.
Day 10 - Saturday, July 14: GALWAY / WESTPORT 08:00 am Full Irish breakfast at your hotel and check out. 09:00 am Board your coaches and travel north to the seaside town of Westport. In the 1770’s, architect James Wyatt laid out the wide, tree-lined streets, including the North and South mall on either side of Carrowbeg River. Beyond the South Mall is Bridge Street, which is lined with cafés and pubs including Matt Malloy’s, which was named after and founded by the flautist from the traditional Irish folk band, “The Chieftains”. 10:30 am Arrive in Westport and drop luggage at the hotel. Your luggage will be taken to your rooms as these become available. Enjoy a free day with an independent lunch, sightseeing and shopping in this wonderful Irish town. 02:00 pm You may check into the hotel at your leisure this afternoon. Check in time is 02:00 pm. Independent dinner. Overnight at the hotel. 12:00 noon Golfers should transfer independently to the Westport Golf Club. 01:00 pm The time for one foursome at Westport Golf Club 01:08 pm Second foursome tees off at Westport. Play golf this afternoon at Westport Golf Club. Twice the host of the Irish Amateur Championship, Westport Golf Club lies in the shadow of religious history Rising 2,500 ft. above Clew Bay is Croagh Patrick, a mountain of worshippers to its summit each year. All the prayers might pay off at the 15th hole, where your drive has to carry the ball over 200 yards to the ocean. 06:30 pm Golfers transfer independently to the hotel and check in.
THE WYATT HOTEL The Octagon Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland Phone: 011 353 (0) 98 25027
Day 11 - Sunday, July 15: WESTPORT / SHANNON 07:30 am Full Irish breakfast at your hotel and check out. This morning is free to attend local church services or enjoy leisure time in Westport. Independent lunch. 01:00 pm Board your coaches and travel south to Bunratty. 03:30 pm Visit Bunratty Castle and Folk Park (Admission included). This site represents a microcosm of Irish history. At one end we find the Castle built in 1425 by the MacNamara Clan. The history of this beautiful building stretches over 500 years of turbulence. It was later acquired by the Anglo Irish Studdart family in 1720. They lived in the castle until the 19th century, when they abandoned the castle and built Bunratty House which stands on a hill at the opposite end of the Folk Park. A restored Irish Village stands between the castle and the house. Visitors can view the varied dwellings and shops and talk to some of the people who inhabited rural Ireland at the turn of the century. 06:30 pm The park closes, board your coaches and transfer to your hotel for check in. Time to relax and freshen up for this evening’s festivities. 08:15 pm Board your coaches and return to Bunratty Castle. 08:45 pm This evening, enjoy a medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle. Join the Earl of Thomond for a glorious four-course feast accompanied by music and song. You’ll only have a dagger with which to eat! Board your coaches and return to the hotel to pack for travel home. Overnight at the hotel. Return to top
RADISSON SAS HOTEL Limerick, Co. Clare, Ireland Phone: 011 353(0) 61 456 200 Fax: 011 353(0) 61 327 418
Day 12 - Monday, July 16: SHANNON / ENROUTE TO THE U.S. 06:30 am Full Irish breakfast for the Delta passengers this morning and check out. 07:30 am Delta passengers should load luggage, board your coach and transfer to nearby Shannon Airport.
08:00 am Check in for your Delta flight #157.
08:00 am Full Irish breakfast is scheduled for the American Airlines passengers at your hotel, then check out.
09:15 am American Airlines’ passengers should load luggage, board your coach and transfer to Shannon Airport.
10:55 am Delta flight #157 departs for San Antonio with a change of planes in Atlanta.
12:45 pm American flight #92 departs for San Antonio with a change of planes in Chicago.
Lunch and a snack will be served on board your flights today.
02:25 pm Delta flight #157 arrives in Atlanta. Passengers should claim luggage, clear customs and check in for your connecting Delta flight #1421 to Atlanta.
02:35 pm American flight #92 arrives in Chicago. Passengers should claim luggage, clear customs and check for your connecting American flight #1603 to San Antonio.
04:10 pm Delta flight #1421 departs Atlanta.
05:10 pm American flight #1603 departs for San Antonio.
05:32 pm Delta flight #1421 arrives in San Antonio.
08:05 pm American passengers arrive in San Antonio.
Ireland 2007 Payment Schedule
SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS:
Deposit: November 1, 2005 $300.00 per person Payment 1: January 15, 2006 $300.00 per person Payment 2: March 15, 2006 $300.00 per person Payment 3: May 15, 2006 $300.00 per person Payment 4: July 15, 2006 $300.00 per person Payment 5: September 15, 2006 $300.00 per person Payment 6: November 15, 2006 $300.00 per person Payment 7: January 15, 2007 $300.00 per person Payment 8: March 15, 2007 $300.00 per person Final Payment: May 1, 2007 Balance due in full.
Payment of the deposit constitutes acceptance of this contract. Return to top
CANCELLATION SCHEDULE:
Cancellation after:
November 1, 2005 $ 250.00 per person is non-refundable. May 15, 2006 $ 500.00 per person becomes non-refundable November 15, 2006 $1,000.00 per person becomes non-refundable January 15, 2007 $1,500.00 per person becomes non-refundable May 15, 2007 Full amount per person becomes non-refundable
NAME CHANGES: Name changes will be allowed until
May 15, 2007
We recommend the purchase of travel insurance to cover the above non-refundable deposits.INSURANCE FORMS: To apply for travel insurance, visit Ambassador Tours website at www.ambassador-tours.com and click on insurance. Individuals may purchase travel insurance for protection against lost, stolen, or damaged baggage and trip cancellation/interruption penalties in case of sickness, injury, or death.
CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS: Ambassador Tours accepts full or partial payments by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express Credit Cards. Payments by credit card are subject to a convenience fee of 3% per transaction.
