The Places We Will Go!
Join us for a 10-night journey through Ireland, visiting the Southwest regions of Kerry and Cork, then delving into the very Heart of Ireland along The River Shannon and beyond! We will visit yarn producers, designers, dyers and shepherds, as well as learning about the traditions of Irish Lace and weaving! Our textile journey will also include plenty of castles, romantic ruins, gorgeous scenery and farm-to-table food experiences along the way as we examine
Ireland Through the Maker’s Lens.
August 31-September 10, 2023
Snippet Itinerary:
August 31 - September 2 | Three Days in County Kerry
Failte! Welcome to Ireland! For our first three days in Ireland, we will enjoy the many delights of County Kerry. The spectacular scenery of The Ring of Kerry will be our backdrop as we learn about the history of the area through visits to castles, historic homes and ancient ring forts. Visits to The Kerry Woolen Mill, The Kenmare Lace Center and a local sheep farm will deepen our understanding of the local textile scene, past and present.
September 3 - 4 | A Luxurious Country House
After a visit to the iconic Blarney Castle and its fabulous gardens, we will indulge in two nights at Longueville House - one of our favorite places in Ireland! This country house hotel has it all, from an apple orchard and cider house to farm to table meals, from cozy drawing rooms to knit in to gardens which invite a wander. Carol Feller will join us here for a relaxing workshop over the course of the day before we head down into Cork City for a visit to local yarn shops, including Hedgehog Fibers.
September 5 - 7 | Along the Shannon
The Shannon River was once considered to be the lifeblood of Ireland, and after visiting The Rock of Cashel and its religious complex founded by St Patrick himself, we will spend the next couple of days exploring its banks. From our accommodations at Killaloe Hotel and Spa, we will visit the McKernan’s Woollen Mill, producers of fine woven goods and learn all about natural dyeing techniques at Apple Oak Fiberworks. We will channel our inner Viking as we approach Clonmacnoise Monastery from our Viking River Cruise on The Shannon herself.
September 8 - 10 | Ireland's Heartland
Heading inland, we will visit Sandra Coote at Crafts of Ireland for a fiber filled workshop in her amazingly diverse studio, as well as getting to meet one of the few remaining flocks of Roscommon Sheep in Ireland which she has nurtured! From there we will head down to Roundwood House, one of our favorite places to stay in Ireland due to their warm welcome and amazing food where we will have a wander through the estate grounds with Wild Food Mary and visit the Mountmellick Museum to learn about the production of Mountmellick Lace. We’ll share one more fabulous farm to table meal at Roundwood House before we head home on September 10, fully sated with food and fiber!
Tour Price: $4100-$5350 plus Airfare
Single Accommodation: $5350 per person, one person per room | Flex Accommodation: $4600 per person, four nights in a Single and six nights in a Shared Accommodations during the tour | Mini Flex Accommodation: $4450 per person, two nights in a Single and the remaining in a Shared Accommodation | Shared Accommodation: $4200 per person, two persons per room | Cozy Double Accommodation: $4100 per person, four nights in a shared king-sized bed and six nights with two beds per room
Included in Tour Price
10 nights' accommodations in Ireland | An average of two meals per day. (Breakfast is provided each morning. Prepare to purchase either dinner or lunch based on the day’s scheduled activities.) | Entry fees and workshops | Transportation during the tour in a private mini-coach
Not Included in Tour Price
Airfare | Soda and alcoholic drinks | Personal items | Gratuities | Yarn!
To Register
A Registration Form and a non-refundable $500 deposit are required to join the trip. Once you submit your online registration (which arrives in our system with a time stamp) we will tentatively hold a spot for you. Next, we will email an invoice to you for the deposit, payable online with a credit/debit card or bank transfer. You will need to make that payment within 24 hours. Once payment is received, your spot on the tour is secure.
This trip needs at least 15 participants in order to proceed (i.e. the trip is "guaranteed"). Once the tour is a guaranteed departure, our regular Terms and Conditions apply for cancellation.
Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance.
Once our tour is guaranteed with the minimum number of travelers, we will notify all registrants to begin making travel arrangements. You may do so on your own or work with our booking agent.
Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstance or to improve the participant experience.
Our trips are categorized as active, moderately active, or relaxed. We would describe this trip as moderately active.
What's Next?
March 2024: 2 weeks in New Zealand!
Trip of a lifetime!
More details to come late March 2023, Registration expected to open June 2023.