Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

(B)= Breakfast, (L)= Lunch, (R)=Reception, (D)= Dinner

Sunday, September 3, 2023: Depart home
Depart home on independent flights to Shannon, Ireland.

Monday, September 4: Arrive Shannon, County Clare, Ireland | Limerick, County Limerick | Welcome reception
Arrive in Ireland at Shannon Airport (SNN), where a group transfer (time TBD) will take you to our hotel in Limerick city, about a half hour away. At 12:30pm you will meet your AIA study leader, Dr. Stephen Mandal, and your tour manager. After a light lunch, take the opportunity to rest a while, or go on a short walk through Limerick. We return to our hotel for a welcome reception and introductory talk, followed by dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Strand Hotel. (L,R,D)

Tuesday, September 5: Lough Gur | Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry |  Dingle
1 mile and little ascent – rough pathways; plus optional 1 mile and steep ascent (Connor Pass mountain walk)
This morning we drive the short distance to Lough Gur, a lake that has seen over 6,000 years of human activity and habitation, from the Stone Age through to the post-medieval period. Highlights of our gentle walk here include the Early Christian ‘crannog’ (a man-made island that served as a defended dwelling); ringforts; an early prehistoric wedge tomb; and the Great Grange Stone Circle, Ireland’s largest stone circle, comprising 113 standing stones. After a picnic lunch at Lough Gur, we continue on to Dingle, County Kerry. Some of Ireland’s finest coastal scenery can be found in West Kerry, on the Peninsula, and the road around the Peninsula is truly spectacular. This peninsula is famous for its Celtic, pre-Christian monuments and its Christian churches. It is also a ‘Gaeltacht’ (Irish speaking) area, where the Irish language and traditional ways of life are preserved. This evening your host will present a lecture on the formation of Ireland’s landscape. Dinner will follow in the hotel. Overnight at the 4-star Dingle Skelligs Hotel for two nights. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, September 6: The Dingle Peninsula
Overall 2 miles and little ascent with short drives in between – some rough pathways
This morning we will be joined by local archaeologist, folklorist, and traditional musician Dr. Billy Mag Fhlionn for a tour of the breathtaking Dingle Peninsula. Visit some of the hidden archaeological gems along the world famous and breathtakingly beautiful Slea Head drive, including the enigmatic Reask Monastic site (An Riasc), the ruins of an early Christian religious community. After lunch in a lovely local restaurant, the afternoon will be spent exploring the most hidden of archaeological sites, as well as the iconic Early Christian church of Gallarus. In the afternoon we will head to Dingle town, a thriving fishing town with plentiful pubs, narrow streets, and a busy harbor. This evening, back at our hotel, we will enjoy a short presentation on the archaeology and history of music, including some demonstrations (and you can have a try yourself!) using ancient instruments made and played by Dr. Mag Fhlionn. A quiet dinner and cozy chat will follow. (B,L,D)

Thursday, September 7: Alice and Gwendoline Cave, County Clare | The Burren | Cliffs of Moher | Lahinch
2 miles and ascent by steps – pathways; Alice and Gwendoline Cave includes walking on unmarked, rough paths
Today we depart the Dingle Peninsula and begin our journey northwards along the Wild Atlantic Way. Our first stop is Alice and Gwendoline Cave, scene of a remarkable archaeological discovery that established the earliest date of human occupation of Ireland to be 2,500 years earlier than previously thought. We will be joined there by the lead author of the study, cave archaeology expert Dr. Marion Dowd. Continue on through the Burren, a National Park with a dramatic landscape renowned for its unusual geology and unique mixture of Arctic and Mediterranean flora. This limestone wonderland boasts archaeology from the Neolithic, early Christian, and early medieval periods. After a picnic lunch we visit the iconic Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most spectacular sights. Five miles long and 750 feet at their highest point, the Cliffs of Moher offer one of the most amazing views in Ireland. On a clear day, the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara. At our hotel in Doolin this evening, we enjoy a lecture by Dr. Dowd on the archaeology of Irish caves, and she will join us for dinner afterwards. Overnight at the 4-star Lahinch Coast Hotel for three nights. (B,L,D)

Friday, September 8: The Burren | Kilmacduagh | Parknabinnia | Cahermore | Poulnabrone | Lahinch
1 mile and ascent in places – hill walk on karst limestone, 0.5 miles and little ascent – pathway (Poulnabrone)
Today we begin to explore the Burren landscape, including its archaeology, history, mythology, geology, and ecology. We will start with a visit to Kilmacduagh, just north of the county border into Galway. This is a beautifully preserved ruin of a multi-period monastic site, founded in the 7th century by Colmán mac Duach (St. Colmán) and later the site of an Augustinian Friary in the 13th century. Afterwards, we will make our way to the tiny village of Carran for a hearty pub lunch. After lunch we will stop at Parknabinnia wedge tomb before visiting the iconic Poulnabrone dolmen, a dramatic Neolithic portal tomb and the earliest megalithic tomb in Ireland, built ca. 3800 B.C. Time permitting, we will stop at the spectacular 9th-century Cahermore stone ringfort, excavated as part of the Third Harvard Archaeological Expedition, led by Hugh O’Neill Hencken in 1934, before returning to our hotel. Enjoy dinner in Lahinch under your own arrangements. (B,L)

Saturday, September 9: The Burren | Kinvarra | Corcomroe | Furbo | Lahinch
1 mile and ascent in places – hill walks on karst limestone
Our first stop for the day will be at the beautiful coastal village of Kinvarra to visit Dunguaire Castle, a tower house castle built in the early 16th century by the O’Hynes clan. After a delicious lunch at Monks of Ballyvaughan, we will journey to the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey, a 13th-century Cistercian monastery set in a beautiful Burren landscape. Time permitting, we will stop at Furbo to visit an excellent example of a Martello tower, one of the approximately 50 small, circular forts built in Ireland in the early 19th century to defend the area against possible attacks from France. This evening, enjoy a short informal talk by your host before dinner in our hotel. (B,L,D)

Sunday, September 10: Doolin ferry for Inishmore, Aran Islands |
Dún Aonghasa | Inishmore ferry for Rossaveel | Galway
3 miles and steep ascent in places – mixed walk; roads, paths, uneven terrain
This morning we travel west to the fishing port of Doolin, where (weather-permitting) we will catch a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. With a population of about 800, the island is famous for its strong Irish culture, loyalty to the Irish language, and a wealth of Iron Age and Christian ancient sites. Perhaps its most notable monument is Dún Aonghasa (Dún Aengus), a semi-circular stone fort built ca. 1100 B.C. at the edge of a 300-foot-high cliff, offering spectacular views out over the Atlantic. The route to the fort is a partly steep and uneven rough limestone pathway. Ankle support boots are advised. This walk is unsuitable for those with less than optimal stability and requires a good level of fitness. Our taxi will take us on a tour of the island, and we will spend some time in Kilronan village before travelling by ferry to Rossaveel, and onward to Galway, where we gather for dinner this evening. Overnight at the 4-star Galmont Hotel for two nights. (B,L,D)

Monday, September 11: Connemara landscape and archaeology | Clifden | Galway
1 mile and some ascent – rough pathways and uneven grass
This morning we drive through the breathtakingly beautiful landscape of Connemara, the heart of Connaught. We will explore some off-the-beaten-track archaeological and historical monuments, as well as examine the geological and glacial formations that carved this spectacular landscape. We will stop at the scenic town of Clifden for lunch before returning to our hotel. The evening is at your leisure to explore Galway. (B,L)

Tuesday, September 12: Knock | Sligo, County Sligo
0.5 miles and 100 ft. of ascent – rough pathways and uneven grass
This morning we travel north to county Sligo, stopping along the way at the town of Knock, famous as a pilgrimage site and visited by Pope John Paul II in 1979. It provides a fascinating insight into the role of Catholicism in Ireland. After lunch, we continue our journey northwards to Sligo town where, after dropping off our luggage, you will have the option of visiting the 17th-century Green Fort, built to protect Sligo Town during the Jacobite war between William of Orange and King James II. We enjoy a pre-dinner talk by Sam Moore, lecturer in Applied Archaeology at the Sligo Institute of Technology. Overnight at the 4-star Glasshouse Hotel for two nights. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, September 13: Strandhill | Carrowmore | Sligo
2.5 miles and little ascent – grass pathways and beach walk
This morning we explore the Sligo area (Yeats Country) in the company of Sam Moore, who is finalizing his Ph.D. on the archaeology of the area and is a true expert on all aspects of the archaeology, history, and folklore of this spectacular landscape. Our morning will be spent visiting a wealth of curious, off-the-beaten-track sites including the shell middens at Strandhill beach. Set beneath the domineering Knocknarea mountain, these middens are the remains of fishing waste left by people for millennia, from the Mesolithic to the last century. After lunch in a local pub, we drive to Carrowmore, one of the four large passage tomb complexes in Ireland, to discuss their siting, construction, purpose, and extent in this breathtaking landscape. Dinner is on your own this evening in the town of Sligo. (B,L)

Thursday, September 14: Drumcliffe | Creevykeel | Rathcroghan | Ennis
Very little walking at Drumcliffe and Creevykeel – pathways 0.5 mile – gentle walk on uneven grass at Rathcroghan
We drive northwards this morning, stopping in Drumcliffe to visit the grave of W.B. Yeats, in the shadow of the beautiful Benbulben Mountains, the inspiration for much of his work. Also visit Creevykeel, one of Ireland’s finest examples of a full-court tomb, dating from the Neolithic period but reused in Early Christian times by iron smelters. After lunch, we drive south to Ennis, County Clare. On our journey, we will visit the Royal Site of Rathcroghan, seat of the High Kings of Connaught from at least the Iron Age (Celtic Period). The landscape is as remarkable as the other royal sites of Ireland, with over 200 identified archaeological sites spanning over five millennia of human history. Overnight at the 4-star Old Ground Ennis Hotel for two nights. (B,L,D)

Friday, September 15: Ennis | Bridges of Ross | Loop Head | Ennis: Farewell dinner
1 mile and 50 ft. of ascent – grass pathways; optional uneven, rocky foreshore
This morning we drive west to explore the stunning landscape of Loop Head, including the spectacular geological folds of the Bridges of Ross. This part of Ireland was densely populated in early Christian times and we will visit some of the hidden gems of the headland. After lunch we will return to Ennis for a few hours at your leisure before gathering to enjoy a farewell reception and dinner. (B,L,R,D)

Saturday, September 16: Fly home
Transfer as a group (time TBD) to Shannon Airport (SNN) for independent flights homeward. (B)