Depart on your international overnight flight.

On arrival at Dublin Airport meet your driver and guide. Travel to the Hill of Slane, where St. Patrick lit the first Paschal Fire in 434 in challenge to King Laoghaire’s fire. He first explained the Holy Trinity using the shamrock here. Head north and discover the rich history of Celtic life at the Bru na Boinne Prehistoric Monuments. You will see one of the Passage Tomb sites here, such as Newgrange and Knowth. They are richly decorated with megalithic art. From the time of the first Celtic influence until the 1169 invasion, the Hill of Tara was the island’s political and spiritual capital. It contains several ancient monuments and, according to tradition, was the seat of the High King of Ireland. Walk the grounds of Monasterboice Monastery, founded in 521 AD by St. Buite, and the ruins remain a testament to their Christian heritage. The monastery features two churches, a round tower, and the High Cross of Muiredach. Continue to your Armagh hotel for dinner and overnight stay. (D)

Celebrate Mass in Armagh, where St. Patrick declared the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. See the two cathedrals dedicated to him here, the Church of Ireland’s dating back to the fifth century A.D. Visit Downpatrick, home to the Saul Church - the first church that St. Patrick established in Ireland. Also, visit Down Cathedral, the burial site of St. Patrick - Ireland’s patron saint and a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Benedictine monks first established the site of the church in 1183. Visit the St. Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, housing the exhibition, ‘Ego Patricius’. Have dinner in Derry and then travel to Malin Head, the most Northerly point on the Island to view the Northern Lights this evening. Overnight in Derry. (B, D)

Cross the north of Ireland to Sligo. You’ll visit Drumcliff Church and cemetery, where St. Colmcille founded a monastery in 574 AD. W. B. Yeats is buried here. Continue to the remains of Sligo Abbey and walk the grounds of the church. Visit the restoration work at Donegal Castle and stop at the Franciscan Abbey ruins nearby. Donegal was abandoned during the flight of the Earls in 1607. Travel to Knock, where in 1879, it was claimed that the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist were seen at the gate of the parish church, ever since, millions have made pilgrimages to the town. Celebrate Mass at Knock, where we will spend the balance of the day enjoying a time of peace, prayer, and contemplation. (B, D)

This morning, you’ll stop in sight of Croagh Patrick; here, Saint Patrick fasted on the summit for forty days and built a church there. At the end of the fast, he threw a bell down the side of the mountain, banishing all the snakes and serpents of Ireland. Pass through the scenic mountains, bogs, and grasslands of the Connemara region. Stop at beautiful Kylemore Abbey, run by the Benedictine Nuns. This granite and limestone structure is one of the most photographed buildings in the country. Finish the day in Galway for dinner and your overnight stay. (B, D)

Pass through the Burren Region to the Cliffs of Moher. With sheer cliffs dropping 600 feet to the water below, it is one of the most impressive stretches of shoreline on the west coast of Ireland. Travel through the enchanting Irish countryside to Bunratty Castle near the town of Limerick. Bunratty is Ireland’s most complete and authentic, elaborately furnished medieval castle. Finish your day in Limerick for dinner and your overnight stay. (B, D)

Visit Clonmacnoise, founded by St. Ciaran in 548-9. It was plundered six times between 834 and 1012 and burned 26 times between 841 and 1204, yet continued as a great center of learning, with many manuscripts, including the Annals of Tigernach (11th century) and the Book of the Dun Cow (12th century) written here. Continue to Dublin for a Panoramic tour of the city. Make your way to Phoenix Park with its Papal Cross. Check into your hotel for dinner and overnight. Explore the Christmas Markets in Dublin after dinner. (B, D)

Today you will enjoy the beautiful scenery of Wicklow County, known as the ‘Garden County’ of Ireland. You will stop in Glendalough where St. Kevin founded a monastery in the 6th century. From this beginning, the site grew to become famous as a center of learning throughout Europe. Return to Dublin for a visit to Trinity College, to see the 8th century Book of Kells and the long room with its 200,000 books. Continue to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, built in 1192. It is one of Ireland’s largest cathedrals, made famous by its former dean Jonathan Swift, author of “Gulliver’s Travels.” You will also visit Christchurch, built by the Anglo-Normans in 1172 to replace an earlier church built by the Vikings in 1038. It also is adorned with funeral monuments, including the tomb of Strongbow, Ireland’s first Norman Conqueror. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay. (B, D)

Return to the USA or Continue your Journey on the Southern Ireland Extension.