Custom Ireland Tour for Seniors: Tradition, Beauty & Convenience

Touch down in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland and your custom tailored tour designed with seniors in mind begins. The city is a mixture of 1,000 years of history and contemporary luxury traversing the River Liffey. Your transfer meets you at the airport ready to take you through the countryside to Lough Key. The cityscape quickly passes you by and opens up into the treasured emerald landscape, filled with fertile valleys and lush trees. Passing into County Roscommon you find ring forts and mounds shrouded in mystery, centered around 5,000 megalithic tombs.

The countryside rolls across the horizon, decorated with pristine lakes and the fast-paced current of Rivers Shannon and Suck. Roscommon Town is energetic with local shops situated near the ruins of the 13th century Norman castle. You can spot the stronghold’s frame, a structure cast in solitude in a field north of town, surrounded by manicured lawns and a town park. You continue onward to Lough Key Forest Park, situated near the picturesque ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey. The park was formed in the 17th century by the King family, who owned the park until the 1950s. The lake ripples beneath the treetops.

A canopy tour around 1,000 feet long stretches through the trees almost 30 feet above the woodland floor. The cool breeze rustles the leaves. Locals cast lines off of rowboats and linger at the center of the water. In the evening, you are escorted to Lough Key House, a five-star bed and breakfast situated in a 200-year-old Georgian Period house. The period style furniture adds an extra layer of charisma to the surrounding landscape and sweet nature of your accommodation.

Wake up to the trickling water of the nearby stream careening to the lake. Birds tweet in the morning light. The aroma of a full Irish breakfast fills the dining room. Soda bread accompanies the savory aroma of bacon and sausages. Potatoes and vegetables were cooked in creamy butter. Fried eggs top the potatoes. You wrap your hands around a hot mug of freshly brewed tea and indulge in your first bite of traditional morning fare. After your meal, you leave Lough Key behind for the impressive towers of Kilronan Castle on the shores of Lough Meelagh.

Continue upwards of Arigna Mountain where farmland gently drapes across the foothills ascending into rugged moors and immaculate lakes. The Arigna Mine started in the 17th century, extracting iron and ore. The mine was used until 1990. You follow your guide into the subterranean shafts, learning the history of the mine, the importance of the industry throughout Ireland’s past, and the mine’s connection to the surrounding region. The cold air adds to the rustic ambiance of the tour. Your former miner guide takes questions about coal and its processing.

Your hard hat keeps your head safe from low hanging ceilings and protruding walls. Sound effects flitter through the walk brushing the experience with ambiance and authenticity, from sounds of a pickaxe to men conversing in the cave depths. Emerge from the subterranean tunnels and the sun looks brighter, the trees greener, the air purer. You continue to an exhibition where eagles and birds of prey soar across the sky before settling you settle into the luxurious comforts of the private grounds of Moygara House Bed and Breakfast. The house sits on two and a half acres of tranquil countryside, exuding traditional Irish enchantment.

You sip the freshly brewed tea and let the warmth emanate from the cup to your fingers. The charm of the bed and breakfast only grows with the delightful dishes on offer, from a traditional Irish breakfast to a buttery scones accompanied by homemade jams. Your guide meets you midmorning, and you wave goodbye to the bed and breakfast as you venture to Lough Gill. The lake is serene, surrounded by tall grass and rising mountains. The mythological ideals of the landscape come to fruition before you.

The Lake of Brightness has reflective water, unmoving and inspired the famous Irish Poet W.B. Yeats. Board a small vessel to sail around the water. The breeze flows around, and the herbaceous aroma of the surrounding forestry drifts away, replaced by the crisp sweetness of fresh water. The Isle of Innisfree is small and situated close to the southeastern shore. It is the island that inspired Yeats’s, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.”

You journey around the island and find the encompassing scenery enchanting, from the small tree-clad island to the imposing mountains. Later you will visit Glencar Waterfall, situated in the lushness of the forest around Lough Glencar. The trundling water offers a rejuvenating song. Moss carpets the rocks around the banking landscape to create an endless stretch of greenery. Once in Sligo you will have to the traditional sounds of live Irish music carry you into the night before retiring to Coastal Retreat, a five-star bed and breakfast with fabulous vies of the bay.

Sligo is a small town with a big history. Sligo Abbey was constructed in the 13th century, attacked and razed numerous times throughout its history, and restored in the 1850s. The large, stone edifice maintains a wealth of Gothic and Renaissance sculptures decorating tombs and the 15th-century high altar. The only access to the monastery is by a stone stairway. The remaining arched colonnade and forceful pillars emanate a certain enduring spirit. Travel through Sligo Town to arrive at Dooney Rock. The trail extends a little over one mile around the sensual shores of Lough Gill onto the low summit of Dooney Rock. Yeats, in the “Fiddler of Dooney,” mentioned the rock itself. The trail is rich with pine. The air is still and graceful. The view of the lake is stunning, filed with the diamond waters of the lake spotted with an array of small islands.

North of Sligo is Mullaghmore, a village situated on an incredible peninsula. The sands are a dark gold, and the waters are shallow around the village. Locals cycle around the looping road in the brisk morning air. Wide rocks extend from the landscape edging into the surf. You can see the image of Classiebawn Castle, a 19th-century neo-Gothic stronghold set against a powerful backdrop of sloping Benbulben. The castle hovers over progressing grassland in the foreground. Large waves crash off the shore of Mullaghmore filling the air with a blissful soundtrack.

You leave behind the village and travel along “the Horseshoe,” a prodigious unfettered area filled with natural majesty around Benbulben, the mountain plateauing around 1,723 feet. The slopes resemble limestone pleats, ribbing across the foothills. The mountaintop is stunning in its flatness. You traverse the six-mile looping road and find truth in the rumor about the magnificent scenery. A dark cave sits almost halfway up the mountain summit. The cave is home to a pair of mythological lovers. The greenery moves away from the foothills and the crashing waves disappear into the background as you make your way back to Sligo.

You leave Sligo for the final time and watch the lyrical water fade into the distance behind the trees. You begin you morning with a visit to Moygara Castle, a unique 16th-century construction consisting of a plain rectangular wall encompassing a large grassy area, supported by towers at each corner. The mystery about the castle and its construction is as enticing as the structure itself. Horses traipse on the nearby farm. The thick stone walls encircle the blossoming grass and posies. The air is perfumed with the flowers and fertile greenery.

Rumor has it that the castle contained secret tunnels leading to the lake in case the residents needed to escape. You continue onward to The Four Altars located in Ballaghaderreen Town. The 18th-century monument was constructed when Catholics were unable to pray in churches. The altar was a place priests could conduct mass and offer protection from the wind and rain. They placed the stone altar on a hill to see encroaching English soldiers. The small altars were effective, adorned with a hardened stone cross. In the evening, you will return to the lavish accommodation of Moygara House Bed and Breakfast.

The woodlands and grasslands around you are bathed in morning light. The emerald color shines dramatically against the blue sky. After breakfast, your guide takes you to Knock in County Mayo to visit the famous Marian Shrine. Pilgrims from around the world gather at the shrine, whether to experience a sense of spiritualism or to absorb the innate beauty of the surrounding landscape. The shrine was constructed in the 19th century and contains a remarkable white façade that imitates the passing clouds. In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the shrine and today it is one of Europe’s most popular Catholic Marian shrines. A depiction of the apparition is memorialized in snow-white marble. When you face the outer wall, you notice a stone from the original church rubbed smooth by visitors wanting to touch or kiss the treasured relic of history and spirituality.

The morning birdcalls are an ethereal song when mixed with the majestic Irish landscape. The aroma of sizzling bacon fills the kitchen and your day begins. The picturesque countryside lines your view along the road as you make your way back to Dublin. You settle into the lush styling of the Maldron Hotel situated near the airport for your convenience. The modern luxuries of the Maldron Hotel are embracing, filled with chic and comfortable décor fro the lobby to the rooms. Your guide meets you in the lobby and escorts you into Dublin for a day in the treasured city. The history is palpable across the Georgian facades, mixed with the smoothly flowing current of the River Liffey.

Medieval cathedrals touch on the storied history that dates back beyond hoarding Vikings. The past and present work harmoniously to create the unique energy of the city. The open greenery of St. Stephen’s Green is misleading, providing a space where you can watch lovers hold hands and friends linger on the grass. The buildings around the square were mostly constructed in the 18th century and encircle 22 acres once known for public punishment. Now kids throw Frisbees and kick soccer balls near the pathway. The main entrance bears Fusiliers’ Arch, which imitates the Arch of Titus in Rome, commemorating the Irish soldiers who fought in the Boer War. Art and landscaping combine to make an enticing piece of countryside hidden within the meandering streets of the city.

A layer of morning mist sprinkles over the city and around the cobblestones of the historic neighborhoods. A smattering of cyclists winds along the roadsides. Barges glide down the canal and early risers cross the elegant footbridges. The peaceful city once again erupts with energy, spilling into the streets and off to work. You wake up and enjoy the familiar flavors of freshly brewed tea. Your hotel is situated close to the airport and soon you will venture through the gates for your flight home. You have traversed the secret countryside of Ireland, embracing the majestic greenery and glassy waters. Your vacation crafted for seniors may be coming to an end, but the luxuries will endure.

Read reviews written by fellow travelers to Ireland on Zicasso's Ireland travel agency page.