Day 1  You will be met with a warm welcome at Dublin Airport. Then we travel north to the pretty fishing village of Carlingford in County Louth. There are lovely views across the lough to the Mountains of Mourne, and the village backdrop is the mighty mountain of Slieve Foye. We will take a walk along the lower slopes of Slieve Foye in order to be rewarded with stunning views back over Carlingford Lough. Carlingford is steeped in medieval history and there are many sites of interest to wander around, including an ancient castle and an abbey ruin.
Day 2   Our first full day walk will be at Ravensdale forest and the Cooley Hills. We will encounter ancient stone circles along the way and learn about the legend of the Cattle Raid of Cooley. After climbing gently over heath and moorland on the lower slopes of the Black Mountain we will enjoy fine views of Newry, Rostrevor and the Mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland.
Day 3  A visit to Donegal is like a trip back in time: hay is still stacked by hand, and most farms only yield enough produce for one family, for this reason farmers work in co-operatives and share their machinery. Beautiful day-walks and spectacular sunsets are promised along the rugged Donegal coastline.
Our driving journey today will take us across to the west of Donegal to Kilcar on the coast. En route we will stop at Finntown for a walk around Lough Finn. Look out for the turf (peat) cutters hard at work. There should be some music in the pubs for us to enjoy after dinner.
Day 4   We head for Europe's highest sea cliffs at Slieve League (2000ft) The beauty of these cliffs will have to be seen to be believed and a walk over "One Man's Pass" will be exhilarating,although, it will not be a compulsory part of the journey - be calm vertigo sufferers. An isolated gentle green road will bring us out onto one of the most majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean. This walk is truly an unforgettable one and is Donegal's piece de resistance. It will be hard for you to ever forget this beauty and stunning views.
Day 5    This morning we will be given a guided walking tour of lovely Donegal Town. And then we travel south to County Mayo. Mayo has a landscape of high cliffs, lonely mountains and fuchsia hedges. We will stop in County Sligo to visit the grave of William Butler Yeats. Then we'll walk at Knocknarea Mountain, the burial place of Queen Maeve. A warm welcome awaits us at our guest house on the edge of Clew Bay near the town of Westport, County Mayo.
Day 6   On now to County Galway, Connemara and Joyce's Country. Connemara is a wild, rugged, unspoilt area with a ragged coastline and an impressive group of inland mountains - the Twelve Bens. In the past we have been lucky enough to spy otters playing among the rocky inlets of the Connemara coast.
 Our walk today will be at Killary Harbour, not a harbour at all, but Ireland's only fjord. Our route will take us along an old famine road (rough track built to give poor people work during the Great Famine of 1845-48), looking out across the fjord to Mweelrea, western Ireland's highest mountain. You'll love this walk! Our base for the next 2 nights is Clifden, known as the "jewel" in Connemara in Co. Galway. Again, there should be plenty of music in Clifden.
Day 7 Today we will be visiting one of the Aran Islands, Inishmore.  "The landscape of the Aran Islands is an intricate sculpture of stone, combining natural limestone pavements with a filigree wilderness of man-made stone walls." We will walk the green roads to visit the fort of Dun Aenghus. For our evening meal tonight, don't miss out on the excellent fish and chips to be found at the "Ould Pier" cafe.
Day 8   If you are not continuing on the tour then we will drop you at the Galway City Bus / Railway Station. From here it is very easy to get a direct bus or train back to Dublin for your flight home. The journey from Galway to Dublin takes approx 4 hours.
Or you can join our second week heading South.