Arts & Antiques Tour Of Ireland

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9 Days/ 8 Nights Arts & Antiques Tour of Ireland

Day 1 & Day 2:

Arrive in Dublin. For those in the know the place to go is www.patrick-howard-antiques.com in Francis Street, which is a must visit shop and where you find everything from fine porcelain, to paintings to Irish silver. O’Sullivans and Johnstons Antiques, also on Francis Street, are also well worth visiting. Visit the National Art Gallery and National Museum, both nearby to your hotel. Overnight in The Merrion Hotel, in the heart of Georgian Dublin, which boasts a superb painting collection. Dine at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (next door to the Merrion); L’Ecrivain Restaurant (around the corner) or Chapter One Restaurant, a short taxi ride away.

Or perhaps you would perfer to visit the King Sitric Restaurant in the picturesque fishing village of Howth. Just a short train ride on the DART from Dublin city centre.

Overnight: The Merrion Hotel

Close to Dublin City overnight options: Barberstown Castle or King Sitric Restaurant Fish Restaurant & Accomodation

Day 3:

Travel to Durrow in Co. Laois. En route stop in Abbeyleix where there are several interesting shops, including Bramleys www.bramleys.ie. Travel on to the nearby village of Durrow, where you will find one of the best antique shops in the country, Sheppards, www.sheppards.ie. Overnight: Castle Durrow, where the atmosphere and welcome combined with antiques and paintings, will match your expectations.

Overnight: Castle Durrow

Day 4:

Travel to Youghal, Co. Cork and drop into Loughnans Antiques on the Main Street, which is only a stone’s throw from Aherne’s Townhouse where you will overnight. The owner of Loughnans also does very interesting guided walking tours of this historic walled port, where Sir Walter Raleigh was Mayor in 1588.

Overnight: Ahernes Townhouse

Other overnight options in Cork: Longueville House, Hayfield Manor or Ballymaloe House.

Day 5 & 6:

Travel from Youghal via Cork city and stopping by to visit the Crawford Art Gallery www.crawfordartgallery.ie which has a fine art collection, including some Harry Clarke stained glass.windows. Arrive in the village of Kenmare in Co. Kerry and visit the Kenmare Lace and Design Centre which has a unique display of antique lace. The town is also a treasure trove for small antique shops. Overnight (2 nights): Park Hotel Kenmare, which is a 5 star luxury hotel with tons of antique furniture and paintings and loads of personal hospitality dispensed by the Brennan brothers who own this unique hotel.

Overnight: The Park Hotel Kenmare

Day 7 & 8:

Travel to Adare in Co. Limerick, which is a Mecca for antique lovers. Visit George Stacpoole’s antique shop www.stacpooles.com . George is currently President of the Irish Antique Dealers Association. Also worth a visit in Adare is the Manor Antiques shop, owned by Simon Quiligan, www.manorantiquesadare.com. Overnight (2 nights): Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge, which has an interesting collection of antiques collected over the years by the owner Dan Mullane. Next day visit Limerick city and the Hunt Museum, www.huntmuseum.com which boasts an amazing collection of art and antiquities, including works by Renoir, Picasso and Yeats.

Overnight: The Mustard Seed

Day 9:

Fly from Shannon airport (approx. 1.5 hours drive from Mustard Seed in Ballingarry).

These are only suggested tours and you can tailor make your own tour to suit your own choices.

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