Ireland Painting Workshop and Tour Led by Kathleen Jacobs

Your journey to Ireland begins with an overnight flight from home to Shannon, Ireland.

You will be met early this morning (time to be announced) at Ireland’s Shannon International Airport. Depending on the weather today your first stop will be an amazing one at the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. Famous for the dramatic coastline views, enjoy a relaxing walk with sketch pad in hand. Your leader will  introduce you to the landscapes of Ireland. Travel inland a bit to the Burren, a remote region known for the karst landscape of bedrock incorporating a vast cracked pavement of glacial-era limestone, with caves, fossils, rock formations, abundant plant life, and archaeological sites.

Continue on to Westport, located on the shores of Clew Bay. This will be your home base for the first half of the tour. Your hotel is located on the Octagon of Westport, providing easy access to the traditional pubs, musicians, and locally owned shops. You’ll enjoy traditional Irish breakfasts. Lunch will be at various restaurants and pubs, or you can stop in town and have a picnic lunch wrapped for your daily excursions in the field. Transportation is provided in a roomy tour van. Overnight Westport (Dinner)

Crafts were a major part of life in Ireland, people needed to produce their own tools for farming and household items necessary for daily life. From the kitchen, to the bedroom, to the farmyard, everything was hand made. Irish communities have always been proud of their traditions, and you’ll see a re-birth in some of these time-honored customs. Each day visit some of these typical locations from your home base.  There’s no possible way to visit all of them so your guides will plan each day considering the interests of the group.

The City of Westport and the Village of Newport, both capture the flavor of true Irish towns with their tree-lined canals and colorful shops.  Paul Taylor is the owner of Westport Pottery. Paul will demonstrate his techniques and perhaps someone can have a hand at the wheel. Linda Timmshas a stained-glass studio we can tour and perhaps take some time at the Custom House Art Gallery also in Westport. Given proper weather conditions the group can take a ferry to Clare Island to visit with Beth who has a weaving shop.

Ballintubber Abbey, or Baile Tobair Padraig, named for the natural spring nearby, where St. Patrick baptized his first Irish converts.  There are other places to see given time, such as Moore Hall, Barnabawn and Murrisk Abbey.

Round towers were designed as bell towers to call worshippers to prayer and later used to protect Irish monks and their libraries from the Norman invaders. Next to one of these towers, the Turlough Round Tower, is the award winning Museum of Country Life, which is part of Ireland’s National Museum. It encompasses an old homestead and ancient crafts come to light with hands on demonstrations and three floors of exhibits. The location offers wonderful views and setting for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon we can stop at Foxford Woolen Mills, where they have an optional historical and factory tour.

Achill Island is the largest island off the Irish coast. To get there, drive over the bridge at Achill Sound.  The island wrought by wind and water — an arrangement of rock, cloud, and cliffs falling off to the sea. (B each day)

Driving to Dingle today you will have photographic stops along the way. The peninsula thrusts out into the Atlantic, claiming Ireland’s most westerly point. Here, majestic hills soar over vast bowls of unspoiled valleys, glittering mountain streams tumble down to lakes, and soft, golden beaches stretch for miles.

The region boasts of some 2000 prehistoric and early Christian remains. Make your way along the lovely Slea Head Drive, looking out onto the resplendent Blasket Islands, offering us a grand land and seascape. There will be photographic opportunities as we will be overwhelmed with Iron Age and early Christian rocks and ruins. Clustered on hillsides over the cliffs are beehive-shaped stone huts built by monks as a place of worship. The Town of Dingle has a lovely harbor and painted storefronts which will delight your senses. You will be overnighting in a much quieter town working hard to retain their Gaelic culture and language. Overnight Dingle Peninsula (B, D; B; B; B, D)

Leave Dingle early this morning, driving to County Clare, where you spend the evening not far from Shannon Airport. You will have photographic stops along the way, taking in to account the interests of the group. You will then be taken to your hotel for the evening and enjoy your farewell dinner. (B, D)

You can depart at any time today as everyone will check out and walk across the parking lot to the airport, luggage carts are provided just outside the hotel. (B given time)