A Peoples Bank Platinum Club group of 29 travelers left the Jackson airport on Oct. 9 for a 10-day tour of Ireland that took them across two-thirds of the island nation that is about the size of Maine.
Called the “Shades of Ireland Tour” for the many shades of green the group would see on their journey over the Irish landscape, the excursion began with two days in Dublin, the nation’s capital, and wound through 25 other counties.
Dublin is home to Trinity College, where many group members saw the famous Book of Kells, a hand-written and beautifully illuminated and illustrated copy of the gospels done by early Irish Christian monks.
At the National Museum nearby, remains of the “bog people,” were displayed. The chemistry of the island’s peat bogs where the bodies were discovered had preserved them down to the fingernails and hair.
Leaving Dublin, the group set out to visit the less populated areas of the country. Every day of the tour was packed with sight-seeing, learning about Irish history and culture, and a look at life in modern Ireland.
In their free time, some members of the group searched for their own family history since so many Americans have Irish ancestors. Others shopped for souvenirs and traditional Irish goods such as woolens and linens. Still others simply strolled and soaked up the atmosphere of the Emerald Isle or enjoyed Irish music and Celtic dancing at various venues.
Popular activities on the tour included kissing the Blarney Stone (said to impart the “gift of gab” and eloquence), indulging in a traditional pub lunch on a tour of the Guinness factory, visiting a working Irish dairy farm and enjoying tea and scones with jam and cream, and participating in a rollicking medieval banquet at a real castle in County Clare.
Touring the Waterford crystal factory, Conemara Marble factory, and The Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre gave visitors a look at how some well-known Irish luxury goods are made.
A ride around the Ring of Kerry on Ireland’s west coast provided a look at some of the beautiful scenery where the island meets the Atlantic Ocean.
The reward for climbing up to the Cliffs of Moher was a look at the ocean pounding the limestone cliffs 700 feet below in a spectacular display of nature’s power.
After spending their last night at Cabra Castle in Knightscourt, Ireland, Platinum Club travelers departed from Dublin airport on Oct. 18 for their return to Simpson County.
Oliver and Donna McLean, Platinum Club Directors, led the tour, which was coordinated by On the Go Travel and Collette Vacations.
Last week the group gathered at Peoples Bank for an Ireland Reunion Party. A pizza and dessert supper gave the travelers an opportunity to share photos and memories of their trip around the table.
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