Depart the US

Meet with your English-speaking guide and driver and transfer to Belfast city centre.  En-route enjoy a My Streets Drogheda history and music tour. Experience 1,000 thousand years of history distilled down to one hour with harmonica and the odd bad joke thrown in and you have Cyril and Martin's tour of Drogheda! Beginning outside St. Peter's church on Anglo Norman West Street the tour takes you through the trials and tribulations of the past 1000 years and gives an idea of how the modern Drogheda came to be. With a jig and a reel thrown in what else could you want. Upon arrival in Belfast, enjoy a panoramic tour (time permitting). Continue to your hotel and check in for dinner and overnight. (D)

Start your day today with mass at Clonard Monastery or similar. Depart for Corrymeela Ballycastle for a peace and reconciliation talk. The Corrymeela Community is a Christian community of reconciliation drawn from many traditions that, individually and together, are committed to reconciliation through the healing of social, religious and political divisions that exist in Northern Ireland and throughout the world. Corrymeela Ballycastle seeks to be an open village where encounter, truth telling and hospitality are expressed while contemplating and living out what it means to embrace difference, heal divisions and enable reconciliation. Once back in the city visit the Titanic Belfast. Located in the heart of Belfast, the Titanic Belfast recreates the story of the world’s most famous ship in an iconic, six floor building right beside the historic site of the original ship’s construction. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Return to the hotel. (B)

Make your way to Downpatrick this morning. Visit St. Patrick’s Centre for a reconciliation talk with two Nuns. The Group is welcomed to The Saint Patrick Centre by guides Martina and Elaine. Brief intro about their backgrounds. Afterwards, depart by your bus for Saul (Anglican), where Patrick built the first church and where he died on 17th March, reflecting on the fact that as someone from Britain who became the patron saint of Ireland he is the ultimate role model for reconciliation. This is a famous ‘thin place’ where pilgrims still say they feel the weight of Heaven. Drive to St Patrick’s Saul (Roman Catholic) to see Saint Patrick’s altar stone and then visit the Medieval Cathedral of Down to learn about how this once Benedictine Cathedral still has Benedictines in its Church Committee event though it has been Anglican for 400 years - this an other acts of reconciliation which bring communities together in Northern Ireland. Finish at adjacent Saint Patrick’s Grave and a Prayer for Peace. Return to Belfast after your tour. Enjoy dinner at a local pub or restaurant (not included). Return to the hotel. (B) 

Today, leave Norther Ireland to travel to County Donegal. Visit Lough Derg on the way. Lough Derg lies about four miles north of the village of Pettigo in County Donegal. Station Island, the location of the pilgrimage, is often referred to as Saint Patrick's Purgatory or simply Lough Derg. This is a special sanctuary of peace and personal challenge. This small lake-island, renowned in Irish Christian tradition since the time of St. Patrick, has been receiving pilgrims continuously for well over 1000 years.

OPTIONAL: Guided Lakeshore Pilgrimage along the Pilgrim Path

Embark on a meaningful outdoor pilgrimage along the serene lakeshore of Lough Derg, guided by a member of the Lough Derg team. This sacred journey along the Lough Derg Pilgrim Path offers time for prayer, reflection, and connection with the natural beauty of this historic pilgrimage site.

Pilgrims can choose between two distance options:
· 4km Pilgrimage
· 8m Pilgrimage

Each day, two groups will set out with staggered start times, ensuring a peaceful and personal experience. The pilgrimage lasts approximately five hours and begins and ends at the Visitor Centre. The route follows moderate terrain, making it an accessible yet rewarding walk. Pilgrims are encouraged to wear sturdy walking shoes or boots and to be prepared for Lough Derg’s ever-changing weather. Continue to your hotel and check in. Overnight, dinner, bed and breakfast at your hotel in Donegal or area. (BD)

This morning, travel to Knock Shrine where you will celebrate mass. Located in County Mayo, Knock Shrine is Ireland’s National Marian Shrine, attracting over 1.5 million pilgrims annually. It is a site of deep spiritual significance, marking the place where locals witnessed an apparition of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist in 1879. The Pilgrimage Season runs from April to October, offering daily Masses, Confessions, Anointing of the Sick, and Stations of the Cross. Visitors can explore the peaceful grounds, take part in guided tours, attend private Masses, and visit the award-winning Knock Museum, which tells the story of the apparition and the shrine’s rich history. Groups are always welcome, making it a meaningful destination for spiritual reflection. Continue to your hotel and check in for dinner and overnight. (B)

Today, depart for a tour to Mayo & Connemara. Stop at Croagh Patrick on the way. Rising 764 meters above Clew Bay in County Mayo, Croagh Patrick is one of Ireland’s most revered pilgrimage sites. Known as Ireland’s Holy Mountain, it is famously associated with St. Patrick, who is said to have fasted on its summit for 40 days in the 5th century. Each year, thousands of pilgrims and hikers ascend its rugged trails, seeking both spiritual reflection and breathtaking views of the Atlantic coastline. Continue towards Kylemore Abbey, stunningly located in the Kylemore Pass in Connemara. Mitchell Henry built the House in 1868, after having spent his honeymoon in the area. Today, the abbey is home to the Irish order of Benedictine nuns. They established a private school for young girls, which was the renowned Kylemore Abbey International School. The school eventually closed in 2010. If time allows guests can also visit the Kylemore Abbey Victorian Walled Garden that was laid out in 1867. Celebrate mass in Kylemore Abbey. Return to the hotel at the end of the day and enjoy dinner. (BD)

Depart for Dublin after breakfast. Visit Clonmacnoise on the way. Clonmacnoise is a wonderful early Christian site founded by St. Ciarán in the mid-6th century on the eastern bank of the River Shannon. In a stunning setting, the site includes the ruins of a cathedral, seven churches (10th -13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and the largest collection of early Christian graves labs in Western Europe. Continue to Dublin and enjoy a panoramic tour on arrival. Continue to your hotel and check in. Tonight you will enjoy a farewell dinner and show at Merry Ploughboy. The show takes place in the ideal location, a pub owned and run by musicians who have been performing to audiences in Dublin since 1989. The Merry Ploughboys live in concert is widely regarded as the best traditional music show in Dublin and also as a must see for any visitors to Dublin city. Return to the hotel for overnight. (BD)

Return to the US.