IRELAND: AN ARCHEOLOGICAL JOURNEYJ U N E 30 -J U LY 6, 2018

A DAY OF “BEING IRISH” AT CAUSEY FARMAfter a full Irish breakfast, we travel to an Irish farm for a day of fun and immersion into rural Irish cultural life, with demonstrations of milking the cows and herding sheepdogs. Then we try out the ancient Irish sport of hurling, and get our hands into baking some traditional Irish brown bread. After a traditional Irish lunch of beef and Guinness stew (with our own freshly baked brown soda bread), we take a walk into a bog to learn about its formation, the delicate ecosystem, and the tradition of turf cutting. If you get carried away by the fun, you can jump into the bog or just put your feet in. We then enjoy an Irish music session by learning to beat out the fast rhythm on a bodhrán, an Irish goatskin drum, and learn a few steps of Irish dancing to the irresistible jig rhythm of traditional Irish music. After an immersive day, we return to Dublin for dinner.

OVERNIGHT: Iveagh Gardens Hotel, Dublin

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch

DUBLINOur tour officially begins in your hotel at 12 p.m., when you are greeted by your tour guides, Stephen Mandal and Lisanne O’Loughlin. Dublin is the capital of and largest city in Ireland, with a population of just over 1.1 million people. There is evidence for human habitation dating as far back as 9,000 years ago. An early Christian monastery was founded here in the seventh century, but it was the arrival of Vikings in the eighth and ninth centuries that saw the city grow into a major urban center. After lunching together, we begin with a Viking Splash Tour, passing Dublin’s ancient Viking sites to learn about the foundations of Dublin and its spectacular architectural heritage. We then return to the hotel to settle in and relax before joining an evening welcome reception with our tour leaders and an early supper.

OVERNIGHT: Iveagh Gardens Hotel, Dublin

MEALS: Lunch, dinner

DAY 1 DAY 2

GLENDALOUGH—GLACIAL VALLEY, LAKES, AND AN EARLY CHRISTIAN MONASTERYThis morning we leave Dublin and travel south to County Wicklow to visit Glendalough, “the valley of the two lakes,” home to the ruins of a sixth century monastic settlement and described by Lonely Planet as “one of the most beautiful places in Ireland.” After a picnic lunch at the lakes, we explore the monastic site with its ancient churches and a 110-ft.-round tower that has miraculously survived numerous attacks by Vikings and rival Irish chieftains. We pause at the glacial lakes to admire the views of the purple heather-clad mountains of Wicklow National Park and consider the history and geology of the area. As we travel South, we stop in the charming Avoca handweavers to visit the nearly 300-year-old woolen mill and weaving cooperative, which produces the best of Irish crafts and foods. Continuing south to Wexford, we check into our hotel and enjoy an early evening talk on Irish history by host lecturers Stephen Mandal and Denis Shine of the Irish Archaeology Field School, who discuss Viking origins of Wexford, from founding the town to the Anglo-Norman Invasion.

OVERNIGHT: Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

THE IRISH NATIONAL HERITAGE PARK This morning we visit the Irish National Heritage Park in Ferrycarrig, County Wexford, a short drive from town. Located on the banks of the picturesque River Slaney, the park truly is the cornerstone of “Ireland’s Ancient East.” The park comprises an outdoor museum depicting 9,000 years of re-created Irish history and archaeology, situated within natural forestry and wet woodlands. We test our hunting and gathering skills with a bit of archery, meet the birds of prey, and learn the story of the first peoples in Ireland. Our picnic lunch is cooked in an unusual and prehistoric manner, using a replica of a 4,500-year-old Bronze Age Fulacht Fiadh. The meats cooked are juicy and delicious. In the afternoon, we try on some armor before learning the skills of an archaeologist at a live archaeological dig at the site of the very first Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. This live excavation site was co-founded by your lead guide. Speak with him and many archaeology students from around the world as they uncover this important piece of Irish and European history. We finish the day with Irish mythology storytelling and traditional Irish music around a roaring campfire in a replica 1,500-year-old Crannóg while enjoying a Medieval feast.

OVERNIGHT: Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 3 DAY 4

ST. MULLINS MONASTERY; BARROW WAY; KILKENNYThis morning we travel northwest to the one of the most beautiful places in Ireland, the River Barrow, flowing between the Blackstairs mountains and Brandon Hill. We take to the gentle waters to explore by kayak or canoe. Alternatively enjoy a bicycle ride or serene stroll along the ancient towpath by the river. After lunch, we travel to the medieval city of Kilkenny, a picture-perfect city that is small enough to explore on foot. It features artisan cake shops, the best of Irish crafts, and medieval architecture, including Kilkenny Castle.

OVERNIGHT: Hotel Kilkenny, Kilkenny

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner (Fourth of July celebration)

GEOLOGY AND ATTACK!Having already visited ancient castle sites, this morning we experiment with how to attack them. Our objective is to work in teams to construct a siege engine, a simple trebuchet, and then fire these giant catapults to test their effectiveness. We pretend to scale castle walls while challenging our agility on a high ropes course before taking an exhilarating slide down Ireland’s longest zipwire. During our visit, we learn about the geology and formation of coal and its importance to the local economy. We journey to the ruined hilltop castle, the Rock of Dunamase, and explore this extensive site and its natural defensive position. Following our day’s adventures, we transfer to Dublin, where in the evening we gather for a farewell dinner.

OVERNIGHT: Iveagh Gardens Hotel, Dublin

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 5 DAY 6

DAY 7

HOMEWARD BOUNDWe say goodbye to Ireland and the unique memories and great friends we’ve made. Then we depart to Dublin airport in the morning, or you can choose to join us for the post-tour to County Sligo, a wonderful landscape on the wild Atlantic Way.

FOSSIL HUNTING IN STRANDHILLThis morning we drive the short distance to Strandhill, where we take part in a fossil identification hunt among the carboniferous limestones. We enjoy lunch in a local pub before walking to Culleenamore to see the shell middens, ancient refuse heaps that are 10 feet deep in places, exposed along the shore and in the dunes. Evidence suggests that they were used for several millennia, beginning around 3,000 B.C. Our explorations today are in the shadow of Knocknarea Mountain, well-known for its huge, flat-topped cairn believed to be the resting place of the legendary Queen Maeve of Connacht, a principal figure in the ancient Irish Legend of the Cattle Raid of Cooley. Beneath her burial Cairn is the perfect spot to finish the legend.

OVERNIGHT: Radisson Blu hotel, Rosses Point

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch

PROGRAM EXTENSION: CARROWKEEL MEGALITHIC TOMB COMPLEXYou can enjoy a relaxing morning as we bid farewell to our fellow travelers. Mid-morning, we continue on our journey, heading northwest to County Sligo. Along the way we visit the incredible complex of 5,000-year-old Neolithic (New Stone Age) passage tombs. Led by Sam Moore, who is completing his doctoral studies on the tombs, we explore the incredible landscape and take in the breathtaking views. We also begin a new cycle of ancient Irish myths, “The Cattle Raid of Cooley,” and the landscapes we travel through today form part of this great Irish legend.

OVERNIGHT: Radisson Blu hotel, Rosses Point

MEALS: Lunch, dinner

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DAY 8

DAY 9

MARBLE ARCH CAVESThis morning we journey back to Dublin, stopping along the way in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, to visit the spectacular Marble Arch Caves. Set in the Fermanagh Geopark, and located in a region of karst limestone, we learn the geology of how caves are formed and the unusual mineral features that adorn them. We take an underground boat trip through the cave as we explore. After lunch, we illustrate our newfound knowledge while making a souvenir T-shirt, illustrated with some aspect of Irish Archaeology, geology, or culture. From here, we complete our journey back to Dublin for a final farewell dinner.

OVERNIGHT: Iveagh Gardens hotel, Dublin

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

END OF TOURA morning departure to Dublin Airport has us leaving a great country having learned the geology, archeology, and history from renowned experts in the field.

DAY 10

PROGRAM INFORMATION:TRIP LENGTH: Seven days, six nights.

TRIP LENGTH WITH EXTENSION: 10 days, nine nights.

PROGRAM INCLUDES: D Four-star hotel accommodations for nights designated on itinerary (three nights in Dublin, two nights in Wexford, one night in Kilkenny).

D Seventeen meals: six breakfasts, six lunches, and five dinners per guest.

D Scheduled airport transfers before and after the program.

D Daily excursions and activities as designated on itinerary.

D Extension includes above accommodations, an extra night in Dublin, and two nights in Rosses Point, as well as two additional breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners).

To register for this program, visit cty.jhu.edu/family/travel.

Questions? Call us at 410-735-6115 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern time), or email ctyfam@jhu.edu.