A 14-day Catholic Pilgrimage Tour to Ireland, Scotland& England

August 16, 2024 – Friday
SAN FRANCISCO / IRELAND
Tour members gather at San Francisco International Airport to board ourflight to Ireland. Meals are served onboard our transatlantic flight.

August 17, 2024 – Saturday
DUBLIN
This morning we arrive in Dublin where we meet our Pilgrimage Tours’ tour director and board our motor coach. We enjoy a motor coach tour of Ireland’s capital, including a drive by the Christ Church Cathedral, or Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, founded by the Danes in 1030. We arrive at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, where we will celebrate Mass and see the Shrine of Our Lady of Dublin.Our afternoon of sightseeing concludes with a visit to Trinity College, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and tour its historic library and view the world-famous Book of Kells. Finally, we arrive at our hotel for dinner and overnight in Dublin.

August 18, 2024 – Sunday
DUBLIN
Today we will visit and celebrate Mass at Saint Mary’s Pro Cathedral. Following Mass, we will visit the Legion of Mary, a lay organization whose members volunteer their time in service of the Catholic Church. Here we will learn about the life’s work of Frank Duff, “Servant of God”, who founded the Legion of Mary in 1921. In the afternoon we will visit the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail), which housed many prisoners from the Irish Rebellion of 1916. Our day of sightseeing in Dublin concludes with a visit to the highly renowned Guinness Brewery and its “Storehouse”, including its Hop Store and Visitor’s Centre. Here we sample the brewery’s latest batch of their famous libation from high atop their observation deck overlooking Dublin. This evening we enjoy dinner and a performance at the Merry Ploughboys. Here we will experience its famous “Irish Night & Banquet Show” including traditional ballads, music & dance. Overnight in Dublin.

August 19, 2024 – Monday
DUBLIN /GLENDALOUGH / KILKENNY
This morning we will visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, which was founded in 1190. We explore this famed cathedral’s majestic interior rich with ancient relics. Following our visit, we bid Dublin farewell and drive to peaceful Glendalough, where upon our arrival we will celebrate Mass at Saint Kevin’s Church. Following free time for lunch, we enjoy a guided tour of the ruins of Saint Kevin’s Monastery. Later in the afternoonwe drive to the town of Kilkenny where we stop outside of Kilkenny Castle for picture-taking. We continue onto Smithwick’s Brewery and enjoy a guided tour of the brewery, including a tasting of their famous ale. Finally, we arrive at our hotel in Kilkenny for dinner and overnight.

August 20, 2024 – Tuesday
KILKENNY / CASHEL / COBH / BLARNEY / KILLARNEY
This morning we depart for Killarney. En route we will see the famous Rock of Cashel before arriving in the harbor town of Cobh where we visit and celebrate Mass at Saint Colman’s Cathedral, followed by a visit to Cobh’s heritage center where we see an exhibit about the Old Queenstown Story, including its ties with the “unsinkable” Titanic. We continue onto picturesque Blarney and an opportunity to climb the staircase of the 15th century Blarney Castle, famous for the “Blarney Stone,” the legendary “Stone of Eloquence”. It is believed that after kissing the Blarney Stone, you will never again be lost for words. While here, we take time to shop at the famous Blarney Woolen Mill before departing for Killarney, where we will see the many quaint and colorful homes and businesses that are unique to Killarney. We arrive at our hotel in Killarney for dinner and overnight.

August 21, 2024 – Wednesday
KILLARNEY / RING OF KERRY
This morning we visit and celebrate Mass at Killarney’s great neo-Gothic Saint Mary’s Cathedral built in the 19th century. Following Mass, we enjoy a drive through the most picturesque section of the Ring of Kerry where we see quaint, historic villages and high mountain terrain. The highlights of our tour include Molls Gap and Ladies View which provide the best views of the Lakes of Killarney. Lunch today will be provided for the group at a local restaurant on the Ring of Kerry. Upon our return to Killarney, we enjoy free time for personal exploration of this classic Irish town.Dinner and overnight in Killarney.

August 22, 2024 – Thursday
KILLARNEY / CLIFFS OF MOHER / GALWAY / WESTPORT
This morning, we will again visit Killarney’s Cathedral for our celebration of Mass. Following Mass,we drive to the dramatic Cliffs of Moher which span some five miles along the rugged coastline and reach heights of greater than 700 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. We continue north and drive through The Burren, a vast lunar-like landscape harboring some 2000 species of rare flowers and plants that live on top of unique rock formations. We continue onto Galway City for a walking tour of this seaside city followed by a visit to the beautifully stained-glass Galway Cathedral. Following Mass, we drive to the quaint, seaside town of Westport, where we enjoy free time exploring its many shops along its beautiful tree-lined boulevard known as “The Mall”, running parallel to the Carrowbeg River. This evening dinner will be on our own. Overnight in Westport.

August 23, 2024 – Friday
WESTPORT / KNOCK / BELFAST
Today we drive to Knock, where we visit the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, the single most important Marian Shrine in all of Ireland. We visit and celebrate Mass in the Apparition Chapel where the apparition of Our Lady, Saint Joseph and Saint John the Evangelist occurred and was witnessed by some 15 people in 1879. Following Mass, we enjoy some free time to explore the Sanctuary’s grounds, including a visit to the shrine’s museum. Finally, we depart for Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, where we will drive by the Harland & Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was built. After some time to take pictures, we arrive at our hotel in Belfast for dinner and overnight.

August 24, 2024 – Saturday
BELFAST / GLASGOW
This morning we depart Belfast for its port to board our ferry for Scotland, arriving at the Scottish port of Cairnryan. In Glasgow we enjoy an orientation tour including a visit and celebration of Mass at Saint Andrew’s Cathedral. Following Mass, we arrive at our hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight in Glasgow.

August 25, 2024 – Sunday
GLASGOW / EDINBURGH
Today we enjoy a day-trip to Edinburgh. We arrive in Scotland’s capital, known as the “Athens of the North” and begin our day withan orientation tour of Edinburgh’s most notable landmarks, including its famous “Royal Mile”. We will arrive for avisit and celebration of Mass at Saint Patrick’s Church, where we will see the Shrine to the Venerable Margaret Sinclair (Sister Mary Francis of the Five Wounds) as well as a Shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.In the afternoon we enjoy free time for lunch and shopping the many interesting merchants in Old Town. Later in the afternoon, we visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the Queen when she is visiting Scotland, followed by a visit to Edinburgh Castle for a grand tour of this popular tourist destination. Late afternoon we return to Glasgow for dinner and overnight.

August 26, 2024 – Monday
GLASGOW / KENDAL / LIVERPOOL
This morning we drive south towards Liverpool. During our drive we will pass through the emerald green landscapes of Lake District National Park, stopping in the town of Kendal for free time for lunch. In the afternoon we continue onto the port city of Liverpool, home of The Beatles, the most important and influential rock band in the history of music.Here we drive to the waterfront and arrive at the Royal Albert Dock, where we will enjoy a visit to the award-winning exhibition; “The Beatles Story”. Here we will learn the story of The Beatles rise to fame and see many historic and interesting items associated with The Beatles. Dinner and overnight in Liverpool.

August 27, 2024 – Tuesday
LIVERPOOL / OXFORD / LONDON
Today we drive to London, stopping in the lovely university town of Oxford for free time for lunch. We continue onto London, where upon our arrival, we enjoy a panoramic tour of the city and see many of London’s historic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. We arrive at our hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight in London.

August 28, 2024 – Wednesday
LONDON
This morning we arrive for a visit and celebration of Mass at Westminster (Catholic) Cathedral, the Mother Church for English Catholics. The Cathedral is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Following Mass, we visit Westminster Abbey, originally built by Edward the Confessor in 1050, where rulers of England have been coronated since 1066. We conclude our morning sightseeing with a walking tour of the London neighborhood where St. Thomas More attended school. We will see the Lincoln Inn where Thomas More studied Civil Law upon his return from Oxford.In the afternoon we will visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, where Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married. The cathedral dates to 1666 and was built after the Great Fire of London. We will next arrive for a visit to the Tower of London where the Royal Family’s Crown Jewels are kept and where Thomas More, and many others such as John Fischer, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were imprisoned before their executions. It is here within the walls of the Tower of London that Thomas More and John Fisher are buried in unmarked graves in the Royal Chapel of St. Peter in Chains. We also see Tower Hill where Thomas More was beheaded for refusing King Henry VIII’s demand that he swear his allegiance to the Act of Succession and to take the Oath of Supremacy of the Crown. Our day in London concludes with this evening’s “farewell” dinner cruise on the River Thames. Overnight in London.

August 29, 2024 – Thursday
LONDON / SAN FRANCISCO
This morning we depart for the airport and board our connecting flight home. Though our tour of Ireland, Scotland & England draws to a close, its blessings and memories will remain with us for a lifetime.