Explore Ireland

Day 2
Arrive Dublin.  Upon your morning arrival in Dublin and after clearing customs you are met for your private transfer to your Dublin City Hotel.  The rest of the day is free for you to explore this thousand year old city.  Overnight Dublin at the Davenport Hotel.

Day 3
Dublin.  After breakfast we would suggest a Hop On Hop Off Dublin Bus Pass.  You will be sure to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral where writer Jonathan Swift gave his sermons, The G.P.O. on O’Connell Street scene of the 1916 Easter Uprising where the bullet holes still remain to this day.  Drive through famous Phoenix Park where the Pope said Mass in late 70’s and finally Trinity College to view the 8th century manuscripts, The Book of Kells, still preserved as they were when the Monks produced them all those centuries ago.  Why not visit Guinness Storehouse for a peek at the makings of this world famous brew. Make sure to visit one of Dublin’s oldest Pub, O’Donohues for a foamy pint!  Overnight Dublin, the Davenport Hotel. Please see Hotel Concierge for Hop On Hop Off Bus Pass €15.00.

Day 4
Dublin. After breakfast our group joins a guide from The Historical Insights Walking Food Tours of Dublin. We have a food tour outlining the history and genius of Irish cuisine.  During this 2 ½ hour stroll through Dublin you will discover how food and attitudes to food have shaped Irish society.  Learn about oats, butter, bonneclabber and food storage; whiskey, horse, cockles and mussels and other sea-pickings; potatoes, sweetmeats and jelly, Orange Butter, claret, gin, tea.  You will hear about eating and drinking across the Dublin classes, Monastic groceries, Dublin restaurants, food writing, and the 'return' of Irish cuisine.  After our tour if you like the guide will direct you to The Moore Street Market.  "Typically Dublin" you will not go wrong with a visit to Moore Street - from Monday to Saturday dozens of traders set up their stalls, many of them specializing in fruit, vegetables and flowers. Prices tend to be reasonable to low but the typical Dublin banter is free. Evening is free. Overnight Dublin, the Davenport Hotel.

Day 5
 Dublin-National Stud-Shanagarry.  This morning after a hearty Irish breakfast you’ll meet your driver guide for your journey south.  We depart Dublin and head to The Irish National Stud Farm which is famously known for breeding 90% of the world’s thoroughbred horses. We enjoy a guided tour at the Horse Museum where the Sport of Kings comes to life.  When you step into this state of the art exhibition area it's hard to believe that the building was once the home of a groom and was later converted to stallion boxes to house such famous horses as Tulyar and Royal Charger.  The exhibit tells the story of man and horse uniting for sporting competition.  More specifically, the story is of Ireland's long love affair with horse racing, and horse racing's love affair with Ireland. We also visit the Japanese Gardens. The Japanese Gardens at Tully were created between the years 1906-1910. Devised by Colonel William Hall-Walker (later Lord Wavertree), a wealthy Scotsman of a famous brewery family and laid out by the Japanese Eida and his son Minoru. The Gardens, planned to symbolize the 'Life of Man', are now of international renown and are acclaimed as the finest Japanese Gardens in Europe. We continue through the Irish Midlands and Ireland’s Golden Vale, one of Europe’s richest pasturelands, to the picturesque region of West Cork.  Overnight Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry.

Day 6
Shanagarry-Cobh-Kinsale-Shanagarry.  This morning we meet with Dianne Curtin, author of   The Creators: Individuals of Irish Food.  Her book celebrates the work of the farmers, fishermen and artisan food makers in the Cork and West Cork Region.  She is a food writer, editor and broadcaster committed to championing Irish regional foods.  She also has an active involvement with Slow Food Ireland and as leader of the West Cork Convivium, promotes the Slow Food philosophy through various gourmet and educational events. Diane will start with a lecture of the grounds at Ballymaloe and we will visit one another area that Dianne will choose.   This afternoon we’ll visit The Cobh Heritage Center and Irish Heritage Museum which depicts emigration to the USA during the famine.   From 1848 - 1950 over 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland.  This exodus was largely as a result of poverty, crop failures, the land system and a lack of opportunity.   It’s then back to Ballymaloe House for Overnight.

Day 7
Shanagarry-Ballydehob-Skibereen-Schull-Kenmare.  After a full Irish breakfast our journey today takes us on one of the most scenic routes in all of Ireland. We travel on to Ballydehob, a haven to several accomplished artists, writers, sculptors and craft workers. Boasting a variety of shops, the town has a number of internationally known restaurants and cafes.  We continue to Skibereen.  Known as the "Capital of West Cork", it is a thriving market town, filled with shops, restaurants and pubs. The West Cork Arts Centre is based here, along with many social organizations and educational institutions.  We make our way to Schull, one of the loveliest villages in West Cork.  The prevailing southwesterly winds come over more than two thousand miles of open sea and the air is marvelously clear and clean.  We will make a visit with a guided tour to the Gubeen Farmhouse.  The Ferguson family has have been farming this land for five generations.  Our next stop is a visit and tour of the Kissane Family Sheep Farm.  A traditional, working sheep farm with approximately 1,000 mountain sheep and hundreds of lambs, the sheep farm is run by John and Anne Kissane.  It has been run by the same family for the last 150 years.  Our final destination today is Kenmare.  A haven of tranquility, gourmet food, and breathtaking scenery, Kenmare is one of the most natural, unspoiled environments in Europe.  Overnight Eclipse Equestrian Center.

Day 9
Kenmare-Killarney-Dingle.  We leave Kenmare and travel to Killarney. Sites of interest in the town reflect its strong religious and educational history. Our guide as always will point out and discuss all major sites. Killarney was a monastic settlement from the 5th or 6th Century and house settlement began here from around 1500.  Explore colorful laneways, a fine cathedral and experience the ambience of busy streets in the town centre.  Killarney is a lively hub of activity. Our group will have some time in Killarney to enjoy the shops and busy pubs serving food all day long.  We then make our way to Dingle and Gorman’s Clifftop House.  The owner of Clifftop House is the chairperson of Dingle Peninsula Tourism.  After checking in, Sile will meet with us to discuss the initiatives that are being taken for the “Greening of the Peninsula”.  She’ll also talk about the sustainability of the area and how it is not really anything new as this region has been isolated from the rest of Ireland since the beginning of time.  Overnight tonight, Gorman’s Clifftop House, Ballydavid, Dingle Peninsula

Day 10
Dingle Peninsula.  After breakfast we explore the ruggedly beautiful Dingle Peninsula. This is the Gaeltacht proper where signs will be in Irish only.  Leaving Ballydavid we head to Dingle Town to start our tour of the Dingle Peninsula.  We travel to Ventry where its’ sandy white beach was the scene of the mythical battle of Fionn MacCumhaill and the King of the World. Further on, Dunbeg Fort, dating from the Iron Age, clings to the cliffs.  Continue to Slea Head and gaze upon the Great Blasket.  Largest of the Blasket Islands, it rises like an enchanted distant castle.  Further east you see the pinnacle of Skellig Michel.  A stop at the Blasket Centre is next.  Here you can learn about the Blasket people and their way of life which ended when the islands were depopulated in 1953.  Travel on to the Gallarus Oratory for a tour. This 8th century church, shaped like an upturned boat, represents the height of the architectural technique known as corbelling. The oratory has remained watertight for more than a thousand years.  We then make a short visit to Louis Mulcahy’s pottery studio and workshop.  Here, in Ballyferriter, he designs and makes the very best of Irish craft Pottery in exquisite fine porcelain and robust stoneware. Overnight Gorman’s Clifftop House, Ballydavid, Dingle Peninsula.

Day 11
Dingle-Cliffs of Moher-Ballyvaughan.  After breakfast we make a stop for a tour at Beal Lodge Dairy Farm.  Beal Organic Cheese Ltd is located in the North of Kerry. In 1997 the farm underwent organic conversion, with full status achieved in 2000. Beale Lodge Organic Farm is also GM free and Kate Carmody, the owner, has been instrumental in the anti GM movement in Ireland and is a full time pro-active campaigner for the organic movement. The raw milk Beal Organic Cheese is a wonderful.  Leave County Kerry from Tarbert and ferry across the mighty Shannon River into County Clare.  We make our way to Liscannor and for a quick stop at a scared Brigid’s Well. The well has been and is still visited by pilgrims from around the world.  Leaving the well, we gaze at the great Atlantic from the magnificent and dramatic Cliffs of Moher.  Breathtaking! Our stop here will include a presentation. ATLANTIC EDGE is the exciting interpretive centre at the Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience. Housed at the centre of the underground building a huge domed cave contains images, exhibits, displays & experiences that will delight young and old alike.  We will stop at Monk’s Pub in Ballyvaughan for a bowl of their famous chowder (optional cost) or just to stretch your legs.  We make our way to Gregan’s Castle where, for over thirty years, the owners have brought new energy and initiatives to this structure which originally dates from the mid 18th century.  After checking in your hosts will talk about their commitment to sustainable tourism and to their local community.  Overnight tonight, Ballyvaughan at Gregans Castle.

Day 12
Tour of the Burren.  Today we tour the Burren. This is a vast limestone plateau in the northern part of County Clare.  Ireland’s stony place (Bhoireann) the Burren, is home to rare alpine plants, delicate wonders that grow in the thin soil and crevices - gentians, orchids and maidenhair ferns amongst others. The survival of both alpine and Mediterranean plants in this unusual habitat continues to arouse and to delight its visitors. The Burren contains dozens of megalithic tombs, Celtic crosses and a ruined Cistercian Abbey dating from the 12th century, Corcomroe. We will find villages abandoned since famine times and green roads on which you can walk for miles without ever seeing a car. Our Tour will make several stops along this route.   In the heart of the Burren, lies Ailwee Cave.  The cave was formed by the glacial melt waters of an early ice age. The erosive power of the waters carved out an underground river deep below Ailwee Mountain. This river has subsided since the last ice age, leaving behind one of Ireland's most stunning caves.  After the tour of the caves there will be time to visit The Farm Shop and sample the award winning 'Burren Gold Cheese’. A wide variety of award winning cheeses are made on site using the finest milk from cows grazing on the slopes of Ailwee Mountain.  The farm shop also stocks a carefully selected range of other homemade delicacies including jam, honey, traditional cooking ingredients and locally produced wines.  Our next stop is The Burren Smokehouse Visitor Centre. We enjoy a tasting of Burren smoked salmon. You can discover mosaics inside and outside our shop, and look at the first kiln used when the smokehouse was first set up.  Passionate about local and Irish foods, the range includes smoked organic salmon, smoked mackerel or trout. They only use fish caught or grown in Ireland.  You will also find locally produced dairy, goat and sheep cheese specialties.  Overnight Gregans Castle.

Growing up in Hungary my most favorite recreational destinations were trees. I loved ‘chilling’ under the mulberry tree by the creek in the village, walking under the plain trees in the city, reading under the a large ‘Magyar’ ginkgo and just standing under the huge, old Western Tree of Life, as we called it, marveling at the majestic Thuja plicata in the arboretum. This tree fascinated me so much I planted one precious tiny Thuja in my parents’ garden along with a Sequoia (the Mammoth Pine as we called it).

My true home was not the capital where my parents taught during the school year and I also attended school, but the village. I was on the farm every time I had a chance and worked with the villagers in the fields. I still draw on these experiences since back than the countryside was self-reliant, organically producing area. The swamps and wetlands were regarded as valuable areas that grew nutrient rich grasses and were home to the critters that made life worth living, like frogs that ate mosquitoes. People walked the woods to pick berries and mushrooms, leaves and fresh shoots. They had respect for the forest.

This was a time when Europe already learned its lesson. The generation before us destroyed the land, cut down the trees and diverted the rivers. People were struggling with the unwanted consequences: drought, loss of biodiversity and environmental catastrophes. The people of Europe were on the mend about the environment: new programs were being created and put in place to help restore and preserve whatever they could.

When life landed us in the Pacific Northwest 20 years ago I could not believe that I actually moved to the homeland of the Western Red Cedars and that these trees are able to grow really-really big over a long period of time…but few trees that old are still alive because people logged them and logged them and logged them with no end in sight. I decided I will do everything I can to help restore the forest, the cedar trees and all the other plants and wildlife that live together with it. And I wanted to keep growing food at the same time.

I look at the entire environment as a living system. One small stream is part of a larger watershed which in turn is part of an even larger watershed. Ultimately our planet is part of a solar system….I now know enough to understand how little we do know about any of these systems. It is complex and sensitive: therefore I tread lightly and err on the side of caution rather than lose diversity and habitat. I observe the sites in their disturbed state and recognize what the functions of the different elements are in the given conditions. Disturbed sites cannot ‘just’ be restored to the so-called ‘before’ state. Most of the time their surroundings were also disturbed and in order to really benefit the entire site and the wildlife dependent on it, restoration must consider the new ‘after-disturbance’ functions and preserve them as well.

In order to create a healthy ecosystem, we must change our view on the elements we labeled as negatives over history. Diseases, weeds and pests are very important to the health and function of all living systems. The more we learn about these problematic ‘players’, the more we realize what a delicate balance is required for a stable condition for any environment and we are finally starting to understand the importance of these ‘destroyers’. The new research reveals information even on introduced exotic and sometimes invasive species as well. We are starting to comprehend that eliminating these from disturbed sites is not always the solution. Sometimes they become part of the new balance and must be considered as naturalized ‘citizens of a new country’.

Over the years my interest widened, my experience built and I developed a calm, yet passionate attitude toward restoration and habitat. I no longer focus just on the natural side of things. Habitat is about humans first and foremost. It is so because we are humans and life on Earth for us has meaning only if our species continues to exist. It is in our own best interest that we preserve and restore the entire planet to health. We must provide habitat for Nature if we are to provide a quality habitat for ourselves.

I am very excited to be able to take people around the World and help them learn about how other people do marry human interest with nature in harmony. Sustainable small scale farming is the only way we will be able to provide the food and shelter for our society on the long run without destroying the very Planet we live on. Ireland is one beaming example of such successful historical efforts.  By taking people there and discussing what we see together, what has worked there over millennia, it will help us to be inspired and supported in our new relationships.  To recreate these solutions in the USA. We must learn and we must learn fast. Once we have the tools, we than have to scale it and fit it to our own area’s site specific issues and go to work, get dirty and start growing our new way of life.

Participating in our Exclusive Adventures designed with loving attention to detail by Nancy Chase, driven by her own perma-cultural interests, are just the beginning. The real journey will start for each and every participant when they land back home. We are asking a lot from everyone. We are asking them to become activists and instigators within their community and apply what they experienced and learned during their tour abroad.  So, if you are one such unique person, come with us and see for yourself what sustainability can mean!

About Zsofia:
Zsofia Pasztor is the owner of Innovative Landscape Technologies. She is a part-time instructor at the Edmonds Community College, a landscape designer, Low Impact Development construction consultant, wetland delineator, certified professional horticulturist, certified tree risk assessor, and an internationally certified arborist. As a consultant, she often works with bioretention solutions, vegetated roofs, living walls, edible gardens and permaculture. She is the creator of the ‘Farmer Frog Model’ promoting community based urban farming that protects and restores habitat for people and wildlife at the same time. She is the president of the Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County (SDTF), a member of the Rain Garden Coalition of Snohomish County, and a member of the Curriculum Board for the Edmonds Community College’s Horticultural Department.