Ireland’s Resplendent Gardens & Waterways

Join your fellow travellers in Dublin during a Welcome Dinner this evening.

This morning, visit Airfield Gardens, whose six acres include a Walled Garden, Organic Food Garden, Orchard Border and Sunken Garden. Then travel to County Wicklow. Here we see Killruddery House and Gardens, a grand property inspired by the Palace of Versailles. Explore the magnificent Irish Historic House before wandering its 17th-century gardens, featuring high-hedged pathways, long ponds and walled garden. Stay two nights at the Powerscourt Hotel, a beautiful Palladian-style palace adjacent to Powerscourt Garden.

Today, visit Hunting Brook Lodge, the private garden of Jimi Blake, nestled in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. Designed to be an immersive experience, the gardens are home to one of Ireland's largest private collections of plants, comprising five acres of contemporary exotic gardens and 15 acres of woodland gardens and valley. We then visit the private garden of Jimi’s sister, June Blake, described as a rare fusion of inspired design and painterly planting. Have lunch here before continuing to Powerscourt Garden, a grand garden named by National Geographic as the third finest garden across the entire globe. 

We begin our day at the Irish National Stud & Gardens. The Irish National Stud is a thoroughbred horse-breeding facility in County Kildare. Here we will visit the Japanese Gardens, renowned throughout the world and the finest of their kind in the region. We then head to St. Fiachra’s Garden, commemorating the patron saint of gardeners. Further north, at Belvedere House Gardens & Park, we admire the property’s grand Georgian country house that dates to 1740. Explore the house and hear tales of its feuding family. Then explore the estate’s magnificent Victorian Walled Garden – this garden has an unusually narrow, rectangular appearance. See The Jealous Wall, a folly designed to resemble a ruined abbey. We also explore the 12-acre arboretum while we are here.  

We then make our way to the village of Glasson. Here we board the canal boat, Shannon Princess. Our captain and crew welcome us aboard with a glass of champagne, a cocktail or Irish coffee. After acquainting ourselves with our vessel, we may take the opportunity for a stroll around the marina and along the water before dinner on board.  

This morning, we begin our cruise of the Inner Lakes of Lough Ree, continuing north to discover a few of the 365 islands that also add to the beauty of the region. We then circle back to the River Shannon and our mooring in the town of Athlone. After lunch, we visit the Tullamore D.E.W. Whiskey Distillery, seeing how whiskey is made from distillation to maturation and tasting some premium Irish whiskies, before returning to the barge for dinner.

Our vessel negotiates Athlone Lock, as we head south across the region’s callow landscape. Mooring at Clonmacnoise monastic ruins, we take a short walking tour of the famed sixth-century university and early monastic settlement. We then continue our cruise to Shannonbridge. After lunch, we visit Leap Castle, reputed to be Ireland’s most haunted house. Here we are given a personal tour by the eccentric owner, Sean Ryan, who, along with traditional Irish musicians, recounts the fascinating history of the castle for us.

This morning, we cruise a pretty stretch of the River Shannon through Meelick lock. The Portumna swing bridge allows us passage onto the idyllic Lough Derg before we moor at Terryglass Harbour.  This afternoon, we visit Birr Castle, home to the Earl of Rosse. We tour the property’s magnificent gardens and the interior of the castle, as well as visiting its fascinating Science Centre and historic Great Telescope.

We journey to the walled gardens of Portumna Castle, then head west to Galway. Here we visit Brigit’s Garden, regarded as one of Ireland’s most picturesque. Each of the four gardens here represents one of the Celtic festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasa. Enjoy a light lunch here before returning to the Shannon Princess and setting sail across beautiful Lough Derg, passing Portumna Forest Park. Enjoy dinner aboard our vessel during a sunset cruise to Mountshannon, a lakeside village perched above the lough.

Set sail across Lough Derg, where we rejoin the River Shannon before mooring at Killaloe. This small town was once home to the court of the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru. After exploring the town, we set off to the very photogenic Coolwater Garden, where we also enjoy some light refreshments. Return to the boat for a ‘Sláinte’ cocktail reception and a Captain’s Farewell Dinner.

After breakfast, we disembark the Shannon Princess and make our way to Dublin. Our journey concludes in Dublin late this morning.