Tour Letter

Echoes of Erin 20th Anniversary Tour to Ireland
The Province of Ulster

November 18, 2007

Dear Friends,

Echoes of Erin will celebrate 20 years broadcasting on WEDO February 3, 2008. In honor of this occasion I am planning a Tour to Ireland to the Province of Ulster. This trip will take place June 12 through 22, 2008. We will visit the counties of Donegal, Derry, Tyrone, Antrim, Down, Monaghan, Fermanagh, and spend our last night in County Clare.

Our Tour Guide will be Patricia Sharkey, our Donegal News Correspondent for The Ireland Report. We will spend 3-nights in Donegal, 2-nights in Belfast, 3-nights in Monaghan and 1-night in Clare. All of your breakfasts, five dinners, one medieval banquet and admissions are included in your land price. You will have some free time to explore on your own as well.

We will tour some of the ‘hidden Ireland’ you have yet to see; places like Dungloe, Gweedore, Glenveigh National Park and Letterkenny. We will stop at the Ulster-American Folk Park in Tyrone; tour Derry City visiting the ‘Walls of Derry’, the Bogside, the Bloody Sunday Memorial. We will take in the tour at Bushmills, and visit Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway and maybe for those of you more adventuresome we’ll go across the ‘Carrick-a-Rede Bridge’. The Glens of Antrim are another beautiful site to explore.

There are so many adventures to be had in Belfast – we will have a City Tour, maybe a visit to Stormont. We will stop at the Conway Mill, An Cultúrlann, The Falls Road, The Shankill Road, and the Linenhall Library and the Andersonstown News Complex along with meeting our Belfast News Correspondent, Maírtin O’Muilléoir. We will stay at the Europa Hotel both nights with dinner in the hotel one night and the second night you are free to explore this exciting city on your own.

We will visit the Mourne Mountains enroute to Monaghan where we stay three nights. We will visit County Armagh and the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, Armagh City. Other sights in Armagh will include the Armagh Gaol (jail), Bessbrook, Forkhill, and Crossmaglen.

In Monaghan we will visit the St. Louis Heritage Centre and the Patrick Kavanagh Rural & Literary Resource Centre. In Fermanagh we will visit Enniskillen Castle, tour the Belleek Pottery factory, Florence Court and Cavan Crystal Factory. While in Enniskillen you will have the opportunity to meet our County Fermanagh News Correspondent, Davy Kettyles.

Our last night we will enjoy a medieval banquet at Knappogue Castle where the Earl’s Butler relates the history of the Castle and the entertainment program is music, song and dance that takes you on a musical journey from the medieval times through the 20th century; plus this is a 5-course meal.

There will be music along the way and a few good Pub Nights to enjoy. Then on Sunday, 22 June 2008 we depart for home unless you have extended your stay.

Come and join me for a trip of a lifetime. You have seen the rest, now come see the Best!

Sincerely,

Diane Byrnes