THE TOUR INCLUDES: - Top category seats for all performances as listed - 8 nights accommodations at deluxe hotels in Dublin (Radisson SAS St. Helen's on arrival night, Shelborne Hotel for the extended stay); Wexford (Talbot Hotel) - Full breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 3 dinners - custom (private) city tours, including the most important historical and architectural sites, galleries and museums - private Airport-Hotel transfers - tour direction by an Aria Tours director - a comprehensive tour handbook containing travel info, performance synopses and a detailed daily itinerary Cost: $5875 US Single Supplement: $1150 US Optional tour 1: $250 (Cahir, Cashel, Waterford; lunch) . Optional tour 2: $250 (Trim Castle, Tara, Monasterboice; lunch) Deposit: $2500 Balance due: July 16, 2008

OPTIONS FLIGHTS We will be happy to make any flight arrangements, including reward travel with your preferred carrier, for $75 per person. Flight should be booked return to Dublin, arriving on October 17 and returning October 25. AIRPORT-HOTEL TRANSFERS We include airport-hotel transfers (group) on the published tour dates. Transfers are not included for early arrivals or extended stays, although we can easily make these arrangements for you. TOUR ADDITIONS The itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and desires. Please call us to discuss any changes or amendments you wish to make. TOURS (Oct. 21 & 24) We have made these tours optional because the walking and climbing, although not overly taxing, may be difficult for some. Please keep this in mind when deciding whether to register for these tours. INSURANCE We strongly recommend that all tour members purchase cancellation insurance upon registration. We can assist you with this, though you are welcome to purchase a policy at your own discretion. If you would like information on the policies offered by our supplier, please contact us for details, or click HERE for an insurance brochure and application.

Mighty gifts often come in tiny packages, and the Wexford Festival has always proven this aphorism to be true. Like Glyndebourne, it offers but three performances, yet like its English cousin, it is one of Europe's major opera festivals. Wexford has a special reputation for presenting lesser-known operas (sometimes by very well-known composers) — the sort of operas opera lovers have heard of, but have never had occasion to see. Wexford has also been somewhat of an operatic "greenhouse", a place where opera lovers can hear up-and-coming singers, and because of this and, of course, the wonderful Irish scenery and hospitality, it has become an important "off-the-beaten-path" destination for opera insiders everywhere. The Festival includes concerts, recitals and other events in addition to the main opera productions, and we will include the best programming available during our visit. We stay at the Talbot Hotel, the best in the city.

Dublin lies in the wide sweep of Dublin Bay, between the rocky promontory of Howth in the north and the headland of Dalkey to the south. The River Liffey, which flows into the harbor, divides the city into a northern and a southern half. A major part of the inner city lies on the right bank in the south, bordered by fine parklands, and another nucleus is situated on the north bank. Both are linked by several bridges, the most important of which is the O'Connell Bridge. Upstream the Father Matthew Bridge marks the position of the ancient ford over the Liffey. We stay just south of the city for our first night in Ireland, at the historic Radisson SAS St. Helen's, but for our extended stay in the city, we use the landmark Shelbourne Hotel, set perfectly on St. Stephen's Green. Whilst in this vibrant capital, we will attend a performance at the renowned Abbey Theatre (tba).

In addition to unique tours of Wexford and Dublin, we offer private guided tours at some of Ireland's most important historic sites: Kilkenny Castle, Jerpoint Abbey, Glendalough and Powerscourt, and optional tours of Cashel, Cahir Castle, Waterford, the Hill of Tara, Monasterboice, Mellifont Abbey and Trim Castle. And of course, as always, we include some of the best cuisine in the country.

THE ITINERARY

Thursday, October 16..Departures
Individual departures for Ireland.

Friday, October 17...Arrivals in Dublin
Upon arrival in Dublin, you will be met and transferred to the deluxe Radisson SAS St. Helen's Hotel. One of the finest hotels in the Irish capital, the five star St. Helen's stands in the magnificent Formal gardens surrounded by established woodlands on the Stillorgan Road in the prestigious Booterstown district, overlooking Dublin Bay. The hotel is one of Ireland's most important historic houses and has been meticulously restored and adapted to offer luxury accommodations. Once settled in our rooms, we gather and enjoy an elegant Welcome Dinner at the hotel's restaurant Le Panto, with panoramic views to the formal gardens.

Saturday, October 18..Dublin to Wexford
After breakfast (included each day), we depart by private coach for Wexford, stopping en route to visit Kilkenny Castle, a 12th century fortress remodelled in Victorian times and set in extensive parklands. This was the principal seat of the Butler family, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormonde. Due to major restoration works, the central block now includes a library, drawing room, and bedrooms decorated in 1830s splendour as well as the beautiful Long Gallery. The old Castle kitchen operates as a tea room during the summer. A suite of former servants rooms is the Butler Art Gallery, which mounts frequently changing exhibitions of contemporary art. We will also visit Jerpoint Abbey, the finest representative of the many Cistercian abbeys whose ruins dot the Irish landscape. Somehow hundreds of years of rain and wind have failed to completely wipe away clever medieval carvings, leaving us a rare chance for a glimpse of how magnificent these abbeys once were. The splendid, richly carved cloister is the best place to spot elaborate carvings, particularly at the top of the many columns.

Upon arrival in Wexford, check in at the Talbot Hotel. Overlooking the quay front in the heart of the town, the Talbot is a locally owned property that dates back to 1905 and offers all that is best in traditional style and Irish hospitality. After check in, the evening is at leisure.

Sunday, October 19...Wexford
After breakfast, we partake in a guided tour of Wexford, featuring Selskar Abbey (1190), the Westgate, one of five medieval entrances to the town, the Cornmarket, Bullring and Main Street. Lunch is included at La Dolce Vita, the best authentic Italian restaurant in Ireland. This evening we attend our first performance at the new Wexford Festival Opera House: Rimsky-Korsakov's Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden). Based on a 'springtime fairy-tale' and full of genuine Russian folk melodies, the music of The Snow Maiden has melted the hearts of audiences all over the world for more than a hundred years.

Monday, October 20.. Wexford
The day is at leisure in Wexford to enjoy Festival events. In the evening, we gather for pre-performance dinner at Forde's, one of Ireland's most acclaimed restaurants, near the hotel on the Wexford waterfront. Afterward we transfer to the Wexford Festival Opera House for Richard Rodney Bennett's The Mines of Sulphur, a grim tale of murder and theft.

Tuesday, October 21...Wexford
Today is at leisure to enjoy Festival events. Optionally, we offer a tour to the Rock of Cashel, Cahir, to tour the Castle (pictured, left), and Waterford for a tour of the famous crystal factory (please note: this tour will involve some climbing at Cashel, so it may not be advisable for those who experience difficulty walking).

In name and appearance, the Rock of Cashel suggests a citadel, a place designed more for power than prayer. In fact, Cashel (or Caiseal) means "fortress." The rock is a huge outcropping — or an upcropping — of limestone topped with spectacularly beautiful ruins, including what was formerly the country's finest Romanesque chapel. This was the seat of clerics and kings, a power center to rival Tara. Cahir Castle, situated on a rocky island on the River Suir, was once the stronghold of the powerful Butler family. It retains its impressive keep, tower and much of its original defensive structure, and is one of Ireland's largest and best preserved castles. Waterford crystal has been the benchmark for "useful and ornamental" cut glass since George and William Penrose founded the operation in 1793. We will tour through the factory, witnessing the manufacturing process, and then we will have an opportunity to purchase the final product. Lunch is included in Cahir.

Wednesday, October 22...Wexford to Dublin
Following breakfast, we check out and depart by private coach for Dublin, this time driving through the spectacular Wicklow Mountains. We stop along the way in the Vale of Avoca to visit the famous woolen mill, in Glendalogh to visit the Monastic Site, one of the most important early Christian sites in Ireland, stunningly set in a secluded valley, and finally at Powerscourt, where we enjoy lunch at the Terrace Café followed by a leisurely walk through some of the most impressive formal gardens in Europe. The celebrated Vale of Avoca is the place where “bright waters meet”. The joining of the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers in the beautiful vale inspired Thomas Moore’s poem “The Meeting of the Waters”. Near the confluence is Thomas Moore’s tree, where the poet is reputed to have spent many hours composing songs and poems. The red earth in the valley is testament to the deposits of copper, which have been mined here for two centuries. The village of Avoca itself lies in the middle of the valley and has in recent times risen to fame as the location of BBC’s “Ballykissangel”. Glendalough is simply beautiful, in a valley beside tranquil lakes. Lovers of history and/or architecture can indulge in two round towers, St Kevin's Kitchen (actually a church) and a cathedral (ruin). Lovers of nature can simply enjoy the walks along the lakes. Even the avenue leading to the Palladian house at Powerscourt echoes the magnificence of the whole estate, being a mile long and lined by over 2,000 beech trees. In addition, the 47 acres of gardens are remarkable for their grandeur of scale, at the same time combining great delicacy and refinement of detail. Today the public continue to enjoy the gardens which first began to take shape over two and a half centuries ago. The charming walled garden, the striking terraces, fine statuary and varied trees are linked by carefully designed walks and set in the magnificent surroundings of the Wicklow mountains.

Late afternoon, we arrive in Dublin, where we check in at the historic Shelbourne Hotel on St. Stephen's Green. Once settled, the evening is at leisure.

Thursday, October 23.. Dublin
This morning we enjoy a guided tour of Dublin, featuring: St. Patrick's Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland, and one of the best-loved churches in the world (Jonathan Swift is buried here); Christ Church, which dates from 1038, when Sitric, Danish king of Dublin, built the first wooden Christ Church here; Marsh's Library, a magnificent example of a caged, 17th-century scholar's library (it has remained very much the same for 3 centuries, and the excellent collection of books by and about Jonathan Swift include books with his editing comments in the borders); Kilmainham Gaol, an important monument to Ireland's struggle for independence from British rule (the leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising were executed here, along with many others); and Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland (founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I), and alma mater of Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Edmund Burke, to name but a few. As part of our Trinity tour we will see the Book of Kells. Produced by Celtic monks around AD 800, it is one of the most important illuminated manuscripts in the world. Lunch is included while on tour. Following the tour, the remainder of the day is ta leisure for personal exploration.

Friday, October 24...Dublin
Today you have the option of exploring Dublin on your own or joining our tour to Trim Castle, the Hill of Tara, Mellifont Abbey and Monasterboice. Trim Castle is a massive Anglo-Norman fortress, erected as the main seat of power for the de Lacy family. The best view can be had from the road bridge across the Boyne or from the fields on the river bank opposite the castle. Here you can also find the "Yellow Steeple" (the imposing former tower of Trim Abbey) and an old town gate. A pedestrian bridge takes you back over the Boyne to the castle. The enormous walls, the partially preserved gatehouse and cellars should impress one and all. Tara is the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland and thus one of her most important sites. There are no huge Visitor Centres or monuments here, but rather a landscaped area of enormous proportions. The Hill of Tara is reputed to allow a glimpse of no less than 25% of the Irish mainland. It holds ceremonial enclosures, passage tombs and landscaped areas with no apparent (or at least obvious) reason for their existence. Indeed the whole area is so steeped in mystery that it was partly destroyed early in the 20th century...by the "British Israelites" searching for the Ark of the Covenant. We will stop for lunch in the nearby tea room. Monasterboice is a "Celtic" Christian monastery founded by St. Buite before 521. Its high crosses and round tower were erected between the 9th and 11th centuries. The Tall Cross (or West Cross) is the tallest high cross in existence, standing at an impressive 21 feet. Unfortunately it has been carved from stone that is not very resistant to the elements and has been left at their mercy too long. But just a few yards away you will find Muiredach's Cross - named after its sponsor, commemorated in an inscription (but an elusive figure nonetheless). The 18 foot cross consists of three parts and most of its carvings are still well-defined and identifiable. Monasterboice suffered in popularity when Cistercian monks established themselves in nearby Mellifont Abbey. Secluded in a tranquil valley with streams, woodlands and fields nearby, Mellifont is a true "well of honey" as the name implies. The bee-keeping monks living here were Cistercians, planted in 1142 by St. Malachy to bring some order to ecclesiastical life. Irish monasticism was markedly different from the European mainstream, reflecting an insular interpretation of the scriptures as well. Malachy, the Archbishop of Armagh and a friend of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, started to streamline the clergy, with Mellifont as a starting point and one of the spiritual centers of Ireland. Mellifont quickly overtook nearby Monasterboice in popularity. Until an English ruler decided to change all matters ecclesiastical again, the monastery was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. Much of Mellifont Abbey was destroyed or converted in the intervening years — today the octagonal lavabo (where monks washed their hands before meals) is the most impressive remainder of the erstwhile splendor. The chapterhouse has a vaulted ceiling and some fine glazed tiles - they are medieval and were once used for the abbey church. In 1690 Mellifont was used as headquarters for William of Orange during the Battle of the Boyne.

This evening we gather for a Farewell Dinner at Chapter One, one of Dublin's finest restaurants, prior to a performance at the renowned Abbey Theatre (tba).

Saturday, October 25 . Departures
Group transfer (included) to the airport for departing flights.