Category: Excursions

Summer Excursion to south-east Co. Tipperary led by Mr Conleth Manning, RSAI Past President

Summer Excursion to south-east Co. Tipperary led by Mr Conleth Manning, RSAI Past President

15 – 17 June 2025

This year we are pleased to invite members who are interested in an active and outdoor excursion to take part in a three-day, two-night trip to south-east Co. Tipperary. We offer organised transport throughout.

The current schedule for the three-day (two-night) excursion is as follows:

Day 1: Bus will depart from Society House at 10 am. Our first stop will be the monastic site of Liathmore. After lunch, Dr. Tomás Ó Carragáin will speak to us at Toureen Peakaun in the Glen of Aherlow  on his excavations at this important early ecclesiastical site. Some moderate walking will be required. We will then travel to our base for the three days: Talbot Hotel in Clonmel. Sunday night dinner to be organised independently, early bookings are recommended. For those looking for some adventure before dinner, there will be a short walk to to St Patrick’s Well.

Day 2:  This will be a busy day visiting sites in the area, starting with the village of Kilsheelan. Next on the itinerary: the historic Kilcash Church and Castle. After lunch, we will depart for Knockroe – the Neolithic passage tomb, where Prof. Muiris O’Sullivan will speak to us about his excavations there. If time permits we will visit Kilkieran to view the ancient crosses, before returning to the Hotel for a group dinner.

Day 3: We start the day by visiting The Main Guard – a  seventeenth-century courthouse and market house and one of Clonmel’s most distinctive landmarks. We will then take a short walk to the nearby County Museum. After lunch, we will visit the Famine Warhouse near Ballingarry, where Prof. William Nolan will speak to us, after which we depart for Dublin.

As always, excursion programmes are subject to change due to weather and other circumstances. As this excursion will primarily take place outdoors please ensure that you have appropriate waterproof clothing and that you are prepared for walking on rough terrain. The cost of the excursion is €450 for members (€500 for guests) which covers: two nights’ bed and breakfast at The Talbot Hotel Clonmel, one dinner, three lunches, all entrance fees, and other administration costs.

You may book your place by following the link below:

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/AQPZPUU337J4U

Bookings and free cancellations can be made up to 10 May 2025.

Cancellation fees apply after 10 May 2025

Spring Excursion to Moyglare House and Russel Library, Co. Meath/Kildare

Spring Excursion to Moyglare House and Russel Library, Co. Meath/Kildare

Saturday 29 March 2025

We are now taking bookings for our Spring Excursion to Moyglare House, a magnificent mid-eighteenth-century house situated north of Moyglare village on the borders of Counties Meath and Kildare, and to Russel Library in Maynooth.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.30am. Upon our arrival at Moyglare House we will be greeted with tea and coffee before embarking on the house tour, which will be led by Dr Angela Alexander, a leading scholar on Dublin cabinetmakers from the Irish Regency period. Following lunch, the afternoon will be spent at The Russel Library, which holds the historical collections of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, to view rare books and mediaeval manuscripts from the Library. RSAI Member, Mr Tim O’Neill – a historian and calligraphic artist, will join us for this part of the excursion.

The cost the of excursion is €85 for members and €95 for guests to include cost of coach, tours and lunch.

Please note that this excursion will involve a walk to and from Moyglare House (approx. 20 minutes each way).

9.30am: Depart from Society House

6.00pm: Approximate return time

Please follow the link below to book your place:

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/6ENPK7JH4E48S

Autumn Excursion to Russborough House and Burgage Cross, Threecastles Castle, Co. Wicklow

Autumn Excursion to Russborough House and Burgage Cross, Threecastles Castle, Co. Wicklow

Saturday 20 September 2025

We are now taking bookings for our Autumn Excursion, which will Russborough House and Burgage Cross, Threecastles Castle in Co. Wicklow.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.30 am sharp and go directly to Russborough House for a short tea/coffee break, before embarking on a house tour. Filled with hidden treasures from the Renaissance to the 20th century, Russborough is famous as Ireland’s most beautiful Georgian house, with its wonderful, richly decorated interiors and the world class private collection of art, fine and decorative arts.

We will then travel to two sites near Blessington: Burgage Cross and Threecastles Castle. This part of excursion will be led by Ms Isabella Mulhall – an Assistant Keeper in the Irish Antiquities Division (IAD) of the National Museum of Ireland.

Our coach will return to Merrion Square by approx. 6pm.

The cost of the excursion is €85 for members and €95 for guests to include cost of coach, tours. lunch and tea/coffee breaks.

Please note that the excursion programme is subject to change.

9.30am: Depart from Society House

6.00pm: Approximate return time

Please follow the link below to book your place:

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M5FNE9NMU2NCG

Spring Excursion to Moyglare House and Russel Library, Co. Meath/Kildare

Saturday 29 March 2025

We are now taking bookings for our Spring Excursion to Moyglare House, a magnificent mid-eighteenth-century house situated north of Moyglare village on the borders of Counties Meath and Kildare, and to Russel Library in Maynooth.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.30am. Upon our arrival at Moyglare House we will be greeted with tea and coffee before embarking on the house tour, which will be led by Dr Angela Alexander, a leading scholar on Dublin cabinetmakers from the Irish Regency period. Following lunch, the afternoon will be spent at The Russel Library, which holds the historical collections of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, to view rare books and mediaeval manuscripts from the Library. RSAI Member, Mr Tim O’Neill – a historian and calligraphic artist, will join us for this part of the excursion.

The cost the of excursion is €85 for members and €95 for guests to include cost of coach, tours and lunch.

Please note that this excursion will involve a walk to and from Moyglare House (approx. 20 minutes each way).

9.30am: Depart from Society House

6.00pm: Approximate return time

 

You may secure your place by following the below link and placing your order:

 

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/6ENPK7JH4E48S

Autumn Excursion: Tullynally Castle and Fore Abbey, County Westmeath

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We are now taking bookings for our Autumn Excursion, which will visit Tullynally Castle and the nearby Fore Abbey in County Westmeath. Please note that this excursion was originally advertised in 2020 and you may already have reserved a place.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.00am sharp and go directly to Tullynally Castle, where we will then embark on a guided tour of house, including the grand rooms and the Victorian servants’ quarters. The tour will include a meeting with a member of the Pakenham family who still reside in the castle.

Lunch will be hosted in the Castle’s Tearooms. Following that, we will depart for a site visit to Fore Abbey. Our coach will return to Merrion Square by approx. 6pm.

The cost of the excursion is €60 for members and €65 for guests to include cost of coach, tours and lunch.

Please note that the excursion programme is subject to change or cancelation in line with governmental restrictions.

FULLY BOOKED.

 

Please contact the office for further information.

SPRING EXCURSION: Monksgrange House and Ferns, Co. Wexford

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POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

 

We are now taking bookings for our Spring Excursion to Monksgrange House and Ferns in Co. Wexford. Please note that this excursion was originally advertised in 2020 and you might already have resereved a place.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.00am sharp. Upon our arrival in Ferns, we will have a short tea/coffee break before embarking on a tour of the historic town led by Mr Con Manning.

Following that, we will depart for Monksgrange House for a light lunch. Mr Jeremy Hill, Goddard Orpen’s grandson, will lead a tour of the house and its archives. The archives, in the ownership and care of the Edwards Richards-Orpen Memorial Trust, holds a large collection of personal and estate papers, photographic images and collectables of the Richards and Orpen families of Counties Wexford and Kerry.

The cost the of excursion is €65 for members and €70 for guests to include cost of coach, tours and lunch.

Please note that the excursion programme is subject to change or cancelation in line with governmental restrictions.

 

Explorers’ Excursion to North/East Down — Ards Peninsula led by Prof. Jim McAdam

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Explorers’ Excursion to East Down and the Ards Peninsula
with Prof Jim McAdam, RSAI Vice President for Ulster

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EXCURSION WAS DEFERRED UNTIL 2022.

This year we are pleased to invite members who are interested in an active and outdoor excursion to take part in a three-day, two-night trip to a relatively unexplored part of Ulster: East Down and the Ards Peninsula around the shores of Strangford Lough and the Irish Sea.

This excursion is for independently-minded members as own transport (or carpooling with other members) is required throughout.

The current schedule for the three-day (two-night) excursion is as follows:

Day 1: We will meet in the small coastal village of Dundrum, just north of Newcastle Co Down, for lunch at 1pm. We will then visit Dundrum Castle, built by the Norman, John de Courcy after his invasion of Ulster in 1177. Following lunch, onwards to a fine example of a stone circle site at Ballynoe and some of the many St Patrick-related sites in the area. Members will continue to the picturesque village of Strangford to take their cars on the short ferry crossing across the Narrows of Strangford Lough to our destination at Portaferry, where we have been booked into the Portaferry Hotel and the nearby Barholm Hostel and The Narrows Guesthouse.

Day 2: The group will travel to a range of fascinating archaeological sites on the Ards Peninsula. These may include: the Late Neolithic cairn at Millin Bay on the Irish Sea coast; the motte and bailey and medieval church at Ardkeen; a fully restored grain windmill, typical of the agricultural heritage of the area; the Cistercian Abbey at Greyabbey (built by the wife of John de Courcy); the National Trust house and gardens at Mountstewart. We will return to the Portaferry Hotel for dinner.

Day 3: The final leg of the journey will take us around the shores of Strangford Lough to the early Monastic settlement at Nendrum via the Market Cross and Dominican Priory at Newtownards. Members can eat locally on the western shore of Strangford Lough and/or depart for Dublin at their leisure. If you are considering a longer stay in the area there is more to see and do and we will be happy to advise you.

As always, excursion programmes are subject to change due to weather and other circumstances. As this excursion will primarily take place outdoors please ensure that you have appropriate waterproof clothing and that you are prepared for walking.

Accommodation:

You are kindly requested to book your own accommodation directly with the hotels.

Additional charge of €200 payable to the RSAI to cover the cost of: 1 dinner, 2 lunches, all entrance fees, gifts for speakers and guides and other administration costs.

We have reserved rooms in the following venues for the RSAI members:

The Portaferry Hotel
Address: 10 The Strand, Portaferry, Newtownards BT22 1PE, United Kingdom
Email: info@portaferryhotel.com
Phone: +44 28 4272 8231

The Portaferry Hotel offers 15 rooms ranging in price from £280 to 340 for total stay (single, twin, double and family rooms) – a reduction of £20 per room will be offered on any single occupancy rooms.

Barholm Hostel
Address: 11 The Strand, Portaferry, Newtownards BT22 1PF, United Kingdom
Email: info@barholmportaferry.co.uk
Phone: +44 28 4272 9967

Barholm has 8 en-suite rooms available ranging in price from £45 to £75 per night.

The Narrows Guesthouse
Address: 8 Shore Rd, Portaferry, Newtownards BT22 1JY, United Kingdom
Email: info@barholmportaferry.co.uk
Phone: +44 28 4272 9967

The Narrows has 6 ensuite rooms available from £50 to £74 per night.

Barholm and Narrows Guesthouses are located within a minute walk from Portaferry Hotel.

Please make your booking directly with the hotels before informing the RSAI office of your booking.