Category: Excursions

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.

Autumn Excursion: Inistioge and Woodstock, Co. Kilkenny

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PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE FROM 14 to 28 September 2019.

We are now taking bookings for our Autumn Excursion, which will visit Woodstock Gardens and the nearby village of Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.00am and go directly to Woodstock Gardens, Co. Kilkenny, where we will be met by Mr John Kirwan, Archivist and Historian. After a short coffee break, we will visit the restored gardens and view the ruined house. After lunch, we will depart for Inistioge, where we will visit a church and priory remains with cloister fragments and the mausoleum of Mary Tighe, the poet. 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: the charge for excursion is non-refundable.

This excursion is now fully booked.

Spring Excursion: Townley Hall and Knowth

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We are now taking bookings for our Spring Excursion to Townley Hall, Co. Louth  and Knowth, Co. Meath.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.30am. Upon our arrival at Townley Hall, we will be greeted with tea and coffee before embarking on a tour of the house. Townley Hall is a magnificent Georgian mansion built just over 200 years ago on a hilltop setting. Today it is surrounded by 60 acres of rolling parkland overlooking the Boyne Valley. The house is an architectural jewel. It is renowned for its exquisite interior, wonderful proportions, the quality of the materials and craftsmanship used in its construction and, in particular, its magnificent staircase.

After lunch, Dr Geraldine Stout will welcome us at Knowth – a Neolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne.

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

Please note: the charge for the excursion is non-refundable.

 

THIS EXCURSION IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

Excursion to Dowth Hall

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The RSAI Members have received an invitation to visit the site of recent excavations and the house at Dowth Hall. The tour will be led by Clíodhna Ní Lionáin | Devenish Nutrition and her colleagues: John Gilliland and Helen Staunton.

Please note that the excavation tour requires walking over uneven ground and that entry to the house requires walking up steps.

THIS EXCURSION IS NOW FULLY BOOKED.

RSAI Autumn Excursion – Jerpoint Newtown and Jerpoint Abbey, Co. Kilkenny

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Autumn Excursion to  – Jerpoint Newtown and Jerpoint Abbey, Co. Kilkenny led by Con Manning

We are now taking bookings for our Autumn Excursion, which will visit Jerpoint Newton and Jerpoint Abbey, Co. Kilkenny.

The coach will depart from Society House at 9.00am and go directly to Tullaherin, Co. Kilkenny, a national monument with a round tower and a pre-Norman church. After a short coffee break, we will embark on the tour of Newtown Jerpoint. A late lunch will follow. We will then visit Jerpoint 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: the charge for excursion is non-refundable.

9.00am: Depart from Society House. 6:00pm Approximate return time.

Please use the PayPal button below to complete the booking.

 


Booking



RSAI Explorers’ Excursion

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Explorers’ Excursion to the Iveragh Peninsula 

29 June–1 July 2018

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 the Iveragh Peninsula. The expedition will include a visit to Desmond Hall and a walking tour around the archaeological sites of the Iveragh Peninsula, Co. Kerry. 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 Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, for lunch at 1pm. We will then visit the Desmond Banqueting Hall – an imposing two-storey structure that was used by the Earls of Desmond for banqueting and entertainment. The group will then travel on to Valentia Island, where we will check into our hotel for the evening. You may visit two heritage centres and Ballycarbery Castle on the south-west part of the island.

Day 2: The group will be taken on a day-long walking tour of sites of archaeological interest around the Iveragh Peninsula guided by Tracy Collins and Frank Coyne of Aegis Archaeology. A packed lunch will be provided. That evening, the group will convene for dinner in the hotel.

Day 3: The group will leave the hotel and make their way to Cahergal and Leacanabuaile near Cahersiveeen, before embarking on a return journey to Dublin at our leisure.

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 €295 for members (€325 for guests) which covers: 2 nights’ bed and breakfast at The Royal Hotel Valentia, Knightstown, Co. Kerry, 1 dinner, 2 lunches, all entrance fees, and other administration costs.

Please note: the charge for excursions is non-refundable.

The Explorers’ Excursion is fully booked.