Two Ireland tours will be offered in September

Two tours to Ireland are being offered in September by Maureen Hurl Peterson, founder of Spokane’s sister city relationship with Limerick.

The first, Sept. 6-19, is geared to golfers with rounds at several courses along the way (alternative activities will be provided for nongolfers), while the second, Sept. 18-Oct. 1, will focus more on historical sites.

Both will be guided by Irish storyteller/historian Batt Burns, who has performed frequently in Spokane with his wife, Maura.

After arrival at the Shannon airport, both tours first visit Killarney, then move on to the colorful village of Sneem, where Burns lives and was a school principal for 33 years. He will host a house party for tour participants, with plenty of live music and libations, and another night will be spent at a village pub.

Both tours also include stops at Blarney Castle (with its famous Blarney Stone) and Blarney Woolen Mills; Cork; Galway; Sligo, onetime home of poet W.B. Yeats; and Waterford, with its crystal glass factory.

The golf tour also goes to such places as Kenmare, Cong (the setting for the movie “The Quiet Man”) and Donegal (for nongolfers), while the historic tour takes in the Dingle Peninsula (where “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Far and Away” were filmed), Dublin and the Northern Ireland cities of Belfast and Derry.

At the final stop in Limerick, both tour groups will be hosted at a reception at the mayor’s office, and will visit the Spokane Walk, a walkway along the Shannon River in downtown Limerick that was dedicated in 1991 to commemorate the sister city relationship.

The cost of the golf tour is $3,750 ($3,882 credit card), plus greens fees. The cost of the historic tour is $3,625 ($3,752 credit card).

That includes airfare, double occupancy accommodations, breakfast daily, nine dinners, deluxe motor coach transportation in Ireland, attraction entry fees, luggage handling and gratuities. The single supplement for solo travelers is $390 for each trip.

Prices could rise slightly if there is a significant drop in the value of the U.S. dollar between now and September.

Space is limited. For more information, contact Peterson at 534-4961 or mhurl@comcast.net.