Pick up point from accommodation in Dublin
09:30am
3 Days
Max 7 people
€2100
3-day private guided tour
ABOUT
Unforgettable Experience
The Irish Midlands Heritage Tour takes you on a road trip that’s a little more off-the-beaten-track than the regular Irish hot spots giving you an experience of something really unique and truly local in Laois and Offaly.
Rich in history and heritage the midlands are an outdoor enthusiast’s dream with plenty of castles and big houses, captivating ruins, rolling hills, landscapes, and amazing stories of myths and legends.
With a choice of mountain hiking, biking, whiskey/beer tasting or a private art workshop there is plenty to keep you busy in the Midlands!
ITINERARY
Experiencing Ireland Tours
Itinerary Details
Laois
First up we’ll visit the magnificent nineteenth-century neo-classical home Emo Court. It took two architects and three Earls to oversee the completion of this amazing building. Stories about the Earls of Portarlington, the local area, a Titanic connection and the last owner, Cholmeley Harrison, who restored Emo Court and donated it to the state make for a wonderful guided tour.
Weather permitting we’ll stroll around some of the vast gardens before heading on to our next stop Mountmellick. Once a very prosperous Quaker town, known as Little Manchester for its industries some of its past residents included the famous Bewley family (tea, coffee), and Pim family (tobacco, snuff, brewing).
A guided tour of Mountmellick Embroidery Museum which can include a demonstration of the world-famous white-on-white Mountmellick embroidery. A brief stop for lunch at a local eatery will be organised.
After lunch, we’ll head to the quaint village of Timahoe, first founded in the seventh century by Saint Mochua who lived here as a hermit. A wonderful twelfth-century round tower, standing six storeys high, dominates the landscape. There’s also a medieval church which was converted into a tower house.
Offaly
The Rock of Dunamase is our first stop, mentioned by the Greek cartographer Ptolemy in 120 AD as a Dún or Fort. Today it’s the ruins of an Anglo-Norman twelfth and early thirteenth-century Castle. It was part of the dowry given to the invading Anglo Norman Lord, Strongbow, on his marriage to the daughter of the King of Leinster, Aoife. We overlook the fabulous Irish countryside and can see numerous counties from the top. Legends and folklore surround this fortification.
Next, we’ll head to the very picturesque town of Abbeyleix, a planned estate town, dating back to the late 1800s. The Viscounts de Vesci, the local landlords, realised the town was low-lying and susceptible to flooding, so moved it to a more elevated position. The de Vesci’s were very benevolent landlords and their contribution to the town has left its mark on the fabulous architecture. We’ll take a short leisurely walk through the town, and stop for a nice lunch and a lovely stroll on Abbeyleix bog.
Our next stop is Donaghmore Workhouse and Agricultural Museum, one of the few remaining workhouses in Ireland. This is where people came and were cared for during and after the famine years of the 19th century. It’s a very important part of Irish history and an emotional experience to witness the rooms where the destitute lay. The lucky ones who made it to the door of the workhouse.
Birr & Tullamore
We’ll begin our final day by heading across the Slieve Bloom Mountains. A short hike or mountain bike could be included here if you wish. We arrive at Birr Castle, the home place of the Parsons family for 400 years, a seventeenth-century castle which includes an amazing 120-acre demesne.
We’ll hear about the Parsons’ incredible legacy including phenomenal achievements in science, astronomy, photography, engineering, and botany while enjoying the award-winning beautiful gardens, seeing the Great Telescope and visiting the science centre.
After lunch in Birr town, our road trip takes us to Clonmacnoise, on the banks of the river Shannon. Going back to the sixth century it was one of the most important early Christian settlements in Ireland and Europe – a centre of learning people came from far and wide. A cathedral, two round towers, nine churches and three high crosses are all to be seen here.
Tullamore Dew is the perfect place to end our three-day adventure. A family-run business since 1829. Enjoy some great stories of Irish whiskey or ‘uisce beatha’ the water of life, sample some of the best whiskey and perhaps make your own to take home.
The warmest welcome awaits you in the Midlands of Ireland!
DISCOVER
Good to Know
MEMORIES
Gallery
