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0421UA7 - "In the Footsteps of St. Patrick" Catholic Ireland Pilgrimage 9 days from Farmington, NM


Trip Flyer
Airline Name Baggage Information
United Airlines https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/baggage/checked-bags.html

$50 Early Booking Discount if Reserved by April 3, 2026

Special Package with this Trip :
International departure taxes of $122 plus current fuel surcharges of $370 are included (subject to change).

Tour Code Departure Date Cost per person
UAB0421DO 04/21/2027 $5499.00
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Trip Details

Today, we depart from Farmington, NM to connect with our overnight flights to Dublin. We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner, and breakfast while aloft.
We arrive this morning in Dublin and begin our pilgrimage with a tour of the Dublin Castle. Originally built in the 13th century on a site previously settled by the Vikings, Dublin Castle functioned as a military fortress, a prison, treasury, courts of law and the seat of English Administration in Ireland for 700 years. After lunch on our own, we head to the GPO museum where we will learn about Ireland rich and troubled history including the 1916 Easter Uprising. We cap our day with our opening Mass at the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary. This church was likely where starving Irish immigrants attended their last Mass before fleeing Ireland for America during the Great Potato Famine (1845-49) that killed over 1 million Irish. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
We begin our tour today with a visit to the Hill of Tara, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. The Hill of Tara has been an important site since the late Stone Age and was at the height of its power as a political and religious center in the early centuries after Christ. We celebrate our Mass here at the Church of St. Patrick. After lunch on our own, we head to the Down Cathedral, the episcopal seat of the Anglican Bishop in Ireland and the traditional burial site of St. Patrick. Christians of all denominations make pilgrimages here to honor the slave turned saint who is credited with the conversion of the Irish people. Overnight and dinner at our hotel in Belfast.
Our day begins with Mass at the Church of St. Patrick or another local parish. We enjoy a tour of the Falls and Shankill areas. Two former political prisoners, one republican and one loyalist, will serve as our guides, offering their own personal perspective over the conflict in Northern Ireland, the divisions that still exist, and the impact the peace process is having on people’s everyday lives. We visit the Divis Tower in the nationalist area of Falls Road where we hear of the colonization of Ireland by England which eventually led to the violence starting in 1969. Lunch is on our own. We proceed to the St. Patrick Centre to learn all about the world-famous saint. As part of our visit, we enjoy an impressive 'In the Footsteps of Saint Patrick' Imax presentation about the life of St Patrick. Overnight and dinner at our hotel in Belfast.
Today, we begin our journey with a stop at Slemish Hill, the location where the boy slave St. Patrick spent his days in prayer as he tended his sheep. We then travel to the Giant's Causeway where the legendary giant, Finn McCool, created a highway to Scotland so he could pick a fight with the Scottish giant Benandonner. This UNESCO World Heritage site consists of 40,000 basalt polygonal columns formed 60 million years ago after a volcanic eruption. In 2015, Conde Nast Traveler magazine included hopping the stones of the Giant's Causeway as one of the '50 things to do in Europe before you die'. We enjoy lunch on our own at the visitor’s center. Later, we visit the Museum of Free Derry where locals directly impacted by the Northern Ireland conflict tell their stories, including the Bloody Sunday killings. Our Mass will be at St. Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry, if possible. Overnight and dinner at our hotel in Derry.
This morning we journey to Lough Derg Donegal where we will go to Station Island, often referred to as Saint Patrick's Purgatory. We celebrate our Mass here at St. Patrick’s Basilica. This special sanctuary of peace and personal challenge is a small lake-island renowned since the time of St. Patrick, receiving pilgrims continuously for well over 1000 years. Lunch is on our own. Afterwards we continue onto Mayo/Sligo. Overnight and dinner at our hotel in Mayo.
By the luck of the Irish and God’s providence, we find ourselves in Knock, at the Shrine of Our Lady on Sunday. It was here in 1879 that Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, the writer of the fourth gospel, appeared to locals. The Church approved the authenticity of the apparition in 1879. Since then, Popes including St. John XXIII, St. John Paul II, Pope Francis as well as Mother Teresa have all visited the shrine to pray. Many miraculous healings have been reported here through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph and St. John. Over 1.5 million pilgrims visit each year. During our day here we enjoy Mass, time for devotions and prayer as well as an opportunity to visit the museum. Overnight and dinner at our hotel.
We depart Westmeath (Athlone area) today and travel back to Dublin. En Route we stop off at The Mass Rock Glack in Ballivor for a private Mass. We then continue to Dublin this morning where we will visit the Legion of Mary headquarters-Myra House. Here we will hear about the Founder of the Legion, the Servant of God, Frank Duff, and his inspiration from St. Louis Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary. If possible, we will have lunch with our hosts at Myra House, otherwise lunch on our own. After lunch, we enjoy a city sightseeing tour of Ireland’s capital with its many historic buildings, the statues of the Famine Memorial, the many delightful gardens, and the lively shopping streets. We visit and tour St. Patrick's Cathedral and Trinity College to see The Book of Kells, an early Christian manuscript of the four gospels. Overnight and dinner at our hotel in Dublin.
This morning, we transfer to the airport as we make our way home with memories for a lifetime.
City History