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DESCRIPTION Join Dr. Robert Schoch and his wife Katie Ulissey for an in-depth exploration and reanalysis of some of the most ancient structures in Ireland, while also enjoying and absorbing modern Irish hospitality. Dr. Schoch is one of the foremost authorities regarding the origins and extreme antiquity of civilizations around the world. He has forced his fellow academics to rethink not only the when and why of the beginnings of high culture and civilization, but also the earliest dating of many ancient sites - marshalling evidence demonstrating that in some cases extremely ancient structures were reused in later, but still very ancient, times. On this trip Dr. Schoch will share with you firsthand his thoughts and insights on the megalithic structures of Ireland. County Clare: Cliffs of Moher; Poulnabroune Dolmen,
The Burren PERSONNEL FEATURED SPEAKER: Dr. Robert M. Schoch Author of Forgotten Civilization: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future For more information about Dr. Schoch, click here. TOUR CO-HOST: Catherine (Katie) Ulissey, Dr. Schoch's wife For more information about Katie, click here. TOUR DIRECTOR: Andrea Mikana-Pinkham, Director of Sacred Sites Journeys. Andrea has led our tours to Ireland in the past in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2016. For more information about Andrea, click here. A Message from Andrea: This will be my 5th trip to the Emerald Isle and my 4th Sacred Sites Journeys group that I will support in the land of my ancestors; previous ones were in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2016. I invite you to join Dr. Schoch, his wife Katie and myself as we explore the amazing ancient megalithic sites, places that are alive with the secrets of their history! We'd be honored to support you to manifest your dream of traveling to Ireland, and will assist you to create the experience of a lifetime during this unique journey.
TOUR ITINERARY
This tour is LAND ONLY. You are responsible to book your
international flights to IRELAND. Please book your international air to arrive at Shannon
International Airport (SNN) by 12:00PM
in order to give yourself time to rest before our evening activities. See
Day 13 for instructions for booking your departing flight from Dublin
(DUB). Check into the hotel. Please note check in may not be possible before 3PM. 5:00PM - Group Meeting in the conference room at the hotel. After welcomes and introductions, Andrea Mikana-Pinkham will share a presentation “The History of Ireland: Fascinating Ancient Legends and Early Kings.” 7:00PM - Enjoy our group Welcome Dinner at the hotel. Drinks not included; this will be the case at all dinners. The food served to you at all meals included in your travel package - breakfast, optional boxed lunches and dinners - will be organic, non-GMO. Overnight Shannon. Park Hotel, at the Shannon International Airport.
Right: Cliffs of Moher and The Burren 6:00AM onwards – Breakfast at your leisure. 8:00AM – Luggage outside your door. 8:45AM – Turn in your room key; pay any charges incurred to your room. Be in the lobby ready to depart. 9:00AM – Depart from our hotel in Shannon for Galway. Our first stop will be at the Cliffs of Moher. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean and bordering the Burren Area, the Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's most spectacular sights. Standing over 750 ft. above the ground at their highest point and almost 5 miles long, the Cliffs boast one of the most amazing views in Ireland. On a clear day, the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay as well as the valleys and hills of Connemara. To the south of the cliffs is Hag's Head and was once the site of a castle. The cliffs reach their highest point just north of O' Brien's Tower. Cornelius O’ Brien, a descendant of Brian Boru (who defeated the Vikings in battle), built a Tower at the cliffs in order to enjoy some tea with his lady friends. The Tower is adjacent to the sea stack, Breanan Mór, which stands over 230 ft. above the foaming waves and is home to some of the Burren’s wildlife. Atlantic Edge, the exciting new interpretive center at the Cliffs of Moher, which is built into the natural landscape, is a huge domed cave that contains images, exhibits, displays & experiences exploring different elements of the mighty Cliffs of Moher: Ocean, Rock, Nature and Man. Lunch on your own – Please note that all lunches throughout the journey will be on your own. We will not be stopping for lunch in restaurants. Instead you’ll have the opportunity to pre-order a box lunch for each day. Some people may prefer to eat a hearty breakfast and skip lunch per se, some people may bring a supply of “power bars” and other snacks to eat during the day and (depending on where we are any particular day) use their “lunch time” to shop and/or for further sightseeing, some may decide to grab a bite or snack from a local establishment or vendor, and some may prefer to arrange for a box lunch. Special diets can be requested. Price: Approximately $20.00 per day, including a bottle of water, dependent on the currency exchange rate in place at that time. Orders are to be placed 24 hours in advance and will be coordinated by your Tour Director Andrea Mikana-Pinkham. After leaving the Cliffs, we’ll travel through The Burren in County Clare, part of which forms the Burren National Park. The land is composed of limestone pavements which have been eroded to a distinctive pattern crisscrossed by cracks known as grykes. A myriad of wild flora grows in them, which is a mixture of Arctic and Mediterranean flowers such as gentian and orchids. Huge caves and rivers which flood suddenly when it rains are found under them. The Burren contains megalithic portal tombs. The most famous is the Poulnabroune Dolmen.. (Poll Na mBrón in Irish means "hole of the quern stones".) This tomb was in use during the Neolithic (but, as Dr. Schoch will explain, could have its origins much earlier). Radiocarbon dates place its use between 3,800 - 3,600 BCE. During excavations in the 1980's one portal stone was replaced, and the chamber, portico and cairn were excavated. The remains of nearly two dozen individuals from the Neolithic were found. Sixteen adults, six children, and one newborn (from the Bronze Age) were among the remains. Their bodies were not cremated. Only one adult was over the age of 40, while most died before they reached 30. Most of the children were between the ages of five and fifteen. The skeletal remains show evidence of arthritis. The tip of a flint or chert projectile point was found embedded in the hip of one individual. Two other healed fractures, one skull and one rib, were also found. Dental wear analysis showed evidence for the consumption of stone-grounded cereals. Also found in the burial chamber was a polished stone axe, 2 stone beads, a decorated bone pendant, a fragment of a mushroom-headed bone pin, 2 quartz crystals, several sherds of coarse pottery, and a number of arrowheads and scrapers. We then continue to our hotel in Galway and check-in. 5:00PM – Gather for our Group Meeting in the hotel conference room for a Presentation by Dr. Robert Schoch, placing the sites we visit in Ireland within the context of his overall research regarding the extreme antiquity of civilization – dating back to before the end of the last ice age (circa 9700 BCE). 7:00PM - Enjoy our group dinner at the hotel. After dinner you have an exceptional optional opportunity to experience Irish Music and Dancing at Trad on the Prom. http://www.tradontheprom.com/ From Andrea Mikana-Pinkham: I invite you to join Robert, Katie and myself for this very authentic performance by some of the most professional Irish musicians and dancers in all the Emerald Isle. As well as internationally! I took our 2016 tour group to it. And it was one of the big highlights of the journey for many of us! (Note: You are responsible to book your tickets online at http://www.tradontheprom.com/tc-events/june-17-2018-things-to-do-in-galway-ireland-best-traditional-irish-music-song-dance-show-2-3-2-2/ Overnight Galway. Connacht Hotel.
6:00AM
onwards – Breakfast at your leisure
7:30PM - Enjoy
our group dinner at the hotel.
8:00AM – Luggage outside your door. 8:15 to 8:45AM – Gather in the hotel conference room for a Presentation by Andrea Mikana-Pinkham: “Irish Gods and Goddesses”. 8:45AM – Turn in your room key; pay any charges incurred to your room. Be in the lobby ready to depart. 9:00AM – Depart from Westport and journey for Sligo. Lunch on your own. – optional box lunch available as described under Day 2. Making our way to Sligo, we’ll stop to explore in particular various cairns, “tombs” (Were they originally tombs? Dr. Schoch will discuss this question.), and dolmens located along the route. While exploring the various sites together, Dr. Schoch will be available to answer questions and comment on the structures, placing them within the framework of new research on some of the earliest known evidence of sophisticated culture and civilization. We then continue to our hotel in Sligo and check in. 7:00PM - Enjoy our group dinner at the hotel. Overnight Sligo. Sligo Park Hotel. Day 5. Wednesday, June 20. Sligo: Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery; Knocknarea & Maeve’s Cairn (B/D) Left to Right: Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery; Maeve's Cairn on top of Knocknarea
6:00AM onwards – Breakfast at your leisure.
Return to the hotel. You have a
bit of time for lunch on your own at the hotel restaurant.
Left to Right: Newgrange and Knowth 6:00AM onwards – Breakfast at your leisure. 8:00AM – Luggage outside your door. 8:45AM – Turn in your room key; pay any charges incurred to your room. Be in the lobby ready to depart. 9:00AM – Depart Sligo and travel to Meath. Upon arrival in County Meath, we’ll visit the Donaghmore Round Tower, which is located in an old cemetery near Navan. This site was originally known as Domnach Mór - the Great Church. It’s believed that St. Patrick founded a monastery here in the 5th century, and he left it in the care of his disciple St Cassan. The round tower which dates to the 11th century is the oldest of the remaining features at this site. It’s typical of the round towers built in Ireland during the times of the Norse (Viking) Invasions. At 110 ft high and with a circumference of 66 ft at its base, it’s built of undressed limestone. The tripartite arched doorway has rounded mouldings. It has a head on either side above the jambs. One unusual feature of the tower is that there are no windows in the bell storey, which normally has four windows, each facing the four cardinal points. It’s assumed that they were omitted during some restoration work by a previous owner in 1841. Lunch on your own. – optional box lunch available as described under Day 2.
1:00PM
– We enjoy our guided tour of
Newgrange’s spectacular world-famous passage grave containing kerb
stones engraved with megalithic art. According to
standard archaeologists, it's over
5000 years old; the most reliable carbon 14 dates offer that it was
constructed around 3,200 BCE (or, Dr. Schoch asks, was it
simply being reused at that time?). It's a truly massive structure, measuring 250
ft. in diameter by 40 ft. height and it contains over 200,000 tons of earth
and stone in its fabric. Indeed, its glistening façade of quartz is one of
the country’s most memorable vistas. The most stunning example of
megalithic art at Newgrange is the beautifully carved entrance stone
with its Triple Goddess spiral. The Tuatha Dé Danaan, who ruled
Ireland in ancient mythology, were said to have erected Newgrange as a
burial place for their chief, Dagda Mór, and his three sons.
(NOTE: For the visit to Newgrange, we've reserved space for 2 groups back to
back to enter the passage tomb. Those who will enter in the first group with
Dr. Schoch will be chosen by the date of your registration. Once that group
is filled, others will enter in the second group with Katie and Andrea.)
Afterwards we’ll visit Knowth.
The Great Mound there is said by archaeologist to have been built
over 5000 years ago, probably after the construction of Newgrange. It’s
similar in size to Newgrange and is surrounded by 18 smaller satellite
mounds. It has two passages with entrances on opposite sides; the western
passage is 112 ft. and the eastern is 132 ft. long, ending with a cruciform
chamber.
We then leave the Boyne
Valley and continue on to our hotel to check in.
6:00AM onwards – Breakfast at your leisure.
6:00AM onwards – Breakfast at
your leisure.
6:00AM onwards – Breakfast at your leisure. INCLUSIONS Your Sacred Sites Journey to IRELAND Includes: - Accommodations in charming Irish hotels (includes taxes, service charges & daily breakfast) - Daily breakfast; 8 dinners; option to purchase a box lunch on Days 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7 - Air-conditioned motorcoach transportation throughout with driver/guide; toilet onboard - Sightseeing as per the itinerary, including entrance fees - Pre-Paid Gratuities - Local Guide at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, Newgrange/Knowth and the Hill of Tara Special Features - Travel in a group of like-minded people with Featured Speaker Dr. Robert Schoch and Catherine (Katie) Ulissey, his wife and Co-Host - Fully escorted from Shannon by SSJ's Director Andrea Mikana-Pinkham - Two Presentations by Dr. Robert Schoch; two Presentations by Andrea Mikana-Pinkham - Galway area: Cliffs of Mohrer; Poulnabroune Dolmen, The Burren - Connemara National Park and various standing stones and dolmens - Sligo area: Various standing stones and dolmens; Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery; Knocknarea & Queen Maeve's Cairn - Donaghmore Round Tower - UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Newgrange & Knowth - Loughcrew Megalithic Cairns and the Hill of Tara - Free time in Dublin - Welcome and Farewell Dinners NOT INCLUDED: - Roundtrip international air to Ireland (Arrive Shannon/Depart Dublin) - Meals not included, as indicated in the itinerary - Cost to obtain valid passport - Group transfer from Dublin hotel to Dublin International Airport at the end of the tour - An optional private transfer can be arranged for you by Sacred Sites Journeys; please inquire. - Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks, internet and telephone calls. Any item that is not specifically detailed on the SSJ website or final trip itinerary
ARRIVAL: Please book your international arrival on Saturday, June 16, 2018 to arrive at Shannon International Airport by 12:00PM in order to give yourself time to rest before our evening group meeting and welcome dinner. DEPARTURE: Please book your international departure on Sunday, June 24, 2018 to depart from Dublin International Airport. LAND ONLY, Per Person, double occupancy: $2,429.00 - for payments via check or bank wire If you'd like to use your credit card to pay for this journey, please contact Andrea Mikana-Pinkham at info@SacredSitesJourneys.com for more information. Single Room Supplement: This is the additional amount you will pay if you choose to have your own private room throughout the tour. Single Room for 1st - 3rd person: $425.00 - for payments via check or bank wire Single Room for 4th person and more: $635.00 - for payments via check or bank wire TOUR REGISTRATION
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