Next year will mark a notable initiative for Ireland's tourism scene: The whole country will play host to "The Gathering," a year-long celebration of Irish culture and history that begins on New Year's Eve in Dublin. There will be clan gatherings, festivals, special sporting events, music and concerts taking place all across the country, all year long. And, of course, tour operators are including some of the events into their itineraries.
Trafalgar, for example, is offering nine trips that will incorporate Gathering activities as well as the operator's signature "Be My Guest" dining experiences and "Local Specialties." Clients can also save up to 10 percent by booking any of Trafalgar’s 2013 Ireland trips before December 27, 2012.
All of Brendan Vacation’s 2013 Ireland Guided Vacations has a unique Gathering experience, from a personally invited lunch in a private home with local expert on W.B. Yeats in Sligo on the "Castle & Manors Boutique Journey" to a Bodhrán (Irish Drum) lesson for everyone in one of Ireland’s oldest pubs on the "Enchanting Emerald Isle" itinerary. Other activities include the Temple Bar TradFest in Dublin in January and the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival in October. And then, of course, there's the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin, for which Brendan has a limited number of tickets. Gathering events can also be included on guided or independent vacation, and on self-drive or chauffeur-driven tours.
CIE Tours will bring its Ireland-bound guests to events like National Heritage Week, the Dublin Theatre Festival and parades and festivals paying homage to Ireland's patron saint, St. Patrick. The company even has a dedicated site for Gathering activities: www.cietours.com/gathering.
Sceptre Tours has launched an Irish package for friends and families that lets groups create their own itineraries. The deal is based on a minimum of 10 people traveling together, and includes roundtrip airfare, private airport transfers, and six nights in villa accommodations at Adare Manor. (Each villa includes three bedrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room and more, and will accommodate five to six guests of the group.) Groups can choose two, three, four or five full-day excursions based on their own interests (i.e. heritage, family, historical). Passengers are chauffeured in a luxury coach with the services of a professional driver/guide.