Hello Folks, and welcome to my page about the guided tours of Ireland I lead along with my dear Irish partner Tom Pigott. I have led a dozen of these musical tours of Ireland over the last four years. All the trips have been hugely successful and great fun, creating lifelong friendships and memories.
I will be leading four tours in 2009:
May 5-14: Counties Kerry, Clare, and Galway (sold out!)
July 16-25: Counties Kerry, Clare, and Galway (Connemara) (sold out!)
July 28-Aug 6: Counties Sligo and Donegal (sold out!)
Sept 16-25 Counties Cork, Kerry, and Clare (sold out!)
Dates for tours in 2010 will be posted by September 2009
Contact John to inquire about tours in 2010
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I lead these tours with my trusty Irish partner Tom Pigott from Limerick
who has been in the tour business for many years and is also a great
singer. We take 20 guests and travel in a small luxury coach/bus. We
stay 3 nights in one town, 2 in another, 3 in another, and our last
evening back near the Shannon airport. We stay in small hotels and an
occasional B & B.
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Stone Fort County Donegal - August, 2008 Group
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By day we will hike scenic landscapes, visit old castles and abbey
ruins,
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Hiking on Inishbofin Island
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and stone circles,
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Ancient settlement
on Dingle Peninsula |
sightseeing along gorgeous coastal scenery,
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On the road in County
Kerry |
visiting beaches, mountain tops, bogs, small fishing villages, islands,
festivals, etc.
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Kinsale Village, County
Cork |
And by night we share music with local Irish singers and players.
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A "session"
at Ballyshannon in County Donegal |
Some original music, some traditional, and many songs by yours truly
and any others from our group who may wish to share a song or two.
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Gerry O'Beirne & Rosie
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There's lots of great music in the pubs in Doolin, Country Clare.
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Doolin, County Clare
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The trips to County Kerry include a tour of
the Dingle Peninsula, exploring the Sleas Head drive and other scenic
destinations.
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Dingle Peninsula,
County Kerry |
Trips to County Clare include the Cliffs of Moher,
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Cliffs of Moher, County
Clare |
and the dramatic landscapes of The Burren. |
The Burren, County
Clare |
Stops in Galway include a walking tour of colorful 'Shop Street'
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Shopping in Galway |
Also in County Galway is the beautiful Connemara area and the village
of Clifden. Some trips include a boat ride to Inishbofin Island where
time has stood still. Gorgeous walking along one lane roads around the
island.
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The Village of Clifden,
the "Twelve Bens" in the background |
Our last night will be back near the Shannon-Limerick area.
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Sunset over the Irish
Countryside |
Cost for 2009 tours is $1950 per person based on double occupancy. We will do our best
to match up room mates if preferred. Single rooms are an additional
$350 total per person for all 9 nights. The fee also includes all ground
transportation, all lodging. including full breakfast. We also provide
3 evening group meals, and the cost for our featured Irish musicians,
poets, writers, etc.
Guests pay for their own flights to and from Shannon International Airport,
all lunches, 6 dinners on your own, ferries and optional activites, and of course drinks, tips, etc.
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 Sharing
a song along the way. |
If
interested contact:
john@johnsmithmusic.com
A $500 deposit is required to hold slots after confirmation from me. Balance is due in two payments, 6 months and 3 months prior to the tour dates.
Ireland does require a passport.
So let me know if you want to join us, and if you are alone or with
family or friend/partner, male or female, and what order of preference
you have in which tour and dates. Any thing else you can think of helps
sort everybody out in the end. Please bear with me as we do our best
to fairly fill the slots.
Any questions? . Just
ask.
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 Tom Pigott and Johnsmith
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We look forward to sharing Ireland with as many of you as possible.
Thanks for the interest.
Johnsmith
608-534-6656
johnsmithmusic.com
Thanks to Ann & Paul
Schatzkin for the photos, taken on their tour
of Ireland in October, 2006.
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Inishbofffin, painted by September 2005 tour guest Tom
Browning
of Bend, Oregon
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What some of our guests have said about these tours:
"We can honestly say that this was one of the best trips we
have ever taken (and we have traveled extensively). This is the way
to see Ireland, for sure. The small size of the group makes the experience
very special; people in the group bonded very quickly and strongly.
You will get to see parts of the country that very few tourists get
to see."
* * *
"It was a trip that will be hard to beat. It was so personalized
by having John and Tom Pigott as our own tour guides. We did not have
to plan where to eat or where to stay. Everything was taken care of
for us yet we had free time to do as we pleased. We went places that
the average tourist would not go, yet we saw a lot of Ireland’s
famous sites. We got a history lessons on Ireland from folks who grew
up and still live there. I would not hesitate for a moment to encourage
you to go on this trip. I can’t imagine ever having an opportunity
like this again."
* * *
"All in all, it was the trip of a lifetime for me. I'll be
doing a return trip at some point, down the road."
* * *
"If you are not interested in seeing beautiful countryside,
the most stunning color of green you could ever imagine, hearing fantastic
music from the incredible natives of Ireland, hearing historical stories
of family, both of struggle and of hope, experiencing Ireland from
two of the most wonderful storytellers (John and Tom of course), .then
I suggest you don't go on this trip. But if you want ANY of the above
then SIGN UP TODAY! "
* * *
"It was truly the trip of a lifetime. We knew
we'd fall in love with the Irish landscape we'd seen in pictures,
but we were shocked at the diversity we encountered: lush farmlands,
barren and rocky plains, mountains, seaside vistas galore, and even
sub-tropical vegetation. The castles were spectacular, as were the
islands off the west coast we visited. "
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