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Ireland

A Wee Ramble in Kenmare: Hiking Ireland’s Southwest Coast

Program No. 21682RJ
Discover the wonders of Ireland as you cross emerald coasts, seafaring villages and treasured moorlands on glorious footpaths, learning from both locals and experts along the way.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 9 - May 17, 2024
Starting at
3,049
May 23 - May 31, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Jun 6 - Jun 14, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Jun 13 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Itinerary Note

Women Only Departure

Jul 11 - Jul 19, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Aug 22 - Aug 30, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Sep 5 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Sep 19 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
3,049
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 9 - May 17, 2024
Starting at
3,349
May 23 - May 31, 2024
Starting at
3,349
Jun 6 - Jun 14, 2024
Starting at
3,349
Jun 13 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
3,349
Itinerary Note

Women Only Departure

Jul 11 - Jul 19, 2024
Starting at
3,349
Filling Fast!
Aug 22 - Aug 30, 2024
Starting at
3,349
Filling Fast!
Sep 5 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
3,349
Filling Fast!
Sep 19 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
3,349

At a Glance

Grab your shillelagh and learn about Ireland the best way possible — on hikes along quiet country lanes and centuries-old footpaths. Home for the week is the small town of Kenmare, situated along the beautiful Wild Atlantic Way. It’s the ideal base to discover prehistoric tombs, remote islands, timeless villages and serene nature preserves along the southwest Irish coast. Join us on some of the most glorious hikes in the country, with plenty of time to fortify yourself with a pint or cup of tea and an Irish scone.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Walking 1-4 miles, approximately 3-5 hours per day. Walks will be on paths and mountain trails with little shade and up and down over mixed terrain (dirt, rocks, pavement, river banks, forest trails).
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Enjoy daily, expert-led walks through luminous green valleys, rock-studded mountains and colorful seafaring villages.
  • Discover the pastoral landscape of Killarney National Park, where oak and yew woodlands stretch for miles.
  • Take a ferry to Garnish Island, searching for inquisitive seals along the way, to visit a botanical paradise with a stunning variety of plants.
  • Hike through secluded moorlands and green meadows in Gleninchaquin.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
McCarthy's Bar, A Journey of Discovery in Ireland
by Pete McCarthy
A droll account of McCarthy's encounters on a bar-hopping jaunt from Cork along the west coast to Donegal. His motto, assiduously followed, was never to pass up a bar with his name on it!
Ireland, In Word and Image
by Jay Adlersberg
Jay Adlersberg's visual celebration of Ireland is accompanied by literary excerpts and poetry from Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and many others. With 75 gorgeous color photographs.
Eyewitness Guide Ireland
by Eyewitness Guides
This superb guide is a wonderfully illustrated introduction to the country, featuring photographs, maps and short background essays on history and culture.
At the Edge of Ireland, Seasons on the Beara Peninsula
by David Yeadon
Following Seasons on Harris (Hebrides and Seasons in Basilicata (Italian South, Yeardon and wife set up shop in southwest Ireland.
A Brief History of Ireland
by Richard Killeen
Killeen traces the successive waves of warriors and colonists through the Celts, Vikings and Normans to Henry VIII, the era of rebellion and patriots to modern times in this brisk, measured history.
History of the Rain
by Niall Williams
Ruth, the daughter of a dead poet, recuperates after an injury by piecing together her father's history through story, both his own and generations of family lore set in County Clare, Ireland. Longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize.
Wild Decembers
by Edna O'Brien
A haunting novel of clan enmities and forbidden love in rural Ireland. Few writers have as sure a sense of place as Edna O'Brien, whose lyrical prose builds inevitably toward final tragedy.
Irish Country Cooking, More Than 100 Recipes for Today's Table
by The Irish Countrywomen's Association
An appealing collection of home-cooked, traditional Irish fare, including brown soda bread, braised Derrynaflan brisket, sweet fruit scones with homemade jam and much more.
Ireland Map
by Michelin
A colorful map of Ireland at a scale of 1:400,000, featuring insets of the road approaches to major cities, as well as an index to cities, towns and villages.
How the Irish Saved Civilization
by Thomas Cahill
This bestselling history tells the generally unknown story of Ireland's preservation of classical learning in the Dark Ages, revealing how the saints and scholars, monks and scribes labored to reproduce the important texts that spread as they evangelized Europe.
Modern Ireland, A Very Short Introduction
by Senia Paseta
A remarkably concise, provocative history in the well-regarded series, touching on the major aspects of Irish history, politics, and society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Celts: A Very Short Introduction
by Barry W. Cunliffe
A concise, revealing social history of the Celts by a reigning authority and popular writer.
A Traveller's History of Ireland
by Peter Neville
From the Celts to the Norman invasions to modern-day Ireland, this short history is highly recommended for those who would like a brief overview of the Emerald Isle through the centuries.
The Sea
by John Banville
Recently widowed Max Morden, a middle-aged Irishman, returns to the seaside of his youth in this exquisite novel of love and the power of memory. Banville's 18th novel and winner of the 2005 Booker Prize.
Irish Fairy and Folk Tales
by W.B. Yeats
Edited by the Nobel Prize-winning poet who spearheaded the Celtic Renaissance in the early 20th century, these enchanting stories introduce a cast of changelings, ghosts, mermaids, demons, saints, priests and fairies.
Twenty Years A-Growing
by Maurice O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan's lyrical, sea-drenched memoir of coming of age among the Gaelic-speaking people of Great Blasket Island off the Dingle Peninsula.
For the Love of Ireland
by Susan Cahill (Editor)
Organized geographically, this rich anthology introduces Ireland through the words and lives of such luminaries as James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, Frank McCourt and Samuel Beckett.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.