As we communicated to those registered for Friday's day tour, the Woollen Mills has to close for maintenance reasons—a decision that is out of our control.
However, this provides those registered for Friday's day tour with a very unique opportunity that is only available to this group: visiting Birr Castle and Moneygall!
Planned Itinerary:
A light packed lunch is included.
9:00 Load coaches for departure at 9:15
9:45 Arrive at the country village of Moneygall in County Offaly where Henry the 8 will be your host!
- So who is Henry the 8th? Well, none other than Barack Obama's 8th cousin—Henry Healy!
- Henry will take you to the Obama ancestral home of Fulmouth Kearney—Barack Obama's 3rd Great Grandfather (6 generations); he emigrated to the U.S. in 1850 aboard the SS Marmion.
- On the 23rd of May, in 2011 President Obama visited this lovely village to meet his newly found family and to visit the home of his 3rd great grandfather. Henry will tell you the story as well as explaining just how they found each other!
- Aside from Henry's story of his path to finding his long lost cousin at the White House, you will learn of the history of many Irish families that immigrated and how to research your own ancestors and genealogy if you have Irish connections.
11:20 Load bus
11:30 Depart for the historical town of Birr Co. Offaly and seat of the Parson Family and Earl & Lady Rosse.
- Grab a coffee and enjoy your lunch in the beautiful grounds of the castle.
12:30 Private tour of the Castle home with Lady Rosse
- The tour will be followed by a visit to the science centre and time to explore the wonderful gardens of Birr Castle.
- Then explore the the picturesque heritage town of Birr which developed around the Birr Castle estate of the Parsons family, the Earls of Rosse. With its handsome ensemble of Georgian architecture, there's a lot to like about Birr. The tree-lined malls and avenues of elegant houses dating from the 1800s tell a fascinating story. Heaving with history, Birr is one of Ireland's premier heritage towns and proud of its unique character spanning many centuries.
- A great way to explore the town is to take either the Birr Fan Trail or Riverbank Walk, with both routes starting from Emmet Square and covering a distance of just over 1 km each.
15:40 Load bus
15:50 Depart
17:00 Arrive University of Limerick
What to Bring:
Participants are advised to wear warm clothes – layers work best. We suggest a sweater, rain jacket, jeans or pants and comfortable shoes. Temperatures may vary with rain a possibility.
Disclaimer:
All parties participating in the tour and activities do so at the participant’s own sole risk. UWPIAA organisers of the tour are released from any claims, actions, damages, liabilities, losses, costs and expenses by participants in the tour, and all persons accept full responsibility for their own selves during the tour.
Note:
This is to give an overview of the possible day’s itinerary. It is subject to change based on the weather or other unforseen circumstances.