Breakfast served daily at our group hotels.  Morning  Today we visit Dublin’s Legal Quarter and some of Ireland’s most prestigious legal institutions. Smart casual dress is suggested. 

10:00am - 12:30pm

Group visit to the Law Society of Ireland

The Society of Attorneys and Solicitors of Ireland was established in 1830 and re-formed in October 1841 when the Honorable Benchers of the King’s Inns granted the Society rooms in the Four Courts. In 1852, Queen Victoria granted a Royal Charter which incorporated the Society, followed by a further Supplemental Charter in 1888, which allowed for the nomination to Council of members representing the four Provinces and also changed the name of the Society to the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the Society gained its independence from the King’s Inns with the transfer of education and disciplinary functions to the Society.

12:30pm

Tour, Tasting and Light Lunch at Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Over lunch we are addressed by founder Jack Teeling for a discussion on Irish Whiskey Regulation and Protecting Brand Rights.

3:00 - 6:30pm

THE BAR OF IRELAND: The Irish Legal System

During our visit to the Bar of Ireland, we will be given an overview of the Bar, access to the legal profession in Ireland and regulation of Law practice. We also visit the Four Courts. 

Drinks/canapes reception at The Sheds with the Bar of Ireland leadership before returning to our hotels. 

Evening

Dinner on your own.

Breakfast served daily at our group hotels. 9:00am Depart our Hotel by bus for our morning activities at the EPIC Museum. 

9:30am

A CENTURY OF IRISH CENSORSHIP: Prohibitions, Battles and Legacies 

Presentation by Jana Fischerova, Lecturer at Trinity College. This discussion considers the past censorship of publications in Ireland and its impact on Irish literary and reading culture, up to the present.

10:30am

Self-guided visit to the EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum highlighting the historical legacy between the US and Ireland. This museum is an immersive experience that touches the hearts and minds of all its visitors.

11:45am

IMMIGRATION LAW & SOCIETY: The Irish Immigrant Experience with Kentucky Links

Presentation by Nathan Mannion, Head of Exhibitions and Programmes at the EPIC. This lecture examines the history of Irish immigration to the United States, with a special focus on the laws and societal factors that shaped the Irish experience, as well as the development of Irish communities in Kentucky. 

1:15pm 

We walk to Lunch at Urban Brewing located behind the EPIC Museum.

3:15pm

GUINNESS STOREHOUSE EXPERIENCE. After lunch, tour the Guinness Storehouse & Museum with time to explore the innovative exhibits and interactive demonstrations of making beer. It’s a stout lover’s paradise! 

4:45pm

Return to the hotel by bus or remain at Guinness or the Liberties neighborhood for additional free time. 

5:40pm

Meet in the hotel lobby to depart on foot for the Book of Kells Experience, Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure and one of the world’s most beautiful libraries. 6:00pm entry.

Evening

Dinner on your own.

Today is reserved for free time with optional activities pre-selected by participants: (1) Seaside visit to Howth, (2) Visit to Glendalough National Park, or (3) Free time.

TRACK 1: Coastal Walk and Seaside Life in Howth (approx 10am - 3pm)

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: The first 90 minutes is a hike over very rough terrain. There are sets of steep steps and nearby cliffs on the itinerary. This tour requires a good level of fitness.

Alongside a private guide, we take public transportation from Dublin to Howth. We begin with a descent along the cliffs, leading to a quaint harbor town that provides a serene escape from Dublin's hustle. Our guide highlights Howth’s Viking Legacy and significance in modern times. With its picturesque harbor, pretty beaches and wildflower-covered sea cliffs, Howth feels like the kind of village you’d find on a far-flung stretch of the west coast rather than a 30-minute drive from the city center. 

Lunch on your own and free time for shopping or visits to local museums before returning to Dublin. 

TRACK 2: Visit Glendalough National Park / Monastic City in Wicklow 

Day trip to Ireland’s Ancient East by visiting Glendalough, home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. This settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. It became Ireland’s great ecclesiastical school of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 A.D.

TRACK 3: Free time

Enjoy your last day in Dublin at leisure. 

8:30pm

Dublin Farewell Dinner. 

IRELAND’S ECONOMIC ASCENT: Successes & Challenges

At dinner we are joined by Professor of Economics at Trinity College Dublin Ronan Lyons to discuss Ireland's economic history and development including an overview of Ireland’s noteworthy housing, energy, technology and investment policies.

For those departing today, your hotel can arrange for airport transfers upon request or use your Uber app to book service. 

9:00am Hotel Check Out. 

Depart by coach for Belfast. Morning activities were pre-selected by participants: (1) Game of Thrones Studio Tour, or  (2) Early Arrival to Belfast/Free time.

Our first stop is Banbridge, for those visiting the Game of Thrones Studio Tour. 

TRACK 1: GAME OF THRONES STUDIO TOUR

We go behind-the-scenes of the hit HBO television series Game of Thrones. This self-guided tour is located at the Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, just outside Belfast.  

You will be dropped at the Studios at approximately 11am and your bags will continue to our hotel. There is a small Cafe for those who need some refreshments.  Your bus return for the group at approximately 1pm.  We continue to Belfast to pick up the rest of the group for our Afternoon Tea in Belfast.

TRACK 2: Early arrival into Belfast. 

First stop is Grand Hotel Belfast. Rooms will not be ready but our bags will be stowed and delivered to our rooms by Bellhops as they become available. 

Explore the area surrounding the hotel, visit the resplendent Baroque City Hall or enjoy a refreshment inside the hotel Bar & Restaurant but save room for Tea!

1:40pm

Bus departs Grand Hotel Belfast for Titanic Quarter.

2:00pm

Afternoon Tea at the historic Titanic Hotel. Now restored to its former splendor, the former Harland & Wolff headquarters building was the creative hub for the world’s leading shipbuilders. RMS Titanic October have become the most notorious ship to leave this yard, but the company built over 1700 other vessels including many record breakers.

UNRAVELING THE KNOT: NAVIGATING THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT ON IRELAND with Conor Houston

The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union has raised a number of legal questions, particularly concerning trade and immigration. Over tea, we discuss the effects of Brexit in Ireland, what it meant to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the Transition Protocols and issues of EU membership. Our guest speaker is Conor Houston, Managing Director of Conor Houston Associates Ltd. Conor is a trusted advisor to senior leaders across business, government, digital and entertainment industries. As a solicitor advocate, he has represented clients to the Supreme Court of both the UK and Ireland and was involved in many high-profile and pioneering cases. Conor was the inaugural Visiting Chair of Irish Studies at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles and is now Visiting Chair Emeritus.

4:10pm

We visit the award-winning shining tribute, the Titanic Belfast Museum that is encrusted with thousands of aluminum shards causing it to shimmer in the sunlight. From this vantage point, we also see the iconic Samson & Goliath, two enormous gantry cranes symbolizing the grit that built this world-class industrial center.

5:30pm CHECK IN 

The Grand Hotel Belfast

9-15 Bedford St, Belfast BT2 7FF, United Kingdom

+44 28 9023 1066

This luxury hotel is located at the Heart of Belfast in the Linen Quarter making this the perfect home-base to explore this walkable city.  The hotel features the contemporary Grand Cafe Restaurant overlooking the iconic Bedford Street; The Seahorse Restaurant, Lounge & Bar and is the Observatory Bar – Ireland’s tallest bar perched on the 23rd floor offering one-of-a-kind 360-degree view of the city. 

Evening 

Dinner on your own. 

 10:00am  “Black Cab” Tour through the Loyalist and Republican heartlands of this once-divided city. We see famous landmarks as well as the iconic murals depicting freedom fighters & revolutionaries from all over the globe and write our own messages on the Peace Walls.  This 2-hour tour includes a visit to the Pillars Of Justice: Crumlin Road Gaol and the Parliament Buildings Stormont.

1:30pm

Lunch with the Bar of Northern Ireland

For lunch today we are invited by the Bar of Northern Ireland to dine at their Inn of Court. The Inn of Court of Northern Ireland is the professional organization for barristers in Northern Ireland. It was established in 1926 and serves as a training and professional association for the Bar. It also oversees the admission and training of barristers, along with the Bar Council of Northern Ireland. 

After Lunch, we are offered a visit to the Royal Courts of Justice. 

Afternoon

Return to the hotel on foot or free time for shopping & exploring Belfast. 

7:30pm

Farewell Dinner at The Great Room Restaurant inside the Merchant Hotel. 

Optional morning activities depending on departure time. On departure day, and upon request, your hotel can arrange for airport transfers to Belfast (BFS) or Dublin Airport (DUB) airports. 

Please allow 20 minutes drive time from the group hotel to Belfast Airport. Please bear in mind that it is approximately a 2-hour drive by car from Belfast to Dublin and airlines recommend checking in 3 hours prior to departure so please consider this when booking your flights. 

For those transferring from the Belfast hotel to the Dublin airport, we recommend the Dublin Express for comfortable, efficient and affordable transfers by Coach. Passengers are permitted 1 checked bag, 1 carry on and 1 personal item when using this service. You may also consider train travel with Irish Rail. 

 Ride-sharing with other travelers may be possible and will be identified once we have collected all of the flight details.