Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland

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Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland

"We want you to love Ireland as much as we do."

Website: https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/

About

Country pride and passion that since its founding in 2002 has catapulted Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland and its tour companies, Vagabond Adventure Tours and Driftwood Journeys of Discovery, to become one of Ireland’s premier active travel operators and a leader in this country’s adventure tourism industry. A committed environmental ethic and a creative vision designed to inspire and enthrall clients come together on every tour to capture the windswept beauty, age-old traditions, whimsy and pathos of Ireland and its people. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first Tour Operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification.

The Beginning

Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland was the brain child of Rob Rankin who had been travelling in Southern Africa with his wife, Amy. While there, they saw the safari and ‘overland’ tours that were so popular and realized that a more adventurous way of seeing Ireland would be a fun and lasting experience for visitors. Ireland may not have the lions, elephants, jungles or deserts of Africa, but it certainly has plenty of great scenery, fascinating history and a few two- and four-legged wild creatures running loose. Just what you need for a good safari.

Vagabond Adventure Tours explore Ireland’s hidden corners on scheduled departures of fully guided itineraries that mix up multi-sport activities, history, myth and culture for 7 to 12 days. Small groups of up to 13 participants journey in custom-built 4X4 Land Rovers and Mercedes vehicles (a.k.a. Vagatrons). The first and only vehicles of their kind in Ireland when originally introduced, they are designed to drive into areas beyond the reach of more traditional motor tours, often rambling off-road to drive along beaches, through rivers or up muddy tracks. Guests can then walk in the mountains, kayak in secluded bays, horseback ride on a remote beach, clamber over ancient ruins, learn about pirate queens and retrace the steps of pilgrims or search for ancestors. Days end at intimate guest houses or small hotels offering up a roaring fire. See: https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/our-tours-of-ireland-2/adventure-tours-of-ireland/.

Driftwood Journeys of Discovery expands touring options on scheduled departures of fully guided itineraries over 6 to 11 days for clients who prefer a more relaxing adventure that emphasizes the unique scenery, culture and history of Ireland. Tour guests are surrounded by Ireland’s majestic countryside, visiting hidden beaches and learning about high kings, giants and poets while travelling in comfort with a maximum group size of 16. See: https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/our-tours-of-ireland-2/small-group-tours-of-ireland/

Both styles of touring offer cultural experiences that run the gamut from sheep dog displays and private demonstrations by artisan craftsmen to fascinating political history tours of Belfast.

How Vagabond Adventure Tours and Driftwood Journey of Discovery Tours Differ

Mode of Transport

Vagabond Adventure Tour

All travel is in a Land Rover or Mercedes 4X4 ‘Vagatrons’. They are perfectly comfortable and add a real spirit of adventure right from the start of the trip.

Driftwood Journey of Discovery

All the Driftwood tours glide along in an extremely smart and comfortable green ‘Drifters’ which is either a Mercedes or Volkswagen mini-coach.

Touring on Foot

Vagabond Adventure Tour

A hike every day is usually a part of a Vagabond tour. These can last up to 2.5 hours and cover up to 5 miles (8km’s) on uneven paths over undulating terrain. A moderate level of fitness is required.

Driftwood Journey of Discovery

For those who would like to stroll through local villages, stately homes and gardens and to historical sites – then Driftwood is the perfect style of touring.

Options for Activity and Adventure

Vagabond Adventure Tour

Activity options available on adventure tours may include:

Sea-kayaking (3 hours session under full supervision)
Horse-riding (1 hour on the beach)
Cycling (2 hours in the Killarney National Park)
Skellig Michael Trip (including boat trip, a climb up 100’s of steps with no handle)
Surfing – for the really hardy people

All activities and walks are optional and require a moderate level of fitness.

Driftwood Journey of Discovery

Offering less active options, including:

A horse and open carriage ride though the Killarney National Park
Visits to gardens such as Garinish Island, Bantry House and Muckross House
An Irish cooking lesson
Visit to a local artisan craft workshop
Less physical strolls on hard surfaces or good paths to scenic locations and historical sites

Vagabond Adventure Tours tend to move at a slightly quicker pace, ideal for those who want to feel they are on the go, in a refreshing kind of way.

Driftwood Journey of Discovery Tours as the name suggests, take a bit more time getting from A to B, plus there is more free time at certain locations.

All Tours Encompass the Best of Ireland. For instance, on an 11-day Driftwood tour or a 12-day Vagabond tour from Antrim to West Cork returning to Dublin, guests will experience different accents, dialects, foods, cultures, sports, architecture and micro-climates - not to mention centuries of history and stunning landscapes. In fact, Vagabond travelers often see more of Ireland than many Irish locals experience in a lifetime.

Authentic and Local experiences are created by using native-owned accommodations and dining in locally owned restaurants and pubs as well as through flexible itineraries offering free time during the day in small, off-the-track communities. Because groups are small guests arrive, shop, eat and stay without disturbing everyday life. Often the most memorable experiences come from unplanned and spontaneous local interactions.

Hidden Ireland away from the crowds brings guests to such hidden gems as the Neolithic Uragh Stone Circle on the Beara Peninsula, Aughnanure Castle in Connemara or the Grianan of Aileach in Donegal.

Client-First Approach. With group sizes significantly less than most Irish tour operators it means that guides make a point to know each guest’s name upon arrival. Tours are very personal and flexible and no two outings are ever the same. If guests have an Irish connection, guides can help source connections, be it a long-lost cousin or simply a shop or pub with their name on it.

Quality and Services that guests enjoy meet the highest standards. Accommodations are handpicked to ensure the highest quality of hospitality and the food that is offered is both delicious and world-class.

Guaranteed Departures. All confirmed tour departures are 100% guaranteed. Vagabond Tours has never, ever, ever cancelled a tour.

Small Groups translates to personalized service from the booking process to the tour itself. Freed of the constraints of larger numbers the company can utilize smaller hotels and guest houses in some of Ireland’s most remote and picturesque spots. Flexibility comes when trip guests request arrangements for visits to sights and attractions not included in the itinerary. If it is possible, they make it happen. Everyone is involved in such decision making.

Telling the Story of Ireland comes through guides who share several things in common. All are wanderers at heart, but each loves Ireland and recreating the lore and myths that have blurred fact from fiction. The natural world is their playground as they become Pied Pipers leading guests to the next overlook high above the sea’s spray where minutes ago they were kayaking across the bay. Listening to their guests is their forte. Their role is to bring Ireland to life, to tell the local stories while traveling across it, to introduce visitors to proud communities and to weave together all the parts of the complete cultural experience. Guides are also ambassadors and living examples of Ireland and Irish life that visitors now have unrivalled access to.

Creating an active connection with nature, heritage and landscapes is a given, as each day on a Vagabond Tour is filled with experiences that take travelers deep into Irish landscapes, connecting them with nature and Irish culture. For example:

Hiking the Dunboey Coastal Walk on the Beara Peninsula or the Glenveigh National Park
Clambering to Ireland’s highest burial cairn at the summit of Slieve Gullion mountain
Kayaking out into Dingle Bay Co. Kerry to see the abundance of wildlife and sea life
Cycling through Killarney National Park’s natural and man-made treasures
Horse-riding on a windswept Mullaghmore Beach with Classiebawn Castle in the background

Famous highlights come with itineraries without the crowds. For example:

Cliffs of Moher – Guests arrive late in the evening or early morning to avoid the busy times
Cliff walk to the Giant’s Causeway, a 3-hour hike in from Dunseverick Castle
Inis Oirr – for a more personal experience, groups visit the smallest, lesser visited Aran island

Remote Locations reveal hidden gems such as…

Skellig Michael – Few operators offer access to the UNESCO World Heritage site islands on scheduled tours
Slieve League Cliffs and the Cliffs of Kilkee
Inch Strand - Driving down Inch is for 4X4 adventure tours only!
Ballycarberry Castle – Opens only for Vagabond guests – and cows.
Coppermines Road on the Beara Peninsula

Overnights are Hand Picked in locations where guests find it easy to disconnect and relax, where the welcome is genuine and the service excellent. Categories include:

Remote and stunning - Away from it all in Portmagee and Gougane Barra
Buzzing Local Communities - Fun evenings in Kenmare, Dingle, Clifden, Kinsale and Ardara
Something Special - Live like a Lord or Lady at Ballygally Castle and Abbeyglen Castle Hotels, Mount Falcon Estate or Bantry House
A bit adventurous - Glamping by the sea at Dromquinna Manor

Local Hospitality may be disguised as a…

Picnic on a remote beach.
Dinner in one of Kinsale’s finest restaurants
Concert in St James Church in Dingle
Music and dancing in the Bridge Bar, Portmagee
Lunch in McCarthy’s Bar in Castletownbere

Customized Tours and Private Departures can be arranged to accommodate groups and multi-generational families.

Children ages 10 and up are welcome on most all scheduled departures. Most young participants are teenagers.

Sustainable Tourism plays a big role in this company that is committed to a code of best practice in all aspects of business, including relationships with and effects on the environment and the communities guests visit. Few business sectors rely on the natural environment in the way that tourism does, so it is very much in this company’s interest to preserve the natural world. This means constant monitoring of business methods to make sure that the environmental impact is as low as possible.

In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first Tour Operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification. Vagabond Tours founder and owner, Rob Rankin, was presented with the Gold Award by Eco Tourism Ireland. Speaking at the presentation, Rankin reaffirmed Vagabond’s commitment to sustainable tourism and the multi-faceted role played by the company. “As a company, we have always been very aware of our environmental and social responsibilities. That we are one of many caretakers of Ireland and have a responsibility to practice sustainability to ensure the landscape, the Irish culture and traditions are protected for future generations and visitors alike to enjoy and experience.” In a recent team exercise, being environmentally aware was universally adopted as a key company value.

High Yield, Low Impact Tourism means that local economies benefit from the company’s and guest’s contributions to local, rural Irish economies (including accommodations, meals, nightlife, attractions and shopping). In 2016 alone, these guests contributed over €3 million to local Irish economies. A Vagabond passenger is a great example of a high yield, low impact tourist.

A Carbon Neutral Company. Investing in the future, Vagabond has gone carbon neutral. On 12 November 2016, in association with the Woodland Trust, they planted 111 trees to offset all 2016 CO2 emissions.

Leave No Trace is an outdoor ethics program designed to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships. Vagabond guides have gone through the facilitator training program and work in the off season to continue to develop best practices.

Ireland Adventure Association - Rob Rankin, MD and co-founder of Vagabond, is currently leading the development of a vital representative body for the adventure travel industry in Ireland. It is a professional body not a marketing body. It is a sector which generated €850,000,000 for the Irish economy in 2014. Key roles of the new organization will include promoting responsible and sustainable tourism.

Evolvingwith Accolades

2002 Vagabond was established.
2003 the first employee was hired.
Driftwood launched in 2011
2013 a company tour was named one of National Geographic Traveler’s Top 50 Tours, the first and only Irish tour company to be singled out by this award.
2015 & 2017 Vagabond Tours of Ireland won Best Adventure Experience at the Irish Tourism Awards in 2015 and in 2017
2017 Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour Operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification

Contact Information

Amy Rankin This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 00353 866494262
Rob Rankin This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 00353 876494262

Vagabond Adventure Tours Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: USA (870) 619-4059

Driftwood Journeys of Discovery Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: USA (870) 474 0055

Address:
Vagabond Tours of Ireland
52, Newtown Business and Enterprise Park
Newtownmountkennedy
Co. Wicklow, A63 PA07, Ireland

Website: https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/

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Media Contact:

Widness & Wiggins PR
Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland Receives B-Corp Certification

Details: Released on Wednesday, 27 January 2021 11:41

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, Jan. 28, 2021– “When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright …” And now thanks to one Emerald Isle travel company, the world becomes even brighter.

Here’s why.

The award-winning Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland learned recently that it has achieved certification as a registered B Corporation, making it the only travel company in Ireland and only the fourth Irish company ever to achieve this recognition.

B Corporations (or B Corps) are a growing group of companies that are reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit.

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland has been certified by B Lab Europe as having met rigorous social and environmental standards that represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have achieved this certification. It is a great achievement by everyone on the team involved,” said Rob Rankin, founder/owner.

Rankin explained that despite the business being badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, “We felt it was vital to look to the future and commit to achieving B-Corp certification. Hearing this news in the middle of winter has been a massive boost to our team. This positive news will help us convey the message to our customers, past and future, that we are a good business to work with.”

He called applying for certification “a thorough, exacting and thought-provoking process. While we entered the process already on the right track, B Corp has inspired us to think hard about how we run all aspects of the business. We have made changes for the better, implemented new policies and procedures and changed our company constitution to ‘lock in’ these positive measures for the future. It’s a great honour to join so many illustrious names in this dynamic community, which committed to driving forward a more ethical and sustainable business model for the future. We look forward to spreading the word and encouraging others to follow suit.”

The process of achieving B Corp Certification recognizes the whole of a business and covers five key impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, requiring an over-80 score and evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices, including energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency. To complete the certification, the company will legally embed their commitment to purpose beyond profit in their company articles.

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland is now part of a community of over 2600+ businesses globally that have certified as B Corps. This community is reflective of the World economy with businesses from a cross section of industries and sizes. These include well-known brands like Patagonia, Alpro, Triodos Bank, Alessi, Ecoalf and Innocent.

Recent attention on the travel industry makes Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland’s B Corp Certification a notable step and signals a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the travel sector.

Nathan Gilbert, Executive Director of B Lab Europe, says “We are delighted to welcome Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland to the B Corp Community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates, who believe business really can be a force for good. Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”

Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland offers two types of culturally immersive travel. Vagabond Adventure Tours are for active travellers who want to mix up hiking, kayaking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at a more intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion.

For all of Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, scheduled departures, trip availability and for 2021 and 2022 reservations, please visit https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1-833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About B Lab Europe

B Lab Europe is a non-profit established in 2014 to serve a growing community of European companies using business as a force for good. B Lab measures and verify companies’ environmental and social performance using the B Impact Assessment, and ensure rigorous standards are met by all European B Corps. Together with B Lab teams from around the world, they link a global network of socially and environmentally responsible businesses and promote positive, action-led change towards a new approach to business. See: https://bcorporation.eu/for-b-corps

About Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland

Since 2002, Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013, the company was honoured by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification. In 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards. And in February 2019, the company won two top Irish Tourism Industry Awards for the Best Ireland Ancient East Tourism Experience and Best Environmental Tourism Innovation. And most recently, Vagabond founder Rob Rankin was appointed President of the Incoming Tour Operators Association of Ireland to help guide Irish tourism into the future.

# # #

PR Contact: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

Award-Winning Tour Company Says Ireland in the Spring Will Tug at the Heart Strings

Details: Released on Tuesday, 10 March 2020 10:41

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, March 10, 2020 – With spring come strings, those that tug at the heart. Think daffodils, lambkins, song birds warbling in the hedgerows and the Emerald Isle of Ireland -- especially come April and May.

Award-winning Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland suggests itineraries from five to 12 days for enjoying off peak early spring forays into the countryside that will leave your bank balance in the green. Traditionally, airline tickets cost a wee bit less in April and May.

“Our upbeat-paced Vagabond Cultural Adventure Tours give you the chance to see Ireland at its best - from a saddle, a bike or on foot atop a mountain summit!” said Rob Rankin, founder/owner. “And speaking of green travel, we always go off-the-beaten-path, a strategy that targets responsible travel and sustainability, at the heart of everything we do. We combat over-tourism by giving back to local communities in lesser explored parts of Ireland.”

A tour debuting this spring is the 5 Day Vagabond Edge of the World for active travelers who are often time- and budget-challenged. The itinerary is sandwiched between arrival and departure weekends in Dublin. Monday through Friday guests explore the southwestern coast along the Wild Atlantic Way, hiking in Burren National Park and through a glaciated valley in Kerry and then hopping on bikes for a tour of Killarney National Park. The 2020 departures are April 20, May 4, June 1, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 28 and Oct. 12. The per person double rate is €1254.57. See: www.vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/5-day-tour-ireland-from-dublin

The 7 Day Magnetic North explores spring through the lens of the dramatic north. Think the Giant’s Causeway, sea kayaking in Donegal and a walking tour of an historic walled city, Derry. The 2020 departures (all on Sunday) are April 19 and 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31; weekly in June, July, August and September; and Oct. 4 and 11. The per person double rate is €1701. See: www.vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/7-day-magnetic-north-northern-ireland-adventure-tour

The 12 Day Giant Irish Adventure is a circumnavigation of Ireland’s coastline, with daily hikes in stunning landscapes. In combining both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, guests visit cultural sites and lively towns, with such optional activities as sea kayaking and horseback riding. The 2020 departures (all on Monday) are April 20, 27; weekly in May, June, July, August and September; and Oct. 5 and 12. The per person double rate is €2,900.67. See: www.vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/irish-tours-12-day-giant-irish-adventure

Most of Vagabond’s itineraries are designed to capitalize on weekend arrivals and departures to and from Dublin. This gives visitors an opportunity to tap into Dublin’s history and culture pre and/or post tour.

Guests planning an April trip and with time to spare may want to arrive in Ireland for the 9th annual Galway Food Festival held over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend from April 9 through April 13. This is a chance to eat your way around Galway that is the European capital of culture for 2020.

On Easter Monday, April 13, is the annual Irish Grand National to be held at Fairyhouse Racecourse, Ratoath, County Meath in the Republic of Ireland, a short drive from Dublin. This is Ireland’s favorite racing event and a showcase of the national hunt season.

The Fleadh Nua is a long-standing music and cultural event in May on the Irish Calendar. Home base is Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. This year’s celebration spans May 24 to June 1 with singing, dancing and workshops.

Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland offers two types of culturally immersive travel. Vagabond Adventure Tours (the style of the above-three itineraries) are for active travelers who want to mix up hiking, kayaking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at an intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion.

On all of its tours, Vagabond staff curate locally owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of responsible and sustainable travel. In the end, the mission is to have guests “love Ireland as much as we do.” Transport is in a custom Mercedes VagaTron 4x4 tour vehicle or special mini-buses which allow access beyond where regular tour buses go.

For all of Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2020 reservations, please visit https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1.833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland

Since 2002, Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013, the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification. In 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards. And in February 2019, the company won two top Irish Tourism Industry Awards for the Best Ireland Ancient East Tourism Experience and Best Environmental Tourism Innovation. And most recently, Vagabond founder Rob Rankin was appointed President of the Incoming Tour Operators Association of Ireland to help guide Irish tourism into the future.

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PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

Founder of Award-Winning Tour Company Named New President of Incoming Tour Operators Association - Ireland

Details: Released on Tuesday, 18 February 2020 11:39

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, Feb. 18, 2020 – Rob Rankin, Managing Director of Ireland’s award-winning Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland, is the new incoming president of the Incoming Tour Operators Association - Ireland.

This group is comprised of 32 of Ireland’s leading inbound tour operators that collectively deliver 750,000 tourists to the island of Ireland from around the globe. These inbound tour operators provide group touring, individual holiday and self-drive programs and MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference & Event) business to every part of the country.

Outgoing ITOA President Darren Byrne, who has served the association for the last two years, said, “I am delighted to be passing the chain of office to Rob.” This took place at a meeting of the group on Jan. 25, 2020, at Dromoland Castle Hotel near Shannon.

Founded in 1978, ITOA collaborates with Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland and is a member of Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC). For details please see https://itoa-ireland.com/

Calling ITOA “undoubtedly one of the most respected associations in Ireland tourism,” Rankin said he was honoured to be appointed president of the board he has served on since 2014.

“As with any time in business, we do face challenges such as uncertainty around Brexit, international security concerns and, of course, we need to advance towards a more sustainable business model. So I can’t imagine there will be a dull moment in the next 2 years…”

Ruth Andrews, CEO of ITOA, noted that Rankin “has been a strong contributor to the association since joining and becoming a member of the executive board in 2014. I know that he will bring great energy and enthusiasm in serving the members and representing the ITOA within Irish Tourism demonstrating the importance and vibrancy of this important sector that delivers 750,000 holiday and business tourism visitors to Ireland annually.”

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland is no stranger to accepting awards. In 2019 the company received two Irish Tourism Industry Awards; Ireland’s Best Ancient East Tourism Experience and Ireland’s Best Environmental Tourism Innovative.

Vagabond’s staff curate locally owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of authenticity. In the end the mission is to have guests “love Ireland as much as we do.”

For details on all of Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2019 reservations, please visit https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1.833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland

Since 2002 Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013 the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification and in 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards. In February 2019, the company won two top Irish Tourism Industry Awards for the Best Ireland Ancient East Tourism Experience and Best Environmental Tourism Innovation.

# # #

PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland Offers Free Tours of Dublin to Accompany June/July Bookings

Details: Released on Thursday, 13 February 2020 10:28

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, Feb. 13, 2020 – A self-guided tour of Dublin with complimentary access to sites and attractions is a bonus when booking Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland by Feb. 28, 2020, for trip departures in June and July 2020.

“We want our guests to know that Dublin is so much more than just the gateway city for our tours,” says Rob Rankin, Vagabond Tours’ Founder and Managing Director.

The free-to-clients Dublin tour includes:

· Hop-on Hop-off city tour with Dublin bus offering 32 stops conveniently located close to Dublin's most popular attractions on a bus ticket valid for 24 hours for added flexibility and with a free discount guide with multiple money-saving coupons for other Dublin attractions that include the Pat Liddy Walking Tour of Dublin with a highly acclaimed tour guide and entry into The Little Museum of Dublin showcasing the story of the Irish Capital of the Republic of Ireland, all housed in an 19th century Georgian townhouse;

· Entry into the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum where guests can read emigrant letters and trace their roots at the Irish Family History Centre before popping over to the Whispering Library to discover Ireland’s famous authors and learn how Irish stars have influenced pop and rock music around the world;

Rankin has created this Dublin program specifically for June (off-peak pricing on flights) and July guests. These are his favorite months on the Emerald Isle. But throughout the summer, travel here differs in positive ways from jaunts through other European countries. He cites:

· No crowds - Unlike other parts of mainland Europe in summer, guests are unlikely to experience too many queues and crowds in Ireland, especially with Vagabond Tours that go off the beaten path to the “real” Ireland. Itineraries are timed to ensure that guests will enjoy exploring ancient sites and incredible cultural experiences without the crowds.

· Long days (rising sun at 5 a.m. and sunsets at 11 p.m.) – Due to Ireland’s northern hemisphere positioning, summer sunsets are long and lingering.

· Weather – With an average temperature of 15C (59F), Ireland escapes the heatwaves of mainland Europe. However, in Rankin’s favorite month of July, the Irish bask in their warmest days of summer, even while the rest of the UK and Europe may be struggling with too much heat.

· Traffic-free routes – Vagabond goes off highway to explore Ireland, avoiding traffic and tailbacks while unearthing personalities of Ireland not experienced on ordinary bus tours.

Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland offers two styles of culturally immersive travel: active Vagabond Toursfor travelers who want to mix up hiking, kayaking and biking with history, culture, dining and shopping; relaxed Driftwood Toursfollow similar itineraries but at an intimate, more in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion.

Following are examples of this company’s two styles of travel that one satisfied client dubbed: “A personal road trip with a guide.”

· 12 Day Vagabond Giant Irish Adventure: €2,900.67 for this comprehensive Ireland and Northern Ireland tour. https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/giant

· 8 Day Vagabond Wild Irish Rover Tour: €2,026.47 to discover the wild Ireland not found in guidebooks. https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/rover

· 11 Day Driftwood Discover Ireland Tour: €2,959 for a complete cultural journey through Ireland. https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/discover

· 6 Day Driftwood Ancient Ireland Tour: €1,821.87 for Viking history and Norman castles. https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/ancient

For all of Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2020 reservations, please visithttps://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1.833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland

Since 2002, Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013, the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification. In 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards. And in February 2019, the company won two top Irish Tourism Industry Awards for the Best Ireland Ancient East Tourism Experience and Best Environmental Tourism Innovation.

# # #

PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

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Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland Launches New Five-Day Adventure Program That Conveniently Fits Between Weekends

Details: Released on Tuesday, 07 January 2020 12:50

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, Jan. 7, 2020 – Award-winning Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland has posted a new, competitively priced adventure that fits neatly between two weekends.

The 5 Day Vagabond Edge of the World Tour keeps in focus those travelers who are hungry for adventure but who are often time- and budget-challenged, notes Rob Rankin, founder/owner. The itinerary begins and ends in Dublin where guests (up to 13) are collected in a VagaTron Mercedes 4x4 tour vehicle for a comfortable and action-packed immersion embracing southwestern Ireland along the Wild Atlantic Way.

The 2020 Monday-through-Friday departures are April 20, May 4, June 1, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 28 and Oct. 12. The per person double rate is €1255 (single supplement €180). An estimated $USD price of $1,410 is based on the latest 2020 dollar-to-euro rate. See: https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/5-day-tour-ireland-from-dublin.

The adventure begins in Galway, the 2020 European Capital of Culture. South of Galway Bay is the Burren; home to a microclimate that encourages Arctic and Mediterranean plants alike to flourish under the gaze of the Cliffs of Moher, a favorite filming site in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. A 30-minute ferry ride delivers guests across the River Shannon to Kerry where surf lessons and beach walks pump the blood for a hike through a glaciated valley in the heart of the Dingle Peninsula.

Slea Head is the name given to 30 miles of draw-dropping vistas stretching out to one of Europe’s most westernmost points. Nearby waters are home to Fungie, a celebrity dolphin best greeted by sea kayak or perhaps during a guided rowing experience in a traditional boat oared by a handful of seafarers at a time. The finer points of the terrain are explored on a guided horseback ride (for added flexibility, all adventure activities bar hiking are optional).

Next up are red deer grazing in a native oak forest, the ruins of the 15th century Muckross Abbey and the off-road joy of biking through Killarney National Park where ghosts of former copper mines vie for attention with one cascading waterfall after another.

When bound for Dublin on the last day, the itinerary moves north and inland, with a pause to kiss the Blarney Stone and a hike near the 12th century Cahir Castle, replete with crenellations and one of the largest medieval fortresses in Ireland.

Accommodations on this tour are Spanish Point House,Dingle Skellig Hotel or Dingle Bay Hotel and Lansdowne Arms Hotel.

Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland offers two types of culturally immersive travel. Vagabond Adventure Tours (the style hosting the 5 Day Vagabond Edge of the World Tour) are for active travelers who want to mix up hiking, kayaking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at an intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion.

For details on this journey see https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/5-day-tour-ireland-from-dublin.

About Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland

Since 2002, Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013, the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification. In 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards. And in February 2019, the company won two top Irish Tourism Industry Awards for the Best Ireland Ancient East Tourism Experience and Best Environmental Tourism Innovation.

# # #

PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

Tour Company in Ireland Targets Brexit to Help Explain Why Ireland Is Two Countries

Details: Released on Thursday, 24 October 2019 13:03

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland -- In a fast-changing world, the letter A appears still to stand for apple. And the letter B? In many minds for the foreseeable future, B is for Brexit -- Britain exiting the European Union).

Confronted with a fast-approaching October 31 vote, this week the EU has been asked for another Brexit delay. If the EU approves the extension request, the Brexit deadline would be delayed until 31 January 2020. Rob Rankin, founder and owner Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland, is taking a wait-and-see-attitude concerning the UK Parliament’s vote to uphold or not the exit date that could change how the UK does business with Europe -- and also on the Emerald Isle.

Maybe Brexit will be washed down the drain over a toast with its trading bloc partners since 1993. Maybe not. In the meantime Rankin’s team offers a list of ideas to visitors to Ireland who may want to know what the fuss is all about. In Dublin, the gateway city for Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland, historic attractions are two-a-penny. Guests are invited to discover for themselves the bullet holes on the General Post Office that betray its role at the heart of the 1916 Easter Rising. The National Museum is housed in a former barracks. Glasnevin Cemetery holds an array of independence heroes and an excellent museum.

Highly recommended in Belfastis an on-own Black Cab tour that offers a unique perspective on the capital of Northern Ireland. Guests listen to expert personal commentary on a guided tour through unionist and nationalist communities, learning about the late 20th century ‘The Troubles’ while viewing political murals and signing names to a peace wall.

Itineraries encompassing Derry include aguided walking tour around the historic walled city of Derry/Londonderry that showcases the Guild Hall and a siege cannon while shedding light on the nationalist neighborhood where the Northern Irish Civil Rights movement was born in the late 1960s, leading to a virtual 30-year war between Catholics and Protestants.

And other itineraries including Cork, also known as the Rebel County, share stories of the action here during the early 1920s War of Independence and ensuing Civil War. Michael Collins was ambushed and assassinated at Béal na Bláth. Picturesque Cobh was a center of resistance in 1916.

“It’s a no-brainer to say that this ours is a complicated history,” adds Rankin. Vagabond Tours of Ireland assists its guests in scratching the surface of the history of why there are two separate Irelands. This history goes back well into the 16th century when the island was like a piece of fabric being stretched between Gaelic-speaking Catholics and the English who spoke English and who were eventually predominantly Protestant.

“Today Brexit has become our own three-legged milking stool,” Rankin explains. The three legs are

European Union (EU) – since 1993 a commerce-driven alliance of European nations, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom (UK) – inclusive of Great Britain (Scotland, Wales, England) and Northern Ireland (six counties that are culturally British out of an overall 32 counties on the island). This bloc known as the UK has voted to disengage from the EU because of a perception that the UK doesn’t enjoy full sovereignty in the EU.
Republic of Ireland – represents 26 of 32 counties on the Emerald Isle, is not part of the UK bloc and enjoys 80% to 90% support for continuing its own EU membership. The Republic of Ireland fought and won independence from the UK from 1916 to 1921. The six counties in the northern part of Ireland demanded that their union with the UK and the British crown remain intact, resulting in Northern Ireland. When the UK voted to remove itself (Brexit) from the EU, the independent country Republic of Ireland determined to remain within the EU.

Customs and tariff protocols between the Republic of Ireland (EU) and Northern Ireland (UK) have been operational and peaceful for nearly two decades. Residents and visitors to Ireland and the UK enjoy visa-free travel to each other’s countries. All sides have agreed that this situation will continue post-Brexit.

What is of concern, adds Rankin, is that without a so-called backstop built into the negotiations, the now a ‘soft’ border between the Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could once again become a ‘hard’ border that in turn could pick at century-old scars. The relationship between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland has steadily improved since the landmark peace accord of 1998. What’s known as the Good Friday Agreement ended paramilitary activity and customs infrastructure at north/south border crossing points. The British army was removed from Northern Ireland.

No matter Brexit’s outcome – or not – Rankin and his team are high on 2020 bookings, already strong.

“We envisage no major disruption. The bright side is, we hope, more opportunity to explain Irish history,” he says.

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland offers two styles of culturally immersive travel. Vagabond Adventure Tours (the division hosting the Epic Irish Food Adventure Tour) are for active travellers who want to mix up hiking, kayaking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at an intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion.

On all of its tours, Vagabond staff curate locally owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of authenticity. In the end the mission is to have guests “love Ireland as much as we do.” Transport is in a custom Mercedes 'Vagatron' or special mini-buses which allow access beyond where regular tour buses go.

About Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland

Since 2002 Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013 the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification. In 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards. And in February 2019, the company won two top Irish Tourism Industry Awards for the Best Ireland Ancient East Tourism Experience and Best Environmental Tourism Innovation.

# # #

PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

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Vagabond Tours of Ireland Helps Connect Guests to Their Ancestral Links

Details: Released on Tuesday, 01 October 2019 11:21

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, Oct. 1, 2019 – Emigrants are those who for multiple reasons need to escape their current living situation. They become immigrants when and if they’re allowed onto foreign shores.

Years roll by. Emigrants become statistics. Immigrants often achieve citizenship in their new countries. But sometimes they and their offspring – especially if they have Irish roots -- are compelled to look back.

One award-winning tour company, whose reputation lies in whisking guests into the magic of off-the-beaten-track Ireland, hopes that visitors of Irish descent will make the effort to explore their particular pasts when visiting the Emerald Isle.

“Every Vagabond Small-Group Adventure Tour sheds light on who the Irish are today and where we’ve been,” explains Robb Rankin, owner of Vagabond tours. “When it comes to the particulars of family histories and genealogies, while you’re with us in Ireland, you may want to explore your own extended family ancestry -- or look for relatives in order to qualify for an Irish passport.”

Here are two Vagabond blog posts related to Irish ancestry and roots: https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/nancy-came-back-irish-roots and https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/the-genealogy-detectivee

Other suggestions Rankin has for using valuable digging time in Ireland wisely is to:

Meet up with Aoife Fitzgerald, the mother of “Vagaguide” Rhys. She is on tap to help sort out the inevitable obstacles when doing this digging.
Use free time when on Vagabond tours to meet up with local experts in towns where the tour stops. Meet-ups with local experts can be arranged in Kinsale, Dingle and Clifden, among many others.
Schedule time for serious research before and after the tour in such treasure troves as
- National Archivesin Dublin;
- PRONIin Belfast;
- National Library of Irelandin Dublin;
- Local archives in town libraries – most medium sized towns in Ireland have a library with a local records section;
- Parish archives (catholic and protestant);
Specific groups settled in certain areas in North America. For example, Blasket islanders from the Dingle peninsula congregated mainly in Massachusetts, around the Hartford, CT, area (if people know they have Blasket ancestors, they can find out more on the Blasket website).
Connect the emigration dots while on such immersive tours as a 6 Day Ancient Ireland Tour (winner of Best Ireland’s Ancient East Tourism Experience at the 2019 Irish Tourism Awards). This itinerary at €1,819 per person double visits:
- Cobh: The last port of call for the Titanic and departure point for Famine emigrants. Conde Nast Traveler in 2019 named Cobh one of “Europe’s Most Beautiful Small Towns.”
- Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross (Wexford): This is an exact replica of a 19th century Irish emigrant vessel.
- New Ross where the Kennedys (of JFK fame) originated.
- An optional detour to Béal na Bláth, site of the ambush and assassination of Michael Collins who after the Famine represents in the early 20th century yet another chapter of the pathos of Ireland and its quest for independence.

To begin to appreciate the emigration story, Rankin suggests that either before or after this (and other) tours that guests book a Back Cab Tourto explore the history of Belfast that is contested by two tribes that are Catholic and Protestant, Republican and Unionist, Green and Orange.

In late summer 2019 Ireland reported a recent milestone of population growth surpassing 4.9m. The growth represents, in addition to non-Irish nationals, returning Irish nationals to the tune of 30 percent. This is the highest level in 170 years since the post-Famine point of 1851 when emigrants undertook the perilous sea journey to Canada and the United States. Belfast, Dublin and Derry, followed by Limerick and Sligo and later Liverpool in England, were the key ports of embarkation. During the Famine many also left from small ports such as Westport, Killala and Kinsale. From such ports embarked 2.5 million of the six million Irish people who emigrated to North America (1848-1950), including Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island who departed from Cobh.

For more details, itinerary, images and inclusions please see Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland offering two styles of culturally immersive travel. Vagabond Adventure Tours are for active travellers who want to mix up hiking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at an intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion.

On all of its tours, Vagabond staff curate locally owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of authenticity. Transport is in a custom 4x4 Mercedes 'Vagatron' or Mercedes-Benz “Drifter” that allows access beyond where regular tour buses go. In 2019 Vagabond began using a fleet of Mercedes “Sprinters” and Volkswagen “Crafters” for guest comfort.

For details on all of Vagabond Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2019-2020 reservations, please visit https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1.833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Vagabond Tours of Ireland

# # #

PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland in 2020 Hosts Five 6-Day Celebrations of Irish History Through Food

Details: Released on Wednesday, 11 September 2019 11:56

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, Sept. 11, 2019 – Countries love to display their cultures and histories through food. Ireland, too, is now ripe for a culinary sort through.

“In the 21st century we love the fact that we can celebrate our food that eloquently expresses the beauty – and poignancy -- of our land and history,” says Rob Rankin, Vagabond Tours’ Founder and Managing Director.

Ireland’s award-winning travel company will showcase in 2020 Ireland’s history through food. The 6 Day Epic Ireland Food Tour departs the gateway city of Dublin on a circuitous course from famine to Michelin. Trip dates in 2020 are May 11, June 8, July 6, Aug. 3 and Sept. 14. The per person double rate is €1,899 (single supplement €270). For details see https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/6-day-ireland-food-tour.

“Call our celebration of food a Phoenix of sorts,” muses Rankin. “We have periods throughout our history when the Irish had nothing to eat and other times when we went hungry because we were busy dodging bullets.”

But this tour doesn’t fixate on the island’s past woes; rather this fast-paced, active adventure bakes in the fun while focusing on Ireland’s mild climate, rich soil and clean oceans.

“This itinerary opens a window to Ireland’s recent food renaissance. After years of underappreciation, local Irish produce has come to the fore, mixing with international influences to produce a distinctively Irish modern cuisine,” adds Rankin.

Guests kayak with dolphins across Dingle Bay and walk dramatic cliffs and beaches as they…

Taste dillisk (truffle of the sea) and refreshing carrigeen icepop while foraging, perhaps also finding sea spaghetti and wrack on the golden sands of Derrynane on the Ring of Kerry. (Historic note: Queen Victoria vacationed on the Ring of Kerry back in the 1860s. But did she know about a secret viewing point high above the ocean that Vagabond Tours’ 4x4 tour vehicles can access by offroading?);
Unearth fairy potatoes (Conopodium majus – a wild carrot), Irish coconut (blossoms from the wild gorse/furze shrub) and wild garlic that goes into pesto – all on a foraging hike in Clare with local food guru Oonagh O’Dwyer;
Work up an appetite with a breathtaking hike along the Cliffs of Moher;
Sample Irish wildflower honeys and the nectar of the gods at Ireland’s finest meadery;
Tour the tastes of a vibrant community – Kinsale -- at the heart of Ireland’s food renaissance (and unofficial foodie capital);
Toast this food odyssey with wild-brewed, off-the-beaten-track Irish coffee;
Meet Ireland’s original female craft brewer at her 100-year-old Dingle pub;
Feast like lords and ladies at a characterful Irish castle hotel;
Shuck and slurp oysters on the spectacular Flaggy Shore before shuffling to Linnane’s Lobster Bar on the active fishing pier;
Meet with such local purveyors as Burren Smokehouse, St. Tola’s Goat’s Cheese and Wild Irish Sea Vegetables;
Discover Annascaul pudding, Bere Island hake, Castletownbere clams, Durrus and Cashel Blue cheese, smoked and cured Gubbeen bacon and Clonakilty black pudding;
Ramble through a Willy Wonka-inspired edible paradise at the Garden of Re-Imagination near Glengarriff where the flavors and stories of rare delights are revealed by the pink flamingo tree, dahlia tubers and barberries;
Savour the world’s creamiest milk and best artisan cheeses from grass-fed cows – and water buffalo. Ireland has an ancient tradition in dairy. Butter making was first introduced by the Celts in the 2nd century BC;
Toast all of the above over Irish craft beers and whiskey.

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland offers two types of culturally immersive travel. Vagabond Adventure Tours (the style hosting the Epic Ireland Food Tour) are for active travellers who want to mix up hiking, kayaking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at an intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion.

On all of its tours, Vagabond staff curate locally owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of authenticity. In the end, the mission is to have guests “love Ireland as much as we do.” Transport is in a custom 4x4 Mercedes 'Vagatron' or Mercedes-Benz “Drifter” that allows access beyond where regular tour buses go.

For details on all of Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2020 reservations, please visit https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1.833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland

Since 2002 Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013 the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. In 2017, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification. In 2018, Vagabond Tours won The Green Tourism & Entertainment category in Ireland’s most prestigious Green (business) Awards. And in February 2019, the company won two top Irish Tourism Industry Awards for the Best Ireland Ancient East Tourism Experience and Best Environmental Tourism Innovation.

# # #

PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland Folds Galway into 2020 Itineraries Honoring Europe’s Capital of Culture

Details: Released on Friday, 16 August 2019 08:57

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, Aug. 16, 2019 – Ireland’s Galway in February will become even more globally prominent. This city has been dubbed the 2020 European Capital of Culture. https://galway2020.ie/en/

An award-winning tour operator, Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland, is already preparing to fold Galway into as many of its 2020 tours as possible. This company will also offer opportunities for guests to sample a variety of world-class events that make travel to Ireland in 2020 a must.

The national event lineup for next year includes but is not limited to:

April 2020: The 50th anniversary of the World Irish Dancing Championships in Dublin. https://www.clrg.ie/index.php/en/championships/world-championships-2020.html
June 15, 19, 26, 2020: European Soccer Championships 2020 Group Stage Matches at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. The senior men's soccer tournament games (UEFA European Championships) are being held for the first time in Dublin.https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/hosts/venue=1538/
July 2020: The Great Gathering at Cork 300, a maritime festival celebrating the oldest yacht club in the world: https://www.cork300.com/
July 23-27 2020: Clipper Round the World Race stops in Derry. https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/news/article/the-legendderry-stopover
August 29, 2020: College Football Classic in Dublin with Navy vs Notre Dame at Aviva Stadium. https://collegefootballireland.com/game/

In addition to this calendar of one-off crowd-pleasers, Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland asked its guides to tally up past-guest surveys of what their alumni thought were the most outstanding experiences in Ireland. Following is the result of their research, a perfect mix of hidden gems, historical events, challenging hikes and stunning destinations that create the ultimate Ireland bucket list of amazing things to do on the Emerald Isle in 2020 and beyond.

Visiting Skellig Michael, an island with puffins, 600 steep stone steps and a 6th century monastic settlement that was featured in Star Wars The Last Jedi (Episode VIII).
Biking two brand-new greenways opening in 2020. One, a section of the Royal Canal Greenway, will be Ireland's longest dedicated cycle path, leading from the outskirts of Dublin to Longford in Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. When it launches in the second half of 2020, the Carlingford Lough Greenway will be Ireland's first cross-border cycle trail, linking Newry in Northern Ireland to Louth in the Republic.
Booking a Black Cab Tour to explore the history of Belfast that is contested by two tribes that are Catholic and Protestant, Republican and Unionist, Green and Orange.
Downing a quaff in a hardware store.
Watching a hurling match, the world’s fastest field sport.
Soaking aching muscles in a kelp bath.
Crawling inside Ireland’s myth-laden and highest passage tomb – in Armagh.
Hiking from clifftop to waterline on Giant’s Causeway.
Partaking of Listowel Writers Week in quiet north Kerry May 27-31, 2020.

Vagabond’s 12 Day Giant Irish Adventure and the 11 Day Driftwood Discover Ireland itineraries embrace most of these experiences. All of the company’s tours begin in and end in Dublin. Guests are encouraged to schedule in optional Dublin events as they arrive or depart the city.

The 12 Day Giant Irish Adventure Tour is a two-time winner of Best Adventure Experience at the Irish Tourism Industry Awards in 2017 and 2015. The per person double rate is €2,899 (single supplement €490). This is Ireland’s ultimate guided adventure tour, journeying over mountain passes, riding horses on deserted beaches and exploring the Wild Atlantic Way.

The slower-paced, less active 11 Day Driftwood Discover Ireland itinerary is €2,749 per person double (single supplement €469). Guests discover Ireland from coast to coast through immersion in history, culture, music and crafts.

On all of its tours, Vagabond staff curate locally owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of authenticity. In the end the mission is to have guests “love Ireland as much as we do.” Transport is in a custom Mercedes-Benz Drifter or 4x4 Vagatron that allows access beyond where regular tour buses go.

For details on all of Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2019-2020 reservations, please visit https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 1.833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland

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PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

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Vagabond Tours of Ireland Whisks Guests to Best-kept Secret on Journeys to Remote Beara Peninsula

Details: Released on Tuesday, 16 July 2019 10:58

COUNTY WICKLOW, Ireland, July 16, 2019 – Ireland’s award-winning tour company has a reputation for whisking guests into the magic of off-the-beaten-track gems.

Visitors step back into history on the Beara Peninsula on four tours conducted by Vagabond Tours of Ireland. Here on Ireland’s southwest coast is “Ireland’s Best Kept Secret,” according to Travel + Leisure in its May 2019 issue.

“Thankfully, because the roads here are still too narrow for tour buses, the rugged Ring of Beara (peninsula) sees fewer tourists than other parts of the Wild Atlantic Way. However, we still can experience livestock-induced traffic jams,” said Rob Rankin, owner with Amy Rankin of Vagabond Tours of Ireland.

Countless locales in Ireland have inspired poetry and music. So has Bantry Bay. This bay represents the calmer waters bounding the south of the Beara Peninsula that juts out into the wild Atlantic. In the evenings, guests may still experience many a “tender sound of song and merry dancing (that) stole softly over Bantry Bay.” Here in 3000 BC Bronze Age people made their marks in standing stones, predating the remains of Vikings who plundered monasteries, and well before the copper barons of the 18^th and 19^th centuries savaged under the earth in service to English masters.

The net result of all of these comings and goings is a trove of magic that many visitors to Ireland fail to discover. Here are some of the many delights Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland mixes and matches into itineraries that imbibe the Beara Peninsula.

Healy Pass: The name of this serpentine mountain road resonates with Ireland’s history. It was built in 1847 in the turmoil of the potato famine to help people get to food sources. It was named for the first governor general of the Irish Free State (circa 1922).

Uragh (Neolithic) Stone Circle: Standing stones up to 10 feet high from 3000 to 1500 BC.

Lorge Chocolatier: Handmade chocolates from a native of France who follows that country’s chocolate-making traditions.

Garnish Island: Out in Bantry Bay this island enjoys a micro-climate where a formal Italianate garden of, among others, sub-tropical plants flourishes.

Milleens Cheese Ltd: This company is the oldest company producing farmhouse cheeses in Ireland. Home base is a farm that boasts a herd of Holstein-Friesians, a breed distinguished for milk production (dating to 2000 BC) and recognized as those black and white cows.

15^th Century Dunboy Castle: This ruin represents a clan (O’Sullivan) that held the reins over coastal fisheries and therefore the livelihood and bellies of local folk.

Bullig Bay Looped Walk: A scenic trail replete with ruins (including Dunboy Castle) in and out of the woods along the bay.Watch out for traditional dry-stone walls, a ruined watch-tower and crumbling walled enclosures, each steeped in history.

Puxley Mansion: The dream is to make this 19th century Victorian manor house near Dunboy Castle into a hotel. Dogging its history is the fact that the IRA burnt it to the ground in 1920. (Jane Eyre and Rochester might well have been at home here.)

Copper Mines Museum: Think the TV series Poldark that was set across the Irish Channel in Cornwall. Techniques of copper mining in Cornwall (shown in the TV series) made their way over to Allihies in the early 19th century, leaving behind today’s labyrinth of dangerous and deserted mine shafts, skirted by Vagabond’s off-road vehicles.(Up to 40% of the population of Butte, Montana in the U.S., descended from emigrant miners from this area.)

Derreen Garden: Dating to Clan Sullivan that controlled the fisheries, guests today can stroll the paths through this 60-acre estate confiscated by Cromwell’s friends in the mid-17th century, a time that marked Protestant control over the then-Catholic population.

Seal Colony:A colony of roughly 250 seals bask on the rocky outcrop of Seal Island visible to guests boating across Bantry Bay.

Vagabond Tours of Ireland offers two styles of culturally immersive travel. Vagabond Adventure Toursare for active travellers who want to mix up hiking and biking and other outdoor adventures with history, culture, dining and shopping. Active tours that partake of the Beara Peninsula are:

· 7 Day Epic Irish Food Adventure Tour

· 12 Day Vagabond Giant Irish Adventure

· 8 Day Vagabond Wild Irish Rover

· 7 Day Vagabond World Tour of Ireland

Driftwood Journeys of Discovery follow similar itineraries but at an intimate and in-depth looking and lingering pace, sans the physical exertion. In the end the mission is to have guests “love Ireland as much as we do,” says Rankin.

On all of its tours, Vagabond staff curate locally-owned accommodations, pubs and restaurants that help serve their goal of authenticity. Transport is in a custom 4x4 Mercedes 'Vagatron' or Mercedes-Benz “Drifter” that allows access beyond where regular tour buses go. In 2019 Vagabond will also be utilizing a fleet of Mercedes “Sprinters” and Volkswagen “Crafters” for guest comfort.

About Vagabond Tours of Ireland

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PR Contact for Information, Photos, Press Visits: Widness and Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 802-234-6704

Dave Wiggins / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ Ph: 720-301-3822

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagabondireland

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

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