4th Grand Falls Scouts & Venturers2019 World Jamboree and the 2019 European Adventure!

Feb 14th Ireland & Northern Ireland

The Ireland pre-trip is a blank slate full of possibilities!  We will be staying with local Scout Troops, and have offers from Troops all over the island, so really our only limits are when we fly in to Dublin and fly out from Belfast – everything else is up to the youth!

Youth that register for Ireland will need to plan their trip, from start to finish.  What are we doing and when are we doing it.  It will be a lot of work, but in the end you will have the Ireland experience you want 🙂

To give you an example of what your itinerary might look like, here is an example Scouter Erica put together.  Remember, this is just an example – the actually itinerary will be up to you!

Day 1 – Land in Dublin – Meet with our first Irish Scout hosts and visit the Dublin Zoo!  Dublin Zoo Opened in 1831, Dublin Zoo is one of the world’s oldest and most popular zoos. It has been transformed in recent decades into a 28 hectare park of gardens, lakes and wonderful natural habitats for over 400 animals. Many are rare species and their survival in the wild is under threat so many of our animals are part of international breeding programmes for endangered species.

Day 2 – Start the morning off at AquaZone – a large indoor water park filled with slides, water coaster, surfing machine, wave pool and lots more! After lunch we tour the Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. It closed its doors in 1924. A guided tour will take us through the history and stories of the jail. We’ll then take a walking tour of Dublin seeing old sites such as a Viking settlement, Smock alley Theatre, Tailor’s Guild, Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral.

Day 3 – We will travel just outside of Dublin to the Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland. This sacred site is said to be the home of faeries, legends, Saints and heroes! We will then visit Newgrange, a 5000 year old burial mound shrouded in mystery, complete with Neolithic art!

Then we’ll travel to meet up with our next Irish hosts in County Clare and afternoon will be spent hiking on the Cliffs of Moher!

Day 4 – Travel to Belfast to meet up with our next hosts and complete the Ultimate Titanic experience touring the Titanic Museum, SS Nomadic and a discovery tour of this iconic shipyard.

Day 5 – Giant’s Causeway – is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Legend says it was built by an Irish Giant challenged by a Scottish Giant to a fight and the causeway was built to reach Scotland.

Tour Dunluce Castle which sits atop a cliff overlooking the ocean. Built in 1500 this castle, now in ruins is homes to myths and legends galore! From faeries and ghost to the tale of a Banshee in the kitchen this castle has it all!

Day 6 – Ulster American Folk park – Follow the trail of thousands of emigrants from the thatched roof cottages of Ulster, on board a full-scale sailing ship to the log cabins of the American frontier. Meet and speak with characters in the 30 buildings in the village and get their story of how the Irish people moved to North America.

Day 7 – Fly out of Belfast to Amsterdam and on to the Haarlem Jamborette!

 This is only an idea – here’s other places we could explore!

Blarney Castle – complete with kissing the stone to receive the gift of gab this iconic Irish Castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens and hikes

Ross Castle & Keep – built in the 1500s this huge castle has been upkept and shows off the life of an Irish Clan!

Explore County Louth – known as the “Land of Legends” Louth was supposedly the birthplace and deathplace of the legendary hero Cuchulainn. In Irish Mythology he was the champion warrior of Ulster who’s temper often got him in trouble. Visiting the sites of the lore of Louth we would then travel to the city of Armagh, the ancient seats of the High Kings of Ulaid and visit Navan Fort.

Explore County Yeats – Explore the ancient kingdom of the mystical Tuatha de Danann and visit the site of their ancient seat at the Grianan of Aileach Fort. After we’d travel to Sligo “The Land of Hearts Desire” and see beautiful Ben Bulben and learn the legend of Diarmuid and Grainne. Hike up to see their final resting place in a cave in the hills. O’Dowd’s Castle is our next stop learning of a mermaid who once reigned as Queen.

Posted in 2019 European Adventure, Team Ireland 2019 by Scouter Jason with no comments yet.