Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage

Seven Day Itinerary

Factor in that the brewery tour only happens at the weekend. If flying in for it, have yourself landed and adjusted to Irish time the night befor the tour starts. We’ll meet you that evening to go over the itinerary and answer any questions you might have. Well, unless you’d prefer some sleeping time of course!

The Guinness brewery tours occur at noon and 2pm on the Friday and Saturday and at noon only on Sunday and lasts about 3.5 hours. You’ll be booking the tickets so Day 6/7’s itinerary can be swapped around, it’s your call!

Got a milestone birthday or special request? Let us know in advance and we will factor it in – within reason! We want you to feel that this has been your own bespoke pilgrimage, so ask away on possibilities.

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage Day One

The making of a myth

Day One takes us to where it all began, sort of. Arthur Guinness and his scions were proud of their Ulster heritage. In County Down, just over the border into Northern Ireland lies the ancient barony of Iveagh where the Magennis clan came from. While some believe their ancestry is with the McCartans, both clans hail from these parts. When an earldom was offered in 1919, the Guinness family heads went for being the earls of Iveagh.

We’ll be making our way to the base of the Magennis clan in Rathfriland. We’ll take in the inauguration site of Knock Iveagh and Dundrum Castle overlooking the Irish Sea which the clan held on and off until the early 1600s. Belfast is our overnight stay, taking in White’s Tavern and Bert’s Jazz Bar.

Overnight stay: The Merchant Hotel

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage Day Two

Gracious living – into the west

Today we make our way west across the island to Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo. It was here that Sir Benjamin Guinness bought the castle in 1852. He went about refurbishing and adding to it, as did his son, Lord Ardilaun, during his stewardship.

The accompanying video will show you why they were spellbound. It’s a chance to get to see first-hand just what it was like to live as a Guinness in one of their opulent homes. We’ll savour some of the famous hospitality as well as visiting the nearby village of Cong. Here we’ll sample the stout in Pat Coyle’s pub made famous in the 1952 film, ‘The Quiet Man‘.

Overnight stay: Ashford Castle

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage Day Three

Guinness genesis?

We’ll be making our way down Lough Corrib past Galway, the City of the Tribes, to get to Moran’s on the Weir in Clarinbridge. Their famous oysters with Guinness must be sampled! From there, we shall be crossing the Golden Vale to make our way to the Cashel Palace in County Tipperary. It could be argued it all began here – let Denis tell us his fascinating story on our audio piece.

We’ve heard where the Guinness name originated, now hear where the Arthur came from. And yes, how the famous stout may well have come about by accident in the garden back in June 1740. It is a fascinating place that can rival Ashford Castle for its famous past patrons. The palace is an essential part of the story of Guinness, thanks to one Bishop Arthur Price.

Overnight stay: Cashel Palace Hotel

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage Day Four

The hills are alive

We’ll be making our way to the Wicklow hills, the source for the pure water of Guinness comes from. Believe us, if it came from the river Liffey as many think, it would not have conquered the world! We’ll have lunch and a pint in Roundwood. From there, we’ll head to the nearby Luggala estate, the Irish home of a flamboyant Guinness family member until as late as 2018.

This stunning valley was home to some of the finest partying and artistic endeavour. Scores of bon viveurs from John Huston to Brendan Behan, The Chieftains to Seamus Heaney came here. Weather permitting, we will make our way up Luggala mountain overlooking Lough Tay, commonly known as ‘the Guinness lake’.

Overnight stay: Rathsallagh Country House

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage Day Five

A sort of homecoming

Today we will be making our way to County Kildare to follow Arthur’s Way. This 16km 3.5 hour trail takes us through Leixlip and Celbridge, past the Arthur Guinness statue before stopping at McEvoy’s pub. We shall then make our way to Oughterard cemetery where Arthur Guinness and his family, including his influential father Richard, are buried. Desmond Guinness’s Leixlip Castle will hopefully also feature – please note it has limited opening days.

In this rural stillness, it is hard to believe a revolution of sorts happened and the perpetrators of it – both Richard and Arthur rest easy, their work well and truly done. Along the way, we will be finding out plenty of anecdotes about the young Arthur and his childhood in these parts.

Overnight stay: Carton House

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage Day Six - FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY

Heaven’s Gate – but with greater success!

St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8 is of course where the magic comes from. We will be getting you there for a 10am start in the Storehouse for the 90 minute tour, then lunch in the Infinitely Bar before starting the three hour tour of the actual brewery itself as part of the upgraded premium packages on offer. Please note the brewery tour is €350 per person.

Afterwards, we will make our way down Thomas Street in the Liberties. Here you’ll see where the philanthropy of the Guinness family in both social housing and cultural patronage around St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The family were highly-regarded by local employees, cathedral custodians and the Marsh library.

Overnight stay: The Shelbourne Hotel

Guinness Deluxe Pilgrimage Day Seven

Leaving their mark

We’re back in the capital to see a few more sites that are connected with the Guinness family. We’ll be starting with Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park, former home to the earls of Iveagh. These days, it’s a library to the third earl’s book collection, as well as that of his cousin, Garech de Brún.

After lunch, we will be making our way out to Mount Jerome cemetery to where the old Guinness vault is. Arthur Guinness II, amongst others, is buried there. We’ll see St. Stephen’s Green as well as Iveagh House and Iveagh Gardens – all donated by the family to the State. We’ll finish up with a pint or two in Kehoe’s. It’s here we’ll have a final toast to these heroes. Hopefully, with a greater appreciation for their deeds one week on from our start.

Overnight stay: The Shelbourne Hotel

Gather your troops!

We hope we have set the scene and whetted your appetite accordingly. Share this page with your would-be Guinnesseurs and if you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@racontour.com

We only plan to run this tour twice per month in the high season, so it is very much first come, thirst served. Please note that we won’t be running it with other cheaper accommodations, unless the ones mentioned are booked out. This tour is subject to acceptance of our Terms and Conditions.

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