Dublin ~ Like you’ve never known it!
Four Green Fields Day
Welcome to Dublin.
We hope you had a comfortable flight and are feeling good this morning, we have some chilled water on your motor coach and even at this time of morning we will have you quickly through the new Port Tunnel and to the Four Seasons in around 30 minutes.
In case some of your rooms are not ready we have a Hospitality Suite set up with fresh juices, tea, coffee and snacks. Our fabulous guides who will take care of you this week will be the at the Hospitality Desk with maps, Things to Do, shopping tips and generally help you ease into the time zone. We’ll even run a few pleasant DVD’s on Dublin on a loop so you can see what’s in store for the next few days.
This evening you’ll feel a lot better having freshened up, so head down to the Ballroom and enjoy your exclusive Welcome to Ireland dinner. We have set up the Ballroom in the theme of the Four Green Fields representing the four provinces of Ireland with their unique cultures, accents, foods – but common history. Giant images will suspend from the ceiling show The Giant’s Causeway and Belfast of Ulster, The Cliffs of Moher and Aran Islands of Connaught, Blarney Castle and The Rock of Cashel of Munster and Dublin and ancient Newgrange of Leinster.
The MC will introduce the provinces and their music, with great Irish airs like The Mountains of Mourne and Danny Boy from Ulster, The West’s Awake and Galway Bay from Connaught, while The Rose of Tralee and My Own Lovely Lee represent Munster and Leinster will not be outdone with Dublin’s Fair City and Rose of Mooncoin.
The buffet stations will be laden with great foods from the four corners of Ireland. The music will be gentle and charming, the evening relaxing. What a lovely first day in Ireland, and now for a very comfortable night’s sleep…
The Double-Take Day
Enjoy full breakfast as you ease into the day.
The morning your meeting will take place in the hotel conference centre and partners have a lot to choose from.
Ladies, you will enjoy leaving the hotel on a comfortable motor coach with one of our great guides for an easy over-view of the city, you will see Dublin Castle and Trinity College, the cathedrals and the Georgian Squares. It is here in one of the more charming squares, Merrion Square that you stop and enter the elegant world of modern haute couture and the signature private shop of our great designer Louise Kennedy.
Louise has opened her premises exclusively for you this morning, she has brought in 9 of her best models, her best sound and lights guy – and with a glass of sparkling champagne she will have the models showcase her latest fabulous and chic designs just for you.
You will be back at the Four Seasons in nice time for Ladies Day Lunch, and then each of you have time to relax in the afternoon, enjoy some down time shopping on Grafton Street, or discover your own little corner of the city, perhaps a treatment in the hotel spa?
Today you will find black U2 On Tour T’s in your room (optional of course!), Bono’s wraparound shades (compulsory of course!), get on your tight jeans and your Rock Chic boots and head for the Ice Bar. Don’t forget your unique Access All Areas Pass, you will need it later.
The Ice Bar at the Four Seasons is serving only their signature cocktail, the fabulous pink Rasmopolitan …. the music will be ‘just right’ and the party is only beginning.
We will escort you across the street to Thomas Prior Hall where U2 are holding a private party and performance. Bono and the boys always attract the paparazzi and the groupies, and there’ll be lots of ‘em. But don’t worry; your very own Access All Areas Pass will get you onto the Red Carpet and in the door!
Bono, The Edge, Adam and cool Larry will be there to meet you (at least you will certainly do a Double-Take when you see them), and you in your wraparound shades and rock-chic boots will fit right on it. Good food, cold beers and eventually The Boys Are Back In Town and take to the stage for your best Rock ‘n Roll night in years!!!!
There will be a prize for the Best Bono and a better prize for the 4 guys who get together to be the best Double-Take U2 on the night.
Golf & Literature…go figure!
Before breakfast we will move the golf clubs to the course and have them set up in the correct pairings on the buggies, after breakfast we will transfer the golfers to Luttrellstown Golf Club. You may not have heard of this one, it’s below many a golfer’s radar, but believe you me when you play this course you will wonder how some of the others have become legends – it’s awesome! Play your own tournament ~ or take on the Irish … if you have the guys for it! We’ll pair 2 v 2 for matching four-balls for a terrific day’s golf and an unforgettable 19th lunch. !
Non golfers have the wonderful range of options which will all be on display on the Hospitality Desk all week.
North Coast and Malahide Castle tour with lunch at the marina in Malahide
Wicklow Mountains Tour and visit Powercourt Gardens, lunch in a farmhouse
Walking Tour with guide in the city visiting Trinity College and Dublin Castle with
Exclusive private lunch in a private Georgian mansion.
This evening we invite you to return to the Ballroom in the Four Seasons for great food, great fun and great Irish Literature.
David Norris is a member of the Irish Government, a renowned expert on James Joyce, and expert on all things Georgian in Dublin, and a truly fully and outrageous raconteur and MC. The room will be dress with giant drapes hanging from the ceiling with excerpts and quotations from Irish Literature, your menu, although branded, will look like a page torn from Ulysses or another iconic Irish manuscript.
David will host the event and ease you into the joys of our literature, surprise ‘wait-staff’ will suddenly recite poetry, pieces of humorous literature and short songs – the air will fill with laughter & literature… what a heady combination, and an unforgettable evening.
Your room gift will be a small book of Irish Short Stories, each signed by David as a souvenir of the evening.
The Famine & Coffin Ships…
After breakfast there is a wealth of fun activities lined up for you to choose from, and will have been on display at the Hospitality Desk all week of course. But before you head off let me tell you that the lovely store House of Ireland on Dawson Street will open privately and exclusively for your group from 8:30a – 10:00am this morning.
Pottery making. Visit an artisan craftsman and marvel at his skills. Then try it yourself. A bottle of Bailey’s to the best one…!
Up to 5 teams of 4 persons will complete in a highly entertaining Photo Safari in the city. We will give each team a road-map, clues, targets, objectives… and a camera. You will discover and experience the city and its citizens close up and personal, you will have a fixed time in which to complete your challenge and meet at the designated city centre pub in time to surrender your camera and answers, and enjoy lunch.
Take the motor coach to the Phoenix Park, the biggest enclosed park in Europe and also where our ‘White House’ is located, plus the impressive residence of the current US Ambassador to Ireland, and also our zoo as a matter of fact. But this is no ordinary tour… when you arrive in the park itself you will leave the motor coach to discover the park by bike and Segway !! Don’t worry, full instructions will be given on the segways (and the bikes too if required) and with an official Park Guide off you go to experience the quiet cycle tracks and side roads of this great park, get close to the large herds of Red Irish deer, and enjoy a morning in the great outdoors. Lunch later in a little traditional pub that rests against the wall of the park itself.
Fancy your hand at oil painting? Come with us to the end of the pier at Dun Laoghaire where easels, paints, brushes and instructors are waiting for you to capture your own unique take on Dublin Bay. You never know, it might be a Masterpiece some day? While your masterpiece dries you will welcome lunch in a nearby pub.
The golf-nuts amongst you have another opportunity to get out this morning too
This evening we transfer to the quays on the river Liffey in the city centre and board the fascinating and beautiful Jeanie Johnston.
Built in Quebec in 1847 she carried timber from Canada to Europe and on return journeys carried passengers from Tralee in County Kerry to North America. In the 1840’s and 1850’s Ireland was devastated by famine and disease resulting in mass emigration from the land. Under horrendous conditions many people died on the crossing resulting in these great ships being termed Coffin Ships.
The Jeanie Johnston carried 2,500 people on 16 crossing to North America and did not lose one soul. Jeanie Johnston represents an important part of our heritage and her legacy can be experienced by you personally tonight.
On board is a small exhibition of conditions during the time, but you are not here to be grim, you are here to celebrate the great contribution many Irish make in their newly adopted homes, with great dinner and a great on-board party. For those who which we will drop you off at the Temple Bar district on the way back to the Four Seasons and you can enjoy the late night bars and return by taxi at your own time.
The Night of Myths & Legends
Enjoy breakfast and the complete day is yours at leisure.
The Hospitality Desk will be transformed into an art gallery with original oil paintings from the previous day, as well as the collection of highly original (!) photographs from all around the city…
This evening you will return to the ballroom at the Four Seasons, but you will hardly recognize it.
Enjoy cocktails in the pre-function area while maidens, goblins, and the little people mingle with you. The call to the banquet will open the doors to allow you enter a land of myth and mystery as you step through the clouds and into the far distant past. Stepping though the other side of the gentle cool cloud you find your tables set amongst a forest, with bird song, distant shouting from the kitchens, wandering minstrels and fighting children. Seated and first course served (perhaps rabbit taken with a sharp dagger?) and pair of somewhat inebriated villagers push and shove in some semblance of a fight, the village idiot tries to intervene but becomes to butt of their jokes to humorous effect… fair maidens keep you tankards filled with beer and good wines… buyers and sellers come and go through the market with songs and funny interaction.
At dessert an imposing man comes on the stage set amongst you tables, he is the seanachie – the old story teller who travels from village to village, from castle to castle and earns his food and lodgings with stories of mythologies, of good and evil. His story for you tonight seems to being acted out by the peasants of the village until a young pretender to the title of chieftain enters the fray and objects. His taunts leave the Chieftain no option but to confront him with spectacular choreographed battle while the villages flee in terror… the legend of The Chieftain will fade into the descending gentle mist of a mediaeval nightfall…
As the characters also fade into the mist the musicians tire of the charade and strike up a wholly uncharacteristic beat straight out of Motown and the 60’s and 70’s … and you party hard yourself until the wee hours. Oh What A Night!
…until it was time to go home
The logistics of the cold light of day like back pull and check-out will be efficiently handled and the 30 minute transfer to the airport will be right-on-time to get you there safely. Our baggage handlers will get your luggage to the appropriate check-in desk and you have lots of time to check-in, Duty Free shopping and US Immigration before you board.
As your flight takes off and you look back on the green fields you will wonder………
How can I sit in a modern aircraft and feel the sights and sounds of a mediaeval Irish Village?
It must be the magic of Ireland!
Contact us for more suggestions, a competitive pricing and more programme ideas or sample itineraries!
