Pre and Post Conference Tours
All delegates and accompanying persons can book to attend the pre/post conference tours
Pre Conference Tours - Saturday April 25, 2026
Trinity Trails & Book of Kells Experience
Leave from Conference Hotel at 10:30am (approx. 3 hours)
€45 per person
Trinity Long Room, The University of Dublin Trinity College, College Green, South-East Inner City, Dublin 2 D02 PN40
Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s oldest university and home to its greatest cultural treasure, the Book of Kells. A precious 9th century manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament, the Book is on display as part of the Book of Kells Experience. Located in the Old Library, visitors first view the Book before marvelling at the Long Room, considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful libraries.
Also on display is Gaia, Luke Jerram’s awe inspiring illuminated artwork. Gaia features detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface.
Continue your journey into a digital exhibition in the Pavilion next to the Old Library, where you will be enchanted as stories, animations and sculptures come to life before your eyes.
Finally, step into a reimagined Long Room and see both the past and future of the Library and its precious collections through breath taking setworks and projections.
After the Book of Kells Experience, make the most of your visit to the historic campus with a Trinity Trails guided walking tour, led by their student and alumni tour guides.
Irish Whiskey Museum
Leave from Conference Hotel at 3:30pm (approx. 2 hours)
€40 per person
119 Grafton Street, South Inner City Dublin, DO2 E620
Tour and Blending Experience
Our Irish Whiskey Blending Experience offers a unique opportunity for you to delve deep into the world of whiskey and create your very own personalised blend. Join us for a hands-on experience that will leave you with a greater appreciation for the art of whiskey blending.
The journey begins with a comprehensive tour of our museum, led by our expert tour guides.
Before you begin the blending process, we will introduce you to a selection of 4 carefully chosen Irish whiskeys. This tasting experience will help you identify the distinct aromas, flavours, and nuances of different whiskeys, from smooth and mellow to robust and smokey.
Under the guidance of our experienced whiskey tour guides, you will now have the chance to experiment blending different whiskeys to create your own unique blend. You will learn about the different whiskey components, such as malt, grain, and pot still, and how they influence the final taste.
Throughout the blending workshop, our experts will be on hand to answer your questions, provide guidance, and share their knowledge, as well as the history and heritage of Irish whiskey.
Post Conference Tour - Wednesday April 29, 2026
Kilkenny, Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough Tour
Bus pick up from Conference Hotel at 8.45am, return approx 6pm (full day tour)
€80 per person
View full iteneray below;
KILKENNY CITY
Pick up from hotel.
Arriving at 10am, the first stop on our day tour from Dublin is Kilkenny, a city as historic as it is charming. Your 45- minute guided walking tour of Kilkenny City will take you through the narrow and winding cobbled streets and under the city’s many medieval arches. There are plenty of tales to be told by your entertaining guide along the way; from kings and sieges to witch trials and murder.
After the walking tour, you will have a further 1 hour 45 minutes to explore Kilkenny at your own leisure. The city’s compact nature means that all the points of interest are easily accessible by foot and you will have plenty of time to visit an attraction if you wish (admission is not included). You may choose to visit the famous 12th century Kilkenny Castle, in the heart of the city on the banks of the River Nore, or you could visit Rothe House, a magnificent example of a wealthy silk merchant’s home containing multiple medieval exhibits; including priceless Viking artefacts and a medieval garden.
Kilkenny has a proud food heritage and you will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch while in the city, your tour guide will be happy to make some recommendations. Depart Kilkenny at 12:30pm.
WICKLOW MOUNTAIN TOUR
After lunch, we travel through the county of Carlow into the wild and rugged Wicklow Mountains and the Wicklow Gap. The landscape on your Wicklow Mountains tour will change from lush green rich pasture with gentle valleys, to the dramatic and the breathtaking ancient glacial valleys of the Wicklow Gap. The journey through the mountains will bring you through spectacular locations where famous movies such as Braveheart and PS I Love You were filmed.
Enjoy a 20 minute stop for a stroll and photographic opportunities on top of the Wicklow Mountains overlooking the glens and valleys of County Wicklow.
GLENDALOUGH
Continuing over the Wicklow Mountains, we arrive at the heritage site of Glendalough (Glen of two lakes) at 14:30pm.
On arrival in Glendalough, you can join your tour guide on a 30-minute guided tour of Glendalough’s Monastic City. The Monastic city dates to 600 AD and is heralded as a national monument of immense importance having played an important role in reintroducing Christianity to Northern and Central Europe after the Dark Ages.
GLENDALOUGH: SHEEP FARM AND DOG TRIALS
When on tour, you will have the opportunity to join a real Irish Shepherd at work together with his best friend the Border Collie sheepdog.
The dog, listening to the whistling sounds from the Shepherd, will herd the sheep across fields, through gates and fencing into corrals, out again over ditches around trees to your feet. Depending on the time of the year you will also have the opportunity to hold and feed a baby lamb. This is an experience not to be missed!
Departing at 17:10, we journey through the highest village in Ireland known as Roundwood. From there you can see the Sugarloaf Mountains, which prior to the Ice Age were higher than the Alps. You can also catch a glimpse of the Powerscourt Estate and the Glen of Imaal just before reaching Kilmacanogue.
Now it’s time to sit back and relax as we begin our return journey and arrive back in Dublin city at approximately 6:00pm.
