Our Destinations
Letter Randocheval
Why travelling with Randocheval ?
IRELAND : CLARE BURREN TRAIL RIDE...
Itinerary - Extensions - Horses and required riding level
Guiding - Accommodation - Dates and rates - More infos / booking
Here in the rural Western Ireland, we
are nestled in the rolling hills of the Slieve Aughty Mountains, gazing
through the purple-blue haze down to the majestic River Shannon. The forest lanes and little roads are so quiet and peaceful, it is as if time is passing slower here. There is no noise here just the sounds of nature. With our horses and us, you'll discover the treasure of Ireland's history and beautiful nature on our Galway Clare Burren Trail ride. |
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ITINERARY
Day 1 - Saturday : Failte to Ireland
Arrival in the afternoon to your guesthouse in the Whitegate / Mountshannon area at the shores of scenic Lough Derg (Approx. 2 hours). You'll be staying here for the first four nights. On the arrival day, you can just relax and recover from your journey, or take a stroll on the well mapped nearby East Clare Walking Trail. For the more adventurous under you, there is also the possibility to go on a guided boat tour to the historical Holy Island with its monastic settlement of the 9th century. In the evening, you'll get to know all your fellow riders for this week. You'll have dinner in the tastefully restored 300 years old farmhouse in our riding center by candlelight and open turf fire.
Day 2 - Sunday : Binor Ride
After breakfast, you'll brought to the start of the trail, where
your guide will allocated the horses to you according to your experience.
Every rider can then get used to his own horse for the week by brushing
and tacking it itself - don't worry there are always lots of helping
hands around you! We will then leave for an easy ride into the surrounding
peaceful forests of the Slieve Aughty Mountains. For the lunch break,
we will be back to the riding center and riders and horse take a
rest. In the afternoon, the horses will bring us trough the rural
farming land in County Galway and the huge area of heather and bog
land using the old tracks of the historical Sarsfield Ride. We leave
our horses on a field where they stay overnight and we drive back
to the accomodation for a relaxing evening.
Day 3 - Monday : Inis Cealtra Ride
Today's ride brings us up over the hills of the Slieve Aughty
Mountains with fascinating views over the majestic Lough Derg and
River Shannon. Along the track, we will be passing old farm ruins
and miles of stonewalls and your guide will tell you about Irelands
most significant incident in history : about 150 years ago, many
farms and villages where left because of the Famine. This was the
time of the severe patato disease, which destroyed for a couple
of years the sole source of food supply for the rural and poor irish
peasant and his stock. In addition to that, a typhus and cholera
epidemic enforced the disaster, leading to a flood of millions of
people emigrating to other countries or starving with the hunger.
Knowing about those times you'll be greating the tasty lunch waiting
for us, before we head across the extensive areas of bog land in
the afternoon. There, we will pass local farmers cutting and drying
the turf in the traditional way. A neolithic dolmen, with the legendary
name Oisin's and Grainne's Grave, beside the track proves that this
area was already mystified about 5000 years ago. Much younger (about
9th cent.) are the ruins of a monastic settlement on Holy Island,
whichwe can easily spot by the well kept typical round tower.
Day 4 - Tuesday : Lough Graney Ride
Leaving the sheltered pasture we are heading this morning for
the top of the hills again overlooking endless woods and grazing
land to the north, west and south. Long before, we get there we
can spot way under us the sandy shores of Lough Graney where we
are heading for. The beach invites us to a canter along the water
and on the trails goes right across the refreshing lake! The ride
in the later afternoon takes us through the typpical farmland of
rural Ireland with its juicy green fields and the endless old stonewalls
surrounding the peacefully grazing sheep and cattle.
Day 5 - Wednesday : Glandaria Ride
Today's lovely wood tracks take us further westwards overlooking
Glandaria (the valley of the Kings) the wide fertile valley of the
River Shannon, where hundreds of years ago Irelands kings preferably
used to settle. After the lunch break near a typical mountain river
we will cross the boggy uplands. County Clare unfolds all around
us up to the in the distance rising hills of the famous Burren National
Park. On a clear day we will even get the first glimpse of Galway
Bay. This afternoon our horses will be transferred by lorry across
the busy valley to tomorrow's start at the Mullaghmore Mountain
in the Burren. You will be staying tonight in the charming village
of Corofin with its countless pubs.
Day 6 - tThursday : Mullaghmore Ride
The totally different and unique scenery of the world renowned Burren
will accompany us for the next two days. The moon like landscape of this
limestone area bears not only an immensely colourful flora and fauna with
a large number of very rare species, but also reveals a stunning variety
of prehistoric settlements. Dolmens and Wedge Tombs line up next to Norman
stone fort ruins and Celtic ring forts. Close to a fulacht fiadh an ancient
cooking site, we will enjoy our lunch. It is amazing how many eye-catching
sites this at first sight so vast looking landscape can offer us. The
next two nights you will be staying in the Lisdoonvarna area, which is
famous for the traditional music in the pubs.
Day 7 - Friday : Atlantic Coast Ride
Today we head westwards through the Burren, learning about the
impressive Poulnabrone Dolmen, and the huge and dangerous cave systems
in this special area. We rest for lunch overlooking the story telling
rocky landscape. After the break we lead our horses up the last
hill for the breathtaking view over the Atlantic Sea, the famous
Aran Islands and the rugged Connemara Mountains. The extremely rough
shore of County Clare stretches out under us for the last gallop.
In the glittering afternoon sunlight the impressive silhouette of
the Cliffs of Moher rise in front of us. Near the ruins of the spooky
looking Ballinalaken Castle our ride ends.
Day 8 - Saturday : Slan Abhaile
After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airport for your
onwards journey.
EXTEND YOUR TRIP
|
Dublin 3 days / 2 nights Price : 220 € / person in july-august and 190 € / person
the rest of the year. |
HORSES AND REQUIRED RIDING LEVEL
Horses
The Irish horse is renowned for its stamina, versatality and gentleness
and will provide an ideal companion for an unforgettable holiday. You
will make friends here with proud examples of several typical Irish breeds
such as the tall but gentle Irish Draught, the lively and clever Connemara,
the fine and energetic Irish Hunter, the beautifully coloured Piebald
and the intelligent and comfortable Irish Cob.
Tack
You'll ride on comfortable english trail saddles.
Required riding level
This ride covers about 140 miles, which represent about 20-25 miles a
day.
To join that ride, you should be comfortable at all gaits, and have at
least a short experience in trail riding.
Accompagnied children are welcome over 8 years old with suitable riding
abilities.
YOUR GUIDES
During that ride you will be guide by very experienced local guide, who
perfectly knows his environnement and horses.
ACCOMMODATION
The tastefully restored 300 year-old farmhouse is the heart of the riding centre. The ambiance of old times gone by is carefully maintained and yet all modern facilities for the riding guests are provided.
Guests can relax in individually decorated ensuite rooms.
In our comfortable dining room our guests enjoy the hearty Irish Breakfast
and traditional farmhouse cooking, sitting by the open turf fire.
It was always said, that this place called "The Mountain" is
like an inspiration to all who stand on its threshold and recapture the
simplicity and peace of this idyllic setting.
Hotel accomodation could be available too, please contact us.
All other accomodations along your ride are comfortable guesthouse.
DATES AND RATES
| 2008 | ||
| Next departure in 2009 |
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Single supplement : 120 €
The single supplement will be add to the rate if you're travelling alone even if you agree to share. We'll reimburse you if we find another rider agree to share accomodation with you.
RATE INCLUDING
- the trail ride on full board basis sharing room in guesthouse accomodation.- 6 days guided trail ride and luggage transport.
- the financial guarantee of the deposits you send to Randocheval.
RATE NOT INCLUDING
- flights to Shannon,- transfers from Shannon airport to the riding center and vice versa. Can be arrange by our organization (30 € per way per person to be paid directly) upon request,
- the organisation of a possible tour through the region before or after the trail ride.
- any other prestation
- insurrance : repatriation aid or multiple-risk (cancellation, luggage, repatriation). You can subscribe to these insurrances only if you are an european resident. If you live outside European Union, please check with your local insurrance company.
BOOKING - INFORMATION
Contact Anthony for any enquiry !
PRATICAL INFORMATIONS
COUNTRY
Ireland
LENGTH
7 days / 6 nights / 6 days on horseback
LANGUAGE
English.
GROUP SIZE
ACCESS
Shannon airport. You may also arrive in Galway, Cork or Dublin, and reach our meeting point by car or bus.
CLIMATE
Weather is unforeseeable in Ireland, we even say that it is sunny several
times a day!
So allow something to face all the kinds of weather.
TRANSFERS
Meeting place directly to the riding center.
Transfers from and to Shannon airport can be arranged, please contact
us.
We can arrange private transfers for you if necessary from Shannon airport (30 euros per way per person to pay directly).
Formalities
Check with your local embassy according to your nationality.
Vaccines-Health
No specific vaccination, we recommend you to be up to date concerning
your usual vaccinations, in particular for the tetanus vaccine.
Remember that a repatriation travel insurrance is compulsory.
REFERENCE :CH117-ireland-burren
