Australia’s Aurora Expeditions will offer its first-ever voyage to Ireland in 2021 aboard its stunning new ship, the Greg Mortimer.
Sailing from Dublin in May 2021, the one of a kind 13-day itinerary features some of Ireland’s most spectacular coastal highlights, including Donegal, Clare Island, Connemara National Park, and The Skelligs.
Perched on the edge of the Atlantic, Ireland’s west coast is characterized by soaring cliffs, dramatic peninsulas with medieval ruins, and enchanting castles steeped in history. This breathtaking scenery will be revealed during expert-led wildlife walks, nature hikes, and coastal kayaking tours, while daily trips by Zodiac will showcase breeding seabirds such as puffins, fulmars, guillemots, storm petrels, and shearwaters.
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Scattered along the west coast and carved out in the harsh Atlantic Ocean is a series of remote and private islands that hold the ghosts of a life, long lost. Hidden away and exclusively available on this voyage, these isles of savage beauty, forgotten in time, hold the archaeological gems of iron and bronze age sites, and early Christian monasteries dating back to 500-600 AD. Some isles were formerly home to pirates who ruled the seas; now they are peacefully occupied by birds nesting on the cliffs that dramatically rise from the seas.
Exploration starts at the wild and rugged Inishowen Peninsula, Ireland’s most northerly point, and the jewel in the crown of Donegal. Nearby Troy Island boasts an abundance of rare birdlife and wildlife species. Gaelic is the islanders’ first language and many ancient customs, including the appointment of the island king, endure today. Ceide Fields is home to some of the oldest stone-walled fields in the world, dating back 6,000 years, and on the Dingle Peninsula, passengers will find one of the richest concentrations of archaeological monuments in western Europe.
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Given the moniker The Enchanted Island, the next port of call, Inishbofin, is set in the wild splendor of Connemara amid the magical beauty of the sea, cliffs, and mountains that make up the Galway-Mayo coastline. One of the most traditional and untouched parts of the country, the island is a breeding area for many bird species, the rarest or most threatened of which is the corncrake. On Inishbofin, Aurora Expeditions offers three looped walks, all with stunning views of the island’s beautiful scenery and birdlife.
Weather permitting the Greg Mortimer will also land at the World Heritage Site of Skellig Michael, in County Kerry. The monastic site is home to a sixth-century “beehive” monastery as well as breeding seabirds including gannets, Arctic terns, and a colony of orange-beaked puffins.
From the ship, passengers might catch sight of dolphins, whales, orca, and porpoises. There will also be an opportunity to tuck into a west coast meal of locally produced and foraged food from Connemara, and to enjoy an authentic “trad session” of traditional music played by local musicians and the Irish expedition team.
Also joining this trip is Australian mountaineer and co-founder of Aurora Expeditions, Greg Mortimer, after whom the new ship is named.
The 13-day Ireland’s West Coast Voyage departs Dublin on March 19, 2021, finishes in Cobh, and is priced from AU$11,847 (US$9,000) per person, twin share. Land extensions from Dublin can be arranged upon request.
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