Delegates are invited to attend the Welcome Reception, Irish BBQ and the Conference Banquet which are included in the full registration fee.

Additional Social Programme Tickets can be purchased separately as follows:-
Irish BBQ €35
Banquet tickets €50

SUNDAY, 25TH JUNE 2006– WELCOME RECEPTION, UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK

TOURS

Limerick City Walking Tour 13.30 - 17.30

Celebrated in song as a Lady, the city of Limerick has matured with sophistication and grace. Limerick, with a charter older than London, has retained much of it's historical past in attractions such as the Treaty Stone & King John’s Castle. You will be taken on a tour of King John’s Castle. The Castle was built c. 1210 and is one of the finest examples of fortified Norman architecture in Ireland. From there you will visit St. Mary ’s Cathedral and then the Hunt Museum. The Hunt Museum, home to the largest private art collection in the country houses an internationally important collection of some 2,000 original works. In the afternoon, you will have some free time for shopping.

An exhilarating day in the magical Kingdom of Kerry. Your first stop is in the pretty village of Adare, where you can shop or relax in the park. Continue on your journey to Killarney passing through Towns & villages with plenty of character. Just outside Killarney you start to see views of Killarney National Park which covers some 25 thousand sq. acres. You will visit Torc Waterfall with beautiful views of the lakes, and then you will head for Muckross House. Muckross House was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the water colourist Mary Balfour Herbert. This was actually the fourth house that successive generations of the Herbert family had occupied at Muckross over a period of almost two hundred years. During the 1850s, the Herbert’s undertook extensive garden works in preparation for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861. Later, the Bourn Vincent family continued this gardening tradition. They purchased the estate from Lord & Lady Ardilaun early in the 20th century. It was at this time that the Sunken Garden, Rock Garden and Stream Garden were developed. Return to Limerick approx. 18.00hrs.

Bunratty Castle was built in 1425 by the MacNamaras and then passed to the O'Briens who were Earls of Thomond. Its strategic position on the river Shannon made it the centre of many a battle, and it has it has been destroyed and re-built on at least eight occasions. The majestic Castle was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour. It now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries and works of art, which capture the mood of the times. You can marvel at the finest collection of medieval furniture in the country, which brings to life a vital part of the Celtic past and the heritage of Co. Clare.

The Folk Park adjoins the castle and aims to show what everyday life was like in rural Ireland about 100 years ago. It contains reconstructed farmhouses, cottages and shops, and care has been taken to make them as authentic as possible, particularly with regard to furnishings.

The Park is a living museum: animals are tended, bread is baked, milk is churned, walls are whitewashed and roofs are thatched. You may visit an Irish farmhouse, watch the blacksmith fit a horseshoe, attend a weaving demonstration, and bake and eat scones at the local tea house. To round off a memorable visit, why not drop in to the fully licensed, old world Mac’ s pub on the village street, which is renowned for its delicious home-cooked food.

You will also have an opportunity to shop in Bunratty Village. Bunratty Village Mills is a shopper’s paradise. It offers a cluster of shops in a 19th century village setting, ranging from specialty shops for Waterford and Tipperary Crystal, to multiple outlets such as Blarney Woollen Mills and Meadows & Byrne. There are specialty boutiques; Linen Shop, Aran Shop, Celtic Sounds Music & Book Shop, China Shop, and a Bargain Loft. Return to Limerick at approx. 15.00hrs.