Depart for Ireland today. Flights not included, however, guidance and support to book flights will be provided by Nanda Journeys. 

We kindly ask that you not book flights until the group has been given the official go ahead sometime between 120-90 days prior to travel.

Arrive in Dublin at Dublin International Airport. Upon arrival, private transfers have been confirmed for like arrival times to get you to the hotel vs. a shared bus. Lunch is on your own today.

The 4* Iveagh Garden Hotel is a modern take on traditional luxury in an urban oasis just steps from Grafton Street. They offer onsite casual dining with a bar and bistro and access to a nearby health club for a small fee. Guest rooms have flat-screen TV, laptop safe, luxury amenities, free Wi-Fi, USB charging station and coffee & tea maker. Note that check-in time is generally around 2-3pm. You will be able to check with the front desk to see if they can get you early access to your room on the day of arrival.

All travelers will gather this afternoon with your national guide for a panoramic tour of the city to discover the north and south side of the River Liffey. This area offers great striking monuments such as the GPO (General Post Office) on the city main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street, or the Custom House along the quays, as well as the Phoenix Park, the largest public park in Europe. The south side appears more sophisticated with its vast Georgian squares, such as Merrion Square, where Oscar Wilde’s House can still be found (today owned by an American College), its colourful doors, along with Grafton Street and its quality shops. Not so far from St. Stephen’s Green, in Kildare St., you will see the house of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula. This part of the city is also dominated by the students of Trinity College, where the famous book of Kells is permanently exhibited in its library. The university is facing the medieval district where Dublin Castle and the two Anglican Cathedrals can be found.

Next make a stop at Guinness Storehouse. The Guinness Brewery in Dublin is Europe's largest stout producing brewery and home to the Guinness Storehouse. Opened in 1904, the Storehouse was an operational plant for fermenting and storing Guinness. Today it houses a very fine exhibition dedicated to the Guinness story. Visitors will discover what goes into the making a pint of Guinness - the ingredients, the brewing process, the time, the craft, and the passion.

Enjoy a short orientation briefing at the hotel prior to a welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Overnight: Iveagh Garden Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Dinner

After an early breakfast today, your professional exchange will include meeting with a local business, and/or HR organization to begin your professional interaction. The goal for today is to learn what workers, employers and government leaders think about the future of business in relation to balancing work, family, and community. Also discuss what workforce planning they are doing in the region.

Meet with representatives from a facility like Workhuman (formerly Globoforce). Workhuman is a multinational company co-headquartered in Massachusetts and Dublin, providing cloud-based (software as a service), human capital management (HCM) software solutions.

Professionals will stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

Continue your engagement with another organization such a s Social Talent. Social Talent is a world leading e-learning platform enabling companies and teams with the skills and training to hire, onboard, engage, develop, and retain great talent. Founded in 2011 in Ireland, they partner with leading industry experts and global thought leaders to deliver bite size training videos through our intuitive e-learning platform.

Guest program: Today accompanying guests will enjoy a visit to EPIC-The Irish Emigration Museum. This state-of-the-art interactive experience, located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands, is the original departure point for so many of Ireland’s emigrants. It will inspire and guide you on a journey to discover the stories of Irish emigration around the world, from early times to the modern day. Immerse yourself in the stories of some of the most remarkable tales of sacrifice, endurance, adventure, and discovery the world has ever known. Enjoy afternoon Tea at the Shelbourne Hotel which will include lunch service. Note that your will be traveling via public transport around Dublin with a local guide.

Dinner will be on your own this evening.

Overnight: Iveagh Garden Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

After breakfast, professionals will have a second full day of educational engagement. The plan for today is to have a full day of program content with local government and other representatives/hosts of interest to the group.

This may include a half day interactive session with local start-ups in Dublin. The professional focus of this event will be finalized after enrollment has concluded and will be customized to fit the needs of the professionals enrolled as well as availability of the various hosts invited to attend. 

Lunch will be provided this afternoon. 

Accompanying guests: 

Accompanying guests will explore Malahide Castle, one of Ireland's oldest and most historic with your local guide via public transport. The 100-hectare estate was founded in the 12th century by the Anglo-Norman Talbot family and was occupied by this family until 1976. The castle contains much of its original 16th Century furnishings, a minstrel’s gallery, and a unique collection of Irish historical portraits. After lunch visit the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History. Artefacts on display range from silver, ceramic and glassware pieces to weaponry, furniture, examples of folk life and costume. All of these are displayed with imagination in innovative and contemporary galleries, which entice you to go further, look harder and examine more closely.

Dinner is on your own this evening. 

Overnight: Iveagh Garden Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

This morning the group will visit Trinity College Business School or similar. A meeting will be requested for professional members of the program to meet with faculty and students today. Have discussions with representatives around education and training of HR/TA professionals in their human resource manager program along with engagement around other business school undergrad, MBA, master, doctoral and executive education programs to learn about the school’s strategy for coming years.

Guest program: This morning guests will enjoy some free time to explore Dublin before joining the others for lunch and the afternoon visit to Pearse Lyons.

Lunch will be provided at a local pub or restaurant if not at Pearse Lyons.

After lunch, discover over eight hundred years of history and awaken your senses with whiskey tours and tastings at Pearse Lyons Distillery. Located in the former St. James’ Church in Dublin’s city center, this small and intimate family-owned distillery offers guests a unique blend of Irish history, culture and the very best of whiskeys. Winner of the Irish Tourism Industry Award for Dublin’s Best Visitor Experience 2019, Pearse Lyons Distillery is a working distillery like no other. See how Pearse small batch Irish Whiskey is made and chat with the team of distillers. Each tour and tasting experience celebrate the Irish tradition of storytelling.

The remainder of the late afternoon is free to explore independently and for time to shop. 

Dinner will be provided at a local restaurant this evening.

Overnight: Iveagh Garden Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, check out and depart for Belfast.

In route, enjoy a hands-on farmhouse baking experience at Tracey’s Farmhouse in her 18th century thatched cottage on the shores of Strangford Lough. Tracey will teach all about the traditional Irish baking and walk you through the steps to make a local goody like soda bread or scones. You will not only leave with all your handmade goodies, but also all the yummy recipes so you can bake for your friends when you get home.

Lunch will be provided at the farmhouse this afternoon.

We are exploring opportunities for engagement with a local speaker coming to join you after lunch to discuss HR and TA practices and US/Ireland hiring in the region.

Continue to Belfast, Northern Ireland where you will check into your local hotel and have dinner.

Superbly located in Belfast, the world-famous Europa is often referred to as the heartbeat of the city. Standing tall in the city center for over 50 years, the Europa has attracted many famous faces from all over the world and hosted numerous prestigious events over the years. The Europa offers a choice of 272 hotel rooms with our elegant decor, contemporary bistro, bustling bar and of course our ever-popular piano bar lounge.

Overnight: Europa Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today enjoy another day of professional engagement in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, UK. Its name comes from the Irish Béal Feirste, meaning "river mouth of the sandbanks". It has a population of about 345,000 based on the last census and is the educational, commercial, entertainment, and service center for Northern Ireland and the home of many of its largest businesses and hospitals. Meet with a local government at Stormont (the Northen Ireland Assembly) or U.S. Embassy representative to chat about US/Ireland relations or other topics of mutual interest relevant to the visit confirmed.

After lunch at a local restaurant continue your discussions with a local HR Firm or similar. Talk about differences between Ireland and UK in terms hiring and firing and other topics of interest as you wrap up your professional program for this journey.

 Guest program:  Accompanying guests will visit Hillsborough Castle & Gardens. Hillsborough Castle holds a unique place in the history of Northern Ireland. Since it was built in the 18th century the castle has gone from being a simple country house for the Hill family to becoming the official royal residence in Northern Ireland and the place where many of the formal and informal stages of the Peace Process happened. Later today enjoy a Craft Chocolate Studio Tour with your local guide.

Late this afternoon is free to explore (as time permits). 

Dinner is on your own this evening.

Overnight: Europa Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Lunch

After breakfast head out for a day of exploration.

Encounter Northern Ireland’s favorite giant Finn McCool at the new Giants Causeway visitor center. According to legend Finn created the causeway by building steppingstones to Scotland to challenge the Scottish giant Benandonner! The new center explores the major themes of mythology, geology, landscape, ecology, culture, and social history based on the UNESCO World Heritage site that consists of 40,000 basalt polygonal columns formed 60 million years ago after a volcanic eruption.

Lunch is on your own this afternoon.

This afternoon back in Belfast you will have a Black Cab tour. This political history tour of West Belfast's Murals tells the story of the Troubles. The award-winning tour has been broadcasted worldwide and takes in sights at Falls Road, Shankill Road, Peaceline Wall, Crumlin Road Gaol, and the Murals. Discover major sights of Belfast City such as Belfast City Hall, Queen's University, St. Anne's Cathedral, Laganside, Titanic Quarter, Stormont, Waterfront Hall, Europa Hotel, Albert Clock, McHugh's Bar, and the Crown Liquor Saloon. After lunch visit Crumlin Road Gaol.

Have an immersive fun-filled experience of the Céilí tradition in Ireland with unique insights into the local customs and superstitions of this intergenerational culture and heritage during a private farewell dinner at your hotel.

Overnight: Europa Hotel (or similar)

Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Say farewell to Ireland and head back to Dublin to fly back to the U.S., with arrival planned for the same day. One group transfer will be provided this morning to accommodate the bulk of the group.

You are welcome to explore flights departing from Belfast. We are happy to quote on private transfer costs to either airport.

Overnight: N/A

Included meals: Breakfast

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