B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included
Overview
Itinerary
Purpose
Arrangements
Price
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Journey Overview
Join us in cheering on our Midshipmen when Navy and Notre Dame meet in Dublin, Ireland at Aviva Stadium. Much more than a great college football experience, this purposeful journey will offer a window into Irish history and culture as fun as it promises to be fascinating.
This unique travel opportunity offers much more than cheering on our Midshipmen when Navy and Notre Dame meet in Dublin, Ireland at Aviva Stadium on August 26, 2023. Your journey will also offer you a truly distinctive opportunity to explore a fascinating spectrum of sights from natural ocean beauty to centuries of history and culture. Visit the spectacular Irish coast, eclectic sights and scenes of rock and roll legends, hear traditional Irish music, and visit centuries old establishments, from hidden gems to establishments as famous as their patrons. The highlights on this journey seem almost too numerous to adequately describe. No highlight, to be sure, will surpass the thrill of seeing our Midshipmen take on Notre Dame.
Your Host for Our Journey
Our host for Celts, Culture, and College Football will be a very proud dad of a Navy Midshipman, Mike Malone. He believes the opportunity to explore Ireland with you on our Celts, Culture, and College Football purposeful journey will be an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience. Mike is truly excited to serve as your journey host!
Following his love and passion for travel, Mike agreed to lead several trips to Germany as a volunteer before founding his company in 2017. The success of those early travel experiences led Mike to found purposeful journeys. Through grit, persistence, and resilience, Mike navigated his small business through the rough waters of the pandemic and has now put his company in a position to again thrive. As an exceedingly proud dad of a Navy Midshipman today, Mike is over the moon excited about hosting this journey.
As great as our experience of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be, the opportunity to explore Ireland on our Celts, Culture, and College Football purposeful journey promises to offer an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience. Like all journeys abroad, the time fellow travelers have in Ireland together will not provide an opportunity to see everything. In fact, we always encourage people to measure the quality of their travel experience with our company not by the quantity of sights a fellow traveler sees, but by the quality of experiences they absorb.
The quality of our travel experience in Ireland will be difficult to surpass. From the quality of our accommodations to our experiences of eclectic sights and scenes from those associated with rock and roll legends, to centuries old establishments and traditional music to breathtaking natural beauty, we have created a truly awesome itinerary around the highlight of our experience together—The Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
The Spirit of Highlanders Extension
For fellow travelers who desire, our purpose journey will continue with our Spirit of the Highlands extension. We will journey to Edinburgh, Scotland which will serve as our base location for our journey extension. We will explore the fascinating city of Edinburgh including one of the most important castles in the United Kingdom. We will travel to the Speyside whiskey region to explore the spirit of Scotland’s national drink. We will also tour one of the most famous golf courses in the world. This relaxing, memorable extension promises to be will worth joining as a fellow traveler.
Day 1 – Wheels up!
Saturday, August 19, 2023
We depart for our overnight flight to Ireland.
Day 2 – There Once was a Visitor to Limerick
Sunday, August 20, 2023
Today, we begin in the only city in Ireland to give its name to a form of poetry—the Limerick. B, D
Day 3 – Galway, Girl and the Famous Cliffs of Moher
Monday, August 21, 2023
Our day promises to be filled with legends, folklore, and stunning natural beauty as we visit the Cliffs of Moher. After visiting the cliffs, we will venture to Galway, a city known for its eclectic mix of bohemian cool and traditional culture. B, D
Day 4 – Let's Go Coastal
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Prepare to have your breath taken away by the treasure trove of beauty that is the southwest coast of Ireland. We will be enamored by ocean views, jaw dropping cliffs, and bucolic scenes of grazing livestock on rolling emerald hills. B, D
Day 5 – Pucker Up for Some Real Blarney
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
On our way to Dublin, we visit Blarney Castle where you will have the opportunity to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. According to legend, one who kisses the Blarney Stone will speak more persuasively and eloquently. Hopefully, that will be of some help in cheering our Midshipmen. Our journey to Dublin promises to be a fun day filled with great sights, history, and folklore. B, D
Day 6 - The Best of Dublin
Thursday, August 24, 2023
From hidden gems to iconic sights, we will enjoy the best of Dublin as part of a wonderful day in this fascinating, historic, culturally rich Irish city. B, D
Day 7 – Pregame in Dublin
Friday, August 25, 2023
Today, we will enjoy an experience created to offer a unique perspective on this famous city. From an eclectic blend of Dublin culture that includes fascinating connections such as public houses that inspired some of most famous literary figures to other pubs and venues interwoven into the fabric of the culture of this famous city, we will explore Dublin in a way that provides the backdrop, a kind of pregame, for Saturday’s highly anticipated festivities. B, D
Day 8 – College Football Classic
Saturday, August 26, 2023
We will venture to spectacular Aviva Stadium where we will cheer on Navy when they face Notre Dame in the College Football Classic. We will depart soon after breakfast so that we can participate and enjoy the pregame festivities. We will not want to miss a single moment! B, D
Day 9 – The Formal End to our Purposeful Journey
Sunday, August 27, 2023
For fellow travelers who are not joining us on the Spirit of Highlanders Extension, today marks the end of our purposeful journey. The memories and inspiration you take from this journey will indeed last a lifetime. We hope your conversation, and therefore your journey, will continue with your new friends. Our journey concludes, formally, with the departure of our flight home.
Day 1 – Halò Scotland
Sunday, August 27, 2023
We will say our goodbyes to our fellow travelers in Ireland before transferring to Edinburgh, Scotland. Once in Edinburgh we will check into our hotel with time to relax a bit before dinner. B,D
Day 2 – Explore Fascinating Edinburgh
Monday, August 28, 2023
Spend a day exploring the fascinating history and culture of Edinburgh. Highlights will include one of the most important castles in the United Kingdom. The castle of Edinburgh was the scene of sixteenth century parties and the home of Mary Queen of Scots. B,D
Day 3 – A Day on the Trail
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Today, we will enjoy a beautiful ride on our way to the famous Speyside whiskey region. We will make stops at distilleries made famous by generations of craftsmen who are master producers of Scotland’s national drink.
B, L
Day 4 – Fore! Andrews and Atholls
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
We will join an expert guide to walk in the footsteps of golfing legends on one of the most famous golf courses in the world. We venture to Blair Castle, home to the Atholl family for over seven centuries. The castle spans Medieval, Georgian, and Victorian eras and stands as a concise expression of Scotland’s history that includes a nine-acre walled garden. B, D
Day 5 – The Formal End to our Purposeful Journey
Thursday, August 31, 2023
The memories and inspiration you take from this journey will indeed last a lifetime. We hope your conversation, and therefore your journey, will continue with your new friends. Our journey concludes, formally, with the departure of our flight home.
Purpose
Celts, Culture, and College Football promises to be a fun and inspiring travel experience with the potential to create lasting memories. The highlight of our journey together will no doubt be the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. This journey will also offer a unique opportunity to encounter Ireland in a balanced, relaxed way as we delight in an eclectic array of sights and experiences that are sure to fascinate and inspire. We invite you to join us for a beautiful journey through Ireland that offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to cheer on our Midshipmen in Aviva Stadium in Dublin on this wonderful purposeful journey.
Your beautiful journey through Ireland will offer you a truly unique opportunity to explore a fascinating spectrum of sights from natural ocean beauty to centuries of history and culture. Visit the spectacular Irish coast, cathedrals and castles, eclectic sights and scenes of rock and roll legends and traditional music, as well as tread the ground of Vikings and royalty. We will also enjoy an encounter with Irish history, culture, and cuisine that will provide background and context through our encounter with Irish history and culture sure to enhance our experience of the football contest in Dublin. The highlights on this journey seem almost too numerous to adequately describe but are sure to delight and inspire.
Our Philosophy
We hope you will measure the quality of your journey, not by the quantity of sights you see, but by the invaluable experiences you absorb.
Balance of stimulating experience, serious reflection… …and just plain fun.
One word describes our intention for your journey: balance. We believe each place we visit should relate to whole story, the arc of a narrative. We believe in creating journeys formed and shaped as narratives; journeys that are serious, purposeful, and fulfilling with time to reflect with fellow travelers or alone while providing opportunity for experiences that are just plain fun.
Expert interaction and rich personal encounters
Rather than a trip led by a tour guide trained to disseminate information from a script, we endeavor to seek experts to lead you on a journey who are available as a resource for as much depth as you desire or to leave you to your own reflection.
One beautiful base location
Too often, group travel can leave you feeling like you are part of a herd of a large group of strangers hustled from sight to sight, packing and unpacking everyday of your trip. With us you will stay in one beautiful base location that serves as a base for our excursions. Changing hotels as few times as possible during a journey allows greater opportunity to experience people and culture.
Meticulously planned; yet flexible journey
How does a trip become a journey? Carefully selected excursions that form a narrative, staying in one beautiful base location, with time and flexibility for reflection, and activities that are just plain fun.
Cuisine as a delectable complement to culture and conversation
Cuisine, and the wonderful dining experiences we share in an eclectic array of venues, provide a delectable complement to your rich encounters with the culture and the delightful conversation you enjoy with fellow travelers.
Arrangements
Game Tickets: Aer Lingus College Football Classic-Navy v. Notre Dame
Game tickets will not be available until Spring 2023.
Flight Information
As a fellow traveler, you will have the flexibility to choose how you will join your cohort to formally begin your journey. Purposeful Journeys marks the formal beginning of your journey with the welcome reception and dinner at our destination hotel. On most journeys, you will have three options to join your cohort. Below are the options for joining your cohort with the primary advantage for each option:
- Join Your Cohort on Our Group Flight: On most journeys, Purposeful Journeys will arrange a group flight from a major airport in closest proximity and convenience for the majority of the cohort. The group flight will include a transfer from the destination airport to the hotel.
Advantage: This is often the most cost effective and certainly the most convenient option. - Meet Your Cohort at the Destination Airport: For a number of reasons, you may want to choose a flight other than the group flight and still meet your cohort in time to transfer from the destination airport to the hotel. Fellow travelers who choose this option will incur an additional cost for the transfer from the destination airport to the destination hotel.
Advantage: Fellow travelers may find a balance between the convenience of choosing their own flight from an origination airport other than the airport where the group flight will depart while still taking advantage of the group transfer to the destination hotel. - Meet Your Cohort at the Destination Hotel: As a fellow traveler, you may want to choose to meet your cohort at the destination hotel in time for the formal beginning of your journey with the welcome reception and dinner.
Advantage: This option offers fellow travelers the most flexibility. Fellow travelers will need to weigh the flexibility of this option with what will likely be additional costs.
Group flights will usually be announced between 90 and 180 days prior to departure of your purposeful journey. Fellow travelers will be kindly requested to choose the option for meeting their cohort to formally begin their journey soon after group flight arrangements are announced.
Hotel Accommodations
Arrangements have been made for fellow travelers at four or five star hotels in Dublin, Limerick, and Edinburgh.
Meals
Most meals are included in this purposeful journey. Dining in Europe tends to be as much of a leisurely event as a means of taking sustenance. Meals provide time for us to relax, taken in the culture, and discuss all that we have seen and experienced as fellow travelers that day. See the current, tentative itinerary for details.
Ground Transportation
Transfers to and from the arrival flight into and departing flight from Europe will be provided. Other ground transportation will be provided throughout the journey.
Sightseeing and Events
This purposeful journey includes several premium sight seeing opportunities and tours. As details emerge, specific information will be shared with fellow travelers.
Cost—$3,200 (If you apply to travel by March 1, 2023)
Your Mid, traveling independently, may travel at virtually no cost
The Spirit of the Highlands Extension—$1,350 (includes transportation to Scotland)
Current Incentives (all discounts are reflected in the $3,200 price):
- Save $500 with a special journey host discount code
- Save $150 if you apply to travel by March 1, 2023
- Save $150 if you choose to settle your balance prior to the due date of your first payment
Your journey includes:
- One ticket to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic: Navy v Notre Dame, Aviva Stadium, August 26, 2023. Please Note: Tickets will not be available until Spring 2023.
- Taxes and airline surcharges
- Deluxe coach transportation throughout your itinerary
- Double occupancy hotel room ($500 single supplement)
- Meals as specified in the final itinerary
- Admission fees as specified in the final itinerary
- Only goods, services, or activities as explicitly included in the General Terms and Conditions.
Your journey does not include:
- Round trip airfare
- Gratuities for service staff, coach driver(s) and guides
- Alcoholic beverages, bottled water, after dinner drinks
- Travel insurance
- Any goods, services, or activities expressly excluded in the General Terms and Conditions.
Remittance Schedule:
- Deposit of $150 is due with your application.
- Once your application is approved, you will receive an invoice/statement that reflects your choice for settling your balance.
- If you choose to avail yourself of the Pay-in-Full discount, you must settle your balance in full before your first payment is due and as reflected on your invoice/statement.
- If you choose to make payments, your payments will be divided into monthly payments with a final payment due as specified on your invoice/statement.
- Payments due as specified in your remittance schedule.
- Final payment must be received no later than the date specified on your invoice/statement and remittance schedule.
When approved as a fellow traveler…
…you will receive an invoice and a remittance schedule from Malone Clan Expeditions, LLC along with a link to a password protected page on our website that will offer details and updates about your journey.
General Terms and Conditions
Malone Clan Expeditions, LLC will administer your journey. You must accept the General Terms and Conditions at the time you submit your application. Please refer to the General Terms and Conditions for any applicable additional fees that may apply in certain situations and circumstances such as any deviation from the group flight itinerary or your requirement of a single room.
We cordially invite you to apply to join us as a fellow traveler
Please complete the application form. You will be prompted to submit a payment deposit of $150 (regularly $300) with your application once your form is complete with all required fields. We are delighted you are taking the step of submitting your application to become a member of a journey with us. We look forward to notifying you of your acceptance as a fellow traveler.
