Private Rail Aboard The Emerald Pullman

Check-in at Dublin’s Connolly Station 20 minutes before the train departure time (TBA). Our Railtours Ireland host will be in the station wearing a bright yellow jacket so that they are easily located. They will be located beside the Railtours Ireland check-in desk in the main concourse area of the station.

Our private and exclusive train will depart Dublin Connolly Station on Sunday June 7th 2026, Sunday September 6th 2026 & Monday September 21st 2026.

The Emerald Pullman departs Connolly Station and travels west through Dublin’s North inner city before heading southwest through the Phoenix Park tunnel and joins the main Dublin – Cork line until after Kildare town having run over the Curragh Plain, just after Kildare we turn due south through the rich rolling countryside of counties Carlow and Kilkenny before crossing the river Nore passing the ancient Jerpoint Abbey. We descend into Waterford city along the banks of the river Suir (pronounced Shure). A light lunch will be served before arrival in Waterford. This is our first stop, some two hours after leaving Dublin, and we transfer across the river to the city centre and visit the world-famous Waterford Crystal visitor centre where we have a V.I.P factory & showroom tour.

After a two-hour break in Waterford, we continue west on our Emerald Pullman through the beautiful Suir Valley leaving county Waterford and enjoying the lovely scenery of Tipperary passing the towns of Carrick On Suir, Clonmel, Cahir and Tipperary town. At Limerick Junction our Emerald Pullman reverses and heads south along the Cork main line through Ireland’s Golden Vale region as far as Mallow – the junction for county Kerry. We are now in county Cork and from here we head west passing through Banteer, Millstreet and Rathmore just after which we enter county Kerry (known as The Kingdom) and Killarney where todays train journey ends. We leave our comfortable train and walk the hundred metres to our beautiful Great Southern hotel, Killarney, where we will enjoy three nights.

Dinner is included at the Great Southern Hotel this night.

Included Meals Lunch, Dinner

Overnight Great Southern Hotel, Killarney View All

At 08:55, after enjoying your full Irish breakfast at the hotel, we board the Emerald Pullman for our tour to county Cork including Blarney castle, Cork city and the port of Cobh. We head east to Mallow where we transfer by luxury coach to the beautiful village of Blarney and its famous castle – kissing the Blarney stone it’s supposed to bestow the gift of eternal eloquence on those lucky enough to perform this task! Blarney castle estate is situated in five hundred acres of stunning gardens and rolling pastures – all for your enjoyment. This is also our lunch stop*.

Later in the afternoon we continue by coach for a Cork city tour and then we make for the famous transatlantic port of Cobh where millions of Irish emigrants set sail for the new worlds from the 1840’s onwards – if you have any Irish ancestry the chances are this is where they sailed from. After an enjoyable visit to this town famous as the last port of call of the Titanic and where the survivors of the Lusitania were brought. We reboard our Emerald Pullman at Cobh and return via this very scenic rail route to Cork city and back to Killarney, via Mallow.

Evening free in Killarney

Included Meals Breakfast

Overnight Great Southern Hotel, Killarney View All

At 10:00, enjoy a luxury coach tour of the Ring of Kerry with several stops en route, including a lunch stop at a nice pub. We also include the famous sheep dog demonstration by the local farmer Brendan Ferris, overlooking Dingle Bay. Return to Killarney around 5pm.

Alternatively, feel free to enjoy Killarney and/or the Killarney National Park, the entrance of which is around 100 metres from our hotel.

Evening free in Killarney.

Included Meals Breakfast

Overnight Great Southern Hotel, Killarney View All

At 08:55, the Emerald Pullman departs Killarney for Mallow and Limerick Junction where we head west again and into Limerick city’s Colbert Station. Here, we reverse and head north, along phase one of the Western Rail Corridor. We cross the River Shannon at Longpavement and enter County Clare (the Banner County). We pass through Ennis and continue on into county Galway and to the junction station of Athenry (there’s a famous song about the fields of Athenry) here we join the Dublin to Galway railway line and continue past the beginning of Galway Bay and into Galway city – the city of the tribes, arrival at 14:00. We now have the afternoon free to explore this vibrant and medieval city before transferring through Connemara to the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden (the capital of Connemara).

After check-in there is a champagne reception for guests before dinner (which is included) at this very unique and special hotel.

Included Meals Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, Clifden View All

Morning free to explore the lovely town of Clifden, with it’s fabulous art galleries, jewellery and woollen shops and much more interest…

For those who wish to partake in an afternoon tour of this spectacular area we will depart our hotel at 12:00, alternatively you may which to play golf at the world-famous Connemara Championship Links course at nearby Ballyconneely.

Our tour of Connemara will include the stunning Sky Road, the fabulous scenery of lakes, mountains and beaches. We will visit the iconic Kylemore Abbey as part of our tour.

Back to our hotel for 18:00, dinner is also included on night two of our stay here.

Included Meals Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, Clifden View All

At 09:00, we depart Clifden for Westport, where we rejoin our Emerald Pullman train and depart Westport for a unique journey to Dundalk.

After leaving Westport, we continue through Co. Mayo and the towns of Castlebar, Claremorris, and Ballyhaunis. Then we enter County Roscommon, passing through the towns of Castlerea and Roscommon before crossing the River Shannon at Athlone in Co. Westmeath.

We then enter County Offaly, passing the towns of Clara—where we interestingly cross a large area of raised bog—and Tullamore. After Tullamore, we travel through some eskers, ancient geological raised embankments of glacial material that were once used as roadways in ancient Ireland.

We soon enter County Laois at Portarlington, where we head northeast into County Kildare before revisiting County Dublin around Hazelhatch. Branching off just before Heuston Station, we take the Phoenix Park Tunnel, pass Glasnevin Junction and Croke Park, and arrive at Dublin Connolly Station.

The Emerald Pullman, having reversed here, now heads north through Malahide and hugs the coast from Skerries, passing Balbriggan, Gormanston, and Laytown in County Meath before crossing the River Boyne at Drogheda and entering County Louth.

We will then say goodbye to our Emerald Pullman Heritage train and join the First Class Enterprise scheduled train from Dundalk, beginning the long climb through the ancient pass known as the Gap of the North, into the province of Ulster and County Armagh.

From Newry in County Down, we shadow the remains of the Newry–Ulster Canal as far as Portadown. Passing Lisburn, we travel through the Lagan Valley and, after passing through the southern suburbs of Belfast, arrive at Belfast’s Grand Central Train Station, from which we walk a short distance to the adjoining Europa Hotel.

The evening is free in Belfast.

Included Meals Breakfast

Overnight Europa Hotel, Belfast View All

At 10:00 (10am), we depart Europa Hotel by coach for the lovely drive up the Antrim coast road passing Carnlough, The Glens of Antrim, Cushendall and Ballycastle. There are great views of Rathlin Island and indeed Scotland on a clear day.

We visit The Giant’s Causeway which is our lunch stop. We get a view of Dunluce castle before heading back directly by coach to Belfast and our hotel arriving approx. 5pm.

Evening free in Belfast.

Included Meals Breakfast

Overnight Europa Hotel, Belfast View All

We depart Belfast Grand Central Train Station for our last journey on the First Class Enterprise scheduled train and arrive in Dublin Connolly at (TBA).

It is here that we bid farewell to those with whom we have enjoyed a week of touring!

Included Meals Breakfast