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WEXFORD FESTIVAL HOLIDAY
19 to 23 OCTOBER 2008

Join the Friends of Clonter Opera on this wonderful holiday.

The Wexford Festival unveils its brand new and long awaited opera house for the 2008 Opera Festival, which will provide a 750-seat state of the art auditorium, designed by Centre Stage Engineering. It continues its philosophy of offering to opera lovers rarely heard works, many of them artistic gems which have been unjustly neglected. This special holiday includes return transfers from Clonter, one night in Dublin, three nights in the superb Whites Hotel in Wexford town centre, a range of included excursions, and top-price stalls seats for two of the three Festival opera productions. Friends may choose to see a third production at extra cost. Dinner is included each evening at the hotels in both Dublin and Wexford.

Sunday 19 October
Coach departs from Clonter car park mid-morning to catch the afternoon Stena Swift service crossing to Dun Laoghaire in ninety minutes. Friends may upgrade to the on-board Stena Plus Lounge which includes free non-alcholic drinks and small sweet snacks at £18pp each way. From Dun Laoghaire we transfer to the excellent modern four-star Quality Hotel situated in the city's new commercial district, close to the Liffey. The hotel offers a 22-metre heated swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room and gym. Guestrooms are well-sized and light. Dinner is included tonight in Lannigans Restaurant, with its range of Irish and European cuisine. After dinner relax in the Vertigo or Lobby Bar.
Friends may alternatively fly to Dublin from a number of UK airports and transfer by taxi to the hotel, or arrive by their own car. Please enquire regarding alternative costing.

Monday 20 October
Before driving to Wexford we spend the morning in Dublin, starting with an introductory coach tour accompanied by a local guide, who will acquaint us both with the historical sights of the city and the manifestations of its new-found wealth which have made Dublin one of the richest and most dynamic of European cities. Trinity College was founded by Elizabeth I in 1592 to train 'good Protestant priests' and remained a Protestant stronghold until recently. Its stylish buildings present 300 years of architectural history. Our visit includes the Old Library and the Book of Kells with its associated exhibition, often considered the finest extant early medieval manuscript in the world. Exiting from the rear of the college we enter the National Gallery, exhibiting in modernised premises, a superb collection of Irish and European art.

A light lunch is included at the Quality Hotel before a two-hour coach journey to Wexford, where we arrive late afternoon at the centrally situated superior four-star Whites Hotel. Whites is a historic hotel, completely rebuilt recently to a contemporary, airy design with substantial use of glass. We have booked superior rooms, which are more spacious and with additional features than standard rooms. Superior rooms provide plasma screen television, broadband connection, safe, mini-bar, iron and hairdryer. Suites may be available at additional cost. Facilties include The Terrace Restaurant for formal dining, the Library Bar and La Speranza Café Bar. For relaxation there is a 20 metre swimming pool, gymnasium and a superbly equipped Tranquillity Spa and Wellness Centre.

Tonight's performance is Rimsky-Korsakov's Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden), composed in 1882 with a libretto by the composer himself and based on the eponymous Russian folk tale. Described as a Springtime fairy-tale, it is full of genuine Russian folk melodies, and is a perfect example of the composer's commitment to his country and its musical and folk traditions.

Tuesday 21 October

Wexford is a Viking town, founded in 950AD. It still retains sections of its 13th century city walls and the attractive ruins of Selskar Abbey, where Henry II did penance for the murder of Thomas a Beckett.

Wexford was prominent in the fight against Cromwell and again in the 1798 rebellion. A local guide will introduce us this morning to the history and sights of the city. We hope to be able to have a guided tour of the new opera house, but this may not be possible at such a busy time due to performance schedules.

The afternoon is at leisure. There is always a full programme of events at Wexford: recitals, concerts and talks. The full programme will be advised when known.

The second opera is a modern work from the eclectic British composer Richard Rodney Bennett, The Mines of Sulphur. This work dates from 1965 and recounts a tale of low-lifes, theft, murder and amateur dramatics.

Wednesday 22 October

Twenty miles from Wexford, in the attractive riverside town of New Ross, the Famine Ship lies moored to the quayside. A replica of the Dunbrody which regularly crossed the Atlantic in the mid-1800s, it is a beautiful ship to visit. The guided tour particularly relates the period around 1850 when it carried thousands from South East Ireland to New York to escape the effects of the potato blight. The story is vividly retold, including the use of costumed actors, and is full of hope for a better life escaping the tragedy of the famine.

In Waterford we are treated to a tour of the famous Waterford Crystal Factory, where we can follow all stages of production. Crystal differs from glass by its higher lead content, 30% in the case of Waterford Crystal. After the tour we can admire some fine production pieces in the gallery showroom, and the opportunity for purchases in the factory shop.

Waterford, Ireland's oldest city, displays a fine range of Georgian buildings on a medieval street plan. Visitor highlights include extensive remains of the city walls, the cathedrals of Christchurch and Holy Trinity, the Museum of Treasures and the busy harbour and quayside.

We return to Wexford late afternoon. After our included dinner tonight's performance is Tutti in Maschera. First performed in 1856 in Verona, this work by Carlo Pedrotti is a commedia lirica in three Acts based on a comedy by Goldoni. It is an opera…about opera!

Thursday 23 October

The morning is at leisure, maybe to enjoy a concert, maybe to take a taxi to visit the open-air Irish Heritage Museum with exhibits from Celtic to Norman times, or to the beautiful grounds of Johnstown Castle, which also contain the Irish Agricultural Museum.
Early afternoon we head back towards Dun Laoghaire, stopping en-route at Powerscourt. Although the house was gutted by fire in 1974, now partially restored, the gardens are considered the finest in Ireland, both for their design and their dramatic setting at the foot of Great Sugar Loaf Mountain.

After time to explore the gardens we continue to catch the evening Stena Swift back to Holyhead and by coach to Clonter.
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Holiday price is £850pp sharing a twin, including return coach from Clonter, four nights dinner, bed and breakfast in the Quality Hotel and Whites Hotel, one lunch, excursions and entrance fees as above, two top price stalls opera tickets and on-site services of a Grosvenor Travel representative for the first three days of the holiday. Single room supplement £95. Stena Plus on-board lounge £18pp each way. Contact us for costs if arriving by air or for use of own car and for pricing on suites in Whites Hotel. Deposit required with booking form £270pp. Cost of seat for third opera £90.

All Friends should ensure they have adequate travel insurance cover. We can provide travel insurance at £13pp for Friends aged up to 65 at time of booking. (Certain medical conditions may require a premium to be paid). Premium of 2 x adult rate applies for adults aged 66 to 75, premium of 2.5 aged 76 to 79, and 3.5 aged 80 to 86. There is an excess on most policy categories which can be waived for payment of an additional £10pp (no age-related supplement). Annual insurance is also available.
This Friends holiday will operate based on a minimum of 25 Friends booking. Booking period is scheduled to close 29 February 2008 or sooner subject to demand.