Nigel O'Connor is an established tour director, leading tours of Ireland and Scotland since 2016. Before guiding, Nigel supported tours as their coach driver.
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Delivering guided, group summer tours and pilgrimages to Ireland - packages and customized tours available - our focus areas include history, genealogy, faith, and agriculture. Nationally certified through ATGI, he specializes in history, culture, and religion. His skills behind the wheel and microphone guarantee a wonderful experience. His experience and knowledge lend themselves well to crafting
a well-organized, enjoyable tour. Jessica O'Connor is an educator. She has coordinated educational experiences her entire career, including one to Ireland and Northern Ireland that focuses on the horse industry. As a certified spiritual director, she loves to engage others in the rich, religious history of Ireland and its people. She looks forward to guiding others into a new encounter with God through pilgrimages. Equally, she is excited to offer "adult study abroad" options with a few agro-tourism offerings. In 2017, Nigel and Jessica met while on tour. Jessica was traveling to Ireland for the first time on pilgrimage - and Nigel happened to be the driver-guide! Jessica's trip to Ireland was one focused on healing and resurrection, as it had been one year since her husband's passing. She encountered that - and more. There is something magical about Ireland - and we hope to provide that encounter for our guests.
LAST CALL for the Scenic Sojourn 2024.
There are 4 spots available July 14-20, 2024 to see Dublin, Killarney, and Di**le with us. Reach out if interested or would like the itinerary. We’d love to show you around one of our favorite spots!
https://www.irishoaktours.com/scenic-sojourn
SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!
The opportunity to join us on this fantastic getaway exploring the southwestern peninsulas’ stunning views - cliffs, beaches, patchwork hillsides - expires this Sunday, June 16!
We still have 4 seats remaining (great Father’s Day surprise!)… If you’d like a copy of the itinerary or want to reserve your spot - comment below or message us!
Scenic Sojourn This week-long tour is the perfect option to steal away to reset in the gorgeous Irish landscape. The first night will be spent in Dunboyne Castle, just outside of Dublin. Then, we will head southwest to spend our days on the Di**le and Kerry peninsulas. For four nights, your home wil...
Here’s your sign to take the trip of a lifetime this July!
One of the families planning to join us on our “relax & reset” tour, unfortunately can no longer make the trip…
…which means, there are FOUR seats available for you & 3 friends!
Spending time on the Atlantic coast, walking the national park in Killarney, and feasting with new friends - I can think of no other way to “reset”! It’s one of the best places in Ireland to refocus and reframe…preparing to make the last half of 2024 great.
For an unbeatable price of $2100, you stay in fantastic hotels, travel in style, visit beautiful sites, learn from fun & knowledgeable guides, and personalized service from your tour directors.
Contact us if interested!
Scenic Sojourn This week-long tour is the perfect option to steal away to reset in the gorgeous Irish landscape. The first night will be spent in Dunboyne Castle, just outside of Dublin. Then, we will head southwest to spend our days on the Di**le and Kerry peninsulas. For four nights, your home wil...
Just two last minute seats left on our fabulous seven day tour of County Kerry, with four nights in the luxurious Lake Hotel, and lots of fully guided sightseeing and visits in the sunny south west of Ireland, by luxury coach.
14th - 20th July 2024, don't delay, book now! Contact us for details.
With the exCYting announcement last night about Iowa State playing K-State next August in DUBLIN - we’ve already had questions about an Irish Oak Tours trip for it.
Ask and you shall receive, friends!
If you’re interested in a trip like this, let us know - 1) would you like to end your trip with the game; 2) start your trip with the game and end a week later (I’d have to look at the calendar if that Monday a week later would be Labor Day…) OR 3) have a few days before & a few days after. If you have a length of time in mind - put that in the chat, too!
This is particularly special to Jessica because she’s an Iowa State alum, twice over, and a legacy. It’s where her parents met, where she met her first husband Dan, and where her nephew is heading in the fall. AND K-State is special because her nephew Alex is a student there and will be graduating next year (what a great graduation present!) - and has recently been named K-State’s Ag Man of the Year.
What an exCYting opportunity! Ask & you shall receive my friends….
All the Irish you ever need to know…. 😆
Look what popped up on our daily calendar: Di**le peninsula!
Come check it out yourself this summer on our tour!
1 spot for a solo female traveler and two spots for a duo!
https://www.irishoaktours.com/scenic-sojourn
🎶 All the single ladies…all the single ladies…🎶
Calling any single lady interested in traveling to Ireland this summer - we have a roommate for you on our “reset & relax” 7-day tour to the scenic southwest!
It can often be a challenge to travel as a single person because tours are priced for two people sharing a room. Currently, we have a single woman traveling on our 7-day tour seeking a roommate. If interested, please contact us. The price will be $2100 for the week in Ireland (flight not included).
Scenic Sojourn This week-long tour is the perfect option to steal away to reset in the gorgeous Irish landscape. The first night will be spent in Dunboyne Castle, just outside of Dublin. Then, we will head southwest to spend our days on the Di**le and Kerry peninsulas. For four nights, your home wil...
We are halfway toward filling our week-long Scenic Sojourn tour of the southwestern peninsula of Ireland. Friends - this is a great opportunity to experience the stunning views of wild Ireland!
As I look through pictures from our time in Killarney and Di**le last year…WOW is what frequently comes to mind. The coast, the mountains, the ancient ruins…this tour has it all.
The dates are July 14-20, 2024. https://www.irishoaktours.com/scenic-sojourn
If we fill all 12 spots by Easter, all those who have signed up will receive $100 off their total price - taking the cost/person to $2100!
There are SIX spots remaining! Sign up today!
This will be our only tour for Summer 2024; don’t delay!
(and if you share this post with a comment on why to travel with us, you’ll be entered into a drawing for Irish coffee supplies…)
Scenic Sojourn This week-long tour is the perfect option to steal away to reset in the gorgeous Irish landscape. The first night will be spent in Dunboyne Castle, just outside of Dublin. Then, we will head southwest to spend our days on the Di**le and Kerry peninsulas. For four nights, your home wil...
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Enjoy this feast day by creating one of your own! This week, we’ve hosted two Irish dinner parties featuring some of our favorites that are easy to make for a crowd:
Irish Beef & Guinness Stew - doubled to feed 17; modified to add parsnips - your veg represents the Irish flag! This is served the Irish way - over mashed potatoes.
Dublin Coddle - this is an “inner city Dublin” dish; this uses the cheaper cuts of meat - bacon and sausage - but dang! Does it create a delish broth. It’s a simple, powerful meal with bacon, sausage (we used brats butchered locally), potatoes, carrots and onions.
Recently, I’ve started baking sourdough, so we had a Guinness sourdough bread with each.
And desserts….
Fifteens - one of Nigel’s specialties. This is a Northern Ireland fave - 15 items of 3 ingredients - digestive biscuits, marshmallows, cherries, and a can of sweetened condensed milk. No bake. So simple; so unbelievably good.
Chocolate biscuit cake - a fan favorite.
Gluten-free shortbread cookies - a staple and perfect with tea.
Guinness brownies - Guinness in the brownie AND the frosting, and holy cow. Incredible.
…followed with an Irish coffee!
However you choose to celebrate today: ENJOY! The Irish know good food and good drink.
Slainte!
Join us in Ireland this summer! We are hosting a small group tour for a week-long reset in Killarney! The tour will take place from July 14 - 20, 2024.
The perks of this trip are 1) exploring the stunning Di**le and Kerry peninsulas; 2) calling Killarney's Lake Hotel "home" for four days; 3) traveling with us! We are looking to travel with 12 folks; these can be couples, pairs of friends, groups of 3 or singles. The cost is $2200/person. To accommodate single rooms, there is an upcharge.
If you'd like to stay longer at the beginning or end, let us know!
Hello, hello Friends!
We hope you haven’t forgotten us here at Irish Oak Tours! We’ve had a very full fall, but we have been working behind the scenes perfecting our tours. Now, it’s time to start getting some dates on the books for Summer 2024.
We’d like you to help us out in our planning. If you’re interested in travelling with us this summer, please fill out this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KolxVpri8gK5VW2gNhzcMh6GtF5XPqpxC9v_YVzmnl4/edit
In Summer 2023, we took two groups on our 8-day “Castles and Islands” tour. One was a 3-generation family tour and the other a group of friends - and it was perfect for both groups. We enjoy tailoring our plans where possible so that everyone experiences “the trip of a lifetime.”
We also have some interest in an ag-based, agro-tourism tour. If you’d be interested in this, comment below with the length of time you’d like and one or two items you’d like to see/do!
A trip to Ireland is a great Christmas gift….
Please complete the following questions to help us coordinate our Summer 2024 offerings. Additionally, completing this survey will place you on our mailing list to receive updates regarding tour offerings, dates, prices, etc. We promise not to spam your inbox!
As it’s Labor Day weekend and both of our day jobs have recommenced (Williamston Schools and Michigan State), it’s about time we highlight a bit of our summer fun!
This year we hosted 3 groups and did a dry run of our two-week “All Ireland” trip - and man, did we have fun with our people!
Our May tour was a custom plan for a group of 4 sisters who wanted to reconnect, recharge - and not have to plan any of it. These four are near to my heart and it was an honor to facilitate their weeklong sister-time.
In June, we took our 13-day tour dry run - and it was dry! All sunshine and no rain made visiting sites like the Giant’s Causeway, Derry, Slieve League, Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry and Di**le even more beautiful. Wow! So many have commented on my nice tan - well, it’s All Ireland, baby!
Our two big group tours both chose the Castles & Islands tour. Our first was a 3-generation family group of 19 aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents. The tour offered “something for everyone” and was great family bonding.
Our final tour was a group of friends all connected to two of our dear friends. Man, did they have fun! Everyday, shenanigans abound!
Nigel has refined the itineraries, and we are ready to book for summer 2024!
7 days - Killarney and Dublin as hubs
8 days - Ross Castle and Galway as hubs
10 days - St Patrick pilgrimage
13 days - All Ireland tour
Reach out to us about dates, group tours for family or friends, or developing a custom itinerary led by us or even self-driven/guided.
Are you dreaming about Ireland? Stop cat napping, and get in touch to book your trip to Ireland with Irish Oak Tours right now!
www.irishoaktours.com
This weekend, Nigel will be presenting “Touring Your Roots in Ireland” at Iowa IrishFest. His presentation will be Sunday at 11am. He will talk about some of the sites available to tracing your Irish ancestors and some of the opportunities to follow in their footsteps while touring with us!
There’s great music, workshops, food and fun to be had all weekend long in Waterloo! (I’m looking forward to the Irish breakfast on Sunday!)
If you’re planning to attend, let us know! We’d love to meet up.
A short selection of photographs from our Islands & Castles tour 2023! More information to follow very soon!
Irish Oak Tours just landed in Dublin! This is the meeting point at Terminal 2, for the transatlantic flights. Look out for the giant yellow squiggle. You can't miss it!
An opportunity has just opened for two seats on our fabulous 'Islands and Castles' tour, 1st-10th July 2023!
Stay two nights in a medieval Irish towerhouse in County Meath, and four nights in an excellent hotel in the heart of Galway, with seven days of guided coach touring around Ireland, a day on the Aran Islands, and some time in the capital city of Dublin!
This is a rare opportunity to grab an Irish vacation with Irish Oak Tours this year! Don't delay! Contact us for information.
In honor of St Paddy’s Day, Nigel’s 3 Yahtzees today (luck of the Irish) and Michigan State advancing to the Sweet Sixteen — LAST CALL to sign up for our 13-day tour of Ireland, June 4-16, 2023.
We need 4 more couples/duos in order to take the tour on the road. We’d love to take you on the trip of a lifetime!
The link below has more information as well as the link to sign up. Please sign up/reach out to us by March 22.
13-Day tour across All IrelandSkirt the coastline from north to west to the south and back to Dublin. Traveling June 4-16, 2023. Sign Up All Ireland ItineraryDAY 1 - Sunday 4th JuneArrive in Dublin Airport, to be greeted by Nigel and Jessica O’Connor. Stay one night in the center of Dublin, within...
Day 6 of our fabulous 13 day Tour of Ireland - Travel down the west coast of Ireland through five counties, and experience the rugged and remote mountain scenery of Sligo, Mayo and Galway. You will need your camera fully charged!
As well as stopping in the picturesque town of Westport, you will drive through Connemara and the Lough Inagh Valley, where stunning mountain and lake views abound.
The highlight of the day will be a visit to Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Gardens, where you will spend a leisurely three hours exploring the abbey and grounds. Arrive at a luxury hotel in Galway city for two nights.
Book now! Contact us for more details! An ideal gift for the people you love!
We will be hosting a Q & A on Zoom tonight at 7pm CST (8pm EST) about our 13-day "All Ireland Tour." If you'd like to join, comment below and/or message us your email, and we will send you the link to join the discussion!
In the meantime, check out the details here:
https://www.irishoaktours.com/13-day-all-ireland-tour
Come to Ireland with Irish Oak Tours, and enjoy a full Irish breakfast every morning in a top class hotel! We use only three and four star hotels, unless you are on one of our exclusive tours staying in a genuine Irish medieval towerhouse. Be sure to try the black and white pudding, an Irish breakfast delicacy. Delicious!
Day 5 of our fabulous 13 day tour of all Ireland is a leisurely day, taking you to the sheer cliffs at Slieve League in County Donegal, and some free time to explore the beautiful town of Donegal.
At almost 2,000 feet, these are some of the highest and most dramatic cliffs in all of Europe, and we recommend wearing some layers, as even in the summer, strong winds can blow down from the mountains, making it feel quite cold!
Indulge yourself in some shopping for quality Irish gifts in the afternoon, including the finest of Irish woolens in Donegal Town, where you can witness the traditional Irish loom in action.
Book now for this once-in-a-lifetime experience in Ireland, and bring home memories you will share forever! Contact us for details!
Derry City, on the banks of the River Foyle.
Derry is the second city of Northern Ireland. Derry has had a troubled past, particularly during the war torn years of the 1970s and 1980s. Derry today is a very beautiful city, dominated by the walls of the old city, from which lovely views of the city can be had.
A modern Peace Bridge crosses the river, which can be seen in the photograph. As well as bridging the river, it also symbolizes a bridging between two communities, Catholic and Protestant, who were once at war, but today have managed to find consensus and co-operation with each other.
We will take you to visit Derry on our 13 day tour of all Ireland. You will visit the area where Catholic civil rights marches took place in 1972, see the painted murals depicting the hardship of civil war, and walk the city walls. It is an interesting and deeply moving experience, led by a local tour guide.
Just one of the highlights of day 4 of our 13 day tour of Ireland, we will also visit the Ulster American Folk Park, which tells the story of the Scots Irish emigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries, and we will stay in a fabulous hotel in County Donegal for two nights.
Don't delay - get in touch to secure your place on this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Join us in 30 minutes to learn more about the 2- week trip around Ireland!
Join Zoom Meeting
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In ancient times, GIANTS stalked the land of Ireland!
Stories of Ireland tell of a great giant from Scotland, Benandonner, who built a causeway across the sea, but who was defeated by the wile of an Irish hero of legend, Fionn Mac Cumhaill.
A part of this ancient causeway of stone is still there today, the Giants Causeway, on the spectacular North Antrim Coast.
Day 3 of our fabulous 13 day tour of Ireland will take you on a drive of the North Antrim Coast, to visit the Giants Causeway, and hear stories of legend from ancient Ireland!
There is an informational Zoom call tonight, Monday 30th January, at 8pm Eastern time about our tour. Contact us for a link!
Early Christian Ireland in one photograph.
Muiredach's Cross, seen here, is probably the finest example of an early Christian high cross in Ireland. It can be found at Monasterboice, a 6th century monastery in County Louth.
Covered in finely detailed carvings, each panel depicts a story from the Bible. They would have been used to educate the pagan people of Ireland in the new Christian faith.
The cross itself dates from the 10th century, as does the round tower behind, another feature almost unique to Irish Christian history.
You can visit Monasterboice, and see the high crosses, churches and round tower, and hear all about the history, on day 2 of our fabulous 13 day tour of all Ireland, in June 2023.
There will be an informational Zoom call about the tour on Monday evening, 30th January, at 8pm Eastern time. Contact us for a link.
A 6,000 year old mystery, on a hillside in Kenmare, County Kerry, in Ireland...
Who were the ancient people who erected these stone circles, so long ago? What did they mean? What was life like in a magical land, in such ancient times?
Walk in the footsteps of these ancestors from long ago, on a fascinating tour of Ireland, with Irish Oak Tours. We are hosting a live online event at 7pm next Sunday, 22nd January, where you can find out all about our thirteen day tour of Ireland in summer 2023, where you will go, and what you will see, and much more besides. Looking forward to greeting you all!
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 2 mince pies!
Enjoying a mince pie - or a few - during the Christmas season is a tradition in Ireland. You can find them in shops everywhere. They are one of Nigel’s favorites, so we recreated them here in America.
This year, we made our own mince pie filling AND two types of pastry crusts (one gluten-free for Jessica). The verdict: WOW. These were the hands-down Christmas favorite treat!
Anyone interested in our recipes - they are linked below in the comments.
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