The IRT Society's Best-Loved Railway Journeys 2018 - 48

Belmond Grand Hibernian:
Grand Tour of Ireland

the irt society's best-loVed railway journeys®

Owen Hardy

Eleanor Hardy

n August, 2016, The Society of International Railway
Travelers® (IRT) was honored
to inaugurate the Belmond
Grand Hibernian with a sold-out
charter, the train's first official
trip. Belmond had transformed
10 Irish Rail cars into a luxury
sleeper train with accommodations for up to 40 guests traveling
in 20 elegant, en-suite cabins.
The result is Ireland's first overnight luxury train.
slEEpiNg cArs
The train's five sleeping cars
combine modern luxury and
traditional design, with 16 twin
and four double cabins. Besides
a bathroom with shower, sink
and toilet, each cabin includes a
wardrobe, writing desk and chair,
and large windows, so you can
admire Ireland's vividly green
landscape. Cabins are about 85
square feet.
The cars are named after Irish
counties and are decorated to
match their county's traditional
tartan. "Down" features vibrant
splashes of orange, "Waterford"
is designed with cool blues,
"Leitrim" has bold reds, and

"Kerry" boasts sophisticated
shades of purple. Four of these
have three twin cabins and one
double-bedded cabin. At the end
of each car, one double bed cabin
interconnects with a twin bed
cabin to form a suite, a layout
ideal for families. The fifth sleeping car has three twin compartments, plus an additional twin
cabin with wheelchair access.
Corridors are sufficiently wide
(700m) to allow for the wheelchair to move freely.
Like its 'cousin,' the Belmond
Royal Scotsman, the Belmond
Grand Hibernian stops for the
night at quiet sidings to ensure
restful sleep.
DiNiNg & louNgE cArs
The train's two air-conditioned dining cars (also named
for Irish counties) serve cuisine
rivaling the best restaurants
in Dublin. Dishes on our trip
included roast Killarney venison
loin, fresh seafood from the Beara
Peninsula and Donegal turfsmoked salmon. Our IRT group
loved the cuisine, service - even
the china (especially that used for
afternoon tea, with its delicate

Eleanor Hardy

bird designs). The elegant dining
car "Sligo," arranged in tables of
four, seats 20 guests. "Wexford"
accommodates 24 at tables of six.
The observation/lounge car
"Kildare" occupies the train's
all-important rear position. The
car has panoramic windows. Its
comfortable bar, plus the train's
all-inclusive nature, helps create
a convivial, country house-party
atmosphere. Nightly entertainment with local instrumentalists,
singers and storytellers adds to
the jolly onboard spirit. Feel free
to join in the merry-making. Our
IRT group especially loved the
young woman (French, in fact)
who played the celtic harp.
There is wi-fi sufficient for
sending/receiving emails, but it
can be spotty. The bar is wellstocked, so forget email. Instead,
try the peated Connemara Irish
whiskey.
Eleanor Hardy

48
48 || FOR
Visit our
DATES,
website
PRICES:
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WWW.IRTSOCIETY.COM
prices, more tours * www.irtsociety.com
* (800) 478-4881
* (800) 478-4881,
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u.s. & canada; (502) 897-1725, elsewhere * tourdesk@irtsociety.com

https://www.irtsociety.com/journey/belmond-grand-hibernian-grand-tour/

The IRT Society's Best-Loved Railway Journeys 2018

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