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Are hotels isolated?
We are considering taking this tour. While we like that Tauck uses wonderful hotels and there are clearly some great ones on this tour, we have a concern. Are you isolated from the villages? We aren't golfers and some of the big estate hotels seem like resorts that aren't near the Irish people and pubs. We might not mind a night or two being isolated but it seems like there are quite a few in the 2015 itinerary.
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We are booked on this tour next Sept. but I haven't done my usual detailed analysis of the route yet. In general, but not always, Tauck chooses hotels that are centrally located to attractions, restaurants, etc. I haven't checked on the locations of the hotels but will do so- I find doing this and researching other topics is a great way to pass the time until the tour.
You can do the same thing. If you look at the list of hotels in your itinerary and search for each one using Google, then select "maps," you will be able to see exactly where they are located. Google maps will also allow you to zoom in and out to see what is in the surrounding area, whether it is in a town, village, or countryside and where it is located on your tour- it is a great tool!. In many places after you zoom in, you can also select "Street View" which is like looking out the window of the car or bus- you can move forward and back, pan, and zoom. After getting home from our Alps tour, I wanted to see if I could find an unidentified castle we caught a brief glimpse of from the bus window. Using Street View I was able to "drive" a section of our route and found the castle easily. I also used it before our England, Scotland, Wales trip to scout out the best route to Craigmillar Castle in Edinburgh.
My wife and I took this tour in July 2014. The 2015 Hotels are the same as for our tour. If the hotel not being within walking distance of the Village Pub is a deal breaker, then consider the deal broken. The hotels are not in town with a couple of exceptions. If you arrive a day or two early for the tour, then Ennis would provide a nice opportunity for what you describe as the Old Ground Hotel is right in town. Ennis is eminently walk-able and "pub-able". The only other hotel that satisfies your wishes is the Merchant Hotel in Belfast. Dinner is on your own on the second night in Belfast and you would have good opportunities for pubs and much more there. There is a free night in Dublin and and while the Four Seasons Hotel is not in downtown, there is a Tauck shuttle that will take you to where the action is. Of course, you may be able to reach the local town by cab from the other hotels. You might email the concierge at the hotels for that information.
My wife and I had a wonderful time on this tour and as far as I could tell so did the other travelers. The hotels are excellent. The food was excellent and there were only two nights where dinner was not included. There was not an excessive amount of down time and the bus usually was rolling by 8:30 AM with bag pulls an hour earlier on days we changed hotels. So I guess what I am saying is that there did not seem to be a clamor from our group to hit the pubs in the village at night.
Best wishes whatever you decide.
Greg Jones