We're happy to share our experience to help others avoid the same disappointment. We DO NOT recommend Go Irish Tours.
We are an experienced, internationally traveled family, and we spent 20 months--since November 2023--meticulously planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Ireland for a group of 20 family members. We chose Go Irish Tours based on their promises of personalized service, local expertise, and seamless coordination. What we actually received was a frustrating, disjointed, and often chaotic experience marred by poor communication, internal disorganization, and a disturbing lack of accountability.
Broken Promises: Ashford Castle and a Ripple Effect
Ashford Castle was a key highlight for our group--many of us were especially excited about the falconry experience. Our original agent, Dylan, confirmed multiple times--both via email and video--that our rooms at Ashford were secured. We trusted those assurances and submitted our deposits right away.
Months later, we were told the rooms had never been reserved. Instead of proactively informing us of the change, Go Irish Tours waited until we uncovered it ourselves. They offered a substitute castle--which, while lovely, was out of the way, isolated, and added extra drive time to our itinerary. The loss of Ashford Castle, even though it was scheduled for the final night of our tour, was still disruptive--both emotionally and logistically--given how long it had been part of our plans and how much it shaped our expectations for the trip's conclusion.
Itinerary and Planning Flaws
Despite having nearly two years to plan, the itinerary Go Irish Tours developed ultimately proved to be rushed, illogical, and often impractical in execution. We had approved it in good faith, trusting their expertise and local knowledge to guide the structure of the trip. In one instance, we arrived in Kinsale on a Friday evening at 6:30 PM, and no one from the agency had advised us to make dinner reservations. It was peak time in a busy town. Our group had to split up just to find food, then reconvene later for a quick drink before returning to the hotel--with luggage call scheduled for 9 AM the next morning.
This was a recurring theme: beautiful hotels we only stayed in for 10-12 hours, evenings with no time to explore, and mornings rushing to beat the bus schedule. For a group of this size, and with this much lead time, the itinerary felt slapped together and completely detached from reality on the ground.
Transportation: Disorganized, Uncomfortable, and Poorly Managed
Just five days before our arrival, we were shocked to learn that no driver was confirmed for our group on day 1--despite our formal itinerary, dating back to November 2023, clearly indicating a hotel room reserved for the driver that night. We also had months of email confirmations from the agency confirming that transportation would begin that day. When we reached out for clarification, we were told a driver could be arranged--but only for an additional charge, despite that day having been planned and accounted for from the very beginning.
Once on the road, things only got worse. Our tour bus's air conditioning broke during an historic heatwave--temperatures in the 80s, the hottest Ireland had seen since the 1930s. Despite Go Irish's claim of 24/7 support, we didn't receive a call back for 19 hours, and the response was dismissive: "The bus was serviced three weeks ago." No repair was offered. No replacement was made. We spent the rest of the trip riding with windows and the moon roof open, trying to stay cool when it wasn't raining. It was deeply uncomfortable.
Chaotic Internal Communication
The breakdown in communication within Go Irish Tours was glaring. When Dylan left the company, no one informed us. Phone agents couldn't locate our reservation. Emails went unanswered. It took escalating the issue multiple times before we were reassigned to a new agent, and even then, the confusion continued. Despite dozens of emails clearly outlining concerns and errors, Jesse, a supervisor eventually told us, flatly, that there had been "no history of failures" with our booking.
Bottom Line:
As seasoned travelers who have planned group trips around the world, we expected professionalism, clarity, and follow-through--especially after 20 months of planning and early deposit payments. Instead, Go Irish Tours delivered a disorganized, dismissive experience that fell far short of what was promised.
If you're planning a special group experience, especially one involving multiple generations, locations, or events, we strongly urge you to look elsewhere.
We're happy to share our experience to help others avoid the same disappointment. We DO NOT recommend Go Irish Tours. read more
