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Laurel Villa Tours Of Seamus Heaney Country

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Five Star Quality Assurance
60 Church Street, Magherafelt, County Londonderry, BT45 6AW
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About

Poet Seamus Heaney (b. 1939 d. 2013) was one of Ireland's best loved public figures and one of the world's greatest writers.

Take a bespoke guided tour of his native South Derry, to find out more about the people, places and countryside that inspired Ireland's greatest poet.

'Rich, quality content, full of unexpected joys, beautiful images and then, ultimately, a feeling of sheer satisfaction and pleasure... One of the best guided tours I have ever done' - The Irish Times

Begin this unique and absorbing tour at the award winning Laurel Villa Townhouse in Magherafelt, Ireland's only poetry guesthouse. Your guide is Eugene Kielt an experienced Blue Badge tour guide who has been conducting specialist tours of Heaney Country for many years. Browse the Seamus Heaney Exhibition at Laurel...Read More

About

Poet Seamus Heaney (b. 1939 d. 2013) was one of Ireland's best loved public figures and one of the world's greatest writers.

Take a bespoke guided tour of his native South Derry, to find out more about the people, places and countryside that inspired Ireland's greatest poet.

'Rich, quality content, full of unexpected joys, beautiful images and then, ultimately, a feeling of sheer satisfaction and pleasure... One of the best guided tours I have ever done' - The Irish Times

Begin this unique and absorbing tour at the award winning Laurel Villa Townhouse in Magherafelt, Ireland's only poetry guesthouse. Your guide is Eugene Kielt an experienced Blue Badge tour guide who has been conducting specialist tours of Heaney Country for many years. Browse the Seamus Heaney Exhibition at Laurel Villa and view the rare Heaney special editions and memorabilia relating to the great man.

You will be able to see his birthplace at Mossbawn and retrace the footsteps of the young Seamus Heaney on his way to school in the 1940s.

'One of the top ten outdoor activities in Ireland' - The Guardian

Your tour will bring you to places synonymous with Seamus Heaney, including the villages of Castledawson, Bellaghy and Toome.

Along the way you will visit The Turf Man, a life-size representation of Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's most famous poem Digging as well as a number of key places from the poet's 'first world' that were to provide the inspiration for much of his work.

'Under the undivided Irish sky the poet’s words lived as fresh as the day he’d dug them from an internal landscape' - Sunday Telegraph Review

Your tour guide is:
Eugene Kielt, BA (Hons), Certin Tour Guiding,Member of N.Ireland Tourist Guide Association
A Blue Badge tour guide for over 20 years. With Gerardine, he runs Laurel Villa guest house, a mecca for poetry fans for many years and venue for the On Home Ground festival.

You can book tea and scones, lunches and accommodation here as well as Heaney tours. Read Less

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Facilities

Payment Methods

  • All major credit/debit cards accepted
  • Euros accepted

Guide Prices

From £12 per person. Please contact us for a quote

Map & Directions

Opening Times

* All year. Call to book.

What's Nearby

  1. Image of white buildings lining a stone laneway

    Built around 1619 by Sir Baptist Jones, Bellaghy Bawn is a fortified house and bawn (the…

    4.84 miles away
  2. Seamus Heaney HomePlace - Exhibition

    Seamus Heaney HomePlace takes you on an inspiring journey through the life and work of…

    4.84 miles away
  3. Springhill

    Step back to 1912 as you experience the Lenox-Conyngham home on the morning they left to…

    5.3 miles away
  4. A church on an island on Lough Beg

    Church Island is a small island on Lough Beg - 1.5 miles from Bellaghy. On a visit to the…

    5.33 miles away
  5. Image inside the visitor centre at Lough Neagh Fishery

    Providing tourists with in-depth and informative insight into the fishing industry on the…

    5.6 miles away
  6. A couple walking through gardens of Ballyscullion park with the Georgian House in the background.

    Ballyscullion Park is a private house, home of Richard and Rosalind Mulholland and their…

    5.64 miles away
  7. A couple and young child pictured through the arbour in Maghera Walled Garden.

    Maghera Walled Garden, a restored Victorian Garden on the grounds of a medieval 4th…

    6.48 miles away
  8. Standing stones at a Dolmen

    One mile north of Maghera stands a prehistoric tomb at least 4,000 - 6,000 years old.…

    7.7 miles away
  9. The front of Lissan House from the garden

    Lissan House is an enchanting country residence set within a 260 acre demesne of ancient…

    8.17 miles away
  10. Image of a white cottage with a thatched rood and green door

    A Fishermans Thatched Cottage, approximately 250 to 300 years old. The nearby Gort Moss…

    8.28 miles away
  11. Tirkane Sweathouse

    Nestled in a secluded area located 2.5 miles to the North West of Maghera, Tirkane is a…

    8.46 miles away
  12. Drumnaph trail 2

    Nestled on the edge of the Sperrins, the Reserve boasts a rich variety of habitats…

    9.01 miles away
  13. image of a long two story building

    An Coire Arts Centre provides the perfect setting for the delivery of a wide range of…

    9.08 miles away
  14. Path through the forest with green trees and loads of bluebells

    Portglenone Forest continues a history of tree cover on this site established since…

    9.23 miles away
  15. Killymoon Castle

    Killymoon castle sits in picturesque surroundings overlooking the Ballinderry River on…

    10.02 miles away
  16. Three ladies looking up at Ardboe High cross

    A 10th Century Cross situated on a rocky height on the shores of Lough Neagh. It is a…

    10.27 miles away

Map & Directions

Road Directions

Directions from Town:
Laurel Villa Tours is located in Magherafelt, a lovely town with great services, located in the centre of N.Ireland. There is easy access from Belfast (45mins), Derry~Londonderry (55mins), Giant's Causeway (45mins), International Airport (25mins), George Best City Airport (60mins), Larne/Belfast Ports (45mins) and Dublin (2.5 hours). A map and directions can be found on our webpage: http://laurel-villa.com/location-directions/

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