Brendan Vacations Unveils Inaugural FIT Ireland FAM

Brendan Vacations has announced a new “first-of-its-kind” FAM that invites travel advisors to experience flexible independent travel in Ireland.

Brendan Vacations is a tour operator that specializes in Celtic vacation packages in Ireland and Scotland, offering independent private driver, self-drive, luxury self-drive, rail vacations, and, new for 2026, small group tours. The brand is part of The Travel Corporation (TTC), which also operates Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Contiki, and Luxury Gold.

Brendan Vacations is hosting a FIT (Flexible Independent Travel) FAM for travel advisors in Canada and the U.S. on Oct. 17 to 22, 2026. The trip includes three simultaneous itineraries, each presenting a different travel style for Ireland: Seamless Rail, Luxurious Private Driver, and Intimate Small Group. All three itineraries begin in Dublin, and the entire advisor group will come back together at the end for a falconry experience and closing dinner at Ashford Castle (pictured above).

The Ireland FAM will be hosted by Brendan Vacation’s director of Sales, Katie Jessup, and sales managers Donna Looby and Kevin Loftus.

“The best way to match a client with their perfect Celtic experience is to have lived it yourself, and Brendan Vacations’ new FIT FAM is built to help advisors do exactly that,” said Whitney Ramirez, senior vice president of sales, Brendan Vacations North America. “Advisors will master the craft of selling Ireland through expert-led training, build relationships with fellow advisors and the Brendan Vacations team on-trip, and return equipped with firsthand knowledge of each of Brendan’s personalized FIT travel styles.”

The three itineraries included in the FAM are:

• Kilkenny & Ashford Castle: See the medieval town of Kilkenny with a Local Host and join a storytelling tour visiting landmarks like Kilkenny Castle, Rothe House, and St. Canice’s Cathedral, along with a culinary walking tour.
• Westport & Ashford Castle: Explore the rich foodie scene of Westport, landscapes of Achill Island, cycle the Great Western Greenway, and visit the iconic Kylemore Abbey.
• Killarney & Ashford Castle: Visit Ireland’s scenic south, experiencing a jaunting car tour through Killarney National Park and exploring the Ring of Kerry, including a Deluxe Seaweed Experience, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.

Applications are now open. The cost to participate is $1,099 per person, with twin share accommodations. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with the first round of confirmations issued on June 15, 2026.

“Travel advisors are at the core of everything we do, and this FAM is our commitment to that partnership in action,” said Catherine Reilly, managing director of Brendan Vacations. “Ireland is in our DNA, and we want every advisor who sells it to feel as passionate about it as we do. We are thrilled to be introducing this new opportunity for advisors to experience multiple Brendan travel styles in one journey, and look forward to making it an annual tradition.”