Racine & Me: G&W Tours offering memorable trips to Ireland
RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- G&W, Gould and Ward, isn’t your typical corporate tour company. Yes, we bring together groups of curious, adventurous people and set out on a luxury coach to explore a foreign land—but what we do goes far beyond sightseeing.
For us, travel is about fun and making lasting memories. It’s about sitting down to great food, feeling the pulse of local culture, listening to music that tells a story, and most importantly, forming real human connections along the way.
We are two Irish immigrants who grew up in very different parts of Ireland, and that perspective shapes everything we do. It allows us to offer something deeper—authentic, local experiences that you simply can’t find in a guidebook. With us, you don’t just visit a place; you experience it in a way that feels real, personal, and alive.
It’s like going home for a visit with your Irish cousins.
Anyone can book a trip… but not everyone actually gets to experience Ireland the way locals do. And with G&W that’s the way it is…We don’t run tours—we bring people home to Ireland.
We don’t just take you to Ireland, or Scotland, or to other destinations. We bring you into them, into the real, everyday experience—the kind you can’t find on a map or in a guidebook.
Along the way, we’ve been building a community. We learn from one another and about one another. In the end, it’s not just the places that leave a mark on our experiences, it’s the people. Together, we enrich each other’s lives through travel.
We take all sorts and people from all walks of life. Solo travelers looking for comradery, we take couples and groups. First time travelers feel safe with us and quite a few come back again. We take young people and older people. Sometimes family groups join us too. But always, people who left as strangers, come home the best of friends.
Another thing we do at G&W is carve the country into smaller sections so we can take a deeper dive into each one. For example, our tour “Right Across the Middle” takes you from Dublin to Galway and back, letting you truly experience the heart of Ireland. Or “The Nine to the North”, where we explore all nine counties of Ulster, uncovering the rich culture and history.
Last year, we had the joy of taking a wonderful group of our travelers on a “foodie tour.” But it was about much more than just indulging our taste buds. The journey included thrilling horse racing on the beach in County Meath and a visit to the iconic Slane Castle, where U2 recorded The Unforgettable Fire. There’s something about the combination of Irish music, food, and hospitality—it resonates in a way that simply can’t be replicated anywhere else.
It freaks me out a bit when I hear people say they're going to Ireland and they are going “all over”. Doing it that way, you’re always on the move and you don’t get to absorb much. You’re only skimming the surface.
I even prefer to hear people say, “yeah, we’ve no real plans” than to try to see it all in one trip.
We are branching out this year, in 2026 just for fun… And we have two trips going to continental Europe, sure why not? We have a lot of return travelers and we thought we’d offer something more for them and for anyone else who would like to join us. In September we are headed to Prague, Salzburg and then on down to Munich for a visit to October Fest. Whoo Hoo!!!
We even have a Holiday themed trip scheduled in November. Partnering with The Von Trier Pub in Milwaukee.
New trips to continental Europe
Sept. 13-22: One Stein at a Time: Prague, Salzburg and Munich for Oktoberfest
Nov. 30-Dec. 9: European Holiday Experience
Partnering with The Von Trier Bar, Milwaukee
2027 trips include seeing the Badgers play in Dublin!