Please sign in to post.

10 Days in Kerry/Southwest

Posted by on

Hello,

My wife and I will be visiting Ireland in late August/early September. We are in our mid-thirties, fairly outdoorsy, and like to travel relatively slowly. I have been to Ireland on one occasion before, about 15 years ago, visiting Dublin, Galway, and the Cliffs of Moher. For this trip, we are flying from the US to Shannon, and planning to spend our time in the Southwest, mostly County Kerry, though we're open to other suggestions. FWIW, we've driven on the other side of the road on previous visits to UK, Australia, etc.

Here is our current planned itinerary:

8/29 - Arrive to Shannon at 7:30 am, rent car and drive to Dingle, stay in Dingle
8/30 - Slea Head, stay in Dingle
8/31 - Explore north shore of Dingle, stay in Dingle
9/1 - Explore south shore of Dingle, stay in Dingle
9/2 - Drive to Kenmare, stay in Kenmare
9/3 - Drive Ring of Kerry, stay in Kenmare
9/4 - Visit Killarney National Park/Gap of Dunloe, stay in Kenmare
9/5 - Explore Beara Peninsula, stay in Kenmare
9/6 - Golf somewhere around Kenmare, drive to Limerick, stay in Limerick
9/7 - Explore Limerick, stay in Limerick
9/8 - Flight from Shannon back to US in the morning

We were not sure about how to end the trip. We thought about cutting a day in Dingle or Kenmare and adding the Cork/Kinsale area, but it seemed rushed. We also thought about somewhere other than Limerick, but could not settle on anything.

We would greatly appreciate any suggestions, generally about the itinerary or specifically about any places to eat/drink/go. And, of course, I'm happy to provide more details if it would be helpful. Thanks so much everyone!

Best,
Ben

Posted by
2846 posts

Much as we love Dingle town and the peninsula I think that devoting 4 full nights there would be overkill for such a short trip. You can pretty much see what there is to see, including the meandering drive around Slea Head Drive, in a day.
After our first (forever regretted) stay in Killarney years ago we now opt to find a place between Castlemaine and Killorglin for our own trips to Kerry. We find the location to be central with easy access for day trips up to Dingle, the northern half of the ROK, the Gap of Dunloe and Killarney NP. There's also the Skellig Ring Road starting just west of Portmagee that's worth your time.
Kenmare is a great base for the southern half of the ROK and the very pretty Beara peninsula - a personal favorite. There's a deserted famine village there tucked back in the foothills that we liked so much that we hiked into it twice. It takes some getting to but if you're adventurous, and equipped with waterproof boots, it makes for a great day out. I can provide directions if you're interested.
Limerick wouldn't be my first choice for an overnighter before a flight out of Shannon. Many here rave about the Bunratty Castle & Folk Park north of the city. From there it would be a short drive next morning to turn in your rental and catch your flight home.
And while I think of it: if you do opt for the extra day in Dingle there's the very pretty Glanteenassig (Little Glen of Waterfalls) Forest Park near the village of Castlemaine - it's a great place for a short hike and a picnic lunch in a beautiful setting. You'll be the only tourists there and likely the only people there in the morning.

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.