My wife and I will be visiting Ireland for the first time in September. When we land in Dublin, we'll drive directly to Kilkenny for two nights. We will then go to Kenmare for, most likely, 3 nights. At this time the plan is to then go on to Galway. This is where I'm unsure. I have thought about traveling further north but not sure where to go before we finish for 2 nights in Dublin. The other thought I had was do we pick a town between Kenmare and Galway then go straight to Dublin rather than further north. Very open to thoughts and suggestions. Every place we stay will be for two nights except the 3 in Kenmare. But, I am open to other ideas. Thank you very much in advance for any opinions.
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3526 posts
If it was me, I would probably just confine my visit to the lower half of Ireland i.e. the southeast and southwest.
Perhaps a visit to Dingle for great pubs and music and the Dingle Peninsula or even out to the Blasket Islands.
Tackle the north on the next visit!
Posted by
28 posts
We went to Dublin, then drove to Cork to see the Blarney Castle and the Cliffs of Moher on our way to Dingle Peninsula. Next we went to Galway on our way to Ashford Castle in Cong where we stayed for two nights. It was amazing! We did the hawk tour there that was really cool. We went to Scotland after this but Ireland was our favorite.
Posted by
Baltimore, MD
15 posts
We had a little less time (8 days) but I agree with focusing on a region. We were able to fly into Shannon and out of Dublin, which avoided backtracking and was very convenient. We did: Shannon Airport -> Dingle -> Doolin (to see cliffs and have a night in the tiny town, then drive through the burren) -> Galway -> Dublin. I loved the trip and it was a good mix of city and smaller towns.
If you wanted to do something similar you could start in Dublin, then onward to Kilkenny -> Dingle and the above. You could cut out Dingle but it was my favorite town on the trip. I wouldn't go futher north on your first time there, but to be fair I haven't been north so who knows what I'm missing :)
Posted by
Oklahoma
7 posts
I was in Ireland May 2017 and we drove the route almost opposite to you. Here is what we did just for reference. We landed and did the first night in Dublin just to save on driving while jetlagged. From there we drove from Dublin west towards Galway ( skipped it because I had been there), went south along the Wild Atlantic way through the small towns like Ballyvaughan (my favorite Italian restaurant is here) and landed in Doolin our first couple of nights. We did a cliff walk up to the visitor center from Doolin which took a few hours and is both breathtaking and a little scary at moments. Then we drove on to Ennis for a night. Pretty little town with some quaint pubs and lovely book stores. From there we hit Cork for the Blarney stone ( the castle and grounds were amazing, the stone part is overrated). The next couple nights we spent up near Glendalough so we could see the Wicklow mountains. Took the scenic root from Cork to get here and it was an experience. Overall, I would say Doolin, Lisdoonvorna, Liscannor are all worth looking at to add as your other two nights. I know the Cliffs oh Moher are a big tourist attraction but they are all astounding to stand atop and breathtaking from a cruise below. Definitely worth adding to the trip. There are some caves in the area, a bird rehab center, and overall just a pretty area to drive since you will have the car to get about. Good Luck !
Posted by
OP
9 posts
Thank you all very much for your replies...I appreciate all the input. Erika, if you're willing, I would love to know the name of the Italian restaurant that you liked. Thanks!
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4591 posts
Connemara area(including Ashford) is beautiful. The hawk walk is so much fun.
Posted by
1172 posts
I agree with others who say to stick to the South. I would consider adding Dingle to your itinerary