Where to continue after ireland

October should be a nice time to be in any of those places. Without details, that's the only advice I can offer.

Without more information as to your interests etc, it’s difficult to advise. All will be ok in October. How many nights?

Many places will be busier a few days either side of 19 October, which is half term school holidays,so flight prices will be double or triple around these dates.

Ask your family to pick where they want to go and what they want to see. Check Skyscanner to check where you can get direct flights to. Do you have to back track to Ireland at the end?

Personal opinion only here, but 8 nights in Ireland is barely enough to scratch the surface. You might consider simplifying the logistics of moving 8 people around Europe (and losing a day in the process) and instead just extend your proposed stay in Ireland to do it justice.
While it's always tempting to add a destination or two while you're in the vicinity, you'd risk running yourselves ragged in the process especially with a group as large as yours. My advice would be to keep it simple and explore more of Ireland this trip.

Just agreeing with everyone else, especially Robert. Remember the "rules" of group travel:

1) The larger the group, the slower it moves.
2) A group only moves as fast as its slowest member at that moment. Who the slowest member is can be fixed (for instance, if someone uses a cane), or can be variable.

How long is your total trip? Eight days is a very short amount of time for Ireland, even just a "highlights" tour.

I haven't been to Ireland, but everyone who has emphasizes how much longer it takes to see than a comparable area in the US. Driving is MUCH slower and the country is denser with sights than we're used to. Plus, they always emphasize that Ireland is not a place to be whizzed through, but to be seen at a slower pace to be enjoyed.

If you do want to see another place, the ones you listed will all be just a flight away, so pick based on your interests. If you want to see flight options and costs, use Skyscanner: https://www.skyscanner.com/

I have to agree with Robert as well. Eight nights = 7 full days. That isn't much time for Ireland. Where are you going there? Will you be on a tour, or traveling independently? If independently, will you be using public transportation, or will you have a vehicle?

Even if you decide that 8 nights is enough for Ireland this trip, how much time do you have for another location? That may help determine the suggestions you get.

With a group that size, just head to Northern Ireland - see Belfast, Derry, Antrim Coast. Or consider just staying put in Ireland and taking that money your group would spend on another set of airline tickets and transportation to/from the airports and instead put it towards staying 1 or 2 nights in a castle hotel in Ireland (like Ashford Castle in Cong where your family could all go off and do their own things like horseback riding, falconry, archery, fishing) and then see a few other parts of Ireland that you couldn't fit into your initial 8 nights.

Otherwise, if it has to be another country, just pick someplace that has a non-stop flight from Dublin or Shannon and recognize you are going to spend the better part of a day getting your group from Ireland to the airport, flying and getting the group to your next lodging in a new country then needing to get acclimated quickly so you can really start exploring the following day. You don't mention how many nights you are planning to spend in the 2nd country, but if it is just a few more nights, honestly I would not want to lose that time dealing with an airport and I would suggestion you just herd your group over the border to Northern Ireland and save those other countries for a different trip.

Thanks to everyone that replied! We’re thinking 5 nights in another country. Possibly just my husband and I. But, 4 others may join us. After traveling with a group for 9 days, we may all need some space! We are doing this on our own, not sure about car rental vs public transportation in Ireland.

You’ll want rental cars in Ireland. Trains will get you from city to city, but so much of Ireland’s beauty is in the small towns and countryside.

I would stay in Ireland the whole time. There’s soooo much to see! We spent 10 days there, staying 2-3 nights in various places. I recommend the same for your group. Having more time in each location allows your group to spread out more, so you don’t feel joined at the hip! With multiple vehicles, you can take various day trips, you don’t have to all stay together. Or Someone doesn’t feel like going they can just stay wherever your staying. Stay in places that are walking distance to food!

I’ve done a Europe trip with 9 family members once, and never again. If they are all adults, let them help with planning. Let them have some freedom to do their own thing. Maybe agree up front that you’ll meet for dinner every night, but otherwise people can do their own thing. Managing the expectations of that many people with various planning styles and travel experience isn’t always easy. People may have different preferences, budgets, and physical limitations. You don’t want to be responsible for their vacation experience if they take no part in the research/planning - trust me!

Stay in Ireland and do more, or head to Britain. Wales is amazing, as are Scotland and England.

If you decide to see more of Ireland - an excellent suggestion - instead of renting a car, you could hire a driver. Others have reported that it's about the same price, you avoid all the hassles of getting lost, looking for parking (and then walking to the sights and back to the car), and as a bonus, your driver will be your amateur guide.