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8 days itinerary help

We are traveling to Dublin from Seattle on 4/27 on an overnight flight with a short stop in Iceland. We arrive about 11:30am and since we need to be in Cork the next day, and will be spending a couple days in Dublin before we fly out, we were thinking of heading out of Dublin and going South. Since we'll be tired from the flight we don't want to go far. Can anyone suggest a scenic stopping spot less than an hour south of the airport for our first night?

We are staying with friends in Cork for a couple nights then have a loose schedule taking a couple days to get to Galway and then possibly spending 2 nights there before heading back to Dublin. We don't have reservations anywhere until we get to Dublin. is it risky not to have any rooms booked?

Our plan, when we leave Cork, is loosely the following;

Day 4 - work our way to Killarney and stay in that area

Day 5 - possibly stay in Limerick

Day 6 - Stay in Galway

Day 7 - Either spend a 2nd night in Galway or go to Clifton

Day 8 - Drive to Dublin

Any suggestions on this itinerary and any possible spots to stay would be greatly appreciated. We love to stay in quaint little towns and look forward to the scenery, food and music. thanks again!

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Buses run frequently from Dublin Airport to Cork, takes about 3.5 hours. Buses also go to Heuston Station in Dublin, with hourly trains to Cork, total time about the same. Either of these would be wiser than driving on the "wrong" side of the road after an overnight flight, and they'd get you to Cork that first day. Maybe you could get the car in Cork and return it in or near Dublin on day 8.

I've been to Ireland only briefly, but I'm going in May so have been researching. If you can't avoid driving on arrival day, you might consider a first night in Trim, slightly out of your way but close to the airport, or Cashel, farther south on the way to Cork. Both are historic places that would likely interest you without being too demanding on that first day.