Hello! We'll be in Ireland for 9 days in mid-July. We'll be arriving from Lisbon, so won't have to deal with jet lag. We've planned what we hope is a fairly relaxed itinerary, and would love some advice on one of our stays. Our rough itinerary is below, for context. Here is the question: Is Gougane Barra or Glengarriff a better base for nights 2-4, in general and for exploring the Beara Peninsula specifically?
Day 1: Arrive Dublin 9:30, collect rental car, drive to Kilkenny, have lunch, see some sights, spend night in Graiguenamanagh (Kilkenny is booked!)
Day 2: Drive at a leisurely pace to Cork, arrive Gougane Barra OR Glengarriff, dinner at Gougane Barra Restaurant
Day 3: Explore Beara Peninsula
Day 4: Explore Gougane Barra and Glengarriff, then head to Glenbeigh, where we'll stay for 3 nights
[NOTE: We could switch activities on Days 3 and 4]
Day 5-6: Explore area around Glenbeigh and Dingle peninsula
Day 7: Drive back to Dublin
Days 8-9: Explore Dublin
Day 10: Return to Lisbon early morning
Gougane Barra looks magical and we are ok with treating ourselves to a couple nights in that beautiful hotel, but will the extra half-hour to Gougane Barra make a difference? Does it make more sense to stay in Glengarriff and just visit Gougane Barra when we have dinner at the restaurant? We have reservations held in both locations. Any and all advice appreciated!