9 nights in Ireland. Mid-May, prefer B&B's

Rather than hiring a car and heading west immediately off a Transatlantic flight, spend two nights in Dublin at the start of the holiday. This gives time to recover from jet lag.

Suggested route:

Day 3 Then pick up the hire cart and drive down through the Wicklow Mountains stopping off at Powerscourt. Head to Killkenny for the night.

Day 4 Then drive to Kinsale /Cobh via Rock of Cashel .

Day 5 Drive to Killarney (or Kenamare)

Day 6 Drive to Dingle

Day 7 Ardare and Bunratty castle

Day 8 Cliffs of Moher

Day 9 Return Dublin

This is a pretty intensive itinerary and doesn’t allow much time to relax and see things. You are trying to push two weeks sightseeing into the nine days. Killkenny, Kinsale/Cohb, Killarney and Dingle all deserve two nights, not one.

Thank you for your response, appreciate it! I'm reading travel times on the map and actual travel times in Ireland are very different.

If we spent the first two nights in Dublin, would there be enough time, in the same day, to drive from Dublin on day 3 if we leave in the morning to visit Kilkenny Castle and Rock of Cashel and end in Kinsale that night?

Would the trip seem more reasonable if we use Kinsale/Cork as a base for 3 nights and then Killarney for 3 nights and did day trips from there? Stop at Cliffs of Moher and spend a night in Doolin or Ballyvaughn on our way back to Dublin and cut out Bunratty Castle and Adare?

Thank you again, appreciate the feedback.

Colleen

Do you sleep well on a plane? Are you familiar with driving on the left? The biggest risk you face is driving an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads after an overnight trans-Atlantic flight. So although Galway is not on your list, I would suggest getting the bus outside of Dublin airport and spending your first night in Galway. Get a good night's sleep and the next morning rent a car and head to the Cliffs of Moher. Spend your second night in Adare and visit Bunratty Castle on your way to Dingle. Spend your third and fourth nights in Dingle then drive to Killarney (or Kenmare) for your fifth and sixth nights. The next day stop at Cashel on your way to Kilkenny for night seven. The next day stop at Powerscourt on your way to Dublin for nights eight and nine. Drop Kinsale.

Trotter has proposed a good alternative that hits most of your wish list. In Kilkenny we liked Mena House B&B http://www.menahousebandb.com/. If you want a smaller village than Killarney, consider Killorglin. Coffey’s Rivers Edge B&B is highly recommended.

Thank you all for recommendations. We've decided to spend first night in Kilkenny, then Kinsale on night 2/3 with stop at ROC, a night in Kenmare and visit Muckross, Torc and KNP on way to Dingle for a night. Then to COM, and stay in Doolin for a night, drive through the Burren on way to Galway for a night, drop the car and take the train from Galway to Dublin and enjoy Dublin for two days before we fly home. We will be missing Powerscourt, next time.

All input was so valuable, thank you!