Advice for 8 days traveling south/southwest Ireland without car

You'll need at least a full day for the Aran Islands, assuming the weather is good enough to get out there at that time of year. And two additional days would give you enough time to do the Cliffs of Moher (which I think only warrant a short visit, if any), the Burren, and Connemara -- assuming you find a way to and through those areas. The challenge is that the enjoyment in those areas comes from meandering and being able to stop and explore, which doesn't work too well with the Irish equivalent of a Greyhound bus ride. If I were doing this without a car, I would Google day tours out of Galway, and visit those areas on day tours. Or better yet, the RS guide books, and other guide books, have recommendations for drivers/guides who could take you around.

Also, your proposed schedule wouldn't really allow you much time for Galway itself, so you may want to add one additional day

I've never been too enthralled with Cork city. Is there a reason you're choosing it? For me, the appeals of County Cork are some really lovely drives and some interesting villages, but again the challenge would be getting to them without a car. As in Galway, I'd suggest day tours or a guide. I'm also not sure how active those villages would be that early in the season. Perhaps someone else can comment on that.

An alternative would be to spend the extra days in Dublin, which would give you more options for indoor activities if the weather is bad. And you could do a variety of day trips from Dublin.

Thank you for the good advice. I wasn't planning on Dublin but that might be a good idea if the weather is bad. Do you think it would be too long to use the west area as a base for the entire 8'day except for the occasional overnight trips, eg Dublin?

In the tourist season, one could easily spend that time in the west of Ireland, venturing out from there. The unknown for me would be… I've never been to Ireland in March. I've been a couple of times in September, and once in May.

It would be good if you could get some information from people who have been there in March. For example, if the weather was not good, did they find enough to occupy themselves? And did they find enough lodging, restaurants, and attractions open at that time of the year? If you do decide to use organized day tours, it would also be good to ensure that they are running at that time of the year. (FYI, My concerns may be a non-issue. They mostly reflect my experience in small towns in Italy in winter. Some of those towns largely close up tourism services in the off season. And I found that, even in Rome, some specialized walking tours don't run regularly. There's just not enough business.)

I haven't been in March, but I have been in February and April. In February, things like the tours of Trinity College did not happen. Lots of B&Bs were closed for the winter. Many attractions were closed (Knowth, Trim Castle, Burren walking tour) or had winter hours (fewer hours or days open). There was no music in the pubs except on the weekends. And things like boat tours of the Cliffs of Moher might not run due to weather. In April, everything was pretty much open for the season. If I were going in March, I would make sure that the things I wanted to do were available then. Cities offer the most opportunities for activities if the weather is bad - museums, shopping, tours, pubs.

The local tourist office can give you the latest arts and events updates when you arrive. If you like theater, check out the famous Druid Theatre Company and other arts options in Galway. Last March 15, I see that Galway had a rowing race scheduled but cancelled. If you happen to be there on St. Patrick's Day, there should be a parade.