Advice to see Cliffs of Moher, a Great Castle and Dublin in 3 days

I'd recommend staying in Dublin all 4 nights. It's a great city! You can take a daytrip from Dublin to Trim Castle (appears in Braveheart) to get your fix. You'll just have to go back to Ireland to do the rest.

Thank you! We did not know about that castle! So you think going to see the Cliffs would not be possible? We thought of staying the whole time in Dublin and maybe taking a bus tour to the Cliffs, but wanted freedom to stop along the way...Thanks again for the great advice! :)

I agree with FastEddie, doing this from Dublin would take up too much of your time, and by the time you get to the Cliffs the weather might not even be agreeable so you may not see much. With such a short amount of time just stay in Dublin, there's lots to see in the city, and you can do guided day trips from there to places that are closer (and will make other stops) so you won't have to spend the whole day on a bus just to see one place. Just as an example Rabbies has some great tours:
https://www.rabbies.com/en/ireland-tours/from-dublin/day-tours?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx6CzvPfD2QIVy5N-Ch0PGwiIEAAYAyAAEgLc1vD_BwE

Skip the Cliffs, they are pretty but tourist overrun .....worth a visit if you have time.......Not worth it if you don't. And going there would burn way too much of your time. Visiting Trim is good advice. Stick to day trips from Dublin. Wicklow mountains and Glendalough ....all easily done together in a tour are really beautiful scenery and history. Or Newgrange is fantastic and haunting. Have fun....but visit what you can of Ireland not the inside of a car or train.

Cliffs of Moher are on the West Coast of Ireland, Dublin on the East.

Why spend hours ( minimum of 4 ) driving with such a short amount of time. As noted they aren’t that spectacular anyway. Weather could be a factor.

Stay in Dublin and consider the following day trips:
Newgrange ( older then Stonehenge and the Pyramids)
Powerscourt, Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains
Take a bus or train ride to Belfast to visit the Titanic Museum, Crumlin Road Gaol and a Black cab tour of the Troubles. A long day but well worth it. Just remember Northern Ireland is part of the UK so it’s British Pounds not Euros you’ll need for cash.

However if you are hell bent on seeing the Cliffs then do the drive to Gallway from Dublin Airport. Night in Gallway. Early next morning visit the Cliffs, then drive to Dingle.

Stay the night. Next day drive See Slea Head. Enjoy a pint at Foxy Johns in Dingle. Next morning visit the gap Gap of Dunloe. Hike it, drive it or take a trap ride through it. Spend the night in Dingle. Early next day visit the Muckross House and Killarney National Park. Mid day Take the N21 back To Dublin airport drop off the rental and spend your last night in Dublin.

Will be a lot of driving and when I say early I’m meaning on the roads by 8am to cram everything in.

For me the beauty of the island is shifting gears and traveling at a slower pace but it’s your trip. Just remember drive times will be longer than shown on Google.

Slainte

Agree with all of the above posters. Skip the Cliffs this time. Go to Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, take a literary pub crawl, maybe a daytrip to Newgrange or black cab tour of Belfast. So much to see and do in Dublin! If you want less city stuff head to Wicklow Mountains.

Thank you so much for the feedback - We are grateful but also disappointed - we really wanted to see the Cliffs - I wish I had looked for advice before booking our return ticket :( Cliffs of Moher, a castle and Chester Library were our "must-see/must-do" things for Ireland. We thought the drive would be part of the adventure....We thought 2 nights in Galway, 2 nights in Dublin was do-able....but I guess we were not thinking practically....Thank you everyone for the great tips!

The Wicklow mountains are in many ways far prettier and less touristy than the cliffs of Moher. And the beauty of Glendalough....both the monastic village and tower and the surrounding area matches or surpasses any castle. Don't be too disappointed...these other closer options are actually better !