Birding and Nature Itinerary Ideas Please

We loved the Connemara area west of Galway and based in the town of Clifden. Sky Drive, Killary Fjord, Doo Lough Valley, Croagh Patrick, the island of Inishbofin, and Connemara National Park can keep you busy for a full week.

Agree wholeheartedly with Katheryne. Connemara is our favorite part of Ireland too, and all of the places she mentions are terrific. We usually book a self-catering cottage just west of Clifden along the Sky Road, but Clifden itself would also be a good choice as a base.
Depending upon your specific interests County Donegal would be another good choice. Wild, remote, and well off the usual tourist track, it has lots of nature oriented attractions and activities to keep you busy.
Along the way is the pretty town of Sligo, which has the highest concentration of megalithic sites in Europe in the countryside nearby. Bring waterproofs though (including boots) if you want to do some explaratory hiking - most of the sites require a bit of tramping thru the bush, and because of that you'll be guaranteed to have the sites all to yourselves.

Cliffs of Kerry should be right up your alley. There are lots of sea birds and displays that show the different birds and tell about them. I think you're too late to see Puffins on the Skelligs. They are there in May through, I think, early summer. You can see them up close by taking a boat from Portmagee to Skellig Michael. They also run "ecology tours" that won't fill up. It's a boat that circles both islands but doesn't land. These are cheaper and you won't need to reserve in advance.

The other places I'd recommend are up north. It doesn't sound like it's on your itinerary. If it changes, let me know and I'll point you to some places with good seabird viewing.

Thank you! These suggestions are very helpful and we're rethinking our itinerary based on them. I may have additional questions later as we go on, so thanks for your willingness and assistance!