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Cork to Cliffs of Moher

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I am traveling to Ireland with my kids (all 20-something) March 19-26. Our visit will be based in Dublin, with a side trip on the train to Cork. I have rented a car to pick up in Cork for 1 day as we would like to drive to the Cliffs of Moher. I have mapped the route using viaMichelin and it appears to be about 3-4 hours (if I add the 25% recommended on this forum). We would like to stop at Blarney Castle, just to see it and take pictures but I don't think any of us feel compelled to kiss the stone! Here are my questions:

  • Is a trip to the Cliffs of Moher feasible in this situation? I realize it will be a full day of driving but the Cliffs are one of our must-see destinations, as my son is an avid photographer.

  • I would appreciate recommendations of places to stop along the route--things to see, places to eat, villages to visit. etc

  • What time is the best time of day to get to the Cliffs of Moher for lighting, tour bus crowds, etc.

Thank you for any help you can provide!
Kerry

Posted by
409 posts

Yikes!

That's an aggressive plan!

If you do that, I'd say take the N20 and not the M8 - so you can stop in Adair, which is lovely. But really, I wouldn't recommend that for a day trip with that time constraint! I'm a photographer (Today in Ireland on various sites) and trust me - there are some FANTASTIC photo ops for your son well closer than the Cliffs of Moher. You'll be near Cobh, Kinsale, West Cork (the county) - maybe the Beara Peninsula. The reality is you might drive 3-4 hours to get to the cliffs with no visibility due to fog, or pouring rain & wind, or dreary grey skies. I've been to the Cliffs of Moher 8 times and only twice had good views!

Maybe sticking to the SouthWest of Ireland - which is arguably prettier than any place else(!!) might make more sense? (I'm waiting for others to jump in here with conflicting choices....

The Kerry Cliffs are lovely, too - and much less touristy than Cliffs of Moher. Anf you could get good shots of the Skellligs, too....

Susan - the American in Waterville, Ireland

Posted by
2 posts

Susan, thank you for your advice on our crazy plan! I was afraid that we were being overly-optimistic about driving to the Cliffs and you confirmed my fears. We had talked about visiting Cobh and Kinsale, so I think we will revisit that plan. I'm sad to miss the Cliffs of Moher, but there's always next time, right?

And I checked out your website--your photography is beautiful! I will definitely share it with my son.

Thank you again!
Kerry

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