Dingle and the Ring of Kerry

August is still high season so booking ahead is probably a good idea if you want to get your first choice (or 2nd or 3rd) of accommodation.
For our own trips we've started to stay somewhere along the stretch between Castlemain and Glenbeigh. It's about midway between both Killarney and Dingle and thus makes for easy day trips in either direction. Also allows us to unpack once and be done with it.
You'll be running on adrenalin after you arrive so I don't think being alert for a short drive will be an issue for you, especially if you already have experience driving on the left which I see from your other post that you do.
The tour buses start to roll from Killarney around 9 AM. The best strategy we've found is to get an early start (am talking as close to the crack of dawn as you can manage) to avoid the congestion. Suggest taking the very pretty detour from the ROK over to Portmagee and the Skellig Ring Road. The tour buses still don't go out there so it's a much more mellow experience than driving the Ring. There are picture postcard views of the Skelligs on a sunny day, plus the Kerry Cliffs, an excellent chocolate factory, and the ruins of an old abbey along a pretty stretch of beach near the village of Ballinskelligs.

Just an FYI- we flew from the west coast on a direct flight to Dublin. We rented a car and drove which was suppose to be a one to one and a half hours to our first destination. We always rent a car and drive when we arrive with no issues. And, we are experienced left lane drivers. But, we found it to be very difficult this time. The trip probably was more like 2 1/2 hours, and it was super intense driving. We won't do that again in Ireland, but probably will still be fine in other European locations, but the intensity is very different and exhausting and dangerous in Ireland. You could stop in Adare for the night before you drive on. I've heard good things about it and it's close to Shannon Airport.

I was worried about the ROK drive and buses, but we only saw a couple and there was no traffic at all! I was really surprised. And, we were there the first week of August which is suppose to be the busiest.

We stayed in Dingle and Kenmare. The Ring of Kerry is between them. We were happy with our choices, but I would book ahead for sure.

We LOVED Ireland!! You'll have a great time!

Thank you so much for the advice! I am very grateful!

If you plan on staying in Adare in August, make reservations now. We were there last July and it was packed with tourists and buses. It was the only place in Ireland where we ran into very heavy traffic!

I drove the ROK ( by myself, with 2 kids in backseat) in early August of 2018. I also didn’t see any tour buses till I got to the end Moll’s Gap and Kissane Sheep Farm. No problems tat all!
I would do 3 nights in Dingle if you can. Great pubs, the Shea Head drive and Blasket islands are all great activities.

We spent 3 nights in Dingle and I would recommend it. The Scuird Archeological Tour around Slea Head Drive was wonderful. We drove it again on our own. We did not go to the Blasket Islands but photographed them from the twisty "sheep walk" that leads to the boats that go there (weather permitting). The Blasket Museum is worth exploring. There are a couple of concerts that occur in town that I can recommend, in addition to the pub trad music. The Dingle Music Shop (where Rick is videoed banging on Michael's piano) is small and great. Get your tickets as soon as your can as it is a small venue and tour guides will gobble them up: http://www.siopaceoil.ie/home.php?lang=english. Another great concert venue are the concerts in St. James Church. Buy tickets in a closet-sized ticket shop across from St. Mary's ASAP. Be sure to arrive at both these places early. Some of the seats at St. James are definitely better toward the front. Rick talks about these in his guidebook. While the Reel Fish takeout (mostly) is an ok place to eat, you can't beat the newer Fish Box for amazing (and affordable) seafood. Expect a line or go the minute they open. We stayed in this great AirBnB. Very close to town. Small, clean, separate from main residence: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19015599?source_impression_id=p3_1578941929_i3OiRKJrx90Eto%2BM
As for Ring of Kerry, we stayed in Kenmare and took day trips to ROK, Beara, the Gap, Killarney, Sheep's Head. We stayed in this AirBnB and found it to be clean, quiet, convenient: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5855815?source_impression_id=p3_1578942090_AK5E45N4r4betHSx.
Personally speaking, I would not want to go in August without reservations. Highly suggest you bit the bullet and nail down your itinerary. We loved Ireland and the hubbs did an excellent job of driving (he's had a little experience). I tried it a couple of times (my first) and I was too stressed to go for more than 30 minutes (especially with hubbs as a passenger). Enjoy Ireland! This was our first trip and we fell in love.

Killarney is central to Dingle Penin. and the Ring of Kerry, and has a wealth of good and inexpensive lodging. You mean, your husband has experience driving on the left, I hope. Shannon Airport to Killarney is about a 1 hr, 40 min. drive . . . so you decide. Adare is a very nice town to visit, about 30 min. from Shannon airport. But book soon, it may be hard to get a reservation.

Thank you all so very much for your input! I did in fact hammer down plans for 2 nights in Dingle, 2 in Portmagee and 2 in Kenmare...I am thinking we will stay in Adare on the first night and quite close to the Shannon airport on the final night. I was hoping for 3 nights in Dingle, but the place where we are staying was not available which I see as an opportunity to visit Adare.

I stand corrected...yes, my husband can drive on the left...I had envisioned us in the car and thought right...thank goodness I am not a tour guide! I am so very excited to visit this part of Ireland that we have yet to see.

Ennis is another nice town to stay in near Shannon airport. You can explore the Burren from there.