Driving from Kilkenny to Cobh to Kinsale to Killarney

If it was me I'd hit the road early - n later than 9 am and I would take the route thru Glengariff, Bantry, Kenmare ... road. Just before you get to Killarney keep you eye out for Torc Falls on your right .. They have a car park. If your traveling in the summer you have plenty of daylight. I've done that route in a day. Enjoy.

Thanks Claregirl! Did you include stops in Cobh and Kinsale in your "make it in a day" trip?
Mary

Yes, I have and with two additional stops that you don't have listed on the way from Kinsale to Killarney. Mind you it will be a FULL day - the earlier you leave the more time in your day. Please don't get TEMPTED to stop in Middleton - since it's not on you schedule - keep on going - that happened to me ONCE and threw a spanner in our day. We did Middleton on another trip as well. When leaving Cobh take the ferry from Cobh to Monkstown and then onto Kinsale instead of going form Cobh to Cork and then to Kinsale. I've done it both ways - ferry is the better way & cuts off quite a bit of time. Lunch in Kinsale.

Have fun!

Advice to take ferry is absolutely the best, saves a lot of driving time. Been to Cobh twice, last time in October and it is really worth at the most an hour or two. If a clear day the view from St. Colemans is great. Walk along the water to see statue dedicated to Lusitania and the one for Annie Moore and her brothers, it is down by the end of the river walk and there is a lovely old converted railroad station with lots of shops and good place for cup of tea, we were very disappointed with the Titanic Museum, don't remember seeing even one artifact from the ship although there were replicas of first and either second or third class cabins but other than that, was in our opinion, not worth it. Enjoy your trip.

BTW: the location of the Cobh Heritage Centre is where my now 80 year old mother was processed when she emigrated to the US in 1950. I'm very fortunate to be traveling "home" with her again ... and family members in August.

This is a pretty ambitious day and I personally would split it into two days just so I didn't feel rushed. You can get pretty good driving time estimates using Via Michelin but even with this factor in stops, eating, bathroom breaks, random sheep crossing the road, slower drivers taking in the scenery, etc. There are many reasons and things that could slow you down more than expected and that is why not overdoing it in one day is my recommendation. What you have listed is technically doable in a long day and if you go that route I hope it goes smoothly.

Thank you all for your advice. Claregirl... so cool about your grandma! My husband's descendants also came to US via Cobh, one of the reasons for our trip. We will also be visiting my roots in Ardencaple, Scotland where the Clan MacAulay has a deep history. I've been reading our Clan history in red, leather-bound books (copywrite 1853) my grandfather obtained. Looking forward to seeing the gravestone of my many times removed ancestors with my same name... sort of eery, but cool.
Mary