Driving out of Dublin / Renting a Car

Unless you've driven on the left before I'd really recommend starting from the airport. That way your first experience will be on the Motorway rather than in the city center, which can be daunting for anyone. There are rental car agencies and outlets on the outskirts of the downtown area (am thinking of the Hertz location at Baggot St. Bridge) that would be more or less a straight shot out of town, but I still wouldn't want to negotiate them unless you were familiar with the area (and the car).
Try Google street maps to preview your routing, signage, etc.. Helps to have seen the sight picture before you have to do it for real.
Know too that the default rental will be a stick shift (shifter on the left) which would add another fun-factor to the whole experience. Might suggest biting the bullet and specifying an automatic transmission when you book...more expensive by half but probably worth it for the peace of mind. And you may already be aware of this, but go for the smallest vehicle that can accommodate you, your pax, plus luggage. Some of the roads are quite narrow out in the countryside.

I arrived at Dublin Airport 2 years ago, took a taxi to my hotel in Dublin and spent a couple days sight-seeing there.
Our taxi driver offered to come back in two days for our return trip to Dublin Airport to pick up our rental car. It worked great!
Coming out of the Hertz rental place was easy and we got on the freeway right a way, on to Kilkenney for our next stop.

This trip, we decided to arrive at Shannon Airport, pick up our rental car, and drive a short distance to Ennis and stay over night there before driving on to Dingle Peninsula. Should be less traffic there than Dublin.

Thanks Robert and Mary!

On another forum, some folks were advising me that going back out to the airport was superfluous and that I should just rent from Dublin.

You both have confirmed my instincts that it would be better to go back to the airport and rent there. Mary, I love the suggestion of working with a cab to pick me up and take me there.

I had been waffling between a compact and an economy. I think I'm going for the smaller car and spring for the automatic.

Thanks!

Absolutely recommend the automatic transmission. I drive a stick shift car at home, but can't imagine having to deal with manual transmission with the shift stick on the left side when driving in Ireland. It costs a whole lot more money to rent an automatic, but is so worthwhile in peace of mind and safety.
I would not get too small a car. In a collision, I don't know how safe that would be. I drive a VW Golf at home and feel very safe.
My rental car is similar in size to my VW, so it will be one less unfamiliar thing to get used to while driving on the "wrong" side of the road.
Our cabbie was very accommodating and funny. He asked what day we would get our rental car so that he could stay off the roads. He offered to come to our hotel at a specific time and day to take us back to airport so we could pick up our car. He was spot on the button early in the morning for our return trip.

You will get the hang of the traffic circles and driving on the left with practice. I often kept repeating my mantra: "left, left, left, drive on the left", especially in the first few days of driving.

Good luck! You will have a fun trip. Ireland is beautiful and the people are very kind and friendly.

I am in the same predicament as you. I have heeded Roberts advice and we will not pick up car in downtown Dublin.
I did however discover an Enterprise rental location on Long Mile Rd which is fairly close to the M50 (beltway so to speak). It appears to be mostly highway driving and it will eliminate some distance en route to Kilkenny.
We will take a taxi to this location to pick up car. If this location doesn't work out for type of vehicle in automatic, we will just go back to airport.

Any thoughts from all you experienced drivers? Does this seem reasonable?

Be sure you book your rental car well in advance. Automatic shift cars go fast, even though expensive.

Hi Cindy,
I did see that Enterprise location. I decided against it because when I read the fine print on their site, I did not see that they offer Super Excess Waiver, which is important to me when driving on the left in a foreign country. Even after paying for Enterprise's additional coverage, I would still be liable for thousands of euros in the event of an incident. I'm not sure what your requirements are for insurance coverage though, YMMV.

For what it's worth, we picked up our car from the Avis near Kilmainham Gaol. It was a decent amount cheaper than going to the airport. We found that it was a sufficient distance from the center of Dublin, and it wasn't very far to the M50, all along fairly large roads. I would also definitely pony up the cash for the automatic, even if you are comfortable driving a stick.

That Enterprise location on Long Mile Road looks like a winner. Close enough to the M-50 to minimize any driving in town and yet a cost-effective alternative to the airport location. Am bookmarking it myself for future use.
Actually, Long Mile Road merges into Naas Road heading out of town, which then becomes the N-7, which is the road you want to be on heading to Kilkenny anyway, so there would be no need for you to get on the M-50 at all.
While off airport locations will typically save a lot of money, be sure to verify that there are no special conditions (and fees) if you're opting for a one-way drop somewhere else in the Republic. Also, if you're considering a drop-off in Derry or Belfast remember that's technically an "international" one way drop...since those cities are in the UK.

Robert, some people will not like you saying Ulster is in the UK. Others will love you for it in Ireland. Three Ulster counties, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan are in the Republic. I loved in the Irish marriage referendum that the ones in the Republic voted Yes. 'Ulster said Yes.'

May be a UK and Ireland in joke.

For the size of car, if you want an automatic, you may be looking at a B or above. If anyone wants a manual, the right size is the right size for you. All cars in the EU are subject to the same safety tests. I would avoid a Class A, a Golf is a Class C, auto box because it sounds like a hive of angry bees having a fight, and is one of the reasons I hate automatics.

For the roads, anything above Class C may be too large if unfamiliar with Irish and British roads. Look for the best deal in Classes B and C. I had a class D as a courtesy car once when mine was off the road. For me as driver all it missed was the Red Ensign on the back indicating it was a commercial ship.

Regarding Enterprise and Super Excess Waiver...

Are you saying that it is this particular Enterprise location or all Enterprise establishments that do not off this extra coverage? Our trip is almost a year out so I have not gotten into the little details yet, just scouting out a plan. I just made a tentative reservation with this Enterprise location just to reserve my choice of vehicle (small SUV/van in auto since there are 4 of us). We will be spending at lot of time in the car so we need to be comfortable. A plus: Enterprise will pick you up and bring to their location. I know someone who works for Enterprise and I will contact them, or visit a local rental office for more personalized info.

I will check into the Avis option mentioned as well. We will be picking up in Dublin and dropping off at Shannon.

Mary, what car did you rent?

A lot of people say to rent a car with automatic transmission in the UK and Ireland, but a lot also say to rent a small car because of narrow roads and hedgerows in the countryside. But most small cars do not have automatic transmissions. To me, a VW Golf is the ideal size. What vehicles in that size range are available for rent in the British Isles?

I got a quote for a route renting from Enterprise in Kilkenny, returning in Galway. There was no Super Excess Waiver offered. The best I got was Excess Waiver in addition to CDW. That means I would still be liable for thousands of euros in the event of an incident.

I decided to rent from Dan Dooley. I'm renting from Dublin airport and returning in Galway. They have a Super Excess Waiver that limits liability to 100 Euros. I also found their rates cheaper than the majors.

Roy

A similar sized car to the VW Golf should be relatively easy to find, be it a Golf, Ford Focus, Opel/Vauxhall Astra, Hyundai i30, Renault Megane, SEAT Leon, Toyota Auris etc, with similar sized cars from Peugeot, Citroen, Skoda, Kia, Honda. This size (C) is the size most family cars are in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Automatics should be available in this class.

For car rentals check out one the local rental agency Dan Dooley.....especially their insurance coverage. Ditto Robert! It is super easy to start at the airport and then go to the freeway. Just make sure that you taker it easy on the roubabout when you leave the airport. Our friends "lost" their car there!

For what's it's worth, I made some calls today to a few of my credit card companies regarding rental coverage in Ireland. I thought it was a blanket NO, but this is not true. Two of my CCs do completely cover the entire vehicle for damage and theft in Ireland. (not contents nor personal liability)....just the vehicle. It's is covered providing all the conditions are met. I've rec'd 2 "Letters of Coverage". The CDW must be waived on the contract to make the credit card's insurance the primary insurance. The third CC card I called does not insure in Ireland.
See RS summation here: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/car-rental-cdw

My two cards that DO INSURE in Ireland are both Chase cards:
United Mileage Plus Visa (but also has a 3% foreign trans fee)
British Airways Visa (no foreign trans. fee) <----------LQQKs like this will be the likely choice for us.

Capitol One Venture Visa DOES NOT insure in Ireland.
Now I have to figure how to get personal injuries covered.

There's a Hertz rental office at 151-157 S Circular Rd in Dublin near the southern outskirts of the city. We picked up there and had no issues driving south out of town into the Wicklow mountains. I am somewhat experienced in driving a manual shift car on the left side since we seem to travel to the UK or Ireland every 3-5 years.

We've been to Ireland many times and always rent a car. I have only one piece of advice.
Stop trying to save $2.00. Buy the maximum coverage at the counter of whatever rental company you choose. You may not ever know what you have saved until you have to use it. Please, don't think you are smarter than the insurance companies unless you just want to ruin a great vacation . . . have fun!

OP here. Just wanted to follow-up. I ended up renting from Don Dooley. Their prices were the cheapest inclusive of a 100E deductible (which I thought very reasonable) with automatic transmission and GPS. I rented in Dublin and returned to Galway. They don't have a return facility in Galway, so they give you the phone number of a local contact. At a time of your choosing, you simply call the contact and they come to collect the car at a drop-off location of your choice (in my case, my hotel). They don't charge extra for that service, and I found it very convenient. Also, the car was in excellent shape, so I have no qualms about recommending them.