Dublin to Waterville

I think most on here would advise not to try and drive after an International flight especially when you add in driving on the other side of the road. That being said, the Wicklow Mountains are beautiful and in my opinion, Glendalough is mystical.

Hello, fellow 'Hamster! It would help to know what your interests are. Also, where you are going after Waterville.
It's a long way from Dublin to Waterville, so I would take a look at possible routes and see what lies along the way that is of interest. Do not underestimate driving times in Ireland. It will take you longer to get there than Google thinks it will. E.g., Google says 5 hours from Dublin to Waterville. I would call it "all day."
You should expect at least one person to caution you against hopping in a rental car immediately upon landing after such a long flight(s) because of jet lag and "wrong side" driving. If this concerns you, too, you can take a bus from the airport to nearly anywhere in Ireland and pick up your car after you have explored, say, Kilkenny (which you mentioned), Cork (and Cobh), or Galway. Many people recommend against getting on bus right after an international flight, too, and most recommend spending the first few days in Dublin.

Thank you for the responses!! Hi to my fellow hamster :)
We are flying in from London, fully rested.
Maybe I should have been more detailed to begin with
We will be in Ireland 19 days. This portion is the very beginning and we are basically doing the rim of the country including Antrim coast/Northern Ireland/Belfast and ending back up in Dublin, where we will be for a few days before flying home.

I really like the things I've seen/read of the Glendalough area but so many people seem to like Kilkenny/Cashel and I am going to have to pick one or the other.

We basically arrive April 29th and need to be in Waterville by May 2nd

Also, to respond to interests...
Walking/hiking, history, good food, live music

after Waterville is Connemara, 3 nights at each of those

If you're interested in Glendalough, go there. It doesn't get you much closer to Waterville, though. Maybe one night there and two on the way to Waterville? Staying in Kilkenny still leaves you pretty far to go. The good news about having a car is that you stay just about anywhere, so maybe look at the map from Glendalough to Waterville and see what's about halfway? Zooming in on Google Maps, you can see what's on offer in terms of pubs and hotels/B&Bs in some of the smaller towns and villages along your route. I would also have a conversation with the moms and see whether they would prefer a couple of short stays or one VERY long day in the car. I'm no fan of one-night stays, either, but you have a lot of ground to cover in three days.

Good advice thank you!

You have three nights to play with ... I agree with the Moms that one night stands are hard work. Is Kinsale a must as that is a bit of an outlier.

Have you thought about driving down through the Wicklows visiting Glendalough on the way to Kilkenny. That is do-able in a day. Spend the three nights there exploring the area - there's lots to do and see in Kilkenny itself and you could easily spend one day in Kilkenny and a second day seeing something of the surrounding area. Then head from Kilkenney to Waterville - it is doable in a day. Take your time and enjoy the drive - possible stops are either Caher or Rock of Cashel (which is busier and more touristy).

Wasleys thank you I like your suggestions.
Kinsale was just because I keep hearing about it as a must see. I ran this all past the moms and they voted for 3 nights in one place and day trips out and about. :)
And yes wicklow on the way sounds lovely.

Kinsale was the 'must visit place' a few years ago when it marketed itself as a 'foodie' destination and appeared on everyone's itinerary. Yes it is pretty but then so many places in ireland are! Many don't appear in the guide books or on any tick list. One of the joys of Ireland is exploring (follow your nose) and discover all sorts of delightful small villages. Have a look at the interactive map here which covers lots of places within a day's drive of Kilkenny.

Jerpoint Abbey is one of the better known ones.I've always been intregued by placenames and couldn't resist this one - Graiguenamanagh. It's a small village about 30 milies drive from Kilkenny and doing a google search it looks delightful! There may wewll be many more to discover too...

Thank you Wasleys, very helpful! :)