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Eight days in Ireland in early October

My husband and I will flying from Manchester, Wales to Dublin. We plan to spend 2 nights in Dublin, 3 nights in Galway and 3 nights in Killarney , with those cities serving as home bases to explore the nearby coast, countryside, small villages, etc. We plan to rent a car when we leave Dublin, and if possible get a bike rack to put two bikes (rentals) on. We are interested in avoiding much of the crowded touristy settings for getting a sense of the country and people (as much as is possible when only there 8 days), going to pubs, hearing music, interacting with local people, seeing the beauty of the countryside and coasts, and not packing too much into each day, leaving as much flexibility/unplanned time with options of what to do or not do. In general for my husband and me, less is more and we like quality over quantity. We like to stay at smaller B&B-like/family run places that are clean, friendly and comfortable, and not fancy.

Looking for recommendations on places to go/sites to see, etc, based on the above. Thank you!
Deb

Posted by
417 posts

If you want to see the countryside and coastal areas, why are you planning to stay in three cities? Better to research cycling routes you want to explore and figure out how to access those. E.g., the Great Western Greenway between Westport (on the train line from Dublin; bicycles for rent by the day) and Achill will take you through several small towns where there are likely to be pubs, etc. I believe there are cycling routes on the Causeway Coast, as well. Since you're on this forum, I'm going to assume you do not live in Wales. If you do, you could bring your own bikes over on the ferry and take them onward by train.

Posted by
1583 posts

Instead of Killarney consider staying in Sneem. It's a Ring of Kerry village and I do mean village. It's further west from Killarney and Kenmare and on an inlet from the Atlantic.

Posted by
12 posts

Thank you both for your replies! Regarding why I was planning to stay in cities, I was advised that it's hard to find eating options in the small towns, that restaurants and music options close early, and that the suggested cities can serve as "home bases" from which to take day trips to the countryside. We live in New York City and have never been to Ireland. We are looking into getting a rental care with a bike rack where we can transport 2 rental bikes.

I welcome suggestions of small villages to stay in .as an alternative to Galway and Killarney, and your thoughts about evening dining , etc.

Posted by
7833 posts

Is this an extension of the 3 week trip to London/The Cotswolds/Wales on your other thread?

If so rather than going in the wrong direction to Manchester Airport (which is in England) you could take a ferry from Holyhead to Dublin. The time it will take you to go from North Wales to Manchester, time at the airport, flight time the ferry would have you over in Dublin.
If flying Liverpool airport would have been closer to North Wales.

Posted by
1583 posts

Sneem reminds me of Ireland before it became a bucket list destination. It's right on the water and provides easy access to hiking and biking as well as places like Killarney National Park.

Posted by
417 posts

I misread your post to say Kilkenny, not Killarney. Still, that's a bigger town. My recommendation is to rent bikes by the day when you're in an area that is good for cycling and have appropriate weather. I'm not a cyclist, but I imagine there are many sites devoted to cycling in Ireland. Enjoy your trip!