Feedback on itinerary

It does seem a bit rushed. The RS advice is always to avoid 1-night stays as much as possible, because you sleep better in a room that's somewhat familiar from having slept there the previous night. Of course a 1-night stay also involves packing, checking out of hotel, etc.

The easiest destination to forgo looks like Kinsale -- how about staying another night in Dingle and driving from there to Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny on Day 9? Most people rave about Dingle, and you won't have much time to enjoy it on Day 6.

Some of the driving distances do look on the long time, test it out on Google maps and add 25% to the time it says. One night in Kinsale and Kilkenny back to back might be rushed. My wife and I did those back to back last year but with two mights in Kinsale, one in Kilkenny. I would have liked a second night in Kilkenny, but trade-offs are always an issue. Northern Ireland has never called to me as much, it's a bit of an outlier in this itinerary but you can actually get there on the train from Dublin in 2:13 according to the rome2rio site. That's a little long for a day trip, but another way to go would be to fly into Shannon and out of Belfast. The bus from Shannon airport to Galway works great, my wife and I did it last year. We saved a couple of days on the rental car, which at $70 a day with insurance was a good move. You are skipping County Clare which is a logical stop in between Galway and Dingle, and is a very worthwhile stop. Overall a little rushed but not egregiously so.

Agree with above. Too much.
Not sure how much time you have, but if you have a week, just do two or at most three counties.
Either add more time if you think this will be your only lifetime trip to Ireland, or plan to go back.
You are planning on trying to see the whole country in 13 days! Noooooooo!
Concentrate on the Wild Atlantic Way or the Southwest or Northern Ireland.

You will be much happier!

Looks like Belfast is important for your group because of ancestral sites. If you have time while in Belfast, you might want to go out to Mount Stewart, estate of the Marquess of Londonderry. A fascinating biography is "Society's Queen: The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry" by Anne de Courcy. For info about Mount Stewart, see https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mount-stewart

Thanks for the replies. I'm leaning toward eliminating Belfast, which will give us more time in the other cities.

I have a few thoughts as someone now living here.

First and foremost - Rathdrum!! Oh, yes! I spent a fantastic 8 days there, then used it as my home base for 5 weeks (I met a generous Irish couple in Spain who said "use our garage apartment in Ireland as your home base!" so I did!). There is great history, hill walking, craft, fishing, camping .... Rathdrum is a very cool place. And you can get in/out of Dublin by train very easily (we did for the Dublin HorseShow, one day - easy as pie!) or other nice places to visit like Dun Laoghaire (pronounced dun leery) or Howth. If you're in to Ballykissangle the filming was nearby..... lots to see, there!

I'm VERY apprehensive about your thoughts on driving. Yes, Google maps shows, for example, Galway to Belfast as 3 hours 48 minutes. But, seriously - you will take MUCH longer. And I don't just mean the 25% someone else suggested in the replies, which is true, but really - once you get here, you'll hear about a castle ruin "right on the way!" and want to stop there; a pit-stop in a great pub for a coffee or a lunch, and then next thing you know you're spending the entire day in a car! You do realize one of your days (Galway/Cliffs/Dingle) shows almost 200 miles?!

I spoke to 3 ladies last night who own B&B's near my area, and they all concurred that "the first time an American stays with us, it's one night. They get here at 8 pm and then leave early to go somewhere crazy like the Cliffs of Moher the next day!! Then they come back the NEXT year and stay 2 or 3 nights when they see what's nearby!" I quote that for South Kerry, yes, but i can assure you, owners of B&Bs in Mayo, Kilkenny and County Cork are probably saying the exact same thing.....

Another thought - look at the driving as if you're in the USA. Imagine a vacation where you went to NYC, drove to Washington DC the next day, spent the night, got up and drove to Richmond, then the next day Atlanta.... sure, Google maps says you can do it. Sure, if the traffic is non-existent you may well do it. But would you experience it?? ANY of it!!!? Nope!

Slow down a bit, and enjoy the experience! The real Ireland isn't at the Cliffs of Moher with 1.7 million other tourists; it's in Rathdrum, and other small villages and towns that have much to be discovered!

Susan
ExPat in Waterville, Co Kerry