First Ever Overseas Trip - Help!

I would elect to stay the last night in Dublin as to be at the airport in sufficient time to catch your 11 am flight you would need to get the 5.15 am bus from Galway. That means getting up in time to get to the bus station (I don't know how far you'll be staying from it) however you're young and such an early start may not bother you so much (although judging by my nieces and nephews of a similar age such an early start would be impossible for them!).

Personally I think you have a lot of travel for such a short trip. There is also jet lag to consider and the time change. Where are you flying from? i would never stay in another city when you have an 11 am flight. Weather would be a big consideration too. How exciting your first trip. Enjoy

You are really trying to cover far too much. Day 1 will most likely be a write off between an overnight flight and jet lag. That means that you will hardly see any of Dublin. You are very young.. plan on coming back to Ireland and for this trip concentrate on 2 cities. For me, based on the fact that you cannot rent a car, I would concentrate on Dublin and Belfast. They have great transportation between the two cities and each have a lot to do.
As a previous poster mentioned, I would plan on sleeping in Dublin the night before you flight. You have to be at the Dublin airport 3 hours before departure.

A day drip to Blarney from Dublin makes little sense. You're spending up to 7 hours sitting on a bus that could be better spent enjoying Dublin, Galway, Belfast or wherever you happen to be.

Slow down. Even young people have to sleep occasionally. You probably arrive in Dublin in mid-morning, and will be settled in accommodation by early afternoon. Have lunch, walk around in the open to see the city, maybe hit one attraction, early dinner and early to bed. (In other words, get over the jet fatigue and be ready to roar on the second day.)

Check-list tourism is bound to disappoint: Been past there on a bus, saw that through a window, didn't have time to buy a souvenir T-shirt. Instead, take the time to explore a few places in more depth. Smell the flowers. In Ireland, particularly, be leisurely enough to enjoy the people.

If you are from the United States, you should know that US immigration and security procedures on the return trip will take place in Dublin airport, so allow enough time.

Something's gotta give and for Rick it would be Blarney Castle, which he considers a very mediocre sight. However, if going there, you need not double back via Dublin. For instance, direct bus 251 takes 3 hours between Galway and Cork; see www.transportforireland.ie.

We are just coming back from seven days in Ireland and you definitely have too much packed into your days. We spent Thursday through Sunday in Dublin and then went to Galway Sunday and Monday and then stayed in a castle Tuesday night. I think the great thing about Ireland is to settle into town a day or two to get a real feel for it. Would definitely do Dublin for 2 to 3 days then Galway for one strong day based on your itinerary. We had a weather issue when we went to the Cliffs of Mohr but we just went up to the restaurant and hung out for an hour before it cleared and the sun came out. Just be patient even if it’s bad when you get there.

I agree with all of the other responses that are saying you are trying to do too much with a small amount of time. With what is essentially less than a week once you factor in the time it takes you to get out of the airport and into Dublin (plus the time you have to be back at the airport when you leave) you really should just focus on two places, either Dublin and Galway, or Dublin and Belfast. My personal choice would be Dublin/Galway as there is such a variety of things to do from each. If you try to do more than two places you will find yourself wasting too much of your valuable time dealing with train schedules and getting from one place to the next. Keep in mind that if you want to do day trips from these cities that most of these all day tours leave at 9am, and if you aren't already in town you may miss it. This is another reason it's best to spend a few days in just two places. I would also say remove Blarney from your list, it's just not worth it when there are so many other choices for day trips from Dublin that are far more interesting. Also, Dublin is a big city with an interesting history and lots to see and with your plan you aren't really spending much time in the city. So, it really would be best to split your time between just two places. It may all come down to your flights as to how you accomplish this. Depending on when you land it may make sense to go straight to either Galway or Belfast, and return to Dublin to finish your trip, or vice-versa. Also keep in mind that when you have a schedule that is so tight for time that you leave no room for possible problems such as a flight that ends up late or delayed, and other problems that may crop up. As someone else said, just plan to return again to see what you don't get to see this time.