Will be doing a family trip - 2 adults and an 8 yr old from May 25 to June 8. Arrive and leave Dublin . Will be driving and my wife is an artist and wants time to paint at a few locations. I currently plan the day of arrival in Dublin and the next day . Then leave and do Wicklow Mts. and Glendalough, sleep in Kilkenny 2 nights and tour around. Then Cork for 2 nights ( she has family from Cobh), then 2 nights Kinsale, 3 nights Kenmare , 3 nights Galway and last night Trim. Some days she may stay at the B&B and paint and my son and I do activities or drive around. She really doesn't want to move so often, but I don't know how to "get it all in" and not move.
Any insight and/or suggestions appreciated.
She really wants to stay in the farmhouse/bungalow type accommodations, B&B, etc.
If you have a "must do " or "stay here" , please let me know!
Thanks
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
"Kilkenny...B&B...farmhouse": Check out Lawcus Farm Guesthouse. http://www.lawcusfarmguesthouse.com/
And watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kssaZ9VnrwY
It's outside tiny Stoneyford on the Kings River; an easy 15 minute drive up to Kilkenny. Host Mark will provide his hand-drawn map and site-seeing suggestions. Anne-Marie serves an amazing breakfast. There are some worthwhile sites nearby: Jerpoint Abbey and Kells Priory. An evening in the village pub, especially if Anne-Marie's father is performing, is memorable. We thought it was a bargain at E120 or so/night.
We stayed 3 nights, May 2018 -- and left reluctantly (with my wife wondering if she could keep the orphaned baby lamb she'd been bottle-feeding in the mornings in the breakfast room.)
TripAdvisor reviews (95% Excellent) here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g4224069-d660668-Reviews-Lawcus_Farm_Guest_House-Stoneyford_Kilkenny_County_Kilkenny.html
Kenmare: We enjoyed the Ashfield Inn. http://www.ashfieldkenmare.com/bedrooms Mary was a terrific hostess (with numerous awards on the wall); a 2-minute drive or 10 minute stroll into town.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2976 posts
Suggest deleting Cork as one of your stays and just spending the time in Kinsale, from which you'll have easy access for day trips to Cobh, Cork, and over to Waterford if you so desire. Kinsale is quite picturesque and the pretty seascapes in the vicinity should keep your wife busy for days. A trip out to the Old Head might provide some inspiration too.
Only problem to be aware of is that traffic tends to clog things up once the tour buses start to roll in around 9:30 - It's a small town and can become easily congested. The cure for that is to get an early start on your day, then time your return for after 4 PM when the day trippers have departed.
Also recommend a stop at the Bulman Pub in the village of Summercove, which you'll pass on the shoreline walk down to Charles Fort.
Posted by
139 posts
I was gonna post about Lawcusfarm but the first reply beat me to it. Couldn't imagine a better place for an 8 year old and a painter to be!
Posted by
Vermont USA
359 posts
Robert always has excellent advice and I'd follow it. Skip Cork itself and stay longer in Kinsale. You'll have access to Cobh but will be in a much more pleasant spot.
Also your wife has fantastic instincts. Less really is more in Ireland. Usually moving around a bunch to "fit it all in" means you lose out on incredible things nearby. For example Kenmare to Galway is 5-6 hours driving BEFORE stops. You lose a day driving. And why Galway ? It's a full city...it's okay but not worth giving up a day's driving for. Connemara near Galway is beautiful and the Aran Islands are really nice but there is far more to see closer to Kenmare. As for the Cliffs of Moher there are the far nicer (and more paintable) Cliffs of Kerry right there. You could take an Eco tour (non landing) of Skellig Michael which is an amazing adventure for an 8 year old. Then a couple days in Dingle are so worth it. Your wife will find vistas to paint around every corner and there are old ruins to explore and amazing options like a harbor tour to see Fungi the dolphin (great for kids) or a day trip out to the Blasket Islands...where we saw basking sharks, dolphins, countless bird species including puffins and insane scenery. The island itself is haunting, beautiful beyond belief and a life memory. It is not a spot for a child going through a wild phase - as long as theyre calm and obedient it's fine but there are cliffs.
But anyway there are ring forts, castles, beaches, horseback and pony beach rides, incredible scenery and time to interact with the spectacular people of Ireland. The southwest has enough to fill months....We have spent that kind of time there and are still going back for more. Don't push too hard to go to "must sees".....what's truly incredible about Ireland is that almost everywhere there are magical wonders large and small in abundance and you can see them if you linger just a bit. . .. and you end up seeing and experiencing more !!!!!
Have a great trip.
Posted by
bedford, indiana
459 posts
Kenmare provides great access out to the Beara Peninsula. http://www.bearatourism.com/bearaway.html It is a more rural, less busy little brother to the Kerry Peninsula in my opinion. We hired a driver for the Ring of Kerry and then the next day did a self drive of Beara Peninsula. I suggest not to miss a day driving around Beara, it is really cool, great sites, more laid back travel. We did it counter clockwise and had no tour bus issues. We enjoyed http://www.ashfieldkenmare.com/ for our B&B, had a great room that would be perfect for three of you.