Hello!
I will be visiting Ireland soon for the very first time. My girlfriend and I will arrive in Dublin the evening of 6/3 and depart from Cork for London the morning of 6/8.
To this point the plan has been two days in/around Dublin and two days in/around Cork (not counting day of arrival or departure).
I have more recently been considering a train from Dublin to Limerick or Tralee or Killarney to enjoy some of the more southwestern portions of Ireland before taking the train/driving back toward Cork 6/7 to visit Blarney Castle and/or the Rock Of Cashel the day before our departure from Cork.
I was hoping for some input on the below:
- Should we spend two full days in Dublin (departing morning of 5/6) or spend 1-1 ½ days in Dublin (departing morning or evening of 5/5)
- What should be our path once leaving Dublin? We would like to avoid driving long distances although once we arrive wherever we land by train post-Dublin we are open to renting a car from there
I am especially interested in natural beauty, music and history. I do not necessarily care about the more metropolitan areas, although I do want to experience what they have to offer if it is magnificent.
Does anyone have advice on how best to spend our time on this regrettably short trip?
Thank you very much in advance,
Joshua