Inishmore vs Connemara

Downpatrick is far down my bucket list, so I like your last suggestion. You know that with that itinerary, you'll never get to see anything in the target towns except maybe a bar. Not necessarily bad, but you'll end the trip exhausted (we usually expect that). You can include the Cliffs of Moher with an Inishmore visit by boat from Doolin, avoiding the Cliffs zoo. Spending the night on Inishmore is highly recommended.

At this point, accommodation availability will limit what changes you can make.

Thank you. We have the following accommodations

2 nights near Wicklow
2 Killarney
3 Kinvara (s of Galway)
2 near Sligo
1 Northern Ireland.

Is there anything else you suggest cutting out. I can work the trip around these accommodations. But already have trip to Saltee Islands and Dublin concert booked.

I’m a bit confused trying to sort out your initial itinerary against the nights booked...

Are you spending any time in Dublin at the start of the trip or heading straight to Wicklow and doing Dublin and the concert and the Saltee islands from Wicklow?

You have day 1 planned for Saltee Island - so have you got an overnight booked for the night before, or are you planning to do them as soon as you arrive in Ireland (presumably in Dublin?) This is going to take at least 2.5 hours to drive to get to the ferry. Are you arriving off a transatlanrtic flight? This is not very sensible as you will start the holiday shattered....

You only have 2 nights in Killarney but looking at your original post you have a day for Ring of Kerry and another day for Dingle. Do you need 3 nights there?

You also seem to have one too many nights for Kinvarra with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher on one day and Inishmore or Connemara on the following day. (As jjigurley says, do have a look as to whether you can combine Clifs of Moher with a boat trip to Inishmore.)

It is a pretty intensive itinerary.. Don't underestimate how long it will take you to drive between places. In the country areas, driving in Ireland is slow and will take a lot longer to cover distances than you might expect. If using google maps it is recommended to add 25% to their driving times and then add on time for stops.

Sorry if it was confusing. We are going to be in Scotland the week before Ireland so day 1 will be flying from Edinburgh to Dunblin arriving at 8am with 1 pm ferry. We will drive back to Wicklow. Day 2 we have a concert in Dublin and then will return to stay at Wicklow. Day 5 we will do Dingle and then drive to spend the night in Kinvara. Will Cliffs or Moher the next day, spend the night, have a flex day to either do Inishmore, Connemara, or Galway, then the 3rd day will get up early and head to either Connemara or downpatrick head and stay near Loch Melvin.

It is an aggressive plan but if it’s too much can cut things out as we go.

That explains it!

I also tend to overplan what to do and then cut back on the day depending on what we feel like, what the weather is doing and how time is going. I'd rather have too much in than not enough... Be prepared to be flexible and accept it may not all fit in.