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Intinery Help - 4 Nights Late May

Posted by on

Hi,

4 Canadians going to Ireland for the first time this May and hoping for some assistance planning. Originally we had assumed we would stay in Dublin all 4 night but taking a closer look the sites we want to see are quite a bit apart and it would be easier to stay around them than go on long day trips.

If we did Friday and Saturday night in Dublin would that be enough to see the city sites? We're looking at staying in an airbnb apartment near temple bar. There is one across the river at the Ha'penny Bridge but have read mixed reviews about staying across the river. We're all female in our mid-late twenties, are there any safety concerns with this area? We will likely be coming home later in the night after the famous Irish pubs.

Then thinking of going to see Blarney Castle on Sunday and doing the Skillig Michael tour on Monday.

Where should we stay Sunday night? Is it possible to fit the Cliffs of Moher in Monday evening? We really want to see them so if not Monday evening we would have to go early Tuesday Morning before our flight.

We are going to Berlin next and there is a 10am flight out of Shannon Airport Tuesday morning so would likely stay somewhere near there Monday night. We did a fast paced trip through central Europe, Venice and Barcelona last summer so are not worried about moving through things quickly but do want to see the main sites. We like historical sites and experiencing the local culture but are not museum people or shoppers. Is there anything we're missing?

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
856 posts

In my opinion, with only four days, you should probably just stay in Dublin. If you aren't going to rent a car you are going to spend a lot of your precious time on a train or a bus trying to get somewhere, when you could take a guided tour and see a lot of sights. With just two nights in Dublin, that will probably only give you one whole day. This will not be enough time. If you want to see Killmainham Jail you should book in advance or you won't get in. This will restrict your sight-seeing of other things. The hop on hop off bus is a great way to get to the other major sights, but remember once you get in to some places (like the natural history museum, which I think you might like, even though you aren't into museums) you may end up spending a couple of hours. The university and the book of Kells cannot be rushed, either, but if that's not your thing there are so many other places to see. So I would suggest you would need two full days, minimum, in Dublin. Then you would still have time for a couple of day tours if you have two more full days. I would highly recommend the tour to Newgrange as it will make stops at several other sights. A day tour to the Cliffs of Moher is a long day from Dublin, but if you really want to see it then I say go for it. Most tours will stop at other places as well, and really, you only need about an hour at the Cliffs. The Temple Bar area is party central, especially on the weekend so take the usual precautions. Stay in your group, don't engage the loud groups of rowdies you may or may not encounter (I did, but I was alone), just cross the street and keep walking. Take a look at web sites that do day tours from Dublin and see what works for you. You might be surprised. My favourite trip was the one to Newgrange. It was a small van, and the guide was terrific, he had a real passion for Irish history, and I learned a lot from him.

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