Any good itinerary! Want to fly in and out of Shannon airport!!
Want to do Cliff of Moher, Obrien tower, blarney castles and Galway any ideas are welcomes
Can you help feel so lost here and overwhelmed!
Must do is see O’Brien tower and cliff of Moher
You're likely to get better help here if you state how many nights you plan to be in Ireland, what time of year you're going, and whether you plan on renting a car or getting around with a combination of public transportation and organized tours.
9 days
Summer July
Rent a car
Just adults
If you must go to Moher go very early in the morning or very late in the day. They are beautiful but tourist overrun, clogged with tour buses, tacky gift shops and traffic. There are many better Cliff sights in Ireland....far more the windswept, rugged "lonely" cliffs people dream of.....like the Cliffs of Kerry, Slieve League, Cliffs of Kilkee and the cliffs at Dun Anghosa to name a few. Moher is pretty just way too touristy. To avoid some of it take the cliff walk there off from the hubbub at the visitors center. Very pretty.
Skip Blarney. It's on Rick Steves top ten tourist traps in all of Europe. The castle grounds there are fairly pretty but there are dozens of prettier castles with real history attached.
If you stick in the West there is plenty to fill months let alone 9 days. Try and avoid too much driving. The goal should be to experience Ireland - it's incomparable beauty, amazing history and the warmest, funniest most welcoming people you'll come across.....So linger, explore and don't fall into the trap of running all over trying to see everything ....it's very self defeating.
Not sure what your interests are but Connemara near Galway is pure heaven. Dingle and the Slea Head drive is incredible. The Aran islands are gorgeous with wonderful scenery. The Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring are incredible. The sights near Killarney (not the city itself) are awesome....Gap of Dunloe, Ladies View etc.
If it were me and I was trying to see a lot without overdoing it I'd stay in the west....a few days near Castlemaine or Kenmare area and see the ROK and Skellig areas. Then a day or two in Dingle and then perhaps Connemara. Ambitious enough and still a lot, possibly too much driving but you would get world class scenery, amazing history, great food and music and a real sense of wild Ireland.
With limited time I'd avoid going East to Dublin....you lose days in the car. But if you do go there try and see Glendalough and Newgrange as day trips. But honestly I'd stay in the west. Enjoy, you'll have a great time there....it will be busy, peak tourism but is doable !!!! Best of luck.
Not much to add to ewewoolknit's excellent suggestions. Based on many Forum comments about Clifs/Moher, we took the late afternoon cruise from Doolin harbor. Great views looking up at the cliffs nicely lit up by the setting sun. And, another vote for Cliffs of Kerry outside Portmagee on the ROK. Not crowded; spectacular.
Do you have room in your budget for a few special splurges, or is cost consideration primary?
Ashford Castle in Cong near north of Galway is incredible....originally home of Guinness family (as in the beer). Check out Ashford on line and on TripAdvisor for photos. They offer two-night specials or inquire is nothing posted on line.
The Hawk Walk at the School of Falconry at Ashford Castle is an incredible experience (and you can book that even if you are not an overnight guest at the Castle). Google for YouTube videos of the Hawk Walk at Ashford....watch several.
Dromoland Castle, closer to the Shannon Airport area, is also lovely. A incredible walled garden with outdoor dining available. Dromoland, as a castle, is not nearly as huge and incredible as Ashford Castle, but is is lovely.
Noticing your last name, I can understand why you want to see OBrian Tower. I actually tracked down an Irish cousin who took us to see the ruins of the cottage in which my grandmother was raised, along with the family church, graves, etc. If you have any info whatsoever re: ancestry or can track relatives who may have come thru Ellis Island or can track your ancestry thru the center in Salt Lake City, it would be an absolutely phenomenal experience. It is actually the owner of one of the B&Bs in Tubercurry who gave me the missing link when I emailed him to ask if there was any chance he knew (I had just the first name of the cousin and her husband's first name and the original family name of my grandmother). Turns out he knows the family and his daughter taught my cousin's grandson.........................you will be amazed at the depth of family knowledge that is available just by reaching out and talking with people. My inquiry really developed into magic, and that was after several years of my older sister doing extensive research on line (with still missing info).
