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Ireland advice

Posted by on

Hello,

I'm planning a trip to Ireland with a week tour and a week on my own seeing some sights, and was hoping for some advice. First, I'm trying to decide between a tour out of Dunfanaghy, exploring the Donegal area, or in Kerry, staying in Killarney, Waterville, and Glenbeigh. Any advice or comments on the areas?

Second, I plan to use public transit and day tours for the second week, either out of Dublin or a split between Dublin and either Cork or somewhere else to the south. What do people think about Cork? Is it a nice place for a home base for a few days? If so, can anyone recommend an area and/or place to stay in Cork that would be walking distance from bus drop offs for day tours and public transportation, or is there another town you recommend that would be easy to access without a car?

Thanks so much for any advice!

Posted by
771 posts

Hi, you may get more responses if you can give more information about what you are looking for. It's been a few years since I've been to Ireland, but to me Donegal around Dunfanaghy is a different experience than the Ring of Kerry area. They are both rocky and windswept and beautiful, but in my experience the northwest is much less touristy. The road around Kerry is loaded with tour buses and the towns cater to them. What do the tours have you doing? Does one interest you more than the other? With the Kerry tour you will see many of the iconic sights and be able to relate to others when talking about your trip. Donegal will be much more off-the-beaten path. We spent one night in Donegal and my husband wants to go back and spend a week.

For the other part of your trip, if you have seven nights, you could spend four in Dublin and three in Cork. There's plenty to see in Dublin, and also some interesting day trips to consider. I would recommend Newgrange an hour or so north--www.newgrange.com. There are plenty of others if you check the Dublin tourist sites, too. I have not stayed in Cork city. We spent a few nights in nearby Clonakilty and did day trips by car.
Hopefully, others will chime in also!

Posted by
7 posts

Thanks for the input. I am looking at horseback riding the first week, so maybe the more remote area of Donegal may be ideal for that. Both areas sound beautiful, though. It's a tough decision!

Thanks again

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