Ireland in 8 Days

Since everything you want to see is on the west coast, have you considered flying into Shannon rather than Dublin? EDIT: on second thought, spending a night prior to getting a car and getting used to driving on the left would be smart.

Galway was my favourite town, I didn't have a car and did guided day trips to the Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, and Inishmore in the four days I spent there. If you already have your flights in and out of Dublin then using Dublin as a base might be a better option than doing a long drive all the way down to the south and back. It would be a lot of time in the car. There are some great guided day tours you can take from Dublin so you wouldn't need the car. You wouldn't really need the car in Galway either if you wanted to just make use of the guided day tours. You are wise to limit your locations to just two, you will actually see more that way.

There is so much to see basing out of Kenmare! You can do Ring of Kerry (don't miss the add-on of the Skellig Ring; the Kerry Cliffs are better than the Cliffs of Moher, according to every single person I've taken......); Valentia Island (Geokaun; the tetrapod tracks; the beautiful lighthouse); Dingle day trip; Beara peninsula; Glengarrif..... it will definitely be a good choice.... There are lots of places to stay, lots of places to eat, etc. There is a recent RTE Nationwide tv episode on Kenmare -- worth streaming on the RTE Player app......

Just looking at your trip to Galway from there (or vice versa) don't forget Spanish Point and Lahinch - especially if it's low tide as both beaches are a great walk.....

Susan
Expat in Waterville, Ring of Kerry

We are doing a similar trip with our 7 year old at the end of May. We are flying in and out of Dublin. We are spending the first three nights in Dublin and then have six nights left. We would like to see Kilkenny, Rock of Cashel, Dingle, Aran islands and is possible Ring of Kerry. We will have a car. We are thinking we will stay one night in Kilkenny. Then should we stay in Dingle or maybe Galway?

Driving times in Ireland are much longer than any app anticipates. At least half again or double the times unless you are a seasoned local. What this means is that any itinerary packed to the gills with sights will become an insane rat race. Throw in a day of weather that precludes really being able to see or visit a location and you end up with a trip where you are exhausted, saw some things on a list and only a superficial feel for Ireland. I just described our, and relatives first trips to Ireland.

For example lots of people jam an Aran Islands visit, the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher into one day. Can it be physically done. Yeah....kinda.....but you won't see or feel any of it in a meaningful way. What the great trip to Ireland really involves isn't checking off as many sights as possible....it's having a leisurely breakfast at a little cafe, enjoying the teabrack and talking w the owner.....it's wandering the Cliffs of Kerry and feeling wild Ireland without the tourist hoards at Moher (a lovely but clogged place), having the time while visiting Cashel to spend half an hour talking to Margaret and her "fine excuse for a dog" and being invited to her home for fresh scones. Calmly feeling Ireland and meeting her staggeringly wonderful people is what makes it great. Cut back on the itinerary.....you can't see Ireland in 8 days and you'll miss it if you try.......but you can experience it fully and let it soak into your soul if the focus isn't on a checklist.

Combining things in smaller areas helps. Instead of driving hours and being in moving tourist hoards.....a ferry filled w tourists to the arans, get off met by one of a long line of tour buses for a quick packed island tour with a quick tourist clogged stop in the town center by the docks......then a tourist filled boat back to another drive to tourist clogged cliffs of moher.........or...... wander the wild Cliffs of Kerry with few tourists, enjoy the Skellig Ring w a stop in wonderful Portmagee, look at Skellig Michael from the Glen, enjoy the peaceful Abbey and Castle on Ballinskelkigs Beach, the insane views above Caherdaniel and a wonderful lunch or shop in Waterville or Sneem. Stop by the standing stone in Derrynane or the haunting Staigue ring fort. All very close, non touristy compared to other spots with no pressure for the next thing and some of the nicest people on the planet.

Anyway, have a great trip but consider cutting the destinations and substituting quieter stops for main tourist spots and leave tons of time for the unexpected and for interactions with the land and its people.

I totally agree with ewewoolknit above - you're cramming too much in!! You may read their comment about the scone invitation and think to yourself "yeah, right! invited in for scones!" and think that's not possible. It is possible, and it is common - but only for the folks who have time to say YES! to the invite!

I saw a man recently gabbing with a walker, and he said "come on, I'll drive you to see the Kerry Cliffs!" and the walker said "I can't - I'm too rushed to get to my next B&B!" Ugh! He missed the Kerry Cliffs and probably an invite to spend the night at the local's house!

Don't get me wrong - I love Connemara - but I think you should cross that off your list. Everything else you mention seems southern, and that is not! Why not save it for the next trip (and the next trip do JUST Connemara!).

Kenmare is a really good choice, however do note that it's getting more and more touristy so maybe staying in Sneem could be a bit more relaxing? "Kenmare is becoming a mini-Killarney" is a phrase we hear often. Touristy in the negative way....

Susan
Expat in Waterville

I cannot agree more that the best parts are the chats with the locals or the unplanned stops in villages.

We went for dinner one night at a pub and ended up spending 3 hours as we met an Irish family with kids the same age as ours.

It was wonderful and one of our best memories... and we did get an invite to their house :)