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I'm planning a Republic of Ireland road trip for Summer 2027. I will be traveling with my husband and teenage son. Our primary interests are the outdoors and history. We don't want to sacrifice time in the small towns and the beautiful countryside for time in Dublin. We are having trouble deciding whether or not to add on 3 nights in Belfast after dropping off our car in Cork. We will be visiting family in the Netherlands in the week prior, so we will not be jet lagged when we arrive in Ireland.

Day 1: Fly to Cork from Amsterdam in the morning. Rent car at Cork airport and drive about 30 minutes to Kinsale. Spend the afternoon visiting Fort Charles and tour the town. Ghost tour in the evening. Sleep in Kinsale.
Day 2: Drive from Kinsale to Kenmare along N71. Along the way, stop at Drombeg stone circle and take a slight detour to drive Healy Pass. If it fits our schedule, see the sheep dog demo at Kissane. Sleep in Kenmare.
Day 3: Explore Killarney National Park. Rent bikes to bike around the middle lake, explore Ross Castle, Muckross House....Sleep in Kenmare.
Day 4: Drive from Kenmare to Dingle. On way out, park at Kate Kearney's and walk/hire jaunting car to see Gap of Dunloe. Sleep in Dingle.
Day 5: Slea Head Drive including Blasket Center. Sleep in Dingle.
Day 6: Various activities in Dingle area such as falconry and East Tower hike. Sleep in Dingle.
Day 7: Drive from Dingle to Doolin by way of R560 over Conor Pass, Tarbert Ferry across Shannon River and N67 coastal route with a stop at Kilkee. Sleep in Doolin.
Day 8: In the morning, take the ferry to Inisheer, rent bikes, and purchase the combo ticket that includes Cliffs of Moher on the way back to Doolin. In the afternoon, explore the Burren. Sleep in Doolin.
Day 9: Drive back toward Cork. Tour Rock of Cashel in the late afternoon. Sleep in Cashel.
Day 10: In the morning, drive to Cork to drop off rental car. Take train to Dublin and then another train to Belfast. This is the part I am unsure about. Will it be too much time on the train? Should we drop the car off in Dublin instead of Cork? Sleep in Belfast.
Day 11: Titanic Museum, Black Cab Tour. Sleep in Belfast.
Day 12: Tour of the Antrim Coast. Maybe use Get Your Guide for this? Sleep in Belfast.
Day 13: Bus to Dublin airport, if we get an afternoon flight. Fly home.

Posted by
1968 posts

I would skip Belfast this time. There is lots to see and do in and around Cork, so you could drop the car and stay there the last three nights. Or you could change your rental drop to Dublin airport on day of departure (assuming your flight leaves in the afternoon) and make a couple stops on the way from Cashel, such as Kilkenny, Glendalough, the Wicklow Mountains, Athlone. Kilkenny and Glendalough are RS faves. Athlone is on my list.
If you decide to go to Belfast, keep in mind that your train from Cork arrives at Heuston Station, and the train to Belfast leaves from Connolly, across town. The stations are connected by the LUAS Red Line.
From Heuston to the airport, there is a direct bus.

Posted by
60 posts

Just a note about falconry in Dingle. We did this last month on the RS Heart of Ireland tour, and it was fabulous. You will want to book well in advance. The business is called Kingdom Falconry. They used to be located at Milltown House in Dingle (which is where our tour stayed for 2 nights, lovely place), but they relocated a few miles out of town in the last year. (Our RS guide hinted that the parting wasn’t amicable but I don’t know the details.) A website exists for “Dingle Falconry” at Milltown House, showing all sold out for 2026. I’m guessing that that was the original name and the fellow who actually owns and runs the falconry lost rights to it? But the site you want is kingdomfalconry.com.

Posted by
680 posts

Hi Melanie,
I think I would skip Belfast this time, too. You could use the time to visit Cobh, Kilkenny, Mazin Head or any other number of places down around the south. In Cobh, there is a Titanic museum, too. Much smaller but it was the final port of call before it met it's fate.
Some other thoughts:
On Day 8 you mention taking Ferry to the islands (great choice even for a day trip). It will most likely take the whole day and I'm struggling to figure out how you will also be able visit/enjoy the beauty of the Burren, too. Sure, there's more daylight in the summer but you will be rushed through one or the other.
On Day 9 you mention staying in Cashel. The castle is definitely worth your time but really only takes an hour or so to visit it. The town itself, in my opinion, is pretty blah. You could stay in Cobh or Kilkenny, which I find much more interesting (again, just my opinion.)

I hope you have a great trip!

Posted by
3049 posts

I’m with G3rryCee and Kimberley on this one. Skip Belfast - it’s not worth the time and effort for such a short time. Save it for another visit when you can include Derry and Donegal...

I’d add a day to Kinsale so you can see more of the area - possibly include Cobh or Sheep’s Head Peninsula. This doesn’t get a mention in the average guide book so gets few visitors. Scenically I think it’s better than Mizen.

Add a day to Doolin to explore the Burren in greater depth - there’s plenty to fill a day.

Don’t drive back to Cork after Cashel but instead head towards Dublin via the early Christian site of Glendalough with its round tower and ruined churches. There’s some lovely walks you can do round the site too. This would also allow time to see something of the Wicklows too.

If you still, have a day spare, think about a trip to Newgrange from Dublin - a 5,200-year-old prehistoric passage tomb which is older than the pyramids. Visits are by guided tour and numbers on each are restricted. It needs to be booked in advance. Tickets are released 30 days before and do sell out quickly. It is worth buying a ticket that includes both Newgrange and Nowth as the two are different...

Posted by
43 posts

Thank you for your suggestions. I’m now thinking about saving Northern Ireland for another trip. I will probably add an additional night in Kinsale and drop off the car in Dublin instead of Cork so that we can visit Wicklow Mountains. We want to spend the night in Cashel because I read it’s nice to see the glow on the ruins at night, but might stay overnight in Kilkenny instead of staying in Cashel.

Posted by
2366 posts

If you are still interested in adding on 3 nights, then why not spend those 3 nights in Dublin? Especially since you will return the car to Dublin. Dublin is a wonderful city with so much history and lots of interesting and historical sights. We like the architecture, the food, and it's a lively and bustling city.

Some interesting sights and things to do: Kilmainham Gaol, GPO Museum, Book of Kells, visit Christchurch and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Take a walking tour with Yellow Umbrella Tours. We didn't have time to visit the EPIC Museum, but I know it gets rave reviews.

Posted by
10192 posts

Skip Dublin this time, add The Cliffs of Moher, Galway and Connemara.
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