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Ireland March 2017

Posted by (St. Louis, MO) on

I am planning a trip for 4 people to Ireland this March. I have created a working itinerary and am interested in some feedback. Here is our itinerary so far:

  • Arrive in Dublin on the 16th. Stay in Dublin for 3 nights (Maybe 1 day trip to Belfast?)
  • Pick up rental car (Irish Car Rentals) from the airport on the 19th and drive to Kilkenney. Stay in Kilkenny for 1 night.
  • Drive from Kilkenny to Kenmare (stopping at Cork and Blarney Castle in-between). Stay in Kenmare for 2-3 nights (1 day will consist of driving the Ring of Kerry).
  • Drive from Kenmare to Ennis. Stay in Ennis for 2-3 nights making day trips to Cliffs of Moher and Galway.
  • Drop off rental vehicle and fly out from Shannon airport.

Please let me know if this seem doable or any changes that may be necessary. Thank you!!

Posted by
398 posts

I think it is a good itinerary. On the day you leave Dublin, if you want some actual time in Kilkenny, I would recommend getting an early start. Your next day after Kilkenny is a full day, so you'll want an early start then too. I would recommend stopping at the Rock of Cashel instead of Blarney Castle. I would also not stay in Ennis, it's just not that nice or exciting of a place. Would be better to just stay in Galway or Doolin, in my opinion. Galway is only about an hour from the Shannon airport, most of which is along a proper highway, so unless you have a very early morning flight, I would stay there over Ennis.

Posted by
9363 posts

I would also suggest seeing Rock of Cashel, but I also like Blarney (not interested in Cork). Rock of Cashel to Cahir (great castle there) to Blarney is pretty much a straight shot, north to south.

I would stay in Galway rather than Ennis, but I would spend the last night at Bunratty. It is six miles from the airport, has a castle and folk park, and several B&Bs just behind the castle.

Posted by
317 posts

Greetings from Ireland.

Itinerary sounds good for the most part. Personally I would spend more than one night in Ennis, theres very little to do there, but indeed if you are going to simply use it as a base for day-trips then it would suffice. But a day-trip to a lively city like Galway and then returning all the way to a sleepy spot like Ennis seems a waste of your valuable travel time, in my professional opinion.

Enjoy our Irish adventures.

Slainte mhaith/Good health
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland Tour guide
Dingle & Derry

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