Ireland--too many lovely places! Drive Dingle to Doolin, AI not helpful ;)

If the weather cooperates a very pretty way to go would be to catch the Tarbert ferry across the Shannon and drive up the N67 along the coast. It's one of Ireland's great scenic drives on a sunny day, with scores of pretty places to pull over and enjoy the beautiful seascapes along the way.
We especially like the village of Kilkee. There's a long stretch of sandy beach there, along with a nice cliff walk around a point near the edge of town which you'll likely have all to yourselves. There are several inviting little cafes and tea rooms along the esplanade that are a good stop for coffee or lunch too. The drive down Loop Head to the lighthouse is worth doing if you're in no perticular hurry and are looking to make a day of it. It's gorgeous ... but slow going along the rural roads.
Adare is indeed quite pretty, but it's become a victim of its own popularity - the little town gets clobbered with day trippers and tour buses around midday which rather detracts from the ambiance.

I've mixed views about Ardare. It is described as one of the prettiest villages in Ireland because of its thatched cottages, but unfortunately that has made it a magnet for visitors and coaches. It's success is in danger of destroying what made visitors want to visit it.

What is the attraction ofd Kerry County Museum and the Ennis Folk Museum? Is it the Medieval Experiencce at Tralee? Perhaps take the decision on the day depending on weather. If it is a wet day, then either museum . If it is a lovely sunny day then Loop Head Lighthouse and Peninsula could win hands down...

I also like Robert's suggestion of using the ferrry beteeen Tarbert and Killimer rather than going round by Limerick, and then pottering up the coast from there to Doolin. There is some lovely scenery and small villages to stop off in.

You could do Tralee and Nun's Bay on teh way to teh ferry and then Loop Head on the way up the coast to Doolin.

If you go via Limerick then this gives chance to drive through Adarre (and possibly stop if it looks interesting and not too busy) and also Ennis...

There are so many lovely places to discover in Ireland so don't stress too much if you don't manage to see them all...

Wasleys and Robert, I appreciate the comments. In regards to the museums, I thought they'd be informative. I'm less so interested in the Medieval village. I'm a sucker "quaint" villages, however I'm really adverse to crowds and searching for parking. We'll be in the area mid September.

The quieter villages up the coast to Doolin do sound appealing.

Regarding the ferry. Is it reliable? Does it stop frequently due to weather. Is it the type of thing where we could be subject to a wait?

I agree the day could be determined by the weather.

Kerry County Museum in Tralee: fifteen years ago (this was our bike trip, where we bicycled from Galway to Dingle over several days) we were connecting to a bus in Tralee, and had ha little of ver an hour before the bus came. The Lonely Pkanet guidebook raved about the museum, especially the Medieval exhibit that closed the sights and smells of the Middle Ages, and a particular exhibit that was like something from Monty Python. Of course, the Rick Steves guidebook had nothing about any of this back then either, so Lonely Planet was the best resource. With time to kill, we set off for the museum. It’s at the edge of a very nice town park, that has an impressive rose garden and sculptures. I maybe wouldn’t go miles out of my way for the park, but if you’re nearby, the park was definitely worth seeing, with or without a bike. The museum wasn’t bad, but not worth the hype that Lonely Planet espoused. The “smells” were a slight smoky scent emitted from a box (Medieval?), and all I can guess about the Monty Python part was one mannequin with a clownish expression, and a recorded cackling coming from behind her … hardly a Dead Parrot sketch or I’m a Lumberjack chorus.

Ennis Museum, two years ago, was small but had some well-presented exhibits. Again, not something to go way out of your way to see, but it was a pleasant stop while we were there for the big music festival. Ennis has a park, too, complete with a memorial to Muhammad Ali (?!?).

Closer to Dingle, in the village of Annascaul, there’s a noteworthy pub, definitely worth a stop, and it was mentioned in Rick’s guidebook 15 years ago, maybe still is. The South Pole Inn was owned and run by Tom Crean, a local hero who was on an Antarctic expedition. He’s gone now, but the pub remains, with some of his exploration artifacts on display. We passed by on a cool, rainy day, and they had peat fires smoldering in the fireplaces for warmth. Definitely worth seeing, whether you’re there for a long sit-down or not.

As for the ferry, we used it in 2011, as it shortened what would’ve been a very long bike detour on the way to Dingle. With bikes, we rolled right on - we took up very little space, and no waiting in a line of cars.

Two years ago, heading north this time and with a rental car, we bypassed the ferry and drove to Limerick, then Shannon. Signs indicated a long wait for the ferry, and we were ultimately headed to Ennis for the festival, and not to the coastal towns we’d biked through on the earlier trip.