Is this itinerary doable? This is my first time.

Any specific reason you want to stay in Ennis? I only ask because we flew into Shannon and driving to Doolin was an easy thing to do. We absolutely loved the traditional music and pubs in Doolin.

Sections of your itinerary are very busy and full of driving. You don't have much time for most of the areas you will be in (Kilkenny portion looks good to me). You may see the designated "highlights" but will probably miss a big part of what Ireland has to offer...all the wonderful little stops along the way. Historic sights, ruins, museums, incredible scenery for hiking, a beer with a new friend at a pub, etc.

It's all up to you and your personal style of traveling. DH and I try to go in the middle of the road, busy but still a little relaxed. We try to get two nights in about every place we stay and find that it works for us. Can you add any nights to Killarney? There is so much that area has to offer that you won't be seeing. Kilkenny seems like a nice pace and realistic.

What are you going to do with your car in Dublin? Someone else will have to weigh in but it seems like a huge hassle to go into Dublin for a day and dealing with the car may be a pain. I would be inclined to drive around Dublin to go up north or consider taking a day trip with a tour group from Dublin up north. It might also make more sense to fly in and out of Dublin since you want to go full-circle. Others may be able to advise with more knowledge; I've only traveled to southern Ireland so am by no means an expert.

Good point about the car and Dublin. I am going to rethink that section of the trip. Possibly stay outside of Dublin and ride public transportation into town, and do a tour that takes us to Belfast or the Causeway. Thanks.

We dropped our rental car at the Dublin airport and taxi'd into town. It worked well and was convenient. The petrol station was kind of hidden at the airport; we kept driving past the rental car drop exit and found one. Circled back and then dropped the car with a full tank. Don't forget to pay your M50 toll road toll; the petrol station at the airport was an easy place to do that.

Dublin and Belfast are well-connected by train. Taking a tour from Belfast to see the Causeway sounds like a good idea.

If you're only spending a couple of nights in Belfast, it might work out better to drop the car in Dublin, leave your luggage in storage and take an overnight bag north, then return to Dublin and fly home from there if the flight works better than from Belfast.

Do not underestimate driving times in Ireland.

In general, I would try to avoid one night stops. It doesn't give you time to settle in, and you'll have significantly less time to experience the local atmosphere. As I've written before, Ireland is not about crossing off a checklist. You need to give yourself time to walk around, hit up pubs at night and listen to music, talk to locals, etc.

Agreed with Julie on day one. What time do you arrive? Unless you arrive late at night, no reason to stay in Ennis. I would drive to the Doolin area. And depending on what time you arrive, especially if it's in the morning, then you will want to plan at least something else for day one. Perhaps you could see the Cliffs of Moher.

Day two is going to be a ton of driving. You are probably looking at 6 or so hours of driving.

Day three - strongly consider stopping at Rock of Cashel. This is another big driving day, but not as bad as day two. I've heard the Waterford Museum is a bit underwhelming, but haven't been there myself.

Day four - good plan. Climb the round tower at St. Canice's Cathedral too.

Day five/six - it appears you've given yourself maybe 1.5 days in Dublin, so that is going to be a bit tight. I would say you really want two full days there. Don't miss the Kilmainham Gaol.

Day 7 - the drive to Belfast isn't bad at all, it's mostly highway. But from Belfast to the Giant's Causeway, there is a lot of secondary road driving, and it will take much longer than Google maps makes it look.

Day 8 - Causeway to Galway is a really long drive, could be 6-7 hours.

I would recommend flying into either Dublin or Shannon and then home from the other, if possible. But if you have nine nights, I would really consider trying to limit the places you stay to 4, maybe 5. This is a pretty ambitious itinerary.