Itinerary and B&B Help

I took the 14 RS Ireland tour in august 2016. We stayed in Dublin at the Buswell's hotel. I would stay there again. Great location.
Kinsale we stayed at the Frairs B B/hotel.

Dingle Castlewood/Heatons (family owned). Great rooms and breakfasts but a longer walk to town, but doable.

Have fun.

We stayed at The Nest, a grass-roofed house with a peat fireplace and kitchen, a 12-minute bike ride out of Dingle town (quicker by car, if you're driving). We found it on Homeaway, but searching the Internet just now it appears the owner, Louise, is using Air B&B (which we've never used): https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/935730 . This may also be on Homeaway or other Websites now too, if you look yourself.

It was a bit challenging trying to pay Louise back in 2011, as she lived in England (preferring payment in pounds), but The Nest is in Ireland (with Homeaway then set up only to accept euros, and Louise hadn't made arrangements for online payments at the time), and us with our American dollars. Louise wanted us to wire the money, which is apparently no big deal in Europe but would have been a complicated, expensive proposition for us 4 years ago. We worked it out then, and maybe the payment process is easier now. The Nest was charming and felt like we had our own place in the Irish countryside.

The only ones that come to mind as outstanding is The Presbytery in Kinsale. Be sure to eat lunch at the Pantry there, great homemade food, reasonable prices. In Dingle stayed twice at the Lighthouse B&B and another time at Cilli Breach, am sure spelling is wrong but it was great as well. At the Cilli Breach I had room upstairs with beautiful view over harbor and my son and wife had room in back overlooking sheep farm. I liked that they had a second floor balcony so we had tea there in the evening overlooking harbor. Be sure to have a bowl of great chowder and a fantastic cup of Baileys hot chocolate at the Stonehouse restaurant on the Slea Head drive. The whole place,including the roof is made of stone. Can't describe enough the beauty of the Slea Head drive, have done it three times already and each time it takes us longer as we keep stopping to enjoy the views. In October it took us five hours as we went to the restaurant, went down to the beach, etc. In Shannon we stayed at the Airport Manor B&B, very close to airport and very clean and nice. Hope this helps some.

I'll add another vote for The Old Presbytery in Kinsale. We stayed there three years ago and really liked it. Our room was lovely (it would be perfect for honeymooners, I think) and breakfast was delicious. In Dingle, our favorite place to stay is Milestone House. Michael and Barbara are wonderful hosts! We loved it so much the first time that we went back again this past September and enjoyed it even more.

In Dublin, we stayed at Staunton's on the Green, which is on the south side of St. Stephen's Green. We loved this location, as it was walking distance to just about everything, but was very quiet at night. Staff was great, breakfast was very good. Reasonably priced too.

In Dingle, I would highly recommend Browne's B&B. The hosts, John and Camilla, were wonderful - they sat us down on our arrival, told us their favorite restaurants, what pubs would have live music that night, and gave us some insider tips for the Slea Head drive. Breakfasts were amazing. Only comment is that this is like a 15 minute walk from downtown Dingle. We actually enjoyed the walk (it's right along the harbor).

In Kilkenny, we stayed at the Lyrath Estate, a stunning hotel. It's not really walking distance to the Castle and town, so if you want to be in the city, stay somewhere else. But if you don't mind the 7-10 minute drive into the town, this place was amazing, and we really enjoyed just walking the grounds there.

I second the recommendation of Buswells hotel in Dublin. I've stayed there several times and think it's fantastic. It's a real "European" hotel instead of an Americanized large place. It's in the city center, a short walk from Trinity College, St. Stephen's Green, O'Connell Street, Temple Bar, etc. And it's usually very quiet in the area around the hotel, especially during the evenings.

I've never stayed in Kilkenny, but if you like Smithwick's Irish Ale (maybe my favorite Irish beer), consider taking the Smithwick's tour in Kilkenny. Smithwick's was produced in Kilkenny from its inception in 1710 until about two-three years ago.

In Kinsale, while I've never stayed at the B&Bs recommended by people on this message thread, I've seen tremendous ratings of them on Tripadvisor. I've stayed at the Actons Hotel, which is a fairly large hotel right along the waterfront in the center of town. It's a great European-style hotel, so if you can't get a room in any B&Bs you contact, try Actons.

In Dingle, I've stayed at the Tower View B&B two different times and highly recommend it. Mary Griffin is the owner (along with her husband, Robbie) and does a great job. It's about a 15-minute walk from the center of town, but I liked being a bit away from town because it's so quiet and peaceful where the Tower View is located.

I've never stayed in Ennis, but during my last visit a few months ago I stayed at the Bunratty Haven B&B in Bunratty, which is just a few minutes' drive from the Shannon airport. It's a small but very nice B&B, a few minutes' drive from the Bunratty town center, and is very quiet.

Agree on the previous recommendations for the Old Presbytery Inn in Kinsale. Lovely place. Great innkeepers. The first-floor room with the little balcony overlooking their enclosed, private parking area is very quiet and nice.

I was very happy with the River Court Hotel in Kilkenny. It's on the river right opposite the castlew and a very short walk to pubs and restaurants. It has a large parking lot if you're driving.

I did not like Killarney, I found it very crowded and touristy. I'd suggest looking at Kenmare instead. Smaller and less crowded, and still convenient to the Ring of Kerry and Killarney Nat'l Park.

In Dublin, I recommend the Ariel House. It's not in the city centre, but you can walk downtown in about 20 minutes from there taking various scenic routes. There's also a nearby train which heads into the city. Reliable schedule, of course.

The Ariel is ranked #2 in Dublin on TripAdvisor, but it's a mid-priced hotel. The breakfasts are absolutely legendary, and you will never forget that experience. A great way to start your Honeymoon.

While in Dublin, here are my recommendations:

1. Take in a play at the Abbey, Gate or Gaiety theatres.
2. The Hop On/Hop Off bus is a bargain and you can ride it both days for the same price. Helps show you the whole city quite quickly and takes you to outlying attractions, such as the old jail where the Irish rebels were held.
3. Brearly's on Grafton is a national treasure. Great place to eat at any hour.
4. The Palace Bar is a fine old pub, which is outside of the insanity of Temple Bar, and located on Fleet Street.
5. There are a hundred other attractions and they are almost all a delight in one way or another. Dublin does not disappoint.

Have fun.

Just two quick thoughts.

The Cloisters B&B in Kinsale was very nice and the breakfasts were excellent. It is an easy walk into the heart of town.

The Lighthouse B&B in Dingle is a bit of a walk from the heart of town but well worth every step of it. It is a relatively new, purpose built B&B and the couple who run it are wonderful. Parking is excellent ant the view of Dingle bay is great.

We stayed at the Grey Gables B&B in Ennis. That was way back in 2002, but it still seems to get high marks on TripAdvisor. You can walk to the downtown area from there, no need to get into your car to get dinner in town.

Hi For Dingle Look at Castlewood House . Have stayed there twice. It will be the best B&B of your entire trip !

For Killarney There are so many Any on Muckross road or Ross road are close.

Look up International Hotel , Brehon Hotel , Lake hotel is old style , Hotel Europe is magnificant but as 5 star is expensive

RE: Dublin hotels -- My two daughters and I stayed at the Ashling Hotel in April 2015, and LOVED it :-) We were amazed at what a high-quality place it was for the price (I think we booked through Venere.com, and got a great deal), and the breakfast buffet (10 euros) was incredible. We had dinner in the restaurant on our first night, and the food was just wonderful. I loved it so much that I just booked a room for my husband and myself -- we're going in October of this year.

The hotel is almost across the street from Heuston Station (where trains to the west of Ireland depart), and there's a Luas Red Line stop about a half-block away -- that will take you right to the center of town in just a few minutes. Also handy: The 747 AirLink bus to/from the airport stops right at Heuston Station, and you can also ride this bus to get to various places in town. If you prefer cabs, there's usually a few right outside the hotel door, and if not, at the station.

The Guinness Storehouse is an easy walk from the hotel, too; in fact, you could walk along the river to get to the center of town, if you don't mind a bit of a walk :-)

Can't say enough good things about the hotel staff, too -- they were friendly, helpful and always smiling :-)

In Killarney I'd recommend The Malton Hotel, in town near the train station, very good location (and where I got engaged!).

The Killarney Park is out by the lake - spectacular views!

I meet at the Dromhall Hotel for Toastmasters, and though I've not stayed in the hotel, it's pretty awesome a place to meet and drink and eat in! I'll stay there next time I'm going to overnight with my husband.

I've stayed in many B&B's and they're all good - Killarney is a big tourist town, and they know how to treat guests well!

I stay in Killarney at least twice a month. When I'm on a budget, I stay in Neptunes Hostel (where I met my husband!). They recently built a brand new building, with private rooms "en suite" (has bathrooms in the rooms). A beautiful new space, designed by an Irish Architect that has made a beautiful, green, space! And it's right in the midst of town, so everything is nearby!

Enjoy!