We are in Ireland in sept…. Second time there. We are flying into Dublin, going to Kilkenny one night, then Kinsale 2 nights, then Dingle 2 nights then Doolin 2 nights then Dublin 2 nights. We went to Belfast and Galway last time so not repeating. My husband does not like to move hotels every night. Wondering if we should do Killarney instead of Kinsale? We like to hike abs walk as well as see the sights. We also like to have some good food in the evening abs maybe music at a local pub. Not sure which would work best. Thanks for info. We are flying into Dublin from Copenhagen 5 nights.
Posted by
Land of La
9219 posts
Kinsale a bit more charming than Killarney BUT Killarney National Park is a fabulous place to hike and walk.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2280 posts
A few years ago Kinsale marketed itself as a food town and it appeared on everyone's tick list and it was very busy. That seems to have died down a bit now. Killarney is always busy with tourists.
Read up about the two places and have a look at Google images to see which appeals most to you. With two nights you are only effectively going to have just over a full day there. Think about the different optioins of activities from both place and which appeals more.
There is walking from both Killarney and Kinsale and maybe it will be quieter from Kinsale??? There are ideas of walks from Kinsale here and there is more information about the Scilly walk here. It also has the advantage of taking you to Charles Fort.
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
932 posts
In Kinsale you can walk along one side of the harbour to Charles Fort, and you can also walk along the other side to the ruins of James Fort. The town itself is quite small, and I used it as more of a rest stop from my busy itinerary. Killarney has a lot more to see, and a lot more options for hikes, boat across the lake, jaunting car ride through Gap of Dunloe etc. If you have enough time I would do both, but if not, and it’s hiking scenery you want then go to Killarney.
Posted by
Missoula, Montana
511 posts
Definitely smaller, attractive Kinsale over bustling Killarney unless easy access to the Gap of Dunloe, the national park and hiking are priorities.
Posted by
Mountains of S. Oregon
741 posts
As a music fan, I think Killarney will be better than Kinsale. By Sept the music is becoming weekly rather than nightly, so you need to check facebook or websites for info. On the other hand Killarney has gone sort or "touristy". Dingle and Doolin have as well, although Sept might be mellowing out. You'll find music in both places.
Posted by
4 posts
We were just there in August this year. We had a splendid time but if we could change things, we would have kept our driving to a minimum. It simply takes longer to travel between two points than you think it will by reading a map. We will concentrate on a much smaller area when we return. We love the Wild Atlantic Way so we will skip Dublin and fly in to Shannon. We changed our lodging from Dingle to Tralee because of how busy it was. We will also go in September or May to miss the bigger crowds.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2280 posts
Did you come to a decision @janetmmcconkey and if so what?