We are planning 10 full days arriving in Dublin, spend 3 days, then renting a car and heading to Killarney, then north to ennis or galway. Want to see the cliffs, burren and maybe the aran islands. Galway would allow time to explore the connemara. So the question I have is should we just head to Galway and explore the region and skip killarney? Or see killarney and just do County clare after, skipping the connemara. We are flying out of shannon. We are interested in traditional music and some history also. Thanks for any input you may have. Oh, we will be traveling 3rd week of September.
Posted by
Vermont USA
359 posts
Wonders abound near Killarney. Killarney the town is a tourist hole and on Rick Steve's top ten tourist traps in all of Europe......for a reason. However Ladies View, Ross Castle, Molls Gap, the Black Valley, Torc are all beautiful and the short hour drive to Waterville and taking in the south side of the ROK is spectacular. On the way north a drive out Dingle, Slea Head to Dunquin is worth every effort !!!
Galway is a city. A pretty city but a city. Some love it, many me included feel it's Too much. It's a nice base I guess but I'd stay outside, but that's me. In Clare the Cliffs of Kilkee are wilder and for my money far prettier than the VERY pretty but tourist overrun Moher and don't come with their own souvenir shop strip mall or ever expanding parking lots for tourist buses. Thank God.
Bottom line both places offer tremendous opportunities for great history, scenery, trad, awesome people and pub food but unless it's your thing require some effort to avoid the hyper touristy spots contained within. You could easily fill a week in either location leaving plenty of time for exploration (which is when the magic happens). Splitting them up is very doable and rewarding and not too much. I ways opt for the stay, linger and explore but that's just us.
Have tons of fun.