Please Review Itinerary

Just a thought. You don't have much time in Dublin, shame to use a day of it for Belfast, especially since you're going back to Northern Ireland.

Do not underestimate driving times in Ireland. Once you're off the highway, roads are narrow and driving is s.l.o.w.

I agree with the previous comment that Dublin deserves more time, other than that, I think it's pretty reasonable, up to Galway. I can't speak to the rest of it, as I haven't been to Westport and Portrush.

Thanks all. We felt we were covering everything we wanted to see/do while in Dublin. Partner has been to Dublin already and wants to have some time for family research. And, for what I think I want to see (famous last words, I know), I think I have sufficient time. As you point out, we still have a few extra days at the end while in Northern Ireland with which to cover Belfast if we get too taken with Dublin. I appreciate the cautionary note of driving, distances, and differences. The longest leg appears to be the Westport to Portrush drive which is intended to be a relocation day of sorts.

Now that that's sorted out, here are a few ideas.

We are a couple in our 60s, enjoy the usual: history, museums, cathedrals, walking tours, good food, adult beverages, music, and mixing with the locals.

In Dublin, the Archaeology Museum is outstanding and free. One of the best things I did was the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. If you are going to Kilmainham Gaol, go early. They only sell tickets on the day and they often sell out. Dublinia is very hands-on and you learn a lot about Viking Ireland. Stop in the Main Post Office in O'Connell Street - there's a small, interesting museum about the 1916 uprising and the post office building.

Pubs often have very good food. Decide if you like the place (ambiance, music) before buying a drink. Use every opportunity to chat with people, in pubs with other patrons and the employees if they aren't busy, in shops, attractions. In my experience, they all love to talk and it's always interesting. That's what I liked most about Ireland, the ease with which you can interact with the locals.

If you can, visit the Gap of Dunloe and Killarney National Park while your overnighting in Dingle. Oh and enjoy coffee at the Wrens Nest and a pint at Foxy John's while in Dingle. Also while driving along Slea Head stop at Coumeenoole beach and climb the hill for a stellar view of the Blasket Islands and the coastline. Lastly, watching sunset over the harbor in Dingle is nice. Fabulous country!

Wow! Thanks for the recommendations. I probably should have added more of our planned activities in the original post--my bad! We already have reserved entry to the Kilmainham Gaol and the Book of Kells. We will be staying at Trinity College and will certainly take advantage of the student-led college tour while there. Regarding the pub crawls, we had focused on the Irish music pub crawl and not the literary pub crawl--I suppose because we appreciate music and want to learn about Irish music since we will be listening to quite a bit of it during our visit. I especially will take to heart the opportunity for a bottle of wine while watching the sunset with my pretty lass.

Hi Darrel:

If you can fit this in your schedule I would recommend visiting one or more of the major museum exhibitions with the 1916 Rising theme. Here is a review of the three major exhibitions:

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/1916-which-exhibition-should-you-go-to-1.2578782

I was in Dublin during the Easter Rising week and visited two out of the three - National Museum of Ireland/Collins Barracks and the Ambassador Theater. The GPO exhibition opened on my last day in Dublin, and I had to skip this because of a scheduling conflict and because the lines were long. Of the two I would recommend Collins Barracks - it has more to see and to read through, as the article points out, it has many wordy displays. It is near the Arbour Hill cemetery where the fourteen executed Rising leaders were buried in a mass grave.

The GPO exhibition is a major one involving a huge expenditure of national funds. It appears to be the most technically sophisticated of the three. Furthermore if you go to the GPO, which is the most centrally located of the three sites, you can see where actual combat took place (ie look for bullet holes) and you can go inside the post office for a look around and to purchase stamps.

Geor: Sounds great. We are trying to watch the Sundance Channel series on Rebellion--covering that period. I will certainly make it a point to visit--especially in this centennial year. Thanks so much for the heads-up. This may mean we reconsider the number of days in Dublin--yeah, I know, you already told me that. Oh well, have another Guiness and bask in the knowledge that you have guided yet another weary traveler to the Emerald Isle.

Hi Darrel:

If all you get to in Dublin that pertains to the Easter Rising is Kilmainham Gaol you might want to read my blog about my recent visit to Ireland just to participate in the 100 year anniversary celebration.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/georgelondon/3/tpod.html

You might want to consider a bus tour of the 1916 sites. The one that I took, which was the only one available for booking while visiting Dublin, was so-so; it focused more on the drama of the rising than visiting the important sites.

Darrel...you have 2 r's in your name and the Nectar of the Gods has 2 n's and 2 s's.....Guinness.....Respect for the nation's brew my good man! Sláinte!

I'll drink to that!

We did a very similar itinerary in May 2015. Everyone likes different things and has different sightseeing priorities, but IMO "do the town in Dingle" is not worth a day. You could spend a day/night in Killarney for the National Park prior to Dingle. I would consider Donegal between Westport and Portrush. If it were me I would visit Belfast coming south from Portrush instead of daytripping from Dublin. The Trim area is great for a night if you like ancient sites. I would give a Dingle day and one of the Dublin days for a couple of the above. I second the motion for the Archaeology Museum in Dublin and Book of Kells was great.

Carolyn: Thanks for the insight. We are intentionally planning on some down time--this will be the mid-point in our trip and wanted to schedule some light days. And, we will be "winging it" for the B&Bs; so, we may very well have to adjust the locations and activities. We only have scheduled times for the Gaol and Book of Kells--otherwise, we are not bound by a schedule.