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Itinerary Update for May-June 2027 (somehow, I deleted my itinerary...here it is!)

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I have been scouring over books, blogs and posts on Ireland and am getting more familiar with sites and towns and their locations.

We will have 3-4 weeks. We could do this itinerary in reverse, if recommended. My south/west planning is further along than the north/west area.

Rock of Cashel-1 night. Where could we stay...not sure if we will be landing in Shannon or Dublin and whether this will be our 1st stop.

Cork-stay in Kinsale? 2-3 nights, explore Cobh, other?

Kenmare-3 nights. Is this a good base for Killarney Nat Park, Kissane sheep farm, Molly Gallivan? Other areas?

Dingle-3-4 nights, Blasket Islands, etc.

Doolin? Ballyvaughan-2 nights? Would this be a base for the Burren?

Aran-1-2 nights. Is it better to take ferry from Doolin or Galway? Do we leave car in that town?

Clifden-2-3 nights

Westport-2-3 nights

Sligo-3 nights

Killybegs-2-3 nights

Dunfanaghy-other location? 2-3 nights,

I would love input regarding lengths of stay/alternative locations, stops, etc. Unfortunately, we will not get to N. Ireland this time-I fear it would overload our trip. Also, we will not include the ROK. Would love to include Newgrange, but that will likely be another trip as well.

For our return south, would we stay inland or plan stops at other places along the coast...how would we do so without backtracking?

I do have concerns that we will be changing locations often, however, it feels that many towns are within a couple of hours of sites and if we explore beyond that, we may as well move on to the next location. Is this an accurate assessment?

We appreciate suggestions from your experiences and familiarity. In our travels, we’re drawn to small towns, spontaneous moments, welcoming locals, and little hidden treasures that give a place its soul...

Posted by
2193 posts

In an earlier post you said you didn't want to drive very far upon landing. Even from Shannon, Cashel is a 90-minute drive. OTOH, I don't see anywhere else you could fit it into your itinerary.
Staying in Cork gives you day trip options for both Cobh and Kinsale and puts Blarney on your way to Kenmare. Plus, there are things to see and do in Cork. I think my earlier suggestion was to take the train to Cork and pick up the car on your way out (if you're flying into Dublin).
The biggest issue I see with this itinerary is that you have yourself finishing your trip in just about the furthest location from either airport with no time to return.
FWIW, Donegal is an easy add-on to a trip to the North. If you drop that from this itinerary and finish in Sligo (which doesn't need 3 nights, IMO), you have a straight motorway shot to Shannon, or you could overnight in Athlone, which is only a little out of the way back to Dublin, depending on where you're flying in/out. Or you could add in Newgrange with two nights in that area before flying out of Dublin.

Posted by
2436 posts

I agree with G3rryCee that you don't need 3 nights in Sligo. While we enjoyed our 1 night in Sligo, our visit to Newgrange and Knowth was far more interesting and awe-inspiring. I would drop a night or two in Sligo and really try to fit in Newgrange. For us, visiting the inside of the passage tomb at Newgrange made us feel very privileged to be able to see this. And we loved Knowth, too! If you go, definitely include Knowth. The site is jaw-dropping when you first see it with the large tomb and the 19 smaller tombs scattered about.

Posted by
68 posts

Yes, my frustration is thinking we will be doing a lot of driving if we make a loop from Dublin and back. Maybe I am trying to cover too much in this 3-4 weeks...is it possible to get from Dublin to Cork to Dingle to Aran to Connemara to Sligo to Donegal and back to Dublin, adding in the sites like Cashel, Newgrange, etc. with a reasonable amount of driving and assuring we are slowing down enough to genuinely experience Irish culture, spend time in local communities, and enjoy the tucked‑away places that don’t show up on most itineraries?

Posted by
1245 posts

That's a pretty good start for an itinerary. You still didn't mention "what you like/enjoy". We "matured" in our six Ireland trips from all one night stays to mostly two night stays, so if you pack light, don't worry too much about frequent moves - we even stayed three nights in several places! We find a lot of our favorite places are "between towns" so the moves come pretty naturally. We really thrive on good trad music sessions, ruined castles, and Neolithic spots. A few observations, although I hate to mess with what looks to be a nice plan:

Three nights in Cork City will allow a day-long train trip to Cobh. There's some nice Cork City walks (although the signage is mostly missing). Don't overlook the fact that three nights usually means two days. Also, make sure you go to Sin e for music and the Market.

I'd favor Kenmare over Killarney, as Killarney can get busy, although May/Jun is a good choice for the tradeoff between crowds and regular trad sessions.

On Dingle peninsula, make sure you go to the new Blaskett Museum near Dunquin. The boat from Dunquin is the shortest and might be the more reliable, from a weather angle. Very nice walk about the island.

Doolin is a great base for the Burren. If it's Wednesday, make it to McDermotts for Blackie O'Connell on the Ullian pipes.

The ferry from Galway (Rosseveal) is much larger and a shorter trip, so go to Aran via that way to avoid weather cancellations. A both ports offer a diversion to the Cliffs, if you want to avoid the crowds up top. You can drive to the ferry or get a bus/ferry package from Galway. One full day on the big island is adequate, but two nights might be needed depending on your ferry choices. The island "transforms" when the last day-trip boat evacuates all the visitors. Also a good value for Aran sweaters.

In our swing through the northwest, we only stayed one night each in Clifden and Westport and didn't feel cheated.

We liked Donegal Town but Sligo is supposed to be nice too (we'll be there next May), too late for any feedback.

We stayed just two nights in Dunfanaghy. A day trip to Tory Island (or an overnight) might justify another night in the area. Make sure you go to the Workhouse along with other interesting places.

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