Just starting Ireland planning for April/May, 2027.

If you're looking for a 7-day tour during a 14-day trip, you could do the RS Heart of Ireland tour and add Cork (and somewhere else) at the end. Cork is an easy train ride from Dublin, where the tour ends. You might also consider the 11-day My Way Ireland (although it looks like the available dates might not be what you have in mind). This one ends in Belfast, so an additional transfer (of stations) in Dublin to get to Cork after, but you'd have two full days there (enough to do the whisky thing and also visit Cobh by train).

Hi,G3rycee,
Isn't Cork from Dublin a 2+ plus train journey ? Or- is that a great small village to relax in?
Thanks, I always welcome your helpful advice!

By "easy," I didn't mean "short." I think the train is 3 hours. It's a very pleasant ride and inexpensive when booked ahead. I appreciate that Cork is a small city, not a small village to relax in, but it does seem to be on your "must-see" list.
There are loads of small villages all over Ireland and the UK, since that's on the table. You can fly to several cities direct from Cork (though I wouldn't recommend that on a 2-week trip).
I suggest taking a look at the distilleries your husband is interested in. Some of them are in small villages. I, too, am a wino and don't know from whisky or distilleries, so I can't offer anything other than that I stayed in Bushmills in 2018 and enjoyed it. We had a car, though, and used it as a base to see the Giant's Causeway. One I've seen mentioned on the Forum is Midleton, which is on the commuter train line from Cork Kent. Maybe this is the one your husband has in mind? In County Cork, not in Cork City.
Another strategy for finding a relaxing place to stay is to use your favorite booking site and set the map wide, filter for your requirements and budget, and see what you find. Then use Google Maps (or Transport for Ireland) to determine the feasibility of getting to/from without a car.

Hi Pat! You could definitely do a 7-day tour then add Cork/southern Ireland on at the end. Or you could spend your time 3 to 4 nights in 4 different towns with organized day trips to see the sights you want to see. For example Dublin (day trip via tour to Newgrange and hill of Tara; Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough; Howth; Malahide), Galway (day trip via tour to Cliffs of Moher and the Burren; self guided trip to Aran Islands via ferry) Killarney (day trips to Dingle and a visit to Dingle Distillery; ring of kerry; rock of cashel) Cork (Midleton Distillery; Cobh). These are just off the top of my head but something to consider. Midleton is the Distillery near Cork that is very good. In Dublin we enjoyed Jameson Distillery (but not Teeling). But our favorite is the Dingle Whiskey and Dingle is one of the cutest, most charming areas of Ireland. Anyway, hope this is helpful with your planning!

Well, one option for a do-it-yourself by bus and train is one route I did - so at least I know it works.
Fly in to Dublin; bus from the airport straight on to Galway; bus to Cork; bus OR train to Killarney; train back to Dublin.

From Galway, there are day trips to Cliffs of Moher, to Kylemore Abbey, and ferry to Inishmor (perhaps more but I can vouch for those).
From Cork, you can bus to Rock of Cashel or Blarney Castle, as well as bus or train to Cobh or Kinsale.
We took a Paddywagon tour to the Ring of Kerry and they left us in Killarney at the end of the day (instead of taking the train or bus on our own).
In Killarney, you also have access to the park with Muckross House and Abbey.
Lots of options from Dublin.

It’s easy to do on your own but you do still have to think and make your own reservations, unlike a tour. But you can stay longer in fewer places than tours that do a lot of one night stays. Without a car, you are less able to venture into smaller places. But the busses go to a lot of destinations!

Bus: https://www.citylink.ie/ or https://www.buseireann.ie/
Train: https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/

Thanks to G3rryCee, TexasTravel Mom, and Kimberly. I've got my colored post-it notes all over the dining room table, and my yellow pad out. I've taken notes from all your suggestions. I think you all have convinced me to plan it ourselves. Im sure more questions are coming- onward!
Thanks again.

Hi Pat! Try to squeeze in Northern Ireland. It is gorgeous!

Check out this hotel recommended by some on the forum:

https://bayviewhotelni.com/

I believe it was Carol Now Retired and a few others who have stayed here. Yes, here is a mention of the hotel:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/ireland/lodging-antrim-co

Or, if you don’t have time to stay there, I highly recommend a long day trip from Dublin as a way to see Northern Ireland. It is totally worth it!

Also, see if you can find a tour that includes Dingle.

Another thought: if you can’t find a longer tour that you like, take two shorter ones. For example, Rabbie’s 3-day Dingle, Killarney & the Wild Atlantic Way and then their 5-day Northern Ireland & the Atlantic Coast.

So many great options! I can’t wait to go back!

Carrie, thanks, I have been looking at your hotel, Staunton on the Green, and it seems great. Also, it's included in some of our travel rewards programs. Would you return?
Thanks for the new info.
I know you're always a few months away from your next trip! Safe travels!

I would absolutely return to Staunton on the Green. My room was fabulous! Here are a few pictures:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bDoFfta4nYFcw5559

I paid $1752 for 5 nights. I actually stayed only 4 nights, but paid for 5 because I had a very early arrival.

Did I need a room this nice? No, but sometimes it’s nice to have a nice room. :-)

I loved the location, right across from the park.

Just a note that the hotel does not have an elevator, but you pack light so it shouldn’t be an issue for you.

I did not get the hotel breakfast, so I can't comment on that. I believe it is made-to-order rather than a buffet or continental breakfast. I prefer a quick continental breakfast so I can eat and run.

I did a bus/train trip around Ireland many years ago. It’s not hard to do, but does take a lot of planning in order to make efficient use of your time. Keep in mind that, without a car, the larger towns and cities are going to be easier to get to, and will have many options for guided day trips to get you to the sights you want to see. The three big ones are Dublin Galway, and Killarney (add Belfast if you want to go north), but getting between them without spending a lot of time on transit is where you will have to get creative.
I had three weeks as opposed to your two, but here is what I did:
Dublin for four nights, day trippers to Newgrange, wander the city.
Train to Killarney for four nights, Gap of Dunloe and Dingle Peninsula day trips.
Train back to Cork then bus to Kinsale for two nights.
Bus back to Cork then bus to Cashel to visit Rock of Cashel then bus/train to Kilkenny.
Two nights in Kilkenny just to wander around sights in town.
Train to Athlone, visit Clonmacnoise (caught a ride out with people I met at the B&B, but had to taxi back, no bus).
Train to Galway for four nights. Day trips to Cliffs and Burren, Connemara, and Inishmore.
From Galway I took the train to Belfast for another four nights doing a day trip up to the Giant’s Causeway, then spending some time doing some genealogy research and seeing the city. I flew into Dublin and out of Belfast.
Breaking up the long route between Killarney and Galway was a great way to see som smaller towns, and shorten the time spent on transit. Also, keep in mind that if you are relying on day trips to get to sights, most of them leave town at 9am, so you will have to be in town the night before. Some companies do offer some half day tours that will leave around lunch time. If guided day trips are going to be a big part of your trip, then I would suggest starting your planning with looking at what is available for the areas you are interested in.

Anita, thank you, your info is very helpful. I'm taking notes and may have more questions in a week or so. Thanks again.

Carrie, I'm looking at that Suite....

Hi Pat,

Just got back this week from Ireland for a 10 day trip with my sisters and nieces (5 of us) with a focus on ancestry research. We opted not to rent a car and decided on two home bases: Dublin and Galway with day trips. We considered visiting Cork (which is also a good home base and an easy train ride from Dublin), but with 10 days, we focused on 2 locations.

A couple of things I learned when planning this trip without driving for you to consider in your plans. The train system is efficient and is ideal for travel between major cities. The bus system can be trickier depending upon where you are trying to get to. As you look at the locations you wish to travel to, you may decide like we did to hire a private driver or take a bus tour. I had very good luck with FreeNow taxi app between major cities, but not deep in the countryside. On the private driver front, I started calling about 45 days in advance and many of the drivers were already booked. In addition, many of them required that you submit an inquiry form, about 1/3 of them never returned my emails. I also found that there was a wide variation in pricing with the different companies, so give yourself time to shop around. I can share the info on the drivers I used in Galway if you need a recommendation. We also took a cruise on Lake Corrib as a way to get to Cong. It was a magical way to travel and we truly enjoyed our time on the lake, Ashford Castle (where we spent time at the Falconry school walking the hawks), and the town of Cong.

For hotels, I wanted air conditioning (and we needed it as it was warmer in Ireland when I was there then at my home in Silicon Valley) and an elevator. Many hotels do not have air conditioning, so if that is a requirement, I would recommend that you book early. I also looked at many of the RS recommended hotels, but even 6 months out, many of them were already booked. I settled on the Alex Hotel in Dublin which was equidistant to Temple Bar and St. Stephens Green and very close to public transport. It is affiliated with the Hyatt brand, so if you have points it is a very good option. For Galway, we stayed at the Harbour Hotel on the water. It was a short walk to Eyre Square and the Spanish Arch, but far enough away that we were out of the main tourist area. I would stay at both hotels again.

You have received some great advice, so whether you curate your own travel adventure or take a small group tour, I am sure you will have a great time.

We did a great tour of Ireland with Gate 1 Travel (10 days, but really only 8), we didn't go to N. Ireland.

It was inexpensive.

Also, we have used Rabbies Tours in England and they were great and not expensive.