If you could stay in just one town for a week in Ireland, which town would it be/ Why?
marchelc - I like Kenmare, County Kerry. It is a haven of tranquility, gourmet food, superb accommodation. Kenmare makes a great base for exploring the Ring of Kerry and Killarney National Park. It offers breathtaking scenery in one of the most natural, unspoiled environments in Europe.
We loved the Connemara region so I would base in Clifden. It is well located for exploring the area, has a number of good pubs and restaurants. Don’t miss: Connemara National Park, Inisbofin, Westport, Sky Loop, Killary fjord, Croagh Patrick, Kylemore Abbey, Doo Lough Valley.
Dingle. Absolutely loved it there. Beautiful scenery. Excellent restaurants and pubs. Friendly people.
Depends which week.
A week in June or September? Dingle.
A week in December? Hmmm....
Also depends on your tastes and preferences, of course. You want outdoor activities - hiking, sightseeing, etc. - or more indoorsy stuff?
Depends on what you want/like to do.
If you like museums, restaurants, shopping etc, I would say Dublin while doing day trips out to Howth and Dun Laghoaire and Killiney.
If you want to hike, see scenery etc. I would say Dingle or Killarney as a base and you can do day trips from there
If you mean finding somewhere to base yourselves while you explore further afield then I agree with Katheryne - Clifden would be our choice too. There's plenty in Connemara to keep you busy for a week, and for all of the reasons she states.
Dublin would be a good choice too, especially if you'd rather not rent a car. Though you can see what there is to see in the city in only 2 or 3 days, there are easy day trips and tours from there to attractions within an hour or 2 of the city, including Kilkenny, Glendalough, Powerscourt and the Wicklow Mountains to the south, Newgrange and the Boyne Valley to the north, and maybe a slightly longer day up to Belfast. Belfast and Kilkenny would be candidates for an independent day out since both are easily reached by public transportation from Dublin.
Dingle is beautiful, but devoting a full week there would be overkill (IMO). Might suggest finding a place in the vicinity of Glenbeigh or Castlemaine from where you could access the attractions of both Dingle and the Ring of Kerry in less than an hour's drive by car. That way you could unpack once, settle in for a week, and enjoy some of the most spectacular sights in the west of Ireland at your leisure.
I agree about Clifden but you do need to rent a car.
Thanks for all the good ideas about Irish towns!
Like others have said = it depends. If you've got a car, I agree with previous posters on either Clifden or Kenmare. If you don't, then Dublin is a good choice. Lots of opportunities for day tours to different areas (Newgrange, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Powerscourt, etc), and many things to see and do in the city itself.