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Recommendations for 2 week driving tour of Ireland

I’m planning a 14 day trip around Ireland with four people. Everyone can walk a good amount but I’m not sure hiking will be in the cards for some of us. As a group I think we are more interested in food, drink, pubs, attractive towns, natural beauty, and historical sites. I have decided to leave Northern Ireland for another trip. Of note, I’ll be driving and have a good bit of experience driving in Scotland and New Zealand.

I looked at Rick’s recommendation for 14 days. I like the route but would prefer to slow down a bit and do a little less checking in and out of accommodations.

I’d like to visit dingle, Middleton in Cork, kilbeggan distilleries along the way as well.

As of now it would be his recommendation of Dublin->kilkenny->waterford->kinsale->kenmare->dingle-> Galway-> Dublin.

Rough sketch but it would be nice to keep one night stays to a minimum, although happy to have one or two short stays.

Any recommendations? Am I missing anything if I use Rick’s route? I could extend up to Belfast but wasn’t sure that was absolutely needed.

Two of us have been to Dublin before, and one has done some exploring around the country. We love Scotland, so am excited to experience Ireland.

Posted by
960 posts

One word of caution: tolerance for "drink driving" is extremely low, so if you are the only driver and want to swallow your tastes of whisky, then I recommend you stay within walking distance or plan to take a taxi (understanding that a town the size of Kilbeggan might not have its own taxi service, but maybe Athlone does? see below).
The first thing I would do is plot the distilleries (as well as your fellow travelers' "must see" sights and "must eat" restaurants) and look for nearby accommodation. For Midleton, you could stay in Cork (making sure your accommodation includes parking). There is a train to Midleton. Cork has a lot to see and do and also gives access to Blarney (which I resisted for a long time, but the castle was pretty cool--I didn't kiss the stone), Cobh, Kinsale.
For Kilbeggan, look at Athlone, which has a pub that is rumored to be the oldest in Ireland, a castle and Clonmacnoise. Athlone is also between Galway and Dublin.
This approach should organically create a sensible itinerary/route. Be sure to consider which direction works better for you. For instance, do you want to buy Kilbeggan whisky to enjoy during your trip or to bring home (or both). And remember that with a car, you can stay anywhere you can find accommodation with parking.
I stayed in Kenmare in 2018 and wouldn't go back for anything in the world. I found it overrun with Americans and Disney-esque. Others have commented that Killarney is far worse in this regard.

Posted by
8 posts

Great advice. Especially regarding Kenmare. With the distilleries I will take drivers drams if offered and not drink anything myself, unless I am not driving.

Posted by
11 posts

Hey! That itinerary looks solid overall. Having driven all over Ireland myself, I can share a few thoughts that might help:

The route you picked hits most of the major highlights, and keeping Northen Ireland for another trip is smart - gives you more time to really soak in the south. Since youve got driving experience in Scotland, you'll find Ireland pretty similar - just remember its even more rural in many spots!

A few suggestions:
Consider adding a night in Doolin if you can. Its near the Cliffs of Moher and has amazing traditional music scene. Could work as stop between Dingle and Galway
For distilleries - Kilbeggan is cool but Middleton tour is probly the best. Book ahead tho!
The drive from Kenmare to Dingle on the Ring of Kerry is stunning but takes longer than google maps says. Plan extra time for photos stops

Since driving comfort is important for enjoying these rural areas - might wanna check out Tripiamo before you go. The video driving guides specifically for Ireland that let you practice the routes and get used to the roads/signs beforehand. Super helpful for confidence, especially with those narrow country lanes!

Either way, sounds like an awesome trip! The pub culture and scenery will definitely remind you of Scotland. Let me know if you need any other tips! 🍺