Skelling Micheael from Dingle -July? Traffic?

The drive from Dingle town to the Skellig Center at Portmagee is probably about 2 hrs. in normal traffic. You won't go thru Killarney so you'll avoid most of the congestion. Still, it's always a good idea to get an early start since most of the buses don't start to roll until around 10 AM. The drive itself is a relatively pleasant one, and goes right past the turnoff for the Gap of Dunloe (Kate Kearney's Cottage, etc) which is worth a stop either going or coming. Again, the earlier the better - the parking lot starts to fill up quickly after around 10:30 or so.
You'll leave the ROK for the last few miles of the drive out to Portmagee. The tour buses don't go out there (as of the summer of '14) so the drive becomes even more pleasant for the last stretch. For a real treat take a short drive out the Skellig Ring Road. Some very pretty views of the islands, plus this place http://www.skelligschocolate.com/ which is a destination unto itself if you're a chocolate lover.
Know that the boat trip out to the Skelligs is weather dependent, so a phone call to ensure that the boats are running that day would be good idea.

I'm an American living on the Ring of Kerry, married to a man in Waterville. (Met him on MY Irish vacation!). Hopefully I can give you & others some tips about the South Kerry area, Skelligs, etc., making your visit a pleasant one!

First, to lay things out in your mind: Dingle is a small peninsula, where you will find a town called Dingle. Iveragh is a large peninsula south of that, where you will find the Ring of Kerry driving route. Beara is a small peninsula south of that, where you'll find the Ring of Beara. All are stunning; all are worth seeing! On the map they look like 3 fingers in the Southwest corner of Ireland. All are in County Kerry.

The Ring of Kerry, according to (sorry Rick Steves!) The Rough Guides travel guide on Ireland, is a 4 day drive to see and appreciate it. As most tourists prefer to spend countless hours in their cars (at least that's what it seems to me, living here for 2 1/2 years!) many drive it in an afternoon. Crazy! There are many reasons I dislike this, but.... they do it! Contrary to past reports, the road is not horribly narrow, pot-holed & hard to drive - the reality is, the Kerry County Council knows its a busy tourist route, widening and re-paving much of it over the past few years. It's not a difficult drive, any more. It sometimes is "crowded" by some standards - but not by American road standards. Many automobile/motorcycle drivers go clockwise around the Ring of Kerry, to go against bus traffic. You don't want to be stuck behind a bus for long. But in reality, the buses pull over at many of the nice stops anyway, so you won't be behind one for hours! I think you can easily do the counter-clockwise route (anti-clockwise, here!) especially if you're starting up near Dingle or Tralee.

The BEST part about being in a car or bike (motor or human-powered) is you can go OFF the Ring Road. There are many side roads with beautiful views, lakes, beaches, villages and more!! Check out a map and look for the Skellig Loop - a cut off from the Ring Road near Cahersiveen & Waterville that goes near St. Finian's Bay, Ballinskelligs, The Kerry Cliffs, Portmagee, and Valentia Island (accessible by bridge year round, ferry in summer). Portmagee (also Port Magee) is the point where most boats head out to the Skelligs; others go from Ballinskelligs, Caherdaniel and more.

MOST of the boats going to Skelligs leave at 10:00 a.m. If you're staying in Dingle town, that's a long drive to get the boat at Portmagee!! You may want to stay closer, in the Glenbeigh to Waterville area. YOU may be a morning person, but most Irish in the summer are not. If you want to enjoy your fantastic Irish breakfast, you don't want to be rushing to get to the 10:00 a.m. boat!

Here's what you REALLY MUST KNOW about a trip to the Skelligs:

The Skelligs are about 7 MILES off shore & are heavily regulated to protect this UNESCO Heritage Site. Little Skellig is birds only. Larger Skellig Michael is the one people can visit, was a monastery in the 6th century (ruins still there) and yes, the home of Luke Skywalker in StarWars. Only a limited number of boats are allowed to bring people to Skellig; only a certain number of people per day are allowed. You need to book your boat trip in advance!! If you're late, your spot on the boat may be given to someone else!! If the weather is bad or seas rough you won't go, and the next day's trip might be full. Be prepared to stay multiple days if you MUST go there or you'll be devastated! Book only one night if you want to take that chance.

Remember in Star Wars how that young, fit woman was breathing heavily as she climbed the steps to Luke? There are no hand rails and the 800+ steps are steep. Don't book this trip if you are better suited to admire it from afar, which is also lovely & entirely fine! You know your own limitations; It's like a serious hill walking day! You can enjoy views from the land - think about it, then you decide!

Enjoy!

Hi Elaine, greetings from Ireland. Quite a few of my guests and tour-members go from Dingle to Skellig Michael, all say it was worth the trip but they do acknowledge that it is definitely a long and demanding journey.

If you would be content to see Skellig Michael but not get off the boat, you could contact a skipper in Dingle called Rory O'Connor, who would take you on private-charter from Dingle Harbour out to Skellig Michael. He can't land and it's 50 miles return, possible in good weather, maybe a 6/7 hours trip.
www.deepseadingle.com

Rory also has good friends among the Portmagee boatmen and he could put you in touch with good contacts there if that was still your travel-aspiration

le meas/with respect
Stephen McPhilemy
Tour-Guide

Robert, todayinireland and stephenmc, your replies are so helpful. You've all given me a lot to think about and some options to consider. I appreciate it very much!

Stephen - thanks for that boat captain's name! I have names of captains in Port Magee but it's nice to have a name in Dingle, since you're right - some do the boat ride from Dingle so I'll keep his name on file!

Susan