I am traveling with my 2 best friends to Ireland and Scotland in the Fall of 2018. We are starting in Scotland for 6 nights and flying into Shannon Airport in Ireland. We prefer slower paced travel, so we would like to have 3 home bases in Ireland and stay for 5 nights in each one, preferably in an apartment/home. We are thinking about the Dingle Peninsula for 5 nights. We are considering the Ring of Kerry and possibly somewhere in the Wicklow Mountains, but we are open to suggestions. We are all 61 and physically fit. We enjoy walking/hiking, biking and other outdoor activities. We all prefer smaller towns to larger cities and beautiful scenery. We will have a car, so staying in the countryside within a reasonable proximity to towns would work. Any recommendations on 3 home bases in Ireland?
Posted by
Vermont USA
359 posts
We rented weekly through Shamrock Cottages and didn't always stay the full 7 nights and found it far cheaper than B&B 's or Hotel stays of 3-4 nights and FAR superior for comfort, location and views.
We stayed in a beautiful home in Castlemaine with tremendous views of the Macgillicuddy Reeks and great access to both the Dingle Penninsula and the ROK. Near great pubs, scenery and historic sights and convenient to everything....with sheep and lambs on the property to boot.
Another fantastic home rental was in the Glen - listed as Balkinskellig but just over the hill from Portmagee. It is a great home with a view directly on the Skelligs. Quiet, very comfortable it's on the Skellig Ring in the heart of the dark sky preserve (what incredible almost life changing night skies) with spectacular views....obviously great access to the ROK as well.
A favorite home rental was on Lambs Head Penninsula in Caherdaniel. Sit in the living room and look out on an almost impossibly beautiful seascape.....you can see the Skelligs, and are right near Deenish and Scarrif islands. We didn't watch a bit of tv the entire week just enjoyed watching the sunsets that lingered till 11pm.....and walking down to a gorgeous pier. It was insanely beautiful and again much less thsn 3-4 days in an average B&B.. Great base for the Skellig Ring and especially the amazing south side of the ROK.
In Wicklow we stayed for 5 nights in an old converted blacksmiths forge in Tinahely right near the amazing Dyin Cow Pub. It's a great base to see the Wicklow Mountains, Wicklow and Sallys Gap, Glendalough, the wonderful Tomnifinogue Woods and the southeast coast.
Just some ideas. All these were fantastic. We've stayed in other great ones to but these are in the areas you mentioned. Such a fantastic way to travel. Relaxed, beautiful with none of the rat race changing location every day or two.
Good luck ..... have a great trip !!!!!
Posted by
Portland, OR
238 posts
We stayed at a wonderful Airbnb stone cottage in Cahersiveen. It was beautifully restored but with all the modern conveniences (including a washer and dryer, a big plus when you are traveling in western Ireland where laundries are few and far between.) It was not far away from the town, right on a babbling brook. Cahersiveen is a great base for exploring--we did the Skellig Ring, Cliffs of Kerry and Valentia Island from there, and spent a day checking out several nearby ring forts, a ruined castle and a nice little beach.
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
Kenmare was our recent base for Ring of Kerry, 5 nights at: Ashfield Inn. Mary, the hostess, gets high scores on TripAdvisor and her website. http://ashfieldkenmare.com/ (There's plenty to do in the area for 5 days/nights. We could have stayed longer, in hindsight.) Driving the adjacent Beara Peninsula was particularly nice; few, if any, buses; spectacular scenery. We drove ourselves that day, but Paul Brown will drive you and eliminate some of the narrow road anxiety. http://www.kenmaretaxitours.com/about-us.html)
I wouldn't be sure there's enough to do in/around Dingle for 5 nights. We enjoyed 2 nights at this AirBnB cottage (2 BR; 1 bath). https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17935423 Karen was great hostess; sheep grazing outside the kitchen window in the mornings; 5 minute drive into "downtown" Dingle.
Lots to do in/around the Connemara Peninsula. Plenty of options in Galway. We stayed farther west, near the ferries to the Aran Islands at Brendan's Cottage, a roomy 2 BR/2B AIRBnB: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17113707 (Disclaimer: just 2 of us; the twin beds in the 2d BR appeared potentially less than comfortable, but we only used them as luggage racks. Check the reviews if interested.)
Finally, you might want to investigate Doolin. To us, the experience was similar to Dingle: glad we went, but felt we'd seen it during a 2 day stay.
Each of these lodging spots suited us fine. Certainly not luxe, but plenty comfortable and we thought each was a good value.
Posted by
Missoula, Montana
512 posts
Don't miss out on the West Coast, especially Connemara in County Galway! Ireland's most gorgeous scenery, the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking regions) and traditional music in the pubs (though less frequent than in summer) are to be found there. Galway - a lively univesity town - is my favorite. Just to the north, the village of Leenane sits between three mountain ranges at the end of Killary Harbor in what I think is the most beautiful location in the country. And Clifden at the far western end of the county is quite nice as well.
Posted by
OP
West Sacramento, California, USA
71 posts
Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and detailed responses. I am researching everything you all have recommended. It is very helpful information that I will share with my 2 travel companions.