Too much driving to cover in a day?

Even if EVERYBODY on this forum were to agree with you, your companion is still entitled to his/her opinion. I think 'most' people would be happy with that itinerary - and I'm usually one of those who says "You're trying to do too much!", but somebody who finds car travel uncomfortable, boring or exhausting won't be swayed by 'consensus' (an overly-deployed argument IMO).

My advice would be to address the issues he/she is facing. If it is arthritis, agree to include more stops. If car sickness, let him/her sit in the front (which usually helps) and take it easy on twisty roads - or let them drive. If they find car travel boring, tell them more about the routes you're going to use and what they're going to see along the way or attack the aforementioned twisty bits like a rally driver - they won't be so bored then!

In my opinion, definitely not too much. Looks like ~2 hours per driving day, separated by several days. But more importantly, what is the concern for this person and is there a way to alleviate that concern?

Thanks for the replies. This person just thought we were going to be in the car too long. I'm trying to assure her that the driving is the destination (lots of great scenery) and we have several hours to make the trip. We can stop as we want/need.

Just go on Google Maps and add 25% to the time they suggest. Having driven in Ireland a couple of times, I don't think it's crazy excessive but the general rule is expect it to take longer than you expect it to think. Also, four hours is my maximum driving time every two or three days. I think you are wishing this limit. You did not ask about this, but I would add a day in Kilkenny and subtract one from Dublin.

The itinerary is fine, I've driven almost the very same route a hundred times and you'll be grand.
5 nights in Dublin is the only thing that sounds excessive to me, maybe you could throw in a night somewhere else en route.
Slainte/good health
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland Tour-Guide

ps dont forget to hold a baby lamb in Dingle :)

I almost always rent cars when overseas but try to keep a day’s drive to between 2 and 3 hours, broken up with stops along the way. Once your itinerary is firmed up, check those small towns en route to see what they offer that’s worth stopping for. Once off those interstates, driving is pretty slow, so 140 miles is closer to a 3 hours drive, or longer.

This actually looks great to me! It’s almost exactly the opposite of what my husband and I are doing this summer. We’re starting in Dublin and ending in Galway, then flying out of Shannon. We enjoy driving, so I don’t think it’s too much. I hope you enjoyed your trip!

I did the exact same route in reverse (well, in the opposite direction- I was driving forwards ;) ) in 2013. I picked up a car at Dublin airport (after a short flight from Edinburgh), and drove to Kilkenny for a night. I had plenty of time to see Kilkenny with an early afternoon arrival. Then from Kilkenny to Cashel, then Cobh, and on to Kinsale for two nights. This seemed like a long day, but it may have been because there was a lot of weekend traffic around Cobh. I wouldn’t recommend the Cobh detour. Between Kinsale and Dingle town I made a full day of it, driving the Ring of Kerry. That was definitely a lot of driving, but with lots of stops along the way it wasn’t too bad. During our three days in Dingle, I drove the Slea Head route around the Dingle penninsula, and found it every bit as scenic as the Kerry, with much less driving. We spent plenty of time at the Cliffs, plus a stop in Doolin, on the way from Dingle to Galway. Again, it’s lots of driving but it’s broken up with a major stop. I always think of one four hour drive to be far more exhausting than two two hour trips, with a major sightseeing stop in the middle. In fact, I probably did just as much driving on some of the days we spent doing day trips from Dingle and Galway as I did on the travelling days between towns. Your plan is very reasonable, especially considering the multiple night stays between hops.

Seems very reasonable to me. I'd do 2 nights in Kilkenny and 4 in Dublin.