Traveling companion with mobility issues

greetings! Here is one small idea I would like to suggest based on your info regarding your Mom. If you decide to tour the Ring of Kerry, out on the west coast, I believe a great idea would be to hire a private tour for the ring. The man we hired had a really nice van, that allowed for great visibility and was easy in and easy out. Paul Brown was our guide and he was awesome, great story teller, very friendly, and knows the ins and outs of the Ring of Kerry area and others. He can drive his van in spots I could not navigate a bike and he gets you close and is patient with your need for pix etc. We hired him for the entire day, it is not a cheap way to see the ring, but was money well spent. As I was the driver for all of our two week visit this was a good respite and allowed me to really see the sights. Sounds as if that will fit your needs as well. Paul also helped us plan our self drive tour of the Berea Peninsula the next day and his advice was right on target including pubs and sights. So, as you work up your trip keep this idea in mind, you wont regret it. Sounds like Kenmare, Dingle, and that part of the country will fit the bill for your interests. Paul's web site is http://www.kenmaretaxitours.com/home.html Paul will listen to your requests and adjust the trip to your needs. We also hired a tour out on Dingle for the Slea Head area and it was also very good for natural beauty, "ruins", and such. You'll have a blast.

I would look at basing for a few days each in Dingle town and Doolin village. Both are manageably small, within an easy drive of a variety of historic and natural sightseeing, with a selection of pubs for traditional music, and with ferry service to a nearby island. Both of these are closer to Shannon airport than to Dublin. Closer to the airport (30 minutes), the town of Ennis also has nightlife.

Either one of Rick's Ireland guidebooks would have enough information for this trip. See an overview of areas covered at www.ricksteves.com/europe/ireland.

Thanks to you both for the replies! I have Rick Steves Ireland 2017 and it's already been very helpful :)

I will look into the guided tour - that sounds like a great idea! And I was thinking Dingle would be a good place to plant ourselves for a few days. So excited!

I would suggest you try to get your mother a battery powered electric scooter. Get it early and let her use it around town. I have one and it fits in the boot of a small Ford. It disassembles into 3 main parts. Seat, body and battery. Mine is a GoGo Traveler Elite. You can get 3 wheel or 4 wheel. 3 wheel is lighter a bit, but is a bit tipsy, but the 4 wheeler is more stable. She can walk a bit, so that should help a lot.

You might also look into a cane that also has a small seat. If your mom needs to sit the cane unfolds to a small seat. Several years ago I was on the GAS tour and a member had one because she was not able to stand for long periods of time. It worked really well.

We have gone to Ireland each of the last 2 summers. My wife can walk from wheelchair into a store or pub, but not much else. The biggest challenge was Dublin. Narrow, uneven sidewalks, crowds oblivious to us, cobblestone streets. We managed, but not without difficulty. Most of the main attractions are doable with a wheelchair. It is the upper floors of castles that were unavailable to those who cannot do stairs. Apparently the elevator had not yet been invented 1000 years ago. The other attraction that presented logistical problems was the Rock of Cashel. Most of the small towns (of which we went to many) were far easier. Smaller crowds and better sidewalks. We used an extremely portable wheelchair (folds up like an umbrella stroller and weighs 20 lbs). I think that while a scooter may at times be of value, much of, say, Dublin would still present a challenge.

I too have mobility issues. I have to use a cane and I'm under 40. I planned our trip based on my mobility issues. We will do some tours through jaunty car, boat, and even sightsee via horseback in some places. I love the idea of Dublin but decided to pass based on crowds, the amount of walking, etc.
we also will be spending two nights in most places so we sent constantly on the go.
I wish I could do the long hikes but I'm not gonna let my disability prevent me from experiencing Ireland. It will just be different but still amazing!
I go in 34 days so will share with you when we get back!

Might be worth checking out a website called Mobility Mojo - may be very beneficial for your trip.