Ugh! Decisions! Traveling with 16 y/o. What to do?

Yes to your changes. West coast and Dingle are great. Even for a 16 year old.

Appreciate you are seeing Glendalough and then driving the Sally Gap. Gorgeous. I'd add the Rock of Cashel and curious why Adare. Kinsale would be my choice.

Kinsale then to Dingle with a stop to visit the Kerry Cliffs at Portmagee. At least three nights in Dingle so you can day trip thru the Gap of Dunloe, do some of the Ring of Kerry and drive Slea Head. Muckross House in Killarney National Park is worth your time.

Ireland is about slowing down. Not rushing. Enjoying the people and the beauty. Dress in layers and always be on the look out for sheep, lorries, traps, hikers, walkers with dogs and joggers. Remember pubs are community places so the 16 year old won't feel out of place. As far as horse back riding http://www.dinglehorseriding.com/booking/.

Have never used them but have walked on that beach on their website.

Great first trip for your teen.

Claudia's advice - per usual is fantastic.

I would ad on driving.......driving for a purpose worthy of the time is fine. What many people do is spend 6 hours in a car when an equal or better sight is right next to them. That or having a parade of one night stays racing between sights and missing so much where they are. It's the I'll do the Ring of Kerry in the morning , see Dingle then drive to the Cliffs of Moher and then on to Galway by dinnertime plans that are not the best.

As for your plans....why Adare ? It's nice but...... I'd spend that time elsewhere. Not sure when you are getting in or why to the town of Wicklow the first night. Since your laudable goal is the west I might start in that direction. Maybe a B&B near Glendalough ? Anyway Glendalough, Sally Gap and on to Cashel is fantastic. They are wonderful fun things to see.

There is plenty to occupy you both for a full week in Kerry. Personally I wouldn't stay in Dingle as it is fairly far out on the peninsula and makes driving to other spots longer. If you look at a map you see Dingle and Iveragh (the Ring of Kerry/Skellig Ring) are like two fingers - so an ideal and wonderful place to stay is where those two fingers join.....the Castlemaine, Kilorglin, maybe Glenbeigh area. Then you have easy drives to Dingle/Slea Head. ......then also all the wonders near Killarney which are amazing (the city itself isn't).......and super close easy access to the Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring. Second the idea of the Cliffs of Kerry....incredible. Also in Glenbeigh they have fantastic beach horseback riding we loved.

Bottom line is there are weeks of things to do that you and your daughter will LOVE in that area. You will not reach the stage of not having options. I'd definitely head that way seeing the wonder of Glendalough and maybe Cashel on the way west and park yourselves at a good strategic location for three great near by areas.....Dingle.......ROK/Skellig Ring.......sights near Kilkarney. And leave plenty of time for wandering, exploring and interacting with the spectacular folks of Ireland. Always ask locals what to sed or do. They are always willing to help....and point out incredible things you would never think of or know about. Heck often we end up getting invited to a town event or sometimes even for tea and biscuits or dinner ! It's a different magical world. Just make sure you have time to experience it. You'll have a great trip.

Good advice from the others so I won't belabor their points.
A few thoughts however: If at all possible I'd suggest shifting the Dublin part of your itinerary to the beginning of your trip rather than the end. You're going to be comprehensively bushed after the long overnight flight and really ought to get a good night's sleep (or 2) before heading out onto the Irish road system for what I'm guessing will be your first adventure driving on the left. Spending your first couple of nights in Dublin will accomplish that.
If you approached Glendalough from Wicklow you wouldn't be going via the Old Military Road or the Sally Gap unless you diverted out of your way. Coming from Dublin the route would be right on your way.
Recommend getting your car at the airport rather than in Dublin city center. The airport concessions have a larger variety of vehicles so you'll have a better chance of getting an automatic, which I highly recommend. They all open around 5 AM, whereas the city offices don't open until around 9, so you could be on your way much earlier and plan to arrive at Glendalough well before the 9:30 AM arrival of the tour buses and the associated crowds. You'll have the place all to yourselves that way, and it's a much more evocative experience without the hordes.
From there (and with an early start) you could drive across the island towards Dingle with an enroute stop/lunch at Cashel.
I agree with Ewe that just parking yourselves at a central location like Castlemaine or Glenbeigh would be a great option. You could unpack once and settle in for 3 or 4 nights rather than exhausting yourselves with a string of one or two night stays trying to "see everything". Basing yourselves in one central location would allow you to take short day trips to Dingle, Slea Head, the Gap of Dunloe, Killarney NP, and the pretty Skellig Ring and the Kerry Cliffs. You might consider staying in a B&B for your first trip to the Killarney area. Those warm memories you're seeking are most easily accomplished thru interaction with the locals, and most of the B&B hosts in the smaller towns and villages are notorious for displaying the warm hospitality that Ireland is famous for ... and which you'll remember long after your memories of the places you've seen have faded.

Adare is nice enough for a short stopover but I wouldn't waste much time there. Skipping it entirely wouldn't be any great loss for a first visit. Likewise Kinsale. As nice as it is you don't really have the time.

Thank you all for your wonderful input! I am always in awe of the time folks take to help out fellow travelers.

The original itinerary is what the trip came with - Wicklow, Adare, Galway, Dublin. The hotels are already booked but after hours of research, I thought I would just lose the money already paid towards maybe two/three nights and stay in Dingle. It just sounds amazing! Of course, I purchased the package THEN looked into the details!

Looks like I will stay around the Castlemaine area instead of Adare and keep the rest of the reservations. Since this is off season, I would think finding a place once we get there would work - unless someone suggests differently.

I have the feeling Ireland is going to capture our hearts!
Thank you!