West Ireland

Going to Explore Europe: Ireland right here on this RS website could help you get started. It provides links to all kinds of great Ireland info.

I just returned from 2 weeks in Ireland. My best advice is to stay in B&B’s or guesthouses as much as possible. They were great and fed you fabulous breakfasts. The B&B hosts gave excellent local area information and restaurant/pub recommendations. We stayed 2 nights in Clifden, I loved the town, Galway not so much-very congested with traffic and busy. We did a day trip to one of the Aran Islands which was very enjoyable. Really liked stays in Ennis, Dingle, Kenmare, and Kilkenny. Most drives on the Wild Atlantic Way are beautiful, just stop when something appeals to you. . We did the Dingle Peninsula drive one day and the Beara Peninsula another day, skipping the busy Ring of Kerry. The Beara Peninsula had gorgeous scenery and wasn’t busy with traffic. The Killarney National Park is very pretty and the Muckross House is a must if you like historic homes. Most pubs have good food and music.

Perfect!! I have been to Ireland four times but really wanted to concentrate with my husband on one area. Thank you for this detailed information.

I've been to Ireland 4 times as well. (It was the first country I visited overseas). 12 days is a great amount of time if you have a car. Doolin is a small little village and the gateway to the Arran Islands ( which I highly recommend visiting). The entire town seems to head to the one pub after the shops close. There is often live music and a great atmosphere. It is one of my favorite spots in Ireland. Of course, Galway and Dublin have pros and cons, depending on what you want out of your trip.

The last time I was Ireland I spent a lot of time along the Northern Coast. (Malin Head area) and fell in love with it. Though it is on the opposite side of the country from Shannon airport. A few smaller towns are Carlingford, Kilkenny, and Killarney. Hope that helps.

You've gotten some great suggestions. I wanted to put in a plug for the Ring of Kerry, especially if you like walking/hiking. Heading into the Macgillycuddy Reeks can be magical, especially in the area of the Dark Valley. Sneem, on the southern side of the ROK is a small, quiet village which we enjoyed. From there you can also easily reach the Beara Peninsula and Killarney National Park. If you want to base yourself between Kerry and Dingle, you may want to consider Killorglin or Glenbeigh.

We're leaving in a week for Ireland and will be spending most of our time in the west as well. We're staying in small B+B's and plan to explore the towns, pubs, ancient sites, and surrounding areas with hikes and driving. We're staying in Kinsale, Kenmare, Dingle and Lahinch, (near the Cliffs of Moher) for several days each. We've chose these sites because of their location to some of the things we're interested in, size - ie not big, good choice of pubs, music and restaurants. I've done some research on the areas, but we will also rely on advice from our B+B hosts and tourist offices.

Some of the things we currently plan to see and do are:

• Kinsale area = St Charles Fort, town tour, Queenstown Story in Cobh, drive around the area.
• Kenmare = Beara Peninsula, Ring of Kerry, Killarney National Park, ancient sites.
• Dingle = Dingle Peninsula, ancient sites.
• Lahinch = Cliffs of Moher, Aran Is, Burren area, ancient sites, caves.

We ordered a Collins Ireland map book which has an amazing amount of information regarding locations of ancient sites, monuments, castles, etc. It should be pretty easy and fun to find some of these items on our travels.

Have fun planning your trip!

Wow!! You guys are the best. Narrowing down is hard for me. I am a big picture girl. Thank you so much!!

Don't narrow down too much - leave time and opportunity for serendipity. Some times the best times are unplanned.

Words of wisdom. I am always up for a surprise from God each day.