Aran Islands, Ireland

Doolin to Dublin is about 3 hours from my recollection but check Michelin. If you are planning to turn in your car at the airport it will be a bit longer. The ferry won't probably get you back until the late afternoon but check their schedule. If the weather gets bad, you may be trapped there. I don't think a quick trip is practical. Have you considered a cruise around the Cliffs of Mohr? That's about an hour and a half. You could also ride the ferry over but not get off. I suggest you do the Cliffs of Mohr cruise and stop off at Clonmacnoise on the way to Dublin. There are various other places to stop if you want to look into it. Trim Castle is also a good candidate if you are dropping your car off at the airport.

One thing you need to keep in mind when planning a potentially quick trip to the Aran Islands is that the weather or water conditions can make the ferries unable to sail. You could either be unable to go or unable to get back on a particular day if the weather is iffy. Even if the weather looks good, if the water is rough there is a possibility that they will be unable to sail. The Doolin ferry is particularly prone to delays and cancellations.

Don't think you are going to be able to get back to Dublin for 6PM Patty, the ferries return from Inismore around 4PM, you would need around 3.5 hrs to get comfortably back to Dublin

Patty, As John indicated, the "timing" could be a problem, which could be more serious if the seas are rough and you can't get back to the mainland in time to get to Dublin by 18:00. If you do want to travel to Inishmore, a few activities to consider: > Visit the huge Sweater shop in Kilronan, which I've been told is the largest in Europe. They sell sweaters with a distinctive knitted pattern. > Take a tour of the island. As I recall, you'll be able to choose between rental bicycles, horse-drawn Cart or a Minivan. I'd suggest the Minivan as it's quicker and a more efficient way to see as much as possible in a limited time. The Driver/Guides are usually quite entertaining! On the Minivan tour, be sure to stop at Dun Aengus, which is a large stone fort on one part of the island. You'll have to hike up the hill, which normally takes about 20-minutes. NOTE that there are NO railings at the edge of the fort, so if you want to have a look, BE CAREFUL as it's a long way down! Just before arriving at Dun Aengus, the Guide stated "Up there we have a 10,000 year old Fort. We have lots of rocks on the island so next week we may build another 10,000 year old Fort". At the car park at the bottom of Dun Aengus, there are a couple of shops and restaurants. I had a fine Irish lunch at Nan Phaddy's House of Good Food & Refreshments. Happy travels!

Doolin is the worst for reliable ferry boats. They cancel a lot even when it's sunny out if the seas are too choppy. A buddy of my family lives in Kilronan. The shop Ken refers to charges hefty prices for what are predominantly knit on machines. If you are interested in buying a real hand knit jumper (you can feel the difference when you pick one up and feel the weight of it and if you hold it up to the light its really dense, also the true hand knits have way more intricate patterns), talk to some of the locals around Kilronan (not the ones who work at the big shop!) and inevitably you'll find someone who will be glad to take you over to their neighbors, aunt or gran's house where she's still cranking out jumpers by hand along with other hand knit items. I don't particularly care for the jumpers myself, but I did pick up a hand knit hat & scarf.