We will be visiting Ireland for 2 1/2 weeks in May: 3 days Dublin, then train to Killarney where we pick up car for the rest of the time. We'll be in Kenmare x 5 nights, Dingle x 4 nights, and Kinsale x 3 nights using these as bases. My question is on the way back to Dublin, we are spending 1 night in Kilkenney and last night in Trim before flying out early am. We want to stop at Cahir and Cashel one day, then next day to Trim Castle-how much time do these require and should we try to see anything else between Kilkenny and Trim?. One of us can not walk long distances but if there's something especially scenic (Glendalough or Wicklow?) without going too far out of the way. Thanks
Posted by
Anchorage, Alaska
103 posts
We spent a couple of hours at each of Cahir and Cashel but when we do castles we try to see every nook & cranny. Both are well worth the stop. If you can, walk in the park behind Cahir Castle to get some great views of the castle from outside the walls. The tour of Kilkenny Castle is not very long (distance wise) and we stopped a lot as the guide talked in each room. If you have time, see the video before you take the tour. Glendalough was really interesting, the paths are rocky but it's all pretty compact. The visitor center has some good exhibits, too. Powerscourt Gardens are expensive but you could still see a lot of the gardens without walking a lot (just do the "closer" parts). Trim Castle was closed when we were there so we just walked around part of the castle walls and then up the hill across the stream (river?) to get views of the castle. I suspect it takes less time than Cahir or Cashel because it's more ruined and less restored (or at least that's how it looked from afar).
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1820 posts
For 70 more miles and two more hours drive time, you could add Birr (spectacular castle gardens), Clonmacnoise Abbey, and the Hill of Tara. These are all sites I have planned for our May trip. I have researched them extensively, but have not yet visited them. We stayed overnight at Kilkenny on our first Ireland trip and felt in retrospect that two-three hours there would have been plenty of time. We enjoyed Glendalough--it also took about two hours of time. If you play around with google maps, you can check all of the drive times and mileage and decide what works best for you. Another good mileage estimator is theaa.com.
Posted by
OP
sarasota, fl
63 posts
Thanks for the suggestions Cynthia and Laura. You've definitely helped me with options. I'm going to see how tired we are by the time we get done in Kilkenny. We want to try and make this a more relaxing visit but still see the sights. There's just so much to see and it's such a beautiful country.