OK, my wife and I are going for a relatively quick ( 8 night ) visit in Irleand in mid-September. Originally, we planned on spending the first five nights in Dingle, then the remaining 3 in Dublin. Now we are wondering whether we should go to the Galway/Connemara area instead. I had suggested splitting the trip into 3 nights in Glaway/Connemara, with 3 nights in Dingle and 2 in Dublin, but my wife would rather relax and only stay in 2 places ( and I am most definitely open to doing that ). So, which area do you guys feel would be better? Or should we just do a 3-3-2 night split? I've never been to Ireland, but my wife has been there several times. Thanks,
Jan
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
The Galway/Connemara option puts you in reach of a lot more sightseeing options, in my opinion. But I do think you could easily do all three and still have a relaxing trip.
Posted by
Grafenwoehr, APO AE, Germany
43 posts
I believe you could do the 3-3-2 and have a wonderful time. My husband and I recently came back from Ireland and spent some time in Dingle, but there wasn't enough for us to do in a five night stay. I didn't get a chance to get to Galway this last trip, so we are planning on going back in the beginning of September to get a chance to check it out. Our intent wass to see as much of Ireland as we could and meet as many people as we can - they are absolutely delightful! What ever it is that you both decide, you will have wonderful time! Enjoy your trip, Patty
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
96 posts
Thanks for the help, both of you. What do you think would be a good base? My wife seems very much interested in Clifdon.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
Clifden is one of my favorite towns, but it's way out on the end of the Connemara area. It won't give you as much flexibility to see other parts of the area because everything will be a long drive. Galway would be good. From there, you could go south to the Burren, Doolin, Cliffs of Moher. You could travel inland, or you could drive out around and through Connemara.
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1851 posts
In April we spent 18 days driving from New Grange to Donegal, then Connemara, and finishing with all five of the SW peninsulas. IMHO, the best bits were Connemara and Dingle. Clifden is lovely, you might also like Roundstone. Check out Ballynahinch Castle for a splurge - they sometimes have attractive packages. If you only want to stay in two locations, consider skipping Dublin!
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
96 posts
I would consider skipping Dublin, except for the fact that it's where we're flying into and out of! At least one night is mandatory.
Posted by
Des Plaines, IL, USA
27 posts
I would suggest staying in Dingle and Dublin, and instead of going all the way up to Galway, I would stay in Killarney for a couple of nights. We enjoyed Killarney National Park, Muckross Abbey, Muckross Estate, Torc Waterfall, the buggy ride, the covered boat tour. We stayed at a wonderful property called Hotel Europe, which was simply divine! It is an easy ride from Killarney to Dingle, simply beautiful. Our ride from Dingle to Galway was the toughest drive, we ended up driving to one point and putting our car on a ferry, which was about an hour boat ride, then we still had a bit of a ride to Galway. We did enjoy Galway, and the area around Galway, especially Kylemore Abby, Ashford Castle, and the countryside. We loved Dublin and also loved Powerscourt Waterfall and Gardens, which is about a 50 minute drive outside of Dublin.