Dublin Airport to Newgrange

I would suggest you spend your first day in Dublin recovering from jet lag and then take a tour(Mary Gibbons-Bus Eireann ) the next day to Newgrange. To me it does make more sense to go into Dublin and get settled and then go to Newgrange rather than trying to leave your luggage at the airport,catch one or two buses and probably a taxi,tour Newgrange and then reverse the process including having to pick up your luggage and get into the city and doing all of this after an overnight flight.

P.S. How is Garrison Keillor and the Side Track Tap?

Being natives of Lake Wobegon, my family is definitely above average and therefore won't succumb to jet lag...however, we are only in Dublin Sun, Mon and Tues and the BusEirann tours only run Thurs and Sat in the "winter" months (twill feel like summer to those of us in the frigid north!) I had read sonewhere that Mary Gibbons doesn't start touring until April, but I will contact them directly. Sounds like the walk from Donore to the visitor's center might be too much for our tired bodies/brains?

Having traveled to Ireland several times, I can't imagine getting off of the long flight, taking two buses, and then either taking a taxi or walking the rest of the way to Newgrange. Have you thought about how much time it will take to find the left luggage desk, take a bus to Drogheda, wait for the local bus to Donore and take that, and then walk? Not to mention doing it all in reverse and ending up back at the airport, after which you still have to get into Dublin and get settled.

I can see that you have a timing issue for a tour, but have you thought about doing Newgrange just after you pick up your car when leaving Dublin? When I visted Newgrange (by car), I had just arrived from the US, picked up my car at the airport, and headed straight there. I saw Newgrange and Monasterboice, then spent the night in Navan on my first day. I have never had a problem with jetlag because I'm too ready to go see things once I'm there. (Funny that you don't want to pick up your car right away to get over jetlag, yet you say you won't succumb to it.)

Yes, thanks-we actually aren't renting a car until we get to Kerry (taking the train from Dublin to Kerry to avoid much of the driving, and also to experience Irish train travel). Sounds like it would be best to at least put off the trip to Newgrange until Monday, when quite a few of the sites we'd be visiting in Dublin seem to be closed, and we've rested a bit. Although I've found with my family that planning an adventure right away helps them acclimate better to local time. I would still like advice from anyone who has tried to city/local bus trip from Dublin to Donore...feasible (for Day 2 or 3) if I can't find a tour operating those days?

You might luck out finding a tour. A lot of things that close over the winter open on March 1. If you don't find anything before you get to Dublin, check with the Tourist Information desk at the airport. Alternatively, if you are also flying out of Dublin you could do it on your way back before dropping off your car. Good luck!

anni, Bus Eireann, Route #101, runs every 20 minutes from just outside the arrivals terminal at Dublin Airport to Drogheda. Travel time is approx. 55 minutes. There "may" be a shuttle bus that runs to Newgrange from the Drogheda bus station,you would need to check on that.