If you had to pick....Ring of Kerry or Dingle Penninsula

First, a disclaimer. I've driven the Dingle Peninsula but not the Ring of Kerry. However, I'll still recommend the Dingle Peninsula over the Ring of Kerry because you get the added bonus of being able to stay in Dingle and get in on traditional music sessions in various pubs. The music is wonderful!

Like Tim, I've only been to the Dingle Peninsula... But I guess if I were you I'd base my decision on where I'll be before (or need to be after) the time alloted for Dingle/Kerry.

If you will be in County Clare before heading to either Dingle or Kerry, Dingle is closer. No matter which you pick, though, you can take a car ferry (Killimer/Tarbert) across the Shannon. We did it a couple of years ago and it was very easy, and cut a lot of driving time out. Obviously, if you will be in the southern part of the country then Kerry is probably more convenient.

You can see ancient beehive huts on the Dingle Peninsula, and if you like ruins, there are boats to take you to the Great Blasket Island. The town of Dingle is pleasant, and you get the added bonus of sending postcards with the word "Dingle" on them (found quite hilarious by people back home).

I know Skellig Michael (island off of Kerry) has ruins and beehive huts, too.

I've done both and loved both. I would give the nod to Dingle. It seems to pack in more beauty in a smaller space. And Dingle Town is a great place to stay.

I second exactly what Carroll said.

Dingle gives you more of a sense of Ireland and its culture and history, Ring of Kerry is more spectacular scenery. IMHO, if you instead drive the Ring of Beara you can have both and it isn't crowded. (We have visited all three.)

I've only done Ring of Kerry. Next time I'll do Dingle or skip the scenic drive altogether.

I did Ring of Kerry by bus (coach). If I do either in the future, I will only go by car so I can stop at the historical sites along the route. Kerry has a circular Ft. Staige (?) that dates to Roman times but the bus doesn't stop because busses can't get in and out of the parking (according to our driver).

If I remember correctly, Staigue Fort is the most intact drystone ring fort in Ireland. But it would be difficult to get to with a bus because you have to go up a small road.

Ive driven both and Dingle wins hands down for me.

Heidi,

Can you share the rest of your itinerary? I've driven (and loved) them both, but don't think I can recommend one over the other without knowing your plans.

For example, if you only have one day, then it might make more sense to do the Ring, as it's easier to get to than Dingle. However, if you have a few days, then it might make more sense to do Dingle since (as others have noted) you can stay in the town of Dingle and soak up the culture.

Rest assured, you can't really go wrong. Both drives are wonderful. Dingle is a bit more intimate, the Ring is a bit more spectacular.

Whatever you decide, enjoy your trip!

The more responses I receive, the more worried I become of our original itinerary. Although we have reservations for every night along the way, we may be able to adjust. Our itinerary is as follows:

Day 1 arrive dublin 7:50 a.m. rent car and head to either New Grange or south to Wicklow area/Powerscourt, etc
Day 2 Dublin City sights/ spend night in Dublin
Day 3 Dublin to Kildare/Kilkenny/spend night in Waterford area
Day 4 Waterford to Killarney NP/spend night in NP
Day 5 Killarney/ROK or dingle, spend night near
Bunratty Castle for banquet that night
Day 6 Drive to Cliffs of Moher/through Burren NP and catch afternoon flight to Scotland from Galway
Our flights are already bought so we can't change those. If we should skip something and include something else, your input would be most appreciated!

Dublin airport is on the north side so New Grange would be more convenient than Glendalough or Powerscourt, which are south of Dublin. IMHO, Kilkenny wasn't that exciting---a rather pale imitation of York, England. We also weren't especially fond of Dublin, which is just another big city but not world class like London, Paris, NYC, etc. We haven't been to the Waterford area, but we felt that the west coast was the best part---anywhere from the Beara peninsula (Kenmare is a convenient location for both Beara and ROK) up through County Galway for visiting Connemara and the Aran Islands (day trip). Bunratty Castle banquet is fun, but if your airport is Galway, there are two other castles which also have medieval banquets and are closer to Galway.

Heidi,
Does your hotel/BB have parking available for your car? If not, you might want to wait until you leave Dublin for your next stop before renting the car. AirCoach will take you to city centre from airport and vice versa. See some of Dublin the day you arrive, and for day 2 book (ahead of time) a mini-bus tour to Newgrange (a VW bus type thing, the driver takes you to the main museum/visitors center, gets you checked in, and then tells you where to meet him at the end of the day - you have to take the museum's shuttle to see Newgrange/Knowth etc.). You can book the mini-bus through the tourist info center. I really like Dublin, and I always recommend these fun, relatively cheap, and educational things to do:

Walking tours:

http://www.1916rising.com/

and http://www.historicalinsights.ie/

Pub Crawls:

http://www.discoverdublin.ie/musicalpubcrawl_pubs.html

http://www.dublinpubcrawl.com/

My plans are to spend several nights in Dingle to soak up the area as best I can. When driving out, I also planned to drive the ROK on my way to the next stop. Reading the descriptions of what's there. It seems well worth the drive but Dingle seems to be the place to stay a few nights.