Ireland---Dublin to Kilkenny via Military Road over Sally Gap

Hope you find out if this is feasible-we are planning to do about the same thing in September-we have driven in Ireland several times and think this will work out fine-but will be interested in seeing what other travelers have to say. Love Ireland- and I am sure you will too !

Thank you for your response. We are so looking forward to this trip.

You might want to plan an alternate route in case of bad weather. If it's raining there will be no view, which is the main point of going that way.

If you are coming from the UK it is feasible,if from the US it is too much after a long flight.

We did this route going the other direction. Glendalough, Sally Gap, Powerscourt and then Dublin. We spent the night in Glendalough and it was still a long day to Dublin. I would not try to get to Kilkenny.
The drive was beautiful and we had a great lunch on the patio at Powerscourt. Have a wonderful time.

We are coming from the US. So most of you seem to think it would be too much the first day. Should we stay at Glendalough then? Have an alternate route along the coast in case of rain? I really appreciate your help in this. I think once we get the first day planned, the rest should be easier.

If we left out Powerscourt----my daughter doesn't want to go there anyway-----do you think the original plan would work? My route planner says it's only 1 hour and 10 minutes to Kilkenny from Glendalough.

Sue,

I would avoid trying to pack too much into the first day. It will be 4 AM Eastern time when you arrive, so you'll be dealing with jet lag. If you push yourself too hard, you won't enjoy the sites that you're seeing and then what's the point?

As others have said, having an alternate route is a good idea, as is stopping for the day somewhere along the way, such as Glendalough.

I talked to my daughter today. Now we're thinking maybe skipping the military road and just go down the coast highway to Glendalough and see things there and then Kilkenny. That seems like it should be quicker. We would tour Kilkenny things the next day. Just get there for the night. Does that sound easier? Thank you!!

I think that would work better, Sue. For one thing, driving in Ireland is notoriously slow. And, especially through the mountains, the roads are narrow and winding. The Glendalough settlement is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, so it might be tough to find a place to stay nearby in June. It would be wise to book your first night somewhere, since it is the tourist season. That way you won't have to spend time finding a place to stay and perhaps having to go farther than you had planned when you are tired.

Sue,
A good decision about skipping Powerscourt. It's a little expensive to just stop for a short visit. The tour of the house is relatively short because you see very little of the inside. To make a stop worthwhile you would have to wander the great gardens and that is very time consuming. And if your daughter isn't interested, another good reason to skip it.

All of the other replies so far are good information and remember that if you're scheduled arrival time is 10 am, it will be at least noon before you will be on the road. You'll just have to make the decision as to what is best for you. Don't forget to read thru the other strings for more good advice. Also as was pointed out by Nancy, driving will be slow in Ireland. If you use the rule-of-thumb that you will only drive 25-35 miles in an hour on most of the roads, that will give you a pretty good idea. And that doesn't count stopping for photo-ops and other stops along the way as well as those times that you will make a wrong turn or get lost. The further you get off the main "N" roads, the more likely that road signs seem to disappear.

Sue,
Regarding your info that says driving time from Glendalough to Kilkenny is an hour and 10 min. If my memory is correct it's at least twice that. Don't rely on American auto clubs for driving times. Read thru the other threads on this site.

ViaMichelin shows Glendalough-Kilkenny at 1 hr 42 minutes, so two hours + is a reasonable estimate, particularly since there is no straight route through the mountains. You'll be zigzagging in places.

I want to thank you all for your advise! It sure helps to get the opinions of someone that's been there and done that. I appreciate all of your help and I think we are going to take all your advise.

Sue