ireland for 2 weeks

That will be a lot of driving!!! I have not been to Portrush, Derry or Belfast so can't comment on that, but I will say that you might be happier to not try to cram so much in. Driving in Ireland can take way longer than you think it will. The " R" road are very bumpy and twisty. I would give yourself a few days of little to no driving in between longer travel days. Your bosies will thank you for the rest from the bumpy ride!

I suggest: Dublin 2 nights, visit Kilkenny -- then go on to stay in Cashel 1 night, Kinsale 2 nights, Kenmare 3 nights, Dingle 2( or 3 )nights, Doolin 1 night ( or 2 nights and do a day trip to Arans island ) 1 night back in Dublin. If you have not already purchased your flight then I would fly home out of Shannon and stay the last night in Bunratty. I think you will enjoy your trip more if you don't try to race acorss the whole country. There is sooo much to see in each area that you will not run out of things to do.

In case you were mystified -- bosies = bodies.

We found we needed a day in the middle of our 2 week trip that gave all of us a much needed break from being shook to bits by the bumpy roads.

thanks for the insights. We are tied into Dublin for flights, so we have no choice there. We only have the 1st week planned out as far as Dingle, then we are up in the air, no definate plans. So at that point i think we will decide how much further north we want to go. I think the north Antrim coast is a must, so i suspect we will keep heading north. This itinery is actually much more lax than most of our trips to Europe.

Teresa, I would have suggested going as far as Galway and then heading back to Dublin from there to allow more time at some of the places you are staying. But if you feel like you want to go north, and you've done these kinds of trips before and enjoyed them, then I say go for it. Make sure to go to Michelin or a similar site to check the driving times, if you have not already done so. Driving in Ireland is really slow and stressful due to the narrow roads. I have not been to Northern Ireland or any further north than Connemara in the Republic of Ireland. But I've been to all of the other places on your itinerary and liked them all. Make sure to take the Tarbert-Kilimer ferry when traveling from Dingle to Galway. It will save you a lot of driving. Have a great trip!

We did this last September, except we arrived in Dublin and left from Larne after Belfast. We took 3 1/2 weeks, though. What you propose is possible, but is a lot of driving. I would suggest you either see Portrush in passing or stop in Port Stewart instead. Portrush looked really run down when we drove through. My father had spent ahoiday there in the 1930s and I was anxious to see it. I was really disappointed. Port Stewart on the other hand was a thriving, bustling place.

Do be aware that the roads in Ireland are not like in NA. Almost no hard shoulders, in the west, narrow, twisting and hilly. The temptation to stop and enjoy the view is constant, so make allowances.

We made this circle route in 2003 and we took 16-17 days. (not too much longer than you are taking) It does take a while to drive places in Ireland, but we always had places we were stopping along the route that broke up the trip. If I were going to tweak your trip: I would leave Kinsale early, see Kenmare in the morning and go on to Dingle for the night. Look into the Tarbert ferry for sure. I would make some other changes, but they are personal choices and it is your trip :) We did stop in Derry, but we stayed in Portrush and I was glad we did. (On our trip, we spent less time in southern Ireland, but added in the Connemara area) Have a great trip

You have a very aggressive itinerary. It is probably doable but it doesn't leave much time for the stops along the way that you aren't planning....and you will encounter them. As has been posted in this thread as well as a lot of threads about Ireland itineraries, the driving, especially on the smaller roads, is very slow.

If you follow what you have posted, the drive from Galway to (London)Derry will take up most of a day. If you make the Antrim coast a must, which is well worth it, I would skip Derry and go directly to Portstewart/Portrush area for the night. Portrush is a great little town. From there you could start your Antrim Coast tour. If you are interested, you will spend about 2 or more hours at each of these: Dunluce Castle tour, Bushmills Distillery tour, Giants Causeway and the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. (There used to be a great little tea shop nearby. Not sure if it is still open) Cushendun, Cushendall and Carnlough would be good stops for a night. Do not waste your time to see Ossian's Grave.

As for Derry and Belfast, I would leave them for another trip. They are great cities, but with your speed-trip, I'd leave them for another trip.

Be sure to read through the other postings, if you haven't already. There have been some great discussions recently.