We will have 4 days in Ireland. We are definitely going to Dingle. We will be arriving in Shannon and renting a car. Besides Dingle would it be feasible to spend a day in Connemara or Galway, or is that trying to do too much. We are arriving in Ireland after almost three weeks of touring Europe and will probably be tired by then.
Thanks for your input.
I would go to the small village of Doolin, or stay in nearby Lisdoonvarna. Or even Ennis, really. It's on the west coast, and also a good, sleepy area to relax. It's very close to the Cliffs of Moher, and all 3 places are great places to try and catch a good session in the pubs any night durning peak season. It's a relatively short trip to or from Shannon. Galway is possible but with only a day, I wouldn't drive up there (a good 8 hour drive) just to have to drive back so soon. I know it's a three week trip of Europe, but 4 days just cannot do the west coast justice, let alone all of Ireland! I am biased towards Ireland no matter where else I go, though. :)
One of the joys of driving through the southwest is stopping whenever you wish and going for a walk in the glorious countryside. But that means you can't worry about trying to cover a lot of ground. Assuming you'll have four full days in Ireland and are departing on day five, here's a rough itinerary for you to consider. Day 1 - Drive from Shannon to Dingle. Day 2 - Tour Slea Head and as much of the rest of the Dingle Peninsula as time allows. Spend the night in Dingle. Day 3 - Drive the coastal route to the Cliffs of Moher, taking the Killimer-Tarbert ferry across the Shannon River. Stay in Lisdoonvarna or Ballyvaughan. Day 4 - Drive through the Burren and spend the night in Ennis. Day 5 - Drive to Shannon.