Ireland itinerary

Sure, you can do it in three days. If you were to drive straight from Dublin to Dingle it's only about 5-6 hours, anyway. I wouldn't be too concerned about long weekend crowds hitting the road, though. For the most part, you'll find that locals don't drive great distances. On every trip I have made to Ireland, I have had at least one person sound astonished that we were doing so much driving. It's a small area to us, but to them it's huge. If you arrive late morning, it's going to be mid-afternoon by the time you clear the airport and get your car. Are you flying into and out of Dublin? If so, you might plan on driving straight to Cashel that first afternoon, seeing the Rock in the morning of the second day, then continuing on to the Ring of Kerry, maybe staying someplace like Kenmare. That will put you in striking distance of Dingle on Friday morning. Save the Wicklow Mountains for the return trip (you don't say when or if you plan to spend time in Dublin, or how long your whole trip is, but in terms of spacing out your stops, the Wicklow Mountains don't fit very well into that first day).

I would not try to drive too far the day you arrive. You will have been traveling for a long time and will be tired. We flew from the west coast of the U.S. to Dublin, arrived around 9:30 or 10:00, got through customs (it was fast), picked up the car and drove to Kilkenny. We had lunch, walked around town and then went to our B&B when it was time to check in. We walked to dinner (best to keep moving that first day... :-) ) and then called it a night. After a good nights sleep we drove to the Rock of Cashel on our way to Dingle. We didn't have time for the Ring of Kerry on that trip, so I can't recommend a good place to stay. I'm not sure how to fit the Wicklow mountains into this. If you haven't already found a place to stay in Dingle, I highly recommend the Milestone House. The hosts are fantastic. Very informative and can help you narrow down the best things to see in the area. Not to mention the best breakfasts I have had at any B&B I have stayed at!

Thanks to both of you. That's good advice. We've got three weeks in Ireland so plenty of time to see Dublin and surrounds at the end. We're trying to find a balance between driving and spending time at a few select locations to let it soak in. It's tempting to want to see too much. We thought to stay about four nights in Dingle and maybe the same amount in Galway.

Dingle might not be the best choice for four nights. Because it's out on a peninsula, it's not a convenient base for day trips to the surrounding areas. You might want to check driving times for things you want to see in the area and determine whether there might be a better base for a couple of the days. Of course, without knowing what else you have planned it's hard to say.

Thanks, Nancy, I'll take that on board