Hello All, Please review my itinerary for 2 week Ireland trip in June. Does it appear doable? Fights already booked in/out Dublin. Day 1: Fly into Dublin Day 2: Arrive Dublin. Rent car and head for Cashel.(Cashel) Day 3: Tour the Rock, Midleton Distillery Tour, Cobh. (Kinsale) Day 4: Kinsale walking tour, Charles Fort.(Kinsale) Day 5: To Dingle by way of Muckross House,Torc Waterfall,South Pole Inn?, Inch Strand? (Dingle) Day 6: Dingle Loop. (Dingle) Day 7: Hang Out. (Dingle) Day 8: To Cliffs of Moher by way of Killrush Ferry and the Burren. (?????) Day 9: To Aran Island Inishmore from Rossaveel. (Inishmore) Day 10:To Westport by way of Clifden,Leenane,Louisburgh.(Westport) Day 11:To Dublin after seeing Cong Area. Drop off car at airport.(Dublin) Day 12:Dublin Day 13:Dublin Day 14:Fly Home. Should I try to fit Kilkenny by dropping days elsewhere? Should Connemara wait till next trip and add on days along prior route? Should we drive Conner Pass out of Dingle? Things to drop/add?
Thanks.
As much as I love Connemara, I would suggest you keep it for another trip. You are doing it a major disservice by basically making it a drive-by. On your Day 8, the drive from Dingle to the Cliffs is about four hours, even taking the ferry at Killimer, so depending on your timing, you might not have time to see much that day. Day 9 is also a little problematic, because if you stayed near the Cliffs the previous day (or even if you stay near Ballyvaughn in the Burren), you have a good drive to Rossaveel to catch the ferry for Inishmore - if weather or rough water do not prevent the sailing. And you would want to take an early ferry to be able to have time there. You could just as easily (with less driving) stay in Doolin on Day 8 and take the ferry from there.
A couple of minor tweeks: be sure to see Muckross Abbey as well as Muckross House. The Abbey is a beautiful ruin. You can then skip the whole Cong area which we found underwhelming, transferring the time saved to Connemara which is probably the most beautiful part of your trip - well tied with Dingle anyway! Roundstone, near the Rossaveel ferry, is a pretty area and deserves an hour or two of your time.