West Ireland - to Limerick or not to Limerick?

I personally did not like Limerick, rather just stay in a little town outside.

Do you plan to tour the Burren and stop at the Cliffs of Moher? You could do that, then stop off at Bunratty for the night. The next day you could tour the castle and folk park, then continue toward Killarney. Bunratty is very close to Shannon, so not far from Limerick. Limerick is an ugly city with nothing to recommend it - and it's crammed with traffic. The whole Galway to Killarney drive is less than four hours so you could actually do the whole drive in a day if you didn't want to see anything along the way.

Thanks for both comments on Limerick. As to your question, Nancy, we're conflicted about the Cliffs of Moher. Originally we planned to go, but I've since read that they're a bit touristy and perhaps overrated. Would the cliffs in Dingle be a better option? We definitely are planning to go to Bunratty, but wanted to go either to Limerick or slightly past it so that the drive to the Killarney area wouldn't be so long since we do plan on stopping along the way either at planned places or on a whim as we see interesting things.

We are thinking about stopping briefly in Limerick because we would like to see the Hunt Museum which is supposed to have an outstanding collection of early Irish artifacts. If anyone has been to that museum, I would like to know if you found it worthwhile.

We just returned from a 9 day driving vacation in that area. I can understand when people say Cliffs of Mohar have become a bit touristy. It now has a visitors center and low wall around the edge of the cliffs, but it doesn't obstruct the view. It was definitely worth the visit for us. We stayed near Bunratty @ Avarest B&B. It was nice, quiet, a little secluded and the owners were wonderful. We didn't care for Limerick, it's way too big and very "work a day." We left Avarest and drove Dingle, then on to our next stop in Kenmare in one day. It was a full day, but we had plenty of time. Hope this helps. Enjoy your vacation...we sure did!

Tracy, I'm one of those who repeatedly called it the Cliffs of Boher. But, after listening to other traveler's opinions I realized those of us who already live near dramatic coastlines come away with a much different view of it than those who are landlocked. If Corpus is the extent of your ocean visits, then I'm willing to bet you will find the cliffs awe inspiring.

Unless there is something specific you would like to see, like King John's Castle, I would definitely skip Limerick. There are some pretty places, but mostly it's just an industrial kind of town. I'm sure you could find a cuter place for a home base. I would definitely do the Cliffs of Moher though. It was one of my favorite sights in Ireland. Yes, a lot of people there, but still amazing. And yes, I was one of those (many) people who went around the barrier to the cliffs.

Thanks, Sam!! That was very helpful! :-)

I've been to the Cliffs of Moher three times - before, during, and after construction on the new visitor center. I generally go in the shoulder season, so I'm sure it's busier in August, but it's still very much worth the visit. There are no cliffs in Dingle like the Cliffs of Moher. I have a problem with the term "touristy". It does have tourists (after all, you are tourists, too), and they are there because it's a stunning sight. However, it is not commercialy built up, tacky, etc. The visitor center was built into the hill to minimize the visual impact on the cliffs, and blend into the surroundings as much as possible. If you aren't doing the Burren/Cliffs, what are you going to use that day for if you don't plan to get any farther than Limerick?

Hi Nancy: If we don't go the Limerick route, we were looking at going south and taking the Shannon River ferry across and doing a coastal drive instead. I think we've decided, though, to go ahead with the Cliffs, then move onward to Bunratty as Sam suggested since we'd like to see the castle and the folk museum. Probably will drive through the Limerick Tunnel the next day, visit Adare, then down to either Tralee or somewhere in the Killarney area.

Actually, Nancy, I just noticed that you originally mentioned stopping at Bunratty, too. I think both you and Sam made the perfect suggestion!

Otter - you are correct that our Texas coasts are extremely flat, so no doubt the Cliffs would be breathtaking to this Texas native! Sydney - we've decided not to stay in Limerick, but King John's Castle looks amazing. Is it worth taking the time to go into Limerick and tour it?

Another vote to skip Limerick. I thought it was a depressing place.

Yes, it's a pretty gray and industrial looking city. I met some great people there but I wouldn't put it high on my list of stops in Ireland.

A nice small town near Limerick is Adare, "Ireland's prettiest village" (self-proclaimed).

Adare's a very photogenic little town, also sarcastically called the most English looking town in Ireland, still very nice. Just west of there is the town of Foynes, with a very nice, but small flying boat museum. The Pan Am Clippers would stop off here before and after crossing the Atlantic. They also served the best scones and clotted cream. Do the cliffs.

Thanks, Tom & Peter! I agree that Adare is beautiful, so we were planning on going through it, perhaps for a bite of lunch and sightseeing.

Definitely do the cliffs. Awesome to see. Also Adare is a very lovely little town. We also loved the drive over the Conner Pass into Dingle but it is not for the faint of heart. It was worth it though. Enjoy.