Where to stay? Dingle Peninsula or County Donegal?

I loved Dingle. There's a lot to do there, but I loved Doolin as much. Have you been there? If so, stay at Daly's House in Doolin. Check it out on Trip Advisor.

My cousin got to do his student teaching in Cahersiveen Ireland this past spring (County Kerry, near the Ring of Kerry) and LOVED the area. Lots of great walks/hikes, beautiful landscapes, friendly people. In fact I've been looking at some self-catering cottages to rent, in case I can convince my mother to go to Ireland this fall. Check out this website http://www.imagineireland.com/Kerry-cottages/default.asp

What length of time are you talking about? If you want to take day trips from where you are staying, Donegal would probably be more practical than staying out of the Dingle Peninsula which would require more driving time just to get off the peninsula on the way to where you want to go.
Bunbeg and Derrybeg are not villages as such meaning they have no central part where everything is within walking distance such as pubs,restaurants, grocers. They are strung out along the road and require driving to get from say a pub to a grocery store. I spent a few days in Ardara in Donegal during April and May and enjoyed it very much. The Slieve League sea cliffs are close by as well as the Glengesh Pass, Glencolumbkille. Ardara has two great pubs in Nancy's and The Corner Bar. I also spent a week on the Inishowen Peninsula at Greencastle , north of Derry, and found the area interesting, filled with friendly helpful people and some great scenery.

Thank you everyone who has posted so far. To answer a few questions.... It's probably going to be around a week - maybe 10 days if I can squeeze it. I won't be renting a car, but rather traveling to my destination by train or bus and then walking/biking around. So I do need to pick towns that a fairly walkable rather than being too strung out (ie. thank you for the info no Derrybegs/Bunbeg). Keep the info coming. :)

My cousin did not have a car while in Cahersiveen. He used a bike, buses and rode the train to get to/from Dublin and maybe Shannon. He really enjoyed the hikes and rides he did in that area and found it easy to get around by bike. I think any of the small towns along the Ring of Kerry might work for you.

One other thought- the website I listed tells you how far the rental property is from pubs, shops, resturants and beaches. Helpful info if you don't have a car.

Thank you, Toni! That website is a great resource. I will definitely keep it in mind as a plan my trip.

I spent several days in Donegal two years ago. We were based at B&B in LetterKenny. Glenveagh park and "castle" (really a rich man's mansion) were great, as was the restored hill fort on the rout to Northern Ireland. Another interesting little treat was the grain and flax mill just outside town. I haven't been to Dingle, but I gather that Donegal is less well traveled.

I agree that Dingle is out of the way if you want to travel off the Dingle peninsula but that area is the one I long for when I'm dreaming of Ireland. If you didnt travel past the town of Dingle you missed alot of wonderful places out on the peninsula. If you are into hiking and biking its very doable plus you could even go out to one of the Blasket islands and explore a day. I've stayed at the Milestone B&B twice and just love the place.