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10-day Itinerary Shannon to Southwest and West Ireland

10-day Itinerary Shannon to Southwest and West Ireland

Old Aug 2nd, 2015, 09:27 PM
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10-day Itinerary Shannon to Southwest and West Ireland

Yes, I've waited until the last minute to book my (solo, female, mid-30's) vacation, and now the pressure is on to find hotels/B&B's for my 10 day trip to Ireland (Aug 10 - morning August 21). Fellow travelers - I need your help!

I'll be arriving in Shannon on Monday August 10th in the late afternoon (from London, no jetlag) and was considering driving south and west first, towards Kinsale, but thought it might be a bit much of a drive if I don't get on the road until 5pm (especially since I'm not used to driving on the other side of the road - though I did rent an automatic). Is there a town nearby that might make a good overnight stopping point, so I can get a fresh start in the morning? I've read that Adare and Bunratty are terribly overclogged with tourists this time of year? Is Cahir worth the drive?

Overall, I'd like to take some time to enjoy the ride and stop along the way - to me, there's nothing worse than overscheduling myself. I'm always on the lookout for great food, a quaint town to walk around, a nice pub with live music, etc.

As for the rest of my itinerary, I'm wondering if it is better to "home-base" someplace like Kinsale or Kenmare or Dingle (or Killarney) for 3 or 4 days (or Galway further North), or to pop from town to town each day, with the understand that it takes much longer to get from place to place than expected in high season? Is starting south west and then heading north better than vice versa?

Things I'd like to see and do along the way - scenic routes preferable, if I'm not in a rush. Please let me know if you think any of these are "over-rated" or if you have better alternatives?
Cahir Castle?
Muckross House
Ring of Beara vs Ring of Kerry?
Gap of Dunloe
Dingle Peninsula
Cliffs of Moher
The Burren
Aran Islands
Galway

Small hotels and B&B's are great, trying to stay under $125 Euro/night.
Was thinking of staying in Ennis on my final night (Aug 20th) to be closer to the Airport - though my flight back to NYC isn't until 1140am.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can provide!

Michelle
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 02:28 AM
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I'll leave it to the locals/experts to tell you what is best; however, we covered much of the same area and perhaps my TR would be helpful (even w/o kids!):

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ids-photos.cfm

We chose 3 bases: Killarney, Dingle and Galway.

Pretty standard fare though we did "detour" down to Loop Head for some cliffs while skipping Cliffs of Moher.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 06:24 AM
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I would not like to leave Dublin Airport towards 5.00 p.m. in the hope of being in Kinsale for dinner. It's just about possible to cover the distance in 3 hours in best traffic conditions, if you are used to the road, and you don't need comfort stops. You fail on at least two of those tests, especially traffic conditions. The drive itself is easy enough, nearly all the way on motorway.

You might consider an overnight at or near Cashel. That would allow you to visit the Rock of Cashel in the morning, then on to Cahir for a look at Cahir Castle. You could be in Kinsale by early afternoon.

Of the SW peninsulas, the Ring of Kerry has least appeal to me. The stretch between Kenmare and Killarney, however, is stunningly beautiful, and you can capture that on your journey in from West Cork without doing the Ring.

Overall, I think your ambition is reasonable - not too much to attempt in 10 days.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 11:01 AM
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We visited some of the places on your list in October of 2011.
We loved Muckross House and Killarney National Park. Take the Jaunty Car ride from town.
Galway was an enjoyable town. We loved the shopping, pubs, and nightlife.
The Cliffs of Moher is a must in my opinion. I think one passes through the Burren on the way to the cliffs(at least we did). Not sure the Burren was worth it.
We absolutely loved Inishmor (Aran Island). The ferry over was a killer. Take some good motion sickness pills.
Enjoyed the Dingle Peninsula and Dingle alot. I've heard mention on this site that its not necessary to see ROK, Beara, and Dingle. Pick one. I defer to others for places to stay and best driving itineraries. Have a great trip!
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 12:23 PM
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@Indy_Dad
Thanks for the Trip Report - I'll definitely give it a look!

@Padraig - I'll be flying into Shannon, not Dublin, as the post states. Thanks for the additional info. I'm definitely looking into Cashel.

@bean11 - thank you so much for the feedback. Dingle is sounding better and better - IF I can book a room!

Keep the replies coming!!
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 06:00 PM
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Apologies for my lapse of attention: I saw your mention of a stop at Cahir, which is on the route from Dublin to Kinsale, and immediately lost sight of your mention of arriving in Shannon.

Whether or not Cahir on its own is worth the drive comes down to how interesting you find castles: Cahir is a proper fortification, and not a country house with crenelations. I find that sort of thing interesting; others might not.

Bundling the Rock of Cashel with it gives you more bang for your buck.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 07:25 PM
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Perhaps my most recent trip report will be helpful:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-sampler.cfm .
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 07:28 PM
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And if you finalize your itinerary, we can certainly help with lodging suggestions!
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Old Aug 4th, 2015, 03:36 PM
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thanks for all of the wonderful responses so far! Here's where my itinerary stands at the moment - still trying to figure out the back half of the trip. I'm a bit of a foodie, so any restaurant recommendations (traditional/local) would be great!

DAY 0 - Airport to Cashel. 1 night Baileys Hotel Cashel.
Dinner suggestions?

DAY 1 - Rock of Cashel & Cahir Castle. Drive to Kinsale. 1 night Cloisters B&B. Kinsale tips/restaurant reccos?

DAY 2 - Drive Kinsale to Kenmare. Thoughts on good places to stop along the way? Is the N71 the "scenic route"? 1 night Either Hawthorne House or Virginia's Guest House. Anyone stayed in either?

DAY 3 - Walk around Kenmare. Drive Ring of Kerry. Favorite places to stop? I don't have to do it all in one day, since I'll be staying the next two nights in Killarney. Arrive Killarney - Larkinley B&B or Brook Lodge or Earls Court Hotel. Thoughts on any of these three? Food/Restaurants/Pubs?

DAY 4 - Muckross house, Killarney National Park. Gap of Dunloe. Stay another night in Killarney.

DAY 5 - Walk around Killarney. Drive to Dingle. Explore Dingle & Peninsula. One night Captain's House in Dingle Town (EVERY hotel and B&B in Dingle was fully booked - only scored this one because of a cancellation!) Anyone have favorites in Dingle?

DAY 6 - Dingle to Doolin. This is a pretty big drive. Thought about taking the Killimer-Talbert Ferry even though the route takes a bit longer. Any easy places to stop on the drive to stretch my legs? 1 night Doll's Cottage B&B.

DAY 7 - DAY 10 Here's where I could use some help. Definitely want to see Cliffs of Moher & the Burren. Are the Aran islands worth a night? Or should I stay in Kinvarra or another night in Doolin? Or just head towards Galway?

Best to base in Galway city? Or better to stay further west (Cliffden or Westport)?

I'll probably end up in Ennis for the night before my early afternoon flight, so I'll be close to the airport. Unless there's another location that's better suited?

Thanks again!!
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Old Aug 4th, 2015, 07:12 PM
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For that last night Ennis is fine but my personal favorite is Bunratty. I have two recommendations for Bunratty if you are interested. 20 minutes straight shot to the airport.
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Old Aug 4th, 2015, 09:55 PM
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The one recommendation I can make is Fishy Fishy in Kinsale. We had the most wonderful meal of our trip there. Husband loved the Irish coffee (had three at lunch!) and fish and chips. Our guide recommended roasted oysters, which were not on the menu, and they were wonderful as well. Save room for dessert. If it is available, you must have the berry trifle -- best we've ever had. I think both the Irish coffee and trifle benefit from the wonderful cream in Ireland.
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Old Aug 5th, 2015, 02:02 AM
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Day 2: Yes, the N71 is a scenic route (not the only one, but the easiest one to follow). Clonakilty is a pleasing small town; there are a number of tempting small detours, including Castletownshend and Baltimore, Glengarriff is worth a stop. If you are fortunate with the weather, you will enjoy some glorious coastal scenery. Treat the drive as a scenic tour rather than a place-to-place transfer. [Before leaving Kinsale, you might like to visit Charles Fort.]

Day 5: Lots of good dining options in Dingle, many of them charging fine dining prices (because they are providing fine dining, often with informal style). My favourite is Out of the Blue - but if you don't like seafood, forget it. Another one I like is Global Village. In August, booking is advisable for anything other than fast food or bar food.

Days 7 to 10: You will have done a lot of packing and moving, so it might be good to throw down an anchor. I suggest that you head for Galway for 3 nights. Watch weather forecasts. Pick a day, preferably one that's not too windy, to make a day-trip to Inishmore from Rossaveal. Use the other day to drive around Connemara.
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Old Aug 5th, 2015, 07:50 AM
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Great suggestions, all! Thank you.
@jaja - Will definitely take your recommendations in Bunratty. I had heard it was crazy touristy? What is it you liked about it?

@padraig - thoughts on where to stay in Galway? I do think I like the idea of being in one place for 3 nights. It seems a lot of the top rated B&B's are booked up, and some of the centrally located hotels are outrageously priced.

@burta - Fishy Fish is on the list!
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Old Aug 5th, 2015, 09:11 AM
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We ate at a place called Bricin's in Killarney. We all had a fantastic dinner. I think everyone had the Boxty.
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Old Aug 5th, 2015, 12:45 PM
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https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7396681...%2F2015&s=sz5W

It said only one night min but you could do several here.
My friend and I were in Galway a couple of years ago and it was the oyster festival/Arthur Guinness day and something else. We ended up staying at snoozles hostel and it was not bad. We had a double room to ourselves. I noticed this apartment is part of a hostel but location is good.
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Old Aug 5th, 2015, 01:23 PM
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http://www.sleepzone.ie/sleepzone-apartments

Try this and you might not have to pay a fee for the apartment like you do with the airbnb.
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Old Aug 6th, 2015, 05:25 AM
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My recommendations for Bunratty would be the accommodations, either
http://headleycourt.net or
http://bunrattylodge.com
For either one, you can turn right from the drive and it is a straight shot to the airport.

Yes, Bunratty is touristy but then you are a tourist. We usually cap off our last evening with either the Irish Night at the Corn Barn or the Medieval Banquet in Bunratty Castle or Knappogue Castle.

Plenty of last-minute shopping opportunities at Bunratty Folk Park or across the street at Bunratty Village Mills. We have enjoyed lunch at Lily Mai's or the Creamery.
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