jackson28bn

Hi,

I will be travelling with two of my friends to Ireland over St. Patricks Day- we are roughly 23-24 years old. I have a friend who is studying abroad in Dublin, and we will be flying in there on Friday March 14th. We will then stay with him over that weekend through Saint Patrick's Day (which is that next Monday), and I also plan on taking a bus tour from Dublin to Kilkenny and Glendalough on Sunday. It is after we leave Dublin to explore the rest of the country where I need some advice.

I was advised to rent a car, so right now I am planning on renting at the Shannon airport, so that we can return it there and fly out of Shannon after we are done (we're going to England next). So on Tuesday the 18th we will take a train and then a bus to the Shannon Airport to pick up our car. Since we only have a limited time (through Tuesday the 25th) I'd like to see as much of Ireland as we can without trying to squeeze in too much. The plan I have as of now is:

Tues 18th- Rent our car and either stay in Ennis or drive to Doolin.
Wednes 19th- See the cliffs of moher, the burren, and stay at Doolin or drive to Galway
Thurs 20th- Galway (maybe Connemara as well/ cong)
Friday 21st- one of my friends will be leaving to go home early so we will drop him off at the galway train station so he can catch his flight in dublin. Then I was planning on travelling south to Dingle and spending that night checking out the dingle music scene.
Saturday 22nd- drive around the Dingle Peninsula and check out some side roads and smaller towns, spend the night in dingle
Sunday 23rd- Ring of Kerry and Killarney for the night
Monday 24th- Killarney National Park/ Kenmare, or anything else in the area
Tuesday 25th- fly out of Shannon

Would you add or take away anything from this list? Some more information:

We will be frequenting the pubs wherever we go, so if there is a specific town that you think would appeal to us based on our age please let me know (I've heard Galway is more geared to a younger crowd).

I am interested in seeing some early Christian sites/ monuments, is there anything in Ireland (even if we have to drive a little out of the way) that is particularly worth a visit?
I am also interested in neolithic sites as well.

I am considering going to Athlone, even though it is out of the way, to go to Sean's Bar and Clonmacnoise... do you think it would be worth it to make this sidetrip (we may have to cut something out in order to make it)?

Do you think it would be better spending our time in County Kerry and Galway, rather than staying in Doolin or Ennis in County Clare? Should we cut Ennis out on Tues 18th so that we can stay an extra night in Galway?

I would like to see some old parts of Ireland that date back through the medieval times- like cities that have a very historic feel to them- but we won't get stared at for being a bunch of young americans... going through areas that have been roughly the same for a thousand years or so is whats most attractive to me.

Thank you for any advice and recommendations that you can offer!

Tony2phones

OK

1st Point so who ffs is Patty?? not a good start. best avoided,, St Patrick's or St Pats.. Patty is a woman's name.

2nd Point age under 25 you are going to find car hire really expensive on the insurance side.

Athlone is west of Dublin and you can pass there or stay there on the way to Galway,, I love Ennis but on the grounds Doolin is 200 B&B's and 3 bars I wouldn't stay there

Start with Galway, ur man can get the express bus direct from Galway to Dublin Airport makes more sense than the Train.

Stay in Ennis before heading to Dingle, although from Ennis I would drive round Dingle and Stay in Killarney.

Limerick for the last night being closer to the Airport, or Ennis if you didn't stay there before, The Oakwood Arms in Shannon Town if you have a really early departure?

Sort your car hire 1st, try Dan Dooley..

flpab

I think you will like Galway more than Doolin. I love all three pubs in Doolin and the music is good there on the weekends. But,you will be more in the center of things in Galway and can easily do north and south for day trips. Galway has a big college there and many younger people. There are some great cheap day tours from the bus station in Galway if you just want to take in the scenery and not worry about driving. I am jealous you are getting to do St Paddy's day in Dublin. Have a great time. Check out Glasnevin cemetary while there for a lot of history and Clonmcnoise and Newgrange are so worth a visit.

jackson28bn

Ok so Dingle town is not worth staying in? Do you think it would be more worth it to spend an extra day/night in Galway as opposed to the southwest?

Tony2phones

I would spend the night of the 21st around the Shannon region then drive round Dingle for the sights ending in Killarney which is a good base for the night 22nd and 23rd then close to the airport on the 24th.

Padraig

I'd sooner spend a night or nights in Dingle than in Killarney. Tony has a different opinion.

flpab

This is a young man not a old person. He wants to do the pubs and hear music. Dingle has a lot of both.

Tony2phones

Killarney is a lot better touring base, has lots of pubs a couple of night clubs and a wide mix of music from Trad to West coast Rock and everything in between depending on the night.

The brief is also to see the National Park and the Ring of Kerry..

I used to love Dingle when I was in my 20's when it was a working Fishing port full of physically grafting locals who really knew the meaning of work hard & play hard. But that was pre Dolphin, Rick Steves and the exchange from Fishing to tourism,, Now its tourist central in the summer, so if you want a night out with everyone else who was on the same plane listening to some bought in "irish bar" music and paying Dublin prices for your food and drinks then fine.. You might also find the average tourist in town is well over 30 (or with their parents)

Don't get me wrong the Peninsula is well worth the visit, but the town?? not to my taste thanks.

Padraig

As I said, Tony has a different opinion about Dingle than I have. We can agree that it is heavily-touristed, and that once upon a time it was not. But it's not at all difficult to get beneath that tourism veneer and experience authentic Ireland - well, authentic West Kerry, which is like Ireland but a bit different.

[A side-note. Last time I stayed in a B&B in Dingle, some of my fellow-guests were Americans. The experts (two days under their belts) were dispensing information to the new arrivals. Much of what they said was simply wrong.]

flpab

I have done Dingle and once was enough for me. I have other parts of Ireland to explore now but it was worth the visit. I am headed north next trip. Greendragon has the best pictures of off the beaten path things to see jackson28bn. Check out some of her post on the Ireland forum. If you watch Game of Thrones you will notice some of the filming locations. I think everyone wants to do the first time must see things but then you find what makes you happy and explore that. I want to see a game at Croke park. I want to explore county Mayo and Northern Ireland next trip.

jackson28bn

Thanks all for the advice- has been very helpful. At this point I am planning on driving from Galway to Ennis on Friday 21st. Then on Saturday from there tour Dingle peninsula and probably get dinner in Dingle town, and either stay there or go to killarney after, i will decide once im there. Sunday will use Killarney as a base to tour Kerry, and end up in Limerick monday night. I've been reading Greendragon as well, which is lots of great information... and will probably try to check out county mayo while in galway as well.

Tony2phones

GD is a regular on Ireland Yes forum and a contributor on http://www.irelandtravelkit.com/ for off piste places..
http://goo.gl/maps/iSQcB might give some points west from Galway

flpab http://goo.gl/maps/WsMPW might have some points of interest for your Ulster trip.