Hi! I'm new to the site and need a little help planning a family trip to Southern Ireland in late May. This is a rough itinerary. My mom+1 will be flying into Dublin from Kentucky while my husband and I will be flying in from Germany. We are "hit the ground running" people and are early risers during holiday. I'm not going to list every single thing we plan on doing, I just want to make sure my road trip outline is smooth. My mom and I both like taking pictures and don't mind long drives as we will be getting out often 
Day 1: Arrive into Dublin in the afternoon. Stay up and hit main attractions. Mom and her friend will be tired but there is no better way to sync up from jet lag than to stay up and rough it out.
Day 2: Drive from Dublin to Kilkenny. Overnight there.
Day 3: Drive from Kilkenny to Cork. Stop in Cashel long the way. Stay in Cork overnight.
Day 4: Drive from Cork to Kenmare and see the Ring of Kerry. Stay in Killarney overnight.
Day 5: Drive from Killarney to Dingle. Stay in Dingle
Day 6: Drive from Dingle to Doolin. Stay in Doolin.
Day 7: See Doolin and Burren. Drive to Galway late OR stay in Burren.
Day 8: Drive from Galway to Dublin.
Day 9: Fly out of Dublin.
Busy busy, I know. But is it doable? Or will we all be miserable the whole time? I like the idea of jumping from one place to the other. I like seeing as much as possible. We did something like this when we road tripped from Kentucky to California. New place every night and up early. Had a blast.
8 days in Southern Ireland
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Killarney for 2 nights makes more sense than Killarney and Kenmare (30 minutes down the road) and it is also the starting point for anyone other than the Rick Steves believers who must like driving into oncoming heave loads.
I would also drive from Killarney round Dingle to Ennis, The Fledh Nua is on 19-27th May and would make for a more entertaining stay than either Dingle or Doolin. If you have 2 nights in Galway you can make the choice of Inis Mor or the Connemara loop for the in between day.
OK messed up you only have one night for Killarney so head there and drive the ring and back from Cork in a Day?? Consider driving Beara between Cork and a night in Kenmare or Killarney it is a smaller peninsula and more sights per mile than either the Inveragh (ring) or Dingle. Long drives in Ireland are Looonnnggg drives so be careful.