claire50

Still working on 10 day itinerary for husband and myself in May. Will spend four nights in Dublin, two nights in Kilkenny. We don't want to do a lot of driving so we are going to skip the peninsulas this trip. Would really like to stay put for several nights. What would Kinvara be like as a base for three nights? Want to go to the medieval dinner/show at Dunguaire Castle because it sounds a bit smaller and more intimate than the other banquets. (Last night would be spent in Bunratty.) I know Kinvarra has a website which lists some accommodations; the only one I hear about from travelers is Merriman Inn. Or is there another town, close to Dunguaire Castle that would be better than Kinvara for a three-night stay? Thanks for any advice you can give us on this subject. We learn so much from this site.

claire50

Sorry. That last post sounds rambling. Wrote it too fast.
I guess it's obvious that we are leaving from Shannon, hence the last night in Bunratty. Here's what we have so far:
Dublin- four nights, May 4-7: see sights in city, walk around, maybe take a day trip to Glendalough, Wicklow, etc.
Kilkenny- two nights, May 8,9: see city, castle, Cashel, Cahir, etc.
Kinvara or ? - three nights, May 10,11,12: go to Dunguaire one night for dinner/show; Burren, etc., maybe other towns in area, not sure
Bunratty - one night,May 13: go to Folk Park that day (Sat.)and do last minute shopping...yes, I know it's touristy but that's OK.
Leaving from Shannon 10:00 Sunday May 14
Hope that's a little more clear. But it's those three nights in County Clare that I need help with.

yesiree100

Kinvara is a nice little town on Galway Bay. I've only stopped there and haven't stayed, but it had a nice vibe and several pubs and restaurants.

Kinvara is also a good spot for touring Clare, especially the northern part. I'd suggest heading from Kinvara to Ballyvaughan and then into the Burren (Poulnabrone Dolmen, Caherconnell Stone Fort - their multimedia presentation has some decent computer animations of how the site may have looked, The Burren Perfumery, The Burren Centre in Kilfenora). Then you can head to the Cliffs of Moher and take the coast road back to Kinvara (I like the views on that coastal route better going in a clockwise direction). You could easily extend The Burren into more days if you want more time to explore.

Coole Park, in Gort, is also a nice stop...the autograph tree in the garden is interesting and the Lady Gregory multimedia presentation and the "children of Coole" exhibit were very good. Thoor Ballylee, Yeats' "castle," is also nearby.

In Cahir, the walk between the castle and the Swiss Cottage is very nice (about 20 minutes). And you are welcome to download my walking tour of Kilkenny at www.knockahopple.com/downloadkilkenny.html

Other towns to consider in Clare might be Ballyvaughan (near Kinvara), Ennis, Doolin, Kilkee. All except Kilkee are a pretty easy drive to Dunguaire.

claire50

Thanks very much, yesiree100. I'm beginning to feel more confident about our plans. Your suggestions of other towns and their proximity to Dunguaire are most appreciated. I had considered Ennis or Ballyvaughan but wasn't sure about the drive. We'll be driving back from the dinner show in the dark, most likely, and that's why I wanted to stay nearby. I'm having a hard time with this because while Ennis sounds like more of a city with plenty of shops, etc. it also sounds like it has all the hassles of a city...traffic, parking, noisy central hotels. And while some on this forum really like it and find it a nice change in that it is a working town, others find it nothing special. Ballyvaughan and Kinvara: which one is the larger town? Or are they really similar? Just wondering.

CU

While you are in the neighbourhood of Kinvara drop in to see the aillweecaves (www.aillweecave.ie) and on your way up to see them you can call in to the little cheese factory on the way. For the ladies visit the prefume factory and come away smelling like ???????
For an indept view of the region click onto www.shannonregiontourism.ie and click on Clare.
If you want to do a bit of shopping in Bunratty click on www.blarney.ie and for that last minute present at the airport www.airportshopping.ie
and finally for that banquet go to www.shannonheritage.com
Enjoy your visit.

yesiree100

Sorry about the double post...it looked as though my first post was lost, but I guess it was revived.

You're right in being concerned about driving in the dark. Ballyvaughan would be a pretty easy drive from the banquet; Ennis is further away, but you'd be able to jump on the main road.

Ennis is similar to, but smaller than Kilkenny, so choosing Ballyvaughan or Kinvara would give you something a little different. I haven't spent enough time in either Ballyvaughan or Kinvara to be able to make a call on which would make the best overnight.

yesiree100

Okay, in the regular listing my post appears once...when I hit reply and the thread displays to the left, it appears twice. Weird.

chatham

Claire50, I wish I had of stayed in Kinvara one year. We had lunch at the Merriman Inn pub and I looked around the hotel ,it seemed nice and the town had some life to it and the setting was great, right on the bay(town not hotel). Instead I went up the road to Ballyvaughan which is a lovely little village, but couldn't find transportation so the whole time, I wished I had stopped in Kinvara. Have a wonderful trip. Joan

PaulH

The Conneely B&B in west Kinvara is very nice. They bulit it a few years ago, so it's very modern. Some rooms overlook a field where horses graze. I took my grandkids into the field on one visit, and fed apples to the horses, which was a thrill for the kids. It's about a mile from the center of town on the way to Allowee caves, the Burren and Ballyvaugn, and another 30 minutes to the Cliffs of Mohr. A 40 minute ride in the other direction to Galway City. Go to the Kinvara website, look at accomodations, and look for the B&B's. There are other B&B's in town, but older and I suspect not as nice.

MaryZ

I love Kinvara and regularly stay there on my first &/or last nights in Ireland. It's a great base for day trips, too.

I stay at Fallon's B&B, just across the street from the Merriman Hotel.

chatham

Hi, MaryZ, when I saw this question, I was hoping you'd see it. I know you like Kinvara.
Joan

claire50

Thanks so much, everyone. This is helpful information, especially the B and B's. MaryZ: could you describe what it is about Kinvara that you keeps you returning? Just wondering.

MaryZ

You know, I could never quite explain what attracted me to Kinvara in the first place. On my first trip to Ireland, I just drove through Kinvara and immediately fell in love and promised myself that I'd spend time there on my next trip. On many trips since, I've never missed spending some time there.

It's a small town, and although it has its share of B&Bs and restaurants, it's not really a tourist mecca. (Most visitors to Dungaire Castle don't seem to be overnight visitors.) I've found most Irish people to be very friendly, but I find the poeple of Kinvara to be even more so.

The little harbor area, with Dungaire in the background, is a lovely, peaceful spot to have your morning coffee, or to sit and chat in the evening.

Finally, I've found some incredible music in the town, most notably at Green's Pub.

But, I can't really say that there's one outstanding thing that keeps bringing me back. It might just be one of those mysteriously special places for me. We all have them, don't we?

brookend

Kinvara worked as a wonderful base for us for the first week of our trip four months ago! We did wonderful day trips, enjoyed the dinner/show at Dunguaire (especially since we walked from town!), and really enjoyed Keoghs Pub - ate there frequently during the week, and late nights back from day trips enjoyed a pint or two with the locals. Absolutely would recommend Kinvara as a base for three nights!! Have a wonderful time...

claire50

Thanks, everyone. brookend: where did you stay that you were able to walk to Dunguaire Castle banquet? Do you feel you can reccommend the place?

brookend

we would not recommend the place we stayed - pretty dirty, not at all what we had expected. however i'm sure that there must be wonderful places to stay right in town (we were right in town - at a self catering accomodation). All in all it was okay, we only slept there afterall...