yvetteinpv

My husband and i are flying to Ireland we have a business trip in Cork for 3 nights Sept 2,3,4 but will be taking advantage of some extra days to explore. Its just two of us - would like to see a few sights rent a car. we like driving trips but are not the type of travellers who like to cram in as much as possible but rather savour a bit of a slower travel. Im wondering if we are biting off more than we can chew. Really wanted to go north after Dublin to the the Giants Causeway but because we are obligated to Cork are we spreading ourselves out too thin with lots of driving time? is there a better way to go about this? any feedback is appreciated

Idea is to fly into and explore Dublin for two nights Aug 27 28 (we will be flying from 6 days in Paris so not much jet lag to worry about)
Pick up rental car Drive north to the Giants Causeway stay one night Aug 29
drive down to Silgo area stay 2 nights Aug 30 31
Down to Kilarney stay 1 night sept 1
Cork 3 nights 2,3,4 (obligatory at least for the 2nd and 3rd)
Fly out from Dublin 5th

I actually would prefer to stay 2 to 3 nights in a given location but not sure how i should divide it up. Perhaps cutting out the North and just enjoying the South would be the better way to go. My ideas are a bit all over the place being that it is such a short notice trip ;P (just a little stressed) so your experienced help is needed. Thanks!

PalenQ

Well the Dingle Peninsula and area is one of the most scenic areas around - at least drive around the peninsula - Dingle Town makes a good base too - Killarney yes and its lakes and Blarney Castle on the way into Cork.

I'd base a few days in Dingle and less in Cork, a wonderful town but removed from the awesome West Coast where Gaellic is still the daily tongue IME.

And don't miss the Burren and the Cliffs of Mohair when going south.

flpab

You could fly into Dublin and head straight for Belfast, what time do you get to Dublin? Have the evening there, do a black cab tour of the city. Head straight for the coastal road next day. Ballintoy Harbor is a must see. http://www.causewaycoastalroute.com/ballintoy.html

http://www.thecausewayhotel.com/ Had lunch here before the hike and seemed like a nice place.
Sligo/Donegal area
hed south towards Cork, nice area and you might even drive to Kinsale for lunch. Cobh is very interesting.
It just means you will maybe only get one night in Dublin. What time does your flight depart Dublin? If you want you could return car and then buy the rt aircoach ticket into the city to spend the day and night. You do need three hours at Dublin airport if flying back to the states.

flpab

I am thinking of plan B, I loved Belfast and the coastal road so am not saying don't do that. I really think the scenery, people and history there are tops. Maybe just spend two days there and then hit Dublin, Wicklow Mountains, Cork and back to Dublin. I think I would sacrifice Sligo for Dublin. I love that city.

yvetteinpv

Wow thanks for the quick responses.

I haven't booked the flight btwn paris and dublin yet. But plan to take the 10 am flight from Paris to Dublin (getting us in at 11am) so we can get sight seeing right away, two nights Dublin then pick up rental car and off to? (considering your ideas)

Thanks PalenQ for the Dingle info, however I have no option but to be in Cork for meetings Sept3 and 4 so will need to be in Cork over night for the 2nd.

Driving up to Belfast/Giants Causeway of course means having to drive back! lol so looking for the best way to maneuver back down.

Tony2phones

Personally I usually recommend getting off a flight in Dublin and getting the bus from the airport to Belfast. You can take a Causeway and Coast or Game of Thrones tour from there plus the Black cab or bus tours etc. Then drop back to Dublin.

Why Sligo for 2 nights? Killarney is a train ride from Dublin and you could pick up a car at Kerry airport or Killarney to explore the area. You could do Dingle as a day trip meet up with a few tourists or you could explore the Beara Peninsula which is the same size as Dingle but sights all over not just the end couple of miles.

Around Cork you have Blarney, the castle is worth visiting just for the grounds, Fota House and zoo, Cobh harbour and Kinsale. Jamesons distillery in Middleton is worth a look. Cahir and Cashel are along the M8 towards Dublin

yvetteinpv

We will be renting a car so bus and trains not necessary. we were in Ireland a few years back, driving was not an issue, fun and heart raising a little haha. Stayed in Cork, drove to Kinsale for afternoon and dinner, and a day of golf at Old Head.
Tony2phones Not knowing much about the North i just thought of Sligo as a stop over point actually 20 min past Sligo, there are some beautiful places, en route to get to Cork

Ok so in the meantime i just booked two nights in Cork, we decided we would stay just Sept 2 & 3 and drive back at noon to fly out of Dublin, stay last night in Paris before home on the 5th.

Just a few more blanks to fill in.

your suggestions are appreciated and helping me sort it out in my brain.

thanks all

flpab

http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Sligo/Cork

Tony2phones

Going up and over you might find some points on this 10 day plan I did for an Australian couple a few years ago. https://goo.gl/xrDQtD

I know the Sligo area fairly well as some family come from there, in fact from Tubbercurry 20 minutes south of Sligo. you might find points of interest on http://www.discoversligo.com/ & http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/caves-of-kesh/

Its a fair old drive from Sligo to Killarney missing some of the best of counties Mayo, Galway and Clare. If you have a night from somewhere to stop in Ennis, perhaps you could drive round Dingles figure of eight on the way down to Killarney and then head for Cork.

Padraig

8 nights: Dublin-Antrim-Cork-Dublin (2 days committed to business meeting in Cork); slow travel. There is an inherent contradiction.

How important is the Giant's Causeway in your set of priorities?

yvetteinpv

well by Slow i mean quick slow! LOL

kinda hard to be too slow with all the driving, but not interested in killing ourselves to see every sight.

I am thinking will just be easier to cut the Giants Causeway out of the equation - that will make for a more relaxed journey i think. Even tho it holds a strong appeal for me somethings gotta give!

something like:
2 nights dublin, rent car drive to Galway, drive Cliffs of Moher work way down thru Dingle Peninsula Kilarney ending in Cork.
Just need to figure best areas to spend the night, and if i spend two nights in one place Perhaps Dingle would makes sense? I could divide up anyway except have to leave the 2 nights in Cork.

2nights Dublin
1 night somewhere Galway city??
2 nights Dingle
2 nights Cork

again thanks for such fast replies and suggestions - i need to wrap this up so i can sleep! : )

Tony2phones

Consider Limerick instead of Galway for the Cliffs and then you can drive round Dingle from Limerick to Killarney (which is a touring base with many options) then Cork.

flpab

I am sad you are missing the Atrim coast but considering your lack of time something has to give.

Padraig

The idea of driving from Limerick around the Dingle Peninsula and on to Killarney is daft. Last year I met an English couple at Slea Head (the tip of the peninsula). They were attempting a somewhat shorter Killarney-Dingle-Killarney circuit. They were disappointed to be running out of daylight and were looking for the easiest way back to Killarney. In effect, they were writing off half their tour.

Tony has an idiosyncratic view of Dingle, and tries to steer people away from staying there, eating there, or spending any money there.

Dingle has good pubs and restaurants. If you decide to overnight there, accommodation might be a problem, so get to work on it straight away. I did a check, and find that most places are full or have 1 or 2 rooms available for September 1 and 2, which I think are your target dates.

Padraig

The Causeway Coast gives you an excuse for another trip to Ireland in the future.

PalenQ

http://www.dingledolphin.com/

Funghi the friendly dolphin swam into Dingle Day, allegedly, years ago and stayed and now regularly cavorts with tourists - a cottage industry popped up of local fishermen taking folks out to swim and frolic with the friendly dolphin.

I'm sure Tony would highly recommend this!

yvetteinpv

LOVE all these opinions! and the Dolphin story PalenQ

Ok putting it together in bits and pieces.

I realized i that i have one extra night to use that i didn't account for.

just booked my return flight into Dublin, booked my 2 night Dublin hotel, booked 2 nights hotel in cork.

So I have four nights in the middle to fill - here is where i thought i only had three

2 nights Dublin Aug 27 28

**4 nights to fill 29 30 31 & Sept 1- Still would love to swing the Causeway if possible : (( if i can do it i would like to. but am willing to let go for sake of sanity and as Padraig said - "excuse for future trip"
but maybe i can go up spend 2 nights and then travel south stopping twice to sleep along the way?? feeling conflicted

2 nights Cork Sept 2 3

Fly out of Dublin Sept 4

Padraig

You could put your spare night into Dublin, and use the day to take a tour package to the Causeway. You need not hire a car until you are leaving Dublin.

Tony2phones

Fungi was in Dingle's fishing harbour (now the "marina") in 1981/82 although officially he didn't "arrive" until 1983, about the same time as Rick Steves started promoting Dingle as the place to go if you wanted to avoid lots of tourists who he claimed just flocked into Killarney.

The local Dingle fishermen (and farmers) I used to know have all moved out or passed on over the last 30 years. There are over a dozen boats go out stalking Fungi or at least stalking the Dutch folk who study him, find Jeanie and you've found Fungi. Of course as Padraig says I know nothing about Dingle.