wheellw

We will be traveling to Ireland in June and will be there for two weeks. After a lot of research and reading many, many posts, here is the itinerary I have come up with. I would like any advice which you experienced Ireland travelers can offer. I had this all planned out when my cousin, who has been to Ireland many times, told me not to miss Northern Ireland. Help! By the way, I am traveling with my husband and two college age daughters. My husband and I enjoy outdoor activities, while my daughters will tolerate them. We are not really museum people,although I am very interested in history. We do enjoy learning about the culture and being a part of the daily life of whatever country we are visiting.
Day 1: Arrive in Shannon, drive to Clifden.
Day 2-3: Visit Cong, Connemarra, Westport.
Day 4: Drive to Lisdoonvarna (Doolin) with a stop in Galway.
Day 5: Visit the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Days 6-8: Dingle Peninsula
Day 9: Kenmare, Ring of Kerry
Day 10,11: Kinsale
Day 12: Rock of Cashel (overnight?) en route to Dublin
Day 13-15: Dublin

But now, I don't know. What about Northern Ireland? Help?

NEDSIRELAND

Do your outdoor activities include golf? If so, I recommend a stop at Spanish Point (Clare) and 9-holes at the small Links course there. It's on your way as you drive from the Cliffs & Lahinch to the Ferry that takes you across to Kerry.

If you can make your day in Galway a Saturday you'll find several Pubs in Galway's pedestrian area that feature Trad Irish music in the afternoon (Taffees & Og Caeli).

You might fit in Croagh Patrick when you visit southwest Mayo.

Northern Ireland: Yes, if at all possible

ira

Hi W,
>2 week itinerary-any advice?

Repost with Ireland in the title.

JOHNOD

This is not a bad itinerary but I don't know how your are going to fit Northern Ireland in without abandoning a good part of it. When you drive to Lisdoonvarna from Clifden be sure to take the coast road through Ballyvaughn, the scenery with the coast on one side and the Burren on the other is great. I would steal one of the days from Dingle or Kinsale and spend an extra night in Kenmare. In addition to the ROK you could do the Ring of Beara which is just as lovely a less crowded and perhaps a drive out to the Mizenhead. In Kinsale take the walking tour out of the tourist office, its about an hour and gives you a real insight into Irish History. Have fun

AtlTravelr

This is almost exactly the itinerary we did 3 years ago with teens 15 & 17. I was very happy with it and there was no way we could have fit N. Ireland into this trip without really making ourselves crazy. We'll save it for another time and for a great outdoor adventure - I'll second the climb Croagh Patrick. WE are not totally outdooor people but this was a highlight of our trip.

chip

I think you have a great itineray.
Agree that you would have to give up something to go north (kinsale and cashel).

Because of the 2 college age girls who don't care for outdoor activities...you may want to consider

2 days in westport (we really enjoyed the pretty town, had good nightlife, and easy to tour connemara...great drive thru doo lough valley to kylemore abbey then on to clifden and looping back to westport...we stopped at cong on way to westport)

2 days in galway (I didn't care for...because it was a busy college town...did have a fun pedestrian area...very crowded...girls may enjoy nightlife, shopping, more kids their age out and about)

1 in doolin (great pubs)

vs
3 clifden (not sure how much variety it offers in town for college age girls) and 2 in lisdoonvarna...again...not quite the happening place...one night would be plenty to see cliffs and a bit of the burren.

I would trade a day in dingle for another in kenmare to do beara peninsula...I would just do part of ROK between Killarney and Kenmare thru park, past ladies view and moll's gap...this would give you time to visit Ross Castle and/or Muckross House too.
2nd day do beara/healey pass.

if you did want to go north, would suggest...
day 1-2 dingle (slea head...could also plan horseback riding or golf)
3-4 kenmare (ross castle,muckross house and part of ROK between killarney and kenmare...then beara/healy pass the next day)
5 ennis/doolin/or bunratty (cliffs)
visit cong on way to westport
6-7 westport (full day...visit croagh Patrick, doo lough valley, past kylemore abbey, clifden, and loop back to westport)
8-9 donegal(suggest glenveagh park/castle)
stop on way in derry to tour wall/murals
10-11 antrim coast(dunluce castle, giant's causeway, carrick-a-rede rope bridge)
12 around newgrange/boyne valley(visit newgrange the next morning before heading into dublin)
13-15 dublin