SORRY IF THIS IS A DOUBLE POST - I HAD FORGOTTEN TO SELECT IRELAND AS THE SEARCH TOPIC ON THE FIRST GO ROUND...

My BF and I will be arriving in Dublin on Nov 12th for 5 nights/days and I would appreciate some help with our itinerary. I think we would like to spend three nights in Dublin and two nights in the countryside. We get in on a Tues morning (overnight flight from DC) and depart on a Sun afternoon.

1st question: would you rent car at the airport on arrival and spend 1st two nights in coutryside and last three in Dublin or the other way around? I am wondering about how quiet things might be in the smaller towns on weeknights (too quiet?) vs. weekends and figure Dublin will be a bit busier no matter the day of the week...another consideration is that it would also be easier leaving for the airport from a hotel in Dublin than from the road somewhere.

Question 2: As for where to visit/stay outside of Dublin I have been thinking either go north to County Antrim and environs and stay at Bushmill's OR go south to County Cork and visit the Jameson distillery and stay where???

Our interests tend more to pubs, music, food and towns than to rugged hiking and historic sights - though we're happy to walk lots, love the sea and would like to visit a castle or two.

Thoughts? I am only just beginning to plan (fligths are booked) so I am open to other suggestions too.

Thansk so much!

I just read on another thread about the smaller towns being a bit 'dead' except on weekends (we'll be there in November) - are Doolin, Dingle and Kenmare considered quite small? If so maybe the answer is to stay somewhere a bit bigger (maybe Killarney) and see the smaller places during the day...

With this in mind do you think Killarney as a home base with visits to Blarney Castle, Middletown, and Cork might make sense? Would seeing this part of Ireland together with three days in Dublin (maybe with a day trip to Glendalough) be a good visit to Ireland?

Thanks!

What about Kilkenny? Thoughts on this as a homebase for two nights to see some of the countryside? Thanks!!

With only five days,Dublin and Kilkenney makes good sense, unless you are DETERMINED to 'DO' a Green Blur tour...

I love Killarney and it's worth a couple of days, but adding in Blarney and Midelton OR Dingle and Doolin are too much, too fast.

From Kilkenney, you could cover Cahir, Cashel and Glendalough (either coming or going, from Dublin). I think Midelton, Cork and Blarney would be a stretch, though.
-- OR --
From Killarney, the National Park, Gap of Dunloe, Ross Castle and Muckross House and Gardens would pretty much eat up all your time. By driving, you could 'add-in' a brief stop at Cahir and the Rock of cashel, but even that is a stretch.
Please don't try to 'SEE IT ALL'. It will only make the trip LESS enjoyable.

If you forego Cashel and Cahir, you could even do the whole trip via Public transit (train, mini-tour and/or Bus) and forget about renting a car.

Bob

I will add my vote for Kilkenny too!

We're definitely not 'see it all' people. More like 'see some of it and spend lots of time in pubs' people! My BF is a huge Whiskey fan though and we were hoping to do Bushmill's or Jameson...
So if Kilkenny - where should we stay for two nights? We'd like to be able to walk to restaurants and pubs and we like clean and 'moderately luxurious' surroundings! Probably looking to stay around 150 Euro.

Thanks again!!

I enjoyed staying in Langton House Hotel. It had everything except for an elevator. They might have one now.