I just finished booking all my accommodations yesterday and am now working on the car rental situation (more on that later and I'm sure you saw that coming!). I will be traveling in Ireland the last week of May and most of June. My sister will be with me for the first 10 days. I'm flying American/Aer Lingus into Shannon arriving at 7:15 am. [We're flying out of different parts of the country but were fortunate enough to connect in Boston for the transatlantic flight.] Our check-in time for the cottage we rented isn't until 4:00 so we have quite a few hours to see some sights. Thought I might take her west to see the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher (I will be doing this in more depth later.) And then backtrack through Ennis, maybe check out Bunratty Castle as we head east. Any suggestions for a couple of 50 something yo ladies with jet-lag to see and do at this time would be appreciated. I do plan on getting a Heritage Pass at my first opportunity.

So here's the itinerary:

Week 1: County Kilkenny, Inistioge (cottage for a week) - Plans to visit Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle, Athassel Priory, Tipperary Crystal Factory, Michaelstown Caves (opinions?), Jerpoint Abbey, Kells Priory, Kilkenny City, The Irish Naional Heritage Park outside of Wexford City, Enniscorthy, Wicklow mountains including the Military Road, Glendalough and the Browne's Hill Dolman in Carlow. Possibly a day trip to Dublin (by train for my sister) or a day trip to Trim. My sister wants to see Trim Castle (re "Braveheart&quot. We'll also spend some time exploring the coastal towns south of here, Irish Stew... Driving towards the west coast stop at Lough Gur and Killmallock.

Days 8 - 12: County Kerry, Castlemaine (at head of Dingle/Kerry peninsulas, just south of Tralee), Farmhouse B&B - Explore Dingle via Connor's Pass, The Lakes of Killarney, Kenmare, Ring of Kerry (Drive or should I take a tour out of Killarney? If I drive which do you suggest clockwise or counter clockwise), a wee dram of the Irish... My sister leaves on Day 10 out of Shannon so the remainder of the trip I'm on my own. I'll take her to the airport via Adare and Limerick and return to Kerry via Killimer and Talbert ferry. Any suggestions here??

Days 13 - 17: County Clare, Corofin, Farmhouse B&B - A day trip to the Aran Islands, more in depth exploring of the Burren and all prehistoric sites I can manage, Dysert O'Dea, Ennis, Knappogue Castle, Craggaunowen Project(?), the pudding - to or not to...

Sometime around here a visit to Clonmacnoise and the Shannonbridge Bog Railway... As I was writing this, I realized I should take a day off either Clare or the Connemara and spend the night around Athlone. Or do it as a day trip?

Days 18 - 21: County Galway,
Connemara region, B&B near Kylemore Abbey - Of course the Abbey, the Sky Road, Cong, the Park, a pint...

Week 4: County Leitrim, Dromahair (about 12 miles east of Sligo City), cottage on Lough Gill - day trips to County Donegal including Slieve League, Yeats country, Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetary, Lissadell House, Marble Arch Caves, pubs...

GIANT'S CAUSEWAY? Should I make a day trip from "Sligo" or go there on my way to County Meath or do it as a day trip from County Meath? Or pass it up on this trip and hope I catch it on another visit?

Week 5: County Meath, Slane, cottage - Everything Historical in the County, Mellifont Abbey, Monasterboice, maybe Cooley Peninsula, one or two day trips via train from Drogheda to Dublin (purchase a Hop on Hop off ticket, foremost the National Museum and the Book of Kells, pubs...) Note: I AM NOT driving into Dublin. Do you have a better suggestion on where to catch a train into Dublin. Maybe closer but not so heavily congested with traffic?

Day 35 - Return rental car and leave out of Dublin Airport

More Questions:
CAR RENTAL: MC CDW - I did a search of archived postings back to 2001 and I still don't have a definitive answer (Is there one?). I know MC has a time limit of 15 days on a car rental (per my policy brochure) but on the website (thank you Bill for the exact address), it says something about 15 days/31 days. Can anyone help me here? I have found Europe Car and Irish Car Rental to be the cheapest. I will give MC a call and hope I can talk to someone with some knowledge of car rental coverage, but I would like your imput.

DRIVING IN NORTHERN IRELAND: Is it up to the individual car rental companies on whether you are covered while driving in NI?

ROAD MAP: From all I've read here the Ordinance Survey map seems very popular. What's the best way of getting one?

DUTY FREE SHOPPING: I just can't remember from other trips, but can you make purchases coming into Ireland at the DF shops or only on departure?

GAELIC: What is your suggestion on how I can get the phonetic pronunciation of Gaelic words and placenames? Books? Audio tapes?

I do thank you for the time you've spent in reading this itinerary and for any imput you can give me on it and the questions I have. And a REALLY BIG THANK YOU to all of you who take their time in answering posts. Every single time I get on here, I come away with at least one new hint or idea. Sure makes traveling easier.

Slainte, Ali

With the Euro as strong as it is (vs. te US Dollar) you should look into a fly'n drive package (priced in Dollars)with AerLingus. If it's not too late, that is.

For that same reason, you may find Ireland very expensive: In May'03 the Irish Republic displaced Finland as most expensive country to visit in Euro-land.

Except for the Bank Holiday weekend it shouldn't be overly crowded that time of year - so you might call ahead to ask if you can check in to your cottage early.

That's quite an itinerary! If it were me I think I might save the latter part of week-1 for when I returned to Dublin; but I aven't really 'scoped' it out on a roadmap.

Have a great trip!

for the Irish language pronunciation, try this website: http://www.daltai.com/home.htm

I doubt it has anything on place names though. Do you have any specific places in mind? I could try to do my own version of the phonetic pronunciation if that would help!!

Re: the Drogheda to Dublin train - your best bet probably is to get the train from there rather than driving further in towards the city. The train journey doesn't take too long. Try not to take it at rush hour though, as it can get very crowded.

Re: Duty Free - in Dublin airport you can only purchase DF when leaving the country. I've never flown into any other Irish airports, but would imagine it's the same in each.

Re: Ordinance Survey map - you can buy them online at http://www.osi.ie/. Otherwise, you should be able to pick up a copy in most garages or bookshops when you get here.

Hi Ali:

Looks like you have quite a trip planned. In most cases where you have chosen to stay for I week I would have stayed for a few days and where you have chosen to stay for a few days, I would have stayed for a week.

The first day will be VERY tiring. I don't think its' wise to head to the Cliffs, then Bunratty Castle and then to Inistioge. Although people will say I over estimate, I figure it's an hour and change in each direction from Shannon to the cliffs and probably three+ hours to Inistioge presuming you don't get lost in Limerick (which is likely). viamichelin puts the time at 2:40 and they are usually under for longer trips. Figure 3.5 hours to be safe. That gives you close to 6 hours of driving on your first day. See the Cliffs when you are staying in Corfin.

I do suggest that you stop at bunratty and everything else you can on that first day just to get out of the vehicle. If you stop at King John's Castle in Limerick you'll have to get the Heritage card from the tourist office. Bunratty is not part of the Heritage site plan by the way. Otherwise, you can get them at Cahir Castle. I believe you can get them at the Rock of Cashel also. Can't remember on that one.

I remember getting very sleepy just as we were reaching Tipperary from Limerick so be sure to plan a stop somewhere around then. We took a drive into the Glen of Aherlow, which is quite pretty and managed to wake ourselves up enough for the drive to Cahir, where we stayed. Cashel is just up the road and it makes more sense to go to Cahir first. To be honest, we had enjoyed plenty of driving by the time we reached Cahir and didn't want anymore. We ended up not going to Cashel because we were too tired. You'll still have a little less than half of your journey to go. Like I said, don't go to the Cliffs. The rest of that week should be pretty relaxing. It's a shame you have to go to Trim from there since you will be staying right up the road later on, but I understand that your sister will be there then.

This is the area where I wish you had more time. Western Cork and Kerry are spectacular. I would have taken time off of Kilkenny and Meath and spent at least a week in this area. But that's me. I would choose a not so direct route to get there

OK, I accidentally posted.

The more I look at your itinerary, I don't know why you wouldn't have flown in and out of Dublin, but oh well ....

I'm still trying to get a handle on what you are trying to do. From what I can read, you'll be spending three of the five weeks in cottages, two of them by yourself. I think I would tend to B&Bs for your trip for a few reasons. 1. You want to see a lot of places and it will save some driving back and forth.
2. When you are traveling alone, I think the input from B&B owners would be very valuable.
3. I would guess that there would be limited saving (if any) staying in a cottage alone. My research (admittedly limited) suggests that you really start saving money with more people.

Going on. The drive back and forth to the airport on day 10 will take up a good part of the day, figure 3 hours each way. That leaves only three full days to see SW Ireland. The area is worth much, much more. With a 5 week trip, it seems to neglect one Irelands most spectacular areas. Though it gets a lot of tourism, there are some hidden gems that must be enjoyed. If you can, reconsider the idea of the cottage in Kilkenny or consider leaving it early.

I've been jumping all over this response as I try to get a better grip on your plans. My suggestion is to at least consider revising if the places that you reserved will let you. For instance, Donegal is a large county and with the exception of the N15, very slow moving. I would stay there for a few days (3 at least) and then spend perhaps an equal amount of time near Sligo. A day trip to see Giants Causeway from Sligo is too much IMHO.

On the CDW issue, unless it has changes since last May, you can only rent for 15 consecutive days. You can, however, return the car and get a new one at a location different from you pick up. Most rental agencies won't charge extra. Though a hassle, it is a pretty big savings. The good news is that if you go to a small location like Galway airport, they'll just give you the same car because they won't have any others. It really only took about 30 minutes fro me from B&B to airport and back when I did it. Well worth the time. On the coverage, call 1 800 MCASSIST and not your bank.

I usually have the michelin UK/Ireland map (in book form) and the Ordinance map. You'll wear them both out by the end. I would get the michelin map here and get the ordinance survey map there. They both have a value.

This just a start. Your trip is a big one and should be fun no matter what you do. Cottages are great for explorong in depth a certain area, but it seems like you want to hit a lot of diverse locations. Let us know if there is a possibilty of revising.

Bill

Thanks for the help so far. Ok, why Shannon rather than Dublin on arrival. I had original had a tour booked with Globus leaving out of Shannon (re Bunratty) and returning to Shannon doing a 14 day circuit of the coast of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. I was locked into a certain time frame and went ahead and purchased my tickets because each day seats were getting fewer and the prices were escalating.

Well, last week I came to my senses and decided I would plan this trip on my own as I would be staying in most of the areas the tour was visiting anyway. (Why, because the tour just did not offer the length of time I needed to explore.) I also began cringing at the thought of each day listening to the bugle call for bus loading each morning. Yes, I lost my deposit, but I will make up for it by saving in other ways. And I am really happy with my decision.

I already had the cottage booked in Kilkenny so it stands. I think you are absolutely right about not trying to see the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren just after landing. BILL, just reading your post made me sleepy. And I did think the Glen would make a great stopping/stretching place. (Someone on here mentioned bringing a travel cup. Strong coffee to go...) Mappy and Michelin both pretty much agree on about 2 and 1/2 hours and I know to add more. And you might be right about checking in early. I'll give them a call after landing and check. Now that would be nice to lay down and stretch out.

I just can't handle staying in a place for only a night or two. (and I can't imagine how I lost my sense of reality when I booked that tour) I love to take it easy. Take my time. Absorb everything. See everything. And I don't want to have to socialize unless it's my choice re B&B's. And right now I'm just not physically able to see a lot of sites in one day and get the enjoyment from it that taking my time would offer.

[My brother, Mom, and I did 5 weeks in France 3 years ago staying in places for 3 days at a time and that was pretty exhausting. I'm a large person, and this trip is a "dangling carrot" for me to lose weight just because I had to be in better shape to tramp over the countryside, scrambling over ruins, etc. So I'm 20 pounds down now and walking every day. This trip means so much to me. And I love traveling on my own.]

Sorry for the rambling....

OK, ANOTHER QUESTION: I know people on this site have raved about Kerry and Cork. The cottages for Kilkenny, Lietrim and Meath are a done deal but the other 2 weeks (re Kerry, Clare and Galway, I can tweek because they're in B&B's. (I just hate moving from place to place and would rather have a home base and drive.) So do feel that I should stay a few days in County Cork, the same for Kerry and Clare and opt out of the Connemara?

CAILIN - That would be just great if you could help me out. I haven't checked out the web site yet but will. This is what I need. And I hope what I'm about to type is the correct pronunciation of these words. LOUGH (lock), LAOIS (leash), CAHIR (care), DUN LAOGHOIRE (dun leary). Would it be too much trouble for you if I make a new/seperate post for the pronunciation lessons and of course for anyone else to join in? I have "thank you" down pat, well except for the midwestern accent!!! And, geez, thanks for the reminder for rush hour traffic re train to Dublin. I almost forgot!!

I would welcome more ideas on the 14 days between Kilkenny and Sligo.

Slainte, Ali

Hi Ali,

you can, of course, start a thread about the pronunciation and I'll do my best to help!
You do have the first few right anyway!

Ali:

I wasn't trying to put down your itinerary, just offer some options. Now that I know the places are a done deal I understand. I wasn't suggesting 1-2 night stays, but rather, more 3-5 nights stays as you have in Kerry, Connemara and Clare. My only thought was that only 3 real days in the SW seemed like a mistake with a 5 week trip for my tastes. Just offering an opinion of course which many people confuse with the notion that it is a statement of fact. Your desires for places to stay are probably much different than mine.

On the driving times, I'll admit that I've only spent about 12 total weeks in the last 5 years driving around Ireland, so I don't know everything. I still think it should be about 3.5 from Shannon to Inistioge. If you are an experienced driver in Ireland, you can probably get there faster than me. Sorry my response was so long. Didn't mean to bore.

Also, it was just my opinion on making the long drive from Sligo to Giants Causeway and back. I wouldn't do it, but anything is possible. The N15 moves pretty well through Co Donegal and once in NI, things move even more smoothly. Giants Causeway was my favorite of the sites in that area. I preferred Carrick-a-Rede. Carrick-a -Rede though is best enjoyed early or late in the day. Crossing the rope bridge while in line with 60 other tour bus people can be a little frustrating. I had a tough time getting back because two tour buses showed up at the same time.

Consider the southern Donegal coast. It's beautiful.

Oops, just realized that this is getting long. Better run.

Bill

CAILIN: That website you gave me yesterday for pronunciation of Gaelic words/phrases is PERFECT. Just what I was looking for. Thanks again. [www.daltai.com/home.htm]

BILL: My dear, I took absolutely no offense in anything you had to say in your comments or suggestions. That was my intention when I made the posting. So don't give up on me now. And I really appreciate that you suggest not doing the West Clare trip on landing. I had a distinct feeling that it would be too much. We'll just head on to Inistioge from the airport. If we're too early for the cottage, it's not like we can't find anything to do!! Well, that's what I thought that the Causeway would be a bit too much to do.

I still have 14 flexible days and wonder how any of you would break them down with a max of only 3 accommodations.

Maybe 7 days in Kerry. Is there a good place to base yourself for a week and still explore both Counties Kerry and Western Cork? 4 days in Clare and 3 days in the Connemara??

FYI - Guide Books. I have been planning this trip on and off for over a year and my two "bibles" have been Lonely Planets Ireland guide and the DK Eyewitness for Ireland Book. I also referenced about 5 others and various video tapes. I can't seem to travel to a specific location without stocking up on anywhere from 3 to 8 guide books.

FYI - For single travellers. I actually got my cottages for less than I would have paid for a single room with the single supplemental charge that goes along with traveling single. And, best of all, the peat fire is ALL mine. ;-) Hmm, hmm... cozy robe, glass of the Irish, and a peat fire. These are what dreams are made of.

SLAINTE, ALI

Driving the Ring of Kerry and that area is WORTH it!! It is fun to drive and decide whether to stop in a small town on the way or not. The scenery is TO DIE FOR!!

glad I was able to help enjoy your trip. oh, and if you need more help with placename pronunciation, just shout!!

Sorry, I was kind of cranky this morning.

Guide Books:
I like guide books with lots of pictures for planning and ones with no pictures to take with me. Michele Erdwig puts a nice one out on her site (www.irelandyes.com) Her B&B recommendations are good the prices of the places are sort of middle of the road. She has a message board too and provides excellent advice. Give her a try.

Bord Failte puts out a good guide book also which includes suggestions for what to do on a rainy day. I found it at Barnes and Noble.

What time does your sister's flight leave on the 10th? If it's before noon, you might want to consider getting a B&B near the airport the night before. If it's very early, you probably should. Shannon is such a small airport, it doesn't require that you get there three hours before your flight, but two is probably good especially if she intends to take advantage of any VAT back schemes.

I think I would add a day or two to the SW and take at least one day off of Clare and maybe one off of Connemara. Personally, I wouldn't deduct anymore to see Clonmacnoise, which is wonderful, but you'll have many chances to see similar sights in other places.

When in Leitrim, consider driving down to Carrowkeel between Sligo and Boyle. It is a much less visited megalithic sight and many claim more interesting than Carrowmore. The sight is pretty large. Check this sight for info:
http://indigo.ie/~jdem/Carrowkeel%20home.htm
There is also a link on that sight to another which is quite good.

Bill

Re Sister's Departure Time from Shannon: She leaves at 1:00pm on 5/31 so there should be plenty of time to get her to the airport and settled in, do a bit of shopping. Yes, I was considering getting a B&B close to airport but with this leaving time we should be ok.

And, I have decided to extend my time in County Kerry/Cork by 2 days (7 days total) and will take a day off each from Clare (4 days now) and the Connemara (3 days now). Seems to be the concensus of most posters that I should spend more time in the "peninsula/lake" region rather than further north. I trust your experience. Most of you who post sure have a passion for Ireland, and I could not ask for more than that.

And, yes, I do know which passage grave tombs south of Sligo you're talking about and have it highlighted and tagged in my guide book. I'm really looking forward to being off the beaten track to especially in County Lietrim. In fact the cottage I'm staying in (205 Euros for 7 days) is in Dromahair and, to my surprise, "Frommer's Ireland", (can I use words like that on this site?) recommended a pub in that very town. ;-)

Bill, thanks a bunch for more of your indepth insights and suggestions.

Azoria, In which direction would you suggest going in to tour the Ring of Kerry? Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise?
And you think I'll be able to handle this OK without a Navigator (read that as a "keep left" person)??

Thank you all. Slainte, Ali

Ali:

Almost all of the buses go counterclockwise. It depends on how you feel. I'd rather pass them than get stuck behind them but many are sqeamish about the passing thing. From where you are starting, if you get an early start, you may beat many of the buses. I found that leaving from Kenmare (clockwise) worked well if at the western end, you take a ride onto Valentia Island. Few buses go there, and by the time you get back on the main road, a good percentage of them will have gone by. Since you don't have to wait for breakfast at a B&B, why not get an early start and go clockwise) As long as the weather is good, the early morning is glorious and the Irish aren't particularly early risers so the roads will be vacant. I've done some early morning drives and walks and they were wonderful (Glendalough before 8:00 AM even on a weekend is deserted).

The road on the north coast of the RoK is much wider for the most part, so meeting the buses there isn't a problem.

The good news is that it's pretty hard to get lost on the Ring of Kerry. There aren't a lot of options for different roads. Right now I'm salivating at the prospect of a early morning drive along the south coast of the RoK. It's also very nice at sunset.

Bill

I don't think anyone answered your question about rental cars in the north. If they did, I missed it.

Anyway, every rental agency I've dealt with here cover you in the north. Just mention that you'll be driving over the border when you pick up the car, to ensure there's no problem. I've never encountered one, but things happen.

I would definitely do Giant's Causeway, and the whole Antrim Coast Road. It would be a shame to have that much time in Ireland without spending some of it in Northern Ireland, which is the best part!

Ann41 - Thanks for your response on the N.I. driving question. That's one of the problems with asking more than one question in a single post. They get a bit lost. So, I'm never quite sure if I should put them all in one post or in seperate queries.

Thanks all for you help,

Slainte... Ali