sueks

The first part of Nov. we are flying into Shannon Ireland and then driving and doing B&B's for five nights and staying the last night at Ashford Castle, which is about 30 minutes north of Galway. We will be flying out of Shannon also. We definately would like to see the Dingle Peninsula area and are looking for suggestions of other "must-see" locations. We prefer not to go to Dublin or the large cities. So if start at the Dingle Peninsula area and need to end up near Galway, where all should we go?

NEDSIRELAND

I don't know if the Tarbert-Killimer ferry is a year-round thing but if so, it can take you from the Dingle Peninsula (Kerry) to west Clare without having to backtrack thru Limerick. You could visit Lahinch and the Cliffs of Moher and stop for lunch at O'Connor's in Doolin (Gus O'Connor passed away in April but the Pub & Restaurant are probably still in business). Many B&B's close down in the late Fall & winter months. It can be very windy and rainy in the Southwest in November.

Ennis is nice! I was just there during their Spring music festival. Cruise's Restaurant & Pub has 'Trad' Irish music every night although it's best on weekends.

Galway is nice on a Saturday afternoon. Try Taaffes or An Caeli for "trad' Irish music, Connemara style.

MaryZ

I think I'd do:
-Two nights in Dingle
-One night along Clare coast (Lahinch, Doolin, Miltown Malbay)
-Drive coast road through Connemara region west of Galway, staying in Roundstone or Clifden.
-Maybe a second night in Connemara, or in Galway if you want a little taste of a city. I also love Leenane, but it's VERY small.
This might be too much driving and moving around for you. With only 6 days, I probably tend to pack my days a little too full.

wojazz3

Hi Sue:

I'll be there for a short stay in November also. Be aware that the days are very short, which leaves for longer nights and more time in the pubs. It will be dark by 5:00.

Mary's suggestions were good as long as the weather holds. The ferry is open year around and runs once an hour that time of year. Here is the link to the timetable.

http://www.shannonferries.com/timetable/

Hope this helps.

Bill

Angela

You will love Ashford Castle. My husband of three months proposed to me there, and we returned on our wedding night. It is beautiful.

Enjoy Ireland.

Angela

waffle18

Sue,

I think you should base yourselves near Dingle for the entire time and just make day trips into the surrounding countryside. The towns of Kenmare, Killarney, Killorglin or Tralee should all be suitable, especially at that time of year.

In November you have limited daylight hours and many places will be closed. By all means, take your time driving from Dingle area to Cong, maybe even breaking it into a 2 day drive. But for the other nights I'd stick to one B&B. It's just a lot less hassle and packing for such a short trip.

Must sees for that are at that time of year are;

Ceide Fields (if good weather)
Galway & Connemara
Cliffs of Moher & The Burren
Ring of Dingle & Conor's Pass
Ring of Kerry
Bunratty Castle (maybe make this your overnight area stay)
Aran Islands (if the weather's good.)
Muckross House (farms are closed)

Those are the main places off the top of my head. All should be open at sometime but if you can, call ahead. if I had to pick only a couple I'd stick with the ones that are free - Ring of Kerry and Dingle, Cliff of Moher, etc. Amazing, amazing scenery.

If you DO go for more moving around then follow MaryZ's suggestion. She's got it about right and hits all the main spots that are worth seeing. (And Doolin might actually be nice in the off season! Ha!)

Have safe and happy travels!
Weny

sueks

Thanks for the responses. We are looking at the map and trying to decide what to do, you are making it easier for us. Any other responces are still welcomed.

Clifton

I like and agree with MaryZ's suggestions. A focus on Dingle and Connemara, with a ovenight in between would be a nice 6 days in the West.

CraigT

Just back from Ireland. We did the Dingle penninsula in a whirlwind trip and will go back to do it justice. We took the Connor Pass which can be nervy at times but it is a beautiful drive. If the weather is OK, take in the Cliffs of Moher. It was breathtaking in beauty. Beware of the winds when standing close to the cliffs. We went to Cong and enjoyed the community. West of Cong you'll find the Dough Valley. It has a history that includes a tragic story of starvation and famine. The scenery thru the Dough Valley route to Louisburg is some of the finest in Ireland. There is a side trip you could make to the Kylemore Abbey. Although we couldn't get as far as the Abbey on this trip, we did stop to jump on the peat bogs just north of there. It was a fun experience for the kids. When we return to Ireland we plan to spend more time in Connemara. Have a great trip. One more area we found interesting was the Burren around the Ballyvaughn area. Interesting geology and ancient historical sites. Enjoy.