Can I make this trip work?
 

We have played nonstop back and forth with our itinerary and decided to change our dates to achieve a cheaper flight. Our plans are to fly into Dublin on the 11th of March and depart on the 19th of March out of Shannon. Do you think it would be possible to spend time in Dublin, Belfast, Portrush/Bushmills, and Galway before heading to make it to our flight out of Shannon? I was thinking we could do 1 night in Dublin, travel through to see Newgrange, head towards Belfast for 2 nights, 1 night Portrush.Portstewart (would have an earlyish start and maybe do Causeway late pm/dusk if I want to fit in Bushmills Distillery)
3 nights Galway (allows me 2 full days - 1 for city and 1 for Connemara or even Aran Islands. I'd also like to be in Galway for St. Patrick's Day), and then spend the last night in Bunratty before leaving the next day for our flight out of Shannon.
I know this will be a lot of driving but I really wanted to see the North part of Ireland and spend St. Patrick's Day in Galway.

Can you make it work? Absolutely.

Would I do it? Probably not. Too much driving.

Thanks for your reply. That is definitely something I considered when thinking about this trip. I'm not 100% sure on spending St. Patrick's in Galway, but I just knew I didn't want to be in Dublin on St. Patrick's because of stories I heard and my husband and I don't really like being in large crowds. I just can't freaking decide on what areas we want to be in. I have literally came up with about 1000 different options and I guess the biggest bugger we've had in our plans have resulted from not knowing where we should spend St. Patrick's Day.

My original plan was to fly in and out of Dublin, but I had the option to change it to Shannon or Cork, and I figured Shannon was the better choice of the two because I was wanting to see Giant's Causeway more than I was Cliffs of Moher, although the drive through the Burren looked wonderful. I figured I could have seen it though on my way back from Galway when I was doing my whole thinking out loud. I really think my OCD is out of control with this trip and I am severely overthinking it. I just have no clue what to do at the moment and I wanted everything done by now.

Would it help if you considered that this probbaly will not be your only trip to Ireland?

Why don't you skip Belfast and spend two nights in Portrush? You could stop in or near Belfast for lunch. The drive should take less than three hours, giving you time to make a long stop, or several short ones. Then, I would also skip Galway and stay in some place in or near the Connemara; we really liked Westport, for example, but there are lots of other places in this very beautiful region. This drive would take about four hours. You could stop in Donegal for lunch on the way. Then, you should spend your last night near Shannon airport, which would allow you to spend a few hours in Galway en route.

This way, you'd spend one night in Dublin and one night near Shannon airport, leaving you six nights to split between Portrush and the Connemara. I think it would be a much more relaxing trip.

I wouldn't worry about where to spend St. Patrick's day. It might be best in a small town. Actually, Croagh Patrick, where St. Patrick spent 40 days in prayer, and constructed a church, is very near Westport. Weather permitting, you could climb to the top, along with some other pilgrims, I'm sure. I wouldn't try it if the ground is wet. It's possible that the ground is always wet in March! When we were there (in June), its peak was lost in a fog bank.

This way

11/12 Dublin
rent a Car on the 13th up to Belfast 13th
14th Portrush (Avarest Guest House?)Antrim Coast
15th Sligo having tripped down past the Slieve League in Donegal and or Belleek
16/17 Galway http://www.galwaytourism.ie/news/St-...-2014-n93.html
18th Burren and Cliffs etc. end in Ennis or Shannon (Oakwood arms?) Bunratty only if having a Banquet and in bed by 9pm?

Amy W?

Not to put a damper on things, it is always beautiful, but days will be short and it can be terribly gray, foggy and rainy in March. Just keep that in mind and plan on early stops for the night.

Very good idea to fly out from Shannon. Oakwood Arms is s good place to stay in Shannon the night before an early flight.

Try and get a hotel on the parade rt in Galway if there are any left. That is what we always do in Savannah and it works out great for the #1 reason, a bathroom.

Taking out the desire to be in Galway for the 17th. Consider the northern arc as far as Clifden and see the towns procession there, a far more community event around the square.
Day one Dublin if a must 11th
Day two Belfast maybe 2&3 12/13th
If one day Belfast 2 Portrush 13th? /14th
Donegal after calling to see Derry 15th.
Ballina or Westport the night of the 16th
Clifden for St Patrick's 17th
Down past the Cliffs with your last night near SNN,