Please comment on my first trip to Ireland and the best sites that I can reallistically expect to explore.
Days 1-3 Dublin sites- 2 nights in Dublin
Day 4- drive south to Powerscourt and
Glendalough. Then southwest to Kilkenny for the night.
Day 5- Day trip to Cashel, Cahir, Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir, overnight in Kilkenny
Day 6- Drive south to Waterford,and Cork, then to Kinsale. overnight in Kinsale.
Day 7- Take northern route or coastal route (-undecided as of now) to Killarney.overnight in Killarney.
Day 8- Gap of Dunloe. overnight in Killarney
Day 9- Ring of Kerry to Dingle.overnight in Dingle.
Day 10- Chill in Dingle. overnight in Dingle
Day 11-Drive north to Doolin. Overnight in Doolin.
Day 12- Drive to Dunratty/Adare. Overnight in Adare
Day 13- Depart Shannon to USA.

That looks like a great itinery to me. Powerscourt is basically a huge laid out garden which suits some people and not others. I wasn't greatly impressed by it.

Kilkenny has a great restored castle. You buy tickets in shops so you can park (right near it). Not a bad little shopping centre.

Waterford Crystal does tours but shuts for two hours at dinner time. The Saturday tour is so-so as few workers there.

Kinsale is a very busy little harbour town and you have to book accommodation beforehand. I parked on the hill leading out of town, only five minutes walk back.

Don't forget Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone just west of Cork.

Dunratty Castle and village is not bad. You'll see a sign to another castle nearby which is an old chateau of sorts that few visit. It's only a few miles away.

You have more than enough time to do your schedule. Take an umbrella as weather is unpredictable there. There are speed cameras on the roads around Dublin.

One comment - if you are talking about driving the Ring of Kerry and then continuing on to Dingle the same day, that is a lot of driving for a single day.

Sounds like a good trip to me...except for adare and I prefer Kenmare to Killarney

Dublin favorites-hop-on/off bus, kilmainham jail, book of kells/library, musical or literay pub crawl

Day 4-glendalough would be a must see...unless you love gardens, I would put jerpoint abbey (outside of kilkenny) and kilkenny castle ahead of powerscourt

day5-not familiar w/other sites but rock of cashel is a must see and cahir castle is nice too...don't know how much time that would leave for other sites

day6-charles fort in kinsale is interesting and great views of bay

day7-(of course I prefer Kenmare to Killarney)if go straight to killarney-Ross Castle and muckross house are good sites...don't know exact routes, but could probably go to kenmare then scenic route to killarney

day8-gap of dunloe tour (jaunting cart to lord brandon's, boat of lakes) is a great day...if you have good weather

day 9-if don't want to do whole ROK...you could do the best part(in my opinion)between Killlarney and kenmare thru park, past ladies' view, moll's gap...there is then a quicker road to loop back north. if did this section the day before on way to killarney from kinsale, you may want to consider muckross and ross castle this day or head straight to dingle (enjoy town or slea head).

day9-do slea head loop- a must see

day 12-I would spend 2nd night in doolin (if you don't have a real early flight) or in bunratty vs adare...drive coast around black head and then thru burren or tour bunratty castle/folkpark. adare is not that interesting (imo)...and too far from shannon...better off to stay in bunratty/ennis or doolin-if flight not too early.

Couple of thoughts, day 6 could be a long day in the car. Kilkenney to Kinsale via Waterford and Cork is not a drive I would fancy. Kilkenney to Cork is plenty. Cork can be challenge to get through. I would skip Blarney, major tourist destination.
Kinsale to Killarney is another long day in the car and if you take the southern route you are driving past some of the great drives i Ireland (Ring of Beara, and the Mizen.) Having said that the southern route will at least take you throught the Mts. and the National Park, (great views).

If you do the Gap, walk it. It is a great walk and not hard. I agree that doing the ROK and then driving to Dingle is a very long day.

Skip Doolin(way overrated in my opinion, other will have a different view) and Bunratty over Adare for your lst night. The castle is a bit touristy but fun at least once and there are some good shops and places to eat. Have fun

Hit the wrong button and did not have a chance to correct the typos, sorry.

This looks great but, as a few people have already observed, you might be trying to include too many attractions in the same day. For example, I would not try and visit everything in your existing day 5. Cashel is fantastic for the Rock but Cahir is equally interesting for the Swiss Cottage. I think I might drop Carrick and go for the other two.

You might have to take some hard decisions- good luck!

pjdscott might be right about too much on day 5 - it depends on how long you plan to devote to things. I found that I spent more time at the Rock than I thought I might. Listened to the guided tour, wandered a bit and walked over to Hore Abbey. Including the drive from Kilkenny, next thing I knew, it was almost lunchtime.

And day 6, as JOHNOD points out, might be a long trip, too, depending on what you are expecting to do along the way.


One note about the Swiss Cottage - it's apparently closed for the season. It wasn't on our itenerary, but a sign at Cahir castle - and the OPW website - mention that it's undergoing some work. http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/His...tageTipperary/