Cuckoo Festival in Kinvarra as part of 9-day trip
 

Has anyone been to the annual Cuckoo Festival (trad music) in Kinvarra and, if so, what did you think - e.g., great vs. too mobbed - worth a day out of a 9-day trip (May 2-11), etc?
(It would mean going here May 3 (after 1st day at Newgrange and night in Trim), instead of half-day + one night in Galway (city)), before heading for counter-clockwise trip to Westport (one night), Achill Isl., through Doo Lough Valley to Clifden (two nights to allow for seeing Killary Harbour and a couple or so light-to-moderate hikes in the Park), Inis Mor (day trip), Ballyaughan (one night), Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Dingle (two nights), then back to Dublin for last two nights/one day (hoping to see ROC, Kilkenny, maybe Glendalough on the way, depending on weather, traffic, fatigue, do-ability in general).
And, of course, if anyone has thoughts about foregoing tentative route, feel free to offer 'em! Thanks!

This is not a massive festival, mainly locals and low key (as are most things in Kinvara) The CAM collective break out their instruments and voices and the youngsters get their faces painted. Bit of fun some Galway Hookers come in to add a bit of colour (well bright sailed small boats always add to the fun don't they)http://www.kinvara.com/cuckoo/
I would opt for Ennis or Kilkee over Ballyvaughn saves an hour from the drive south of the Shannon and gives time for a call into Listowel for a spot of lunch or evening meal if you take advantage of South West Clare down by Loop Head.
see also http://goo.gl/maps/L5ihu http://ireland.activeboard.com/t5005...-galway-route/

Also a bit of good fun whilst you are in Clifden http://www.connemaramusselfestival.com/index.html

Thanks, Tony. Very helpful re festival.
Re B'vaughn, had chosen that for night of May 6, after spending that day at Inis Mor, in order to be as close as possible to Cliffs and the Burren first thing next a.m. Then driving to Dingle, after seeing Cliffs and hiking in the Burren.
Make sense or no? Thanks again.

I always take visitors to the Cliffs after closing, there are a few places without the double yellow no parking lines and there is a public right of way to access the Cliffs free of charge and tour bus crowds. Apart from the million tons of earth used to fancy up the place and the health and safety walls, paved paths and other additions you can see the cliffs as we first saw them years ago.

The Burren is a fairly large area not just the Moonscape publicised but an area almost twice the size of the Dingle peninsula in acreage. You might have time to wander some of the West Clare way or a couple of shorter loop paths in a morning along with the cliffs but it's possibly a 4 hour drive Ballyvaughan to Dingle town. I am not a Dingle fan for similar reasons I am not a Moher fan but getting away from the hoards there are parts of the Peninsula remaining well worth walking, The Glenteenassig forest park on the north side and a couple of the Slieve towards the western end.

Thanks again! Actually, I'd also been thinking of trying to see Cliffs early evening Mon. if we could get there a bit before sunset after day trip to Inis Mor - i.e., depending on drive time from Rossaveel. Is it hard to find the non-no-parking areas and public access you've mentioned?
(Other alternative, if we're willing to cut short the 2nd of two days in Connemara, would be to ferry to Inis Mor on last ferry of the day Sun., spend the night there to get out to Dun Aenghus before the mobs Mon. a.m., then have enough time to spend on the rest of the isl. and maybe be able to ferry back a bit earlier to get to Cliffs before dark.)
Does any of that make any sense at all?

About Dingle, yes, already planning to spend the one full day there driving/walking the loop route.

Thanks!

Also, would staying in Doolin or Lisdoonvarna instead of Ballyvaughan the night before Cliffs and the Burren make sense?
Re Doolin, is it true, as have read in two places, that foreign musicians now outnumber Irish ones? Thanks yet again!