Okay-this is a very rough draft of what I would LIKE to do in my oh so short of stay in Ireland. I know it may be rushed but it is how I travel and I will be back! Can this itinerary work (late June)?
Day 1 arrive Dublin (early am)
Day 2 depart Dublin mid afternoon and fly to Kerry Airport-rent car and head to Dingle
Day 3-Tour Dingle Penninsula (slea Head etc)
Day 4-Head towards Tralee via Lisowel to catch the Tarbert-Killimer Ferry then drive the coastal route to Cliffs of Moher and Burren (from Kilfenora-Ballyvaughn)
Day 5- Aran islands head to Ennis to sleep
Day 6-Depart Shannon Airport

Will this work? Where to stay on day 4 after touring Cliffs of Moher and Burren before heading to Aran Islands?

I know there is sooo much to see in the Southwest and most think I should skip Dublin on such a short trip but I would like to see it and have managed to filter through a lot of the western coast. I will be back but in the meantime hows it look?

Thanks so much! Rose

Why are you flying into Dublin?

If you arrive Dublin and leave from Shannon, it will cost you more. If you pick up a car at Kerry airport and drop it off at Shannon, you'll have to pay a steep charge for it to returned to Kerry.

In six days I drove around the coast of Ireland (S & N), dropping in at many places on the way (and another day driving west and east again). It is easy to do.

I think you're missing a lot by not driving from Dublin, through Waterford and Cork to Dingle. Like Waterford crystal factory. Blarney castle for the Blarney stone. Kinsale. Wexford. Johnstown Castle. Ormonde castle. Country castle. Avondale house. Bantry house. Muckross house. Riverstown house. Kilkenny castle. And so on.

Southern Ireland has lots of countryside which you can see so much by merely driving around, yet you seem to be going way out of your way to see other bits of countryside.

In your place I would drive from Dublin around the south coast to Galway, then take the N6 east through Athlone back to Dublin and fly home. Lots of B&B about.

I agree but don't think six days is enough time. It will be rushed and if you haven't driven there before, you will get lost. Everybody told me that and they were right.

Your plan is workable, but be prepared for a very long day on Day 4.

Galway is midway between Ballyvaughan and Rossaveal (the ferry port). You could stay in Ballyvaughan if you're willing to get up early to catch your ferry. Or you could stay in Galway and have a more leisurely morning. Just remember that driving times in Ireland are very slow. Use www.viamichelin.com to calculate routes and times, but increase the time estimates found there by 50%.

From my experience with Auto Europe (www.autoeurope.com), you should NOT have to pay a drop off charge for picking up a car anywhere in Ireland and dropping it off at another place in Ireland.

ttt

Thanks for the input. For starters I am flying into Dublin so that I can spend 1 1/2 days there exploring the city. I do not mind if I pay a bit more for an open jaw ticket if it saves me time(ie backtracking to Dublin after being so close to Shannon airport). I am a bit confused about the suggestion to drive to Dublin with all of those stops. Will I even have enough time? I tried to condense the southern area to what I really wanted to see on such a tight schedule. Any other suggestions would be helpful seeing as though I am very torn now.

Rose

IMHO, I think you should stick with the original plan as you have limited time. I did a modified trip (less attractions) than what Kaneda proposes plus a modified versus of your trip and did it over 12 days. Do the rest of Ireland on another trip. As another poster said, driving takes much longer than you think it will. You need to enjoy the trip not rush from place to place stressed. Just my thoughts.

I didn't find a lot to do in Dublin:

http://www.dublin.world-guides.com/