First time trip to Ireland Itinerary advice
 

Hello,
My husband and I will be taking a long awaited trip to Ireland in October for our 20th anniversary. We will be flying in and out of Shannon airport and will have 8 nights. I'd love some advice on our itinerary thus far:
Day 1: arrive in Shannon at 6:30am, pick up rental car. Drive south to Killarney. Spend time (until hotel check in) exploring Nat'l park. Stay at Victoria House Hotel
Day 2: Early start for drive around Ring of Kerry. No particular plans for stops, just deciding as we go. Stay the night again at Victoria House
Day 3: Leave Killarney to drive north to Galway City. Is there anything along this trip other than the cliffs or burren? I know they are the main sights, but I don't enjoy standing around with a gaggle of tourists. Much more prefer things off the beaten path, with a particular interest in ruins and cemeteries. Arrive in Galway, explore the city, find a good pub, good music, stay at Jury's Inn.
Day 4: early start for trip to Aran Islands. Spend the day, rent a bike and explore. Return for night in Galway City.
Day 5: Travel north to Connemara. Visit Kulemore Abbey. Will be spending our 20th anniversary night in a castle. Either Ashford or Ballynahinch. Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated.
Day 6: Spend early hours on castle grounds, then drive south to Kilkenny. Again, no particular stops planned along the way, just wherever calls us. No plans for hotel at this time
Day 7: Spend the day in Kilkenny
Day 8: possible early trip to glendalough, night in Kilkenny
Day 9: Return to Shannon/flight home

Any help would be much appreciated. I prefer not to plan too strictly to allow for some rambling about, and the ability to stop and enjoy the view, pop into a pub and chat with the locals, and take lots of photos.

Killarney and Kerry look about right. spend 10 minutes for St Mary's Cathedral and the grave marker.

I generally say to split the journey from Killarney to Galway with a night in Ennis. Because Yes there is All of Clare if only west Clare between Crossing the Shannon and Galway some on https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d-...hs&usp=sharing

To be honest I would miss out Kilkenny and the East. Kilmacduagh has the tallest Round Tower in Europe and whilst the landscape might not be as wondrous in Gort as Wicklow then Connemara will more than make up. Kilkenny is too far from Shannon for your last night in any case.

Ballynahinch would be my recommendation for your Anniversary and putting a night into Clare moves Inis Mor to after Connemara maybe day 7.

Connemara is huge with lots of options. I break this into two days

1)Galway to Clifden along the N59 https://goo.gl/maps/fEn4cvQhzt62
2)Galway to Clifden Spiddal & Roundstone https://goo.gl/maps/sJ1ftKKaEGT2

3)Clifden to Galway via Cong https://goo.gl/maps/T1LzPbraFb62
4)Clifden to Galway via Spiddal https://goo.gl/maps/uQqtZM79ADt

If you want a graveyard that very few know, then into Letterfrack and there is the Industrial School graveyard. The Industrial Schools were the male version of the Magdalene Laundries and the 99 grave markers are for boys aged 4 to 16 who were supposedly in the "care" of the Church often abused and neglected the graves are for only the known dead.https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...d4&oe=59BF2A4F

From Connemara to Inis Mor

After Inis Mor so Day 8 perhaps the Lough Derg Lakelands. Starting in Portumna with a visit to the Workhouse centre and Castle, then dropping to Mountshannon perhaps to visit Holy Island then Killaloe/Ballina before heading to a last night in Shannon/Bunratty/Quin?

Thank you very much for all of these suggestions. I will take a look at them and see if some adjustment is needed. I'm trying not to change hotels each night, as I think it's a hassle to be on the move constantly, but I definitely appreciate the alternate ideas.

Perhaps a last night stay in Ennis would be more practical? I really appreciate the insight on the graveyards as well.

Your 1st 5 nights(2 Killarney, 2 Galway, 1 Ashford or Ballynahinch are good. I would add 2 Westport and finish with 1 Shannon/Bunratty/Ennis.

For your drive Galway to Ballynahinch might look like this: https://goo.gl/maps/Yn2M2NdDTpP2

Day 6. Spend early hours on castle grounds, then drive to Westport for 2 nights. Again, no particular stops planned along the way, just wherever calls us.
Route: https://goo.gl/maps/gFEhz9axyA92
Stay here or similar- http://boulevard-guesthouse.com/
Nightlife- http://www.mattmolloy.com/home/

Day 7. Explore this charming and elegant town. https://goo.gl/maps/pDpkpdw575p
Tonight try one of the other 49 Westport pubs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gMpzOqW014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqkwFNTY378

Day 8. Drive to a location near the airport for tomorrows flight home-Ennis/Bunratty/Shannon.En route-Is Clonmacnois too long of a detour?
https://goo.gl/maps/aSifnyjWn2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKj5uF7S2qk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjMj0lhKg1I&t=19s


Day 9. Fly Home.

Thank you for the driving maps and suggestions. We have decided on an Ashford castle stay for our 5th night as well as Ennis for our final night, but still unsure of whether to keep Kilkenny in the itinerary. Westport does look lovely. Would you share your positive/negatives about Kilkenny. It came highly recommended by a family member, but I just want the best experience possible.

Kilkenny and Westport are a lot of extra miles. time travelling is less time seeing/doing. If you have Ashford castle one night thats the equivalent of 1 1/2 days because you would be foolish to pay a kings ransom and only sleep the night. Make use of the facilities as well.

Clonmacnoise IS TOO MUCH of a detour. if you want an old monastery there are lots of options along the route without making a 3 hour detour.

Save Kilkenny and Eastern Ireland for your next visit and make the most of this one.

Ashford castle is a good choice. I think you will enjoy the castle experience at Ashford better than Ballynahinch.What Ballynahinch has going for it is the surrounding area. For my 20th anniversary stay I would choose Ashford.

As for Kilkenny vs Westport I suggested Westport for you based on your comments.
>>I don't enjoy standing around with a gaggle of tourists. Much more prefer things off the beaten path, with a particular interest in ruins and cemeteries...............find a good pub, good music...........Again, no particular stops planned along the way, just wherever calls us............I prefer not to plan too strictly to allow for some rambling about, and the ability to stop and enjoy the view, pop into a pub and chat with the locals, and take lots of photos. <<
You have described Connemara-Mayo-Westport.

Having said that Kilkenny is always recommended for a 1st time Ireland trip. I went there on my 1st trip to Ireland. That is why your family member recommended it.

Kilkenny positives- Vibrant and historic, Irelands most atmospheric medieval city, imposing castle, well preserved medieval cathedral and other ancient buildings.Good town for walking and cycling. Could visit Rock of Cashel en route and even Jerpoint Abbey.

Kilkenny negatives-Kilkenny is on every itinerary where arrival is Dublin and then clockwise around the Island.There is not much gaggle of tourists in Ireland but there is a hint of it in Kilkenny. It is so crowded that no one goes there anymore...Yogi Berra. I found the castle interior mediocre compared to others in Europe.I prefer Muckross House in Killarney.

This is itinerary I would do which would include Kilkenny.
Killarney (2 nights)
Kilkenny (2 nights)
Cong-Ashford castle hotel(1 night)
Galway (2 nights)only because you want to go to Inishmore
Ennis (1 night)

Shannon Airport-Killarney-Kilkenny-Cong(Ashford Castle)
https://goo.gl/maps/i86uzUVedut

Ashford Castle to Galway Loop
https://goo.gl/maps/ZDfySGo5iky


Galway-Burren-Cliffs of Mohr-Ennis-Shannon Airport
Stop to see this guy in the Burren: http://www.stonepages.com/ireland/poulnabrone.html

I truly appreciate these thoughtful responses. They have been a great help. I have decided to change from Ring of Kerry to less visited Beara in our first days. We will go up to Galway from there as planned but will be taking a route through the Inaugh valley to allow a bit more time in Connemara, which I had been regretting leaving off. I will keep Kilkenny in the plan, because we have no specific plans while there, I don't mind a somewhat long and rambling drive to see what we see on the way there without the pressure of getting in the "must see" landmarks. Sometimes getting lost is the best part of a trip. I have adjusted, per everyone's suggestions, to spend our last night in Ennis. Thank you again for taking the time to help out!

The route to Cong will be from Galway City up through the Inaugh Valley. I had planned a side trip to the Abbey, but see it is undergoing extensive renovation and is covered in scaffolding. So we will not take that trip. This will allow some additional time to just take in the countryside while on the road and spend additional time on the Ashford grounds.

If you mean the Rock of Cashel is covered in Scaffolding? It isn't all the scaffolding is down, has been since February / March this year.

I think she means Kylemore Abbey which in a recent Tripadvisor review is shown with SOME scaffolding. It would not stop me from visiting this wonderful attraction.

The renovation work being done at Kylemore Abbey is not really detrimental to visiting. The Scaffolding at Cashel was a minor inconvenience. trouble is that these old buildings do need occasional maintenance.