Goldiept

We will be leaving for Dublin on May 20 and coming home from Shannon on the 31st. Is there anything we HAVE to see between Dublin and Galway? Are there ferries leaving The Aran Islands on the way to Dingle? Will there be enough time to do the above and make it to Kinsale without being rushed? Is Kinsale as great as everyone here makes it sound? Any other imperative place to see? I've tried to post this message before but it never turned up. Thanks to all of you for your help.

Goldiept

Just testing to seeif my message actually made it this time.

SiobhanP

The entire country fits between the two so probably yes but it depends on your interests. What do you like to do?

Kinsale is lovely and the gourmet capital if Ireland

I don't know about ferries to Dingle but do a search as it seems like you have no itinerary. Have a look at the Irish websites www.ireland.ie etc and search for things that may onterest you and plan around this

S

cailin

if you click on your own name you'll find your previous posts - there are responses to those.

NEDSIRELAND

Goldiept writes: "Are there ferries leaving The Aran Islands on the way to Dingle?"
If I understand your question correctly the answer is: No! There are ferries between the Aran Islands and Ross a'Veal (Galway) and Doolin (Clare). If you're headed south to the Killimer-Tarbert ferry rather than west to Connemara, Doolin would probably be more 'on your way.'

"Will there be enough time to do the above and make it to Kinsale without being rushed?"
Definitely not! If you're thinking about Dublin to Dingle the day you arrive, think again.

"Any other imperative place to see?"
How about the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher??

JOHNOD

Like the other responders here I am trying to make head or tails of your itinerary. I assume you are going to spend at least one maybe two nights in Dublin and then drive to Galway. If you have ten nights why spend so muuch time in cities. If you want to see the Islands drive from Dublin the Doolin and take the ferry. You will have to spend two nights in Doolin. You have to decide if the Island is worth two of your nights. The drive from Doolin to Dingle via the Tarbert Ferry is the better part of a day and plan on two nights in Dingle, thats six nights. I would plan on a Full day for the drive from Dingle to Kinsale and yes it is worth it. Drive to Killarney, through the town and pick up the N-71 south throught the park and over the Mts. Stay on the N-71 along the coast to Kenmare. The Mts. and the coast here are some of the best sights in Ireland. One night in Kenmare and then back on the n-71 to Kinsale. As an alternative you can drive to Kenmare by doing the ROK counter clockwise to Kenmare. Two nights in Kinsale. Great walking tour out of the Tourist office in the morning and a fun Ghost tour out of the Tap Tavern at night. Four hour drive from Kinsale to Bunratty for your last night, see the park, do some shopping, three Pubs around the Park and the next morning a twenty minute drive to Shannon. I do remember answering a similar Post this week. In any event have fun and unless you have a purpose for driving Dublin to Galway skip it and get out in the country.

JOHNOD

Just checked and goldiept is right, I wrote a repley to your original message on the 9th, don't knowwhy you did not see it.

chip

with a car, what you want to see is doable...keep in mind that visiting the aran islands will eat up most of 1 day.

on our way to galway from dublin we stayed in trim one night and toured newgrange/knowth (we didn't go inside but walked around trim castle). the next day we visited the hill of tara and clonmacnoise and arrived in galway around 4pm.

loved above sights, but didn't really care for galway.

there is a ferry from doolin to aran islands, but didn't use and have read that it isn't as reliable.

if your reason for going to galway is to see the aran island (can't comment on taking the time to see,
since I haven't been), I would suggest...

2 dublin
stop to see newgrange or clonmacnoise
1 galway
aran island,drive thru burren
1 doolin
cliffs of moher, take kilmer/tarbert,
connor's pass
2 dingle- do slea head drive
3 kinsale (or 1 kenmare to drive thru
killarney nat. park/muckross/ross
castle/etc. , 2 kinsale-could visit
blarney, cobh, middleton distillery,
charles fort,etc.)
1 near shannon

just FYI-"Kinsale as great..."
It would not be on my must see...
the following would be:
Dingle/slea head drive, cliffs of moher/doolin, and killarney national park( inclusing-lakes/muckross house&abbey/ross castle/drive from killarney to kenmare)