Help with Ireland Itinerary

Old May 5th, 2009, 07:51 PM
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Help with Ireland Itinerary

I am trying to figure out the best way to maximize our trip to Ireland. We fly into Dublin on July 3rd at 11:30 and we depart from Dublin on July 10th in the morning. We plan on renting a car and have no problem with driving. The Dingle Peninsula is definitely a priority but I am at a loss to figure out how to make the most of our time there. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Old May 5th, 2009, 08:26 PM
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Unfortunately, flying in/out of Dublin isn't the best if you want to tour the SW of Ireland. Shannon would have been more convenient. But I assume your tix are already purchased. Are you flying in transatlantic? If so, you shouldn't drive much (or any at all) on your arrival day.

So - if it was me, I'd book a flight from Dublin to Cork in the early afternoon of the 3rd. Spend the night in Cork car-less and then start up towards Kerry/Dingle and take the next 5 days wending your way up the coast and back towards Dublin. You simply don't have enough time to drive a complete loop Dublin > the SW > the west coast > Dublin in 6 days

On most of your route you'll be lucky to average 35 mph
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Old May 6th, 2009, 11:15 AM
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If you want to restrict your travelling to Kerry (and possibly West Cork), you might consider a flight from Dublin to Farranfore, which gets you closer to Dingle.
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Old May 6th, 2009, 11:28 AM
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Thank you so much for the suggestions. We want to see as much as possible in the seven nights that we have avaliable to us. It is cheap and easy to fly within Ireland so flying to Cork should be no problem. The new difficulty is figuring out how many nights are enough in each place. Everything looks so beautiful!
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Old May 6th, 2009, 11:43 AM
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I have a quick question for Janisj - How many days minimum would you suggest needing to complete the loop that you reference at a reasonable pace (Dublin > the SW > the west coast > Dublin)? 10 days, 2 weeks, more?? I know that is a very loose question. I normally figure out the dates and then plan the itinerary, but with this trip I feel like I need to do in reverse because I already know that is the route I want to take.
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Old May 6th, 2009, 01:02 PM
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I am so grateful for the help with this planning! How does this sound?
July 2 Fly to Dublin
July 3 Arrive AM /see as much as possible until jet lag hits
July 4 Fly to Cork/rent car/ spend night in Killarney
July 5 night in Killarney
July 6 Dingle Peninsula
July 7 Dingle Peninsula
July 8 Any recommendations to break up the drive to Dublin?
July 9 Dublin
July 10 Morning flight back to New York
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Old May 6th, 2009, 01:34 PM
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Good for you for not trying to cram in the entire west coast! Dingle is beautiful. We stayed at Emlagh Lodge and loved it - they may not have availability for your dates, but I'd recommend checking.

Personally, I would stay in Kenmare rather than Killarney. I stayed in Killarney and visited Kenmare. I didn't find much to do in Killarney proper; its only advantage for me is the proximity to the national park. Kenmare seemed to have more going on - more restaurants, etc. Just my impression.

As far as places to break up the drive, Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel are pretty popular. I haven't been to either so can't help more than that, but it would give you a place to start looking!
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Old May 7th, 2009, 01:49 AM
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Thank you for the Kemnare recommendation. I did some research and it looks perfect. I think it will be much more of what we are looking for than Killarney. Restaurants and pubs are much more important than proximity to national parks
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Old May 7th, 2009, 10:16 AM
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If you are decided on flying to Cork airport, it would be a pity to ignore County Cork. For an interesting experience in the city, the English Market is worth a look - and an evening in Kinsale should tick the boxes for restaurants and pubs. Would agree with the proposal of Kenmare over Killarney for your July 5th night.
Dingle-Dublin is a long days drive with not much en route if you travel the direct way; Adare in Co Limerick is a nice village while Limerick itself has St John's Castle and the Hunt Museum.
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Old May 8th, 2009, 04:49 PM
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In Killarney National Park one can take a ride on the pony carts (negotiate price) through the Gap of Dunloe. We thoroughly enjoyed it and often think of it as a highlight of our SW trip. We stayed at Nolan's B&B and he arranged a car to bring us to the entry of the park. I agree that there is not a restaurant that stands out in my mind in Killarney- but the park and pony cart ride was worth the trip.
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