Decided to book a trip to Ireland over Christmas break! I'd love your best suggestions for an itinerary. I know it will be cold, wet, and dark. That's okay. Would love to spend Christmas in a nice hotel so we can have a good dinner!

Flying in and out of Dublin. Would love to visit: Kilkenny, Killarney, Dingle, Galway, Kildare and Kylemore Abbey.

Thanks!

I wouldn't even try getting to most of those places. Plus that is a 'two week list' even in the summer when the days are loooooong and the weather (usually) better -- I'd just stick to Dublin and make it a city-centric holiday trip so it doesn't matter how dire the weather is.

Here are two Castle hotels close to Dublin - you could do a couple of nights in one of them and the rest in Dublin.

https://www.kilkeacastle.ie
https://www.dunboynecastlehotel.com/...RoC7NgQAvD_BwE

And this one is in the city
https://www.clontarfcastle.ie/?utm_s...medium=organic

Staying in Dublin for 10 days sounds like a waste of money and time. I might as well cancel my trip.

I guess you know this island is pretty wet at the best of time and at Christmas .... If I was doing it from the UK I would book somewhere with a big open fire and lots to eat and drink. Daylight periods are short this far north and the winds are lazy.

Ireland is pretty pleasant place at any time and Dublin especially

You didn't mention 10 days in the OP - that does make a bit of a difference. If the entire trip is 10 days (home to home) that gives you 7.5 days free on the ground. So you could fit in a couple of bases but I still wouldn't plan on the sort of road trip your list would indicate. Maybe pick a castle or posh country house hotel for three nights over Christmas (Eve/Day/Boxing) and the rest in Dublin.