Ireland for 5 days
 

Arrive at Cork airport. Tour Ireland Oct. 23-Oct. 28. Dublin Oct 28-29. Depart from Dublin to Edinburgh Oct 30. <BR> <BR>What can we reasonably do in 5 days? 50ish mom and 28 year old daughter first time trip. <BR> <BR>Are thinking about Cork, Waterford, Blarney, Ring of Kerry, stay in an Irish Castle (?), Limerick, Ennis, Cliffs of Mohr, Dublin 2 days. <BR> <BR>Too much to do??? The right sights to see??? <BR> <BR>Don't want to miss any MUST SEE'S but don't want to plan more than we can really do and enjoy. <BR>

Carolyn, <BR> <BR>I'm assuming your list is an overall "what we'd like," because sadly there's no way you can fit Cork, Waterford, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney Castle, Limerick, Ennis, *and* the Cliffs of Moher into five days. I suppose it's theoretically possible according to the laws of physics, but I don't think you'd actually be able to *stop* anywhere, just poke your head out the window and say "Look! There's Blarney Castle!" <BR> <BR>If you're arriving on the 23rd and getting to Dublin on the 28th, you really only have four *full* days (24-27) and a couple of half days (you'll spend some of the 28th getting to Dublin) to see the countryside. Don't overestimate how much you can do/see in a day; yes, distances are short in Ireland, but the roads are winding in many cases (I assume you're driving?) and it'll take you longer than you think to get from one place to another. <BR> <BR>I *loved* the central west coast of Ireland, country Clare and County Galway. But I think the Galway area would be too much to include in your itinerary, so my recommendation (based on what you said you want to do/see) would be: <BR> <BR>Oct. 23: Cork City. <BR>Oct. 24: Morning, Cork City (I'd say do Blarney Castle either first thing in the morning today, or late in the afternoon the 23rd, to avoid the peak tourist crowds). Afternoon, leisurely drive to Limerick. <BR>Oct 25: Limerick. King John's Castle, St. Mary's Cathedral, and Lough Gur (one of Ireland's most important archaeological sites) are among the places you might want to visit in/around Limerick. A big tourist attraction is Bunratty Castle and Bunratty Folk Park--some people like it, some find it cheesy, it's a matter of personal preference. They also have medieval banquets nightly, and the like it/cheesy dichotomy applies here too.) <BR>Oct 26: Morning, Limerick. Afternoon, leisurely drive through County Clare to Doolin, near the Cliffs of Moher. I recommend Darra Hughes' Sea View House B&B in Doolin, and have the e-mail somewhere if you want. You can listen to traditional Irish music in one of the pubs in this fishing village which is considered a mecca for "Craic"; I also highly recommend the beef stew in Guinness at Gus O'Connor's. <BR>Oct. 27: Cliffs of Moher and The Burren, two of the most beautiful and breathtaking parts of Ireland. You can drive around and see both of these from Doolin in one day. <BR>Oct. 28: Leisurely cross-country drive to Dublin. (There's a lot to stop and see along the way depending on your route.) While this will really only give you one day in Dublin (10/29), I'm showing my biases here and saying that the countryside beats Dublin City any day of the week. Dublin is wonderful, but the countryside is *magic*. <BR> <BR>This is just one biased observer's suggestion. You could just as easily settle down in one area and take those five days to truly explore Cork, the Ring of Kerry, Limerick, *or* the Cliffs of Moher/County Clare area. But if you want to get a "taste" of a few of these, that's what I'd do. <BR> <BR>I don't think Waterford's worth the time on a tight agenda like that, and there's really not much in Ennis to make it worth stopping there ... keep going into County Clare. <BR> <BR>As always, YMMV. Enjoy Ireland--it's truly a glorious place. And the people are as wonderful as everyone says. I can't wait to go back.

<BR>Gina has given you some very good ideas. I agree....skip Waterford and also Ennis. My own personal favorite is the Dingle Peninsula. So, I would say see Blarney Castle, head up to Dingle Peninsula, then up to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren and then head over to Dublin. Have fun. <BR>

It's all a matter of taste and interests, of course. While I like the countryside, I like Dublin even more. It has a wonderful 18th century neo-classical look overall - - I can't think of any other city that is like it except for parts of London. There's lots to do: sightseeing, going to pubs, good museums, etc. We saw a restaging of "Playboy of the Western World" at the Abbey Theater and especially enjoyed afternoon tea at the Shelbourne Hotel. Hope you like it as much as I did.

I would do everything but Waterford. It's not a particularly beautiful city and you can buy Waterford crystal at the same prices in many parts of Ireland. <BR> <BR>If you are arriving in Cork , visit Blarney,, spend two days in the Dingle/Killartney area, 2 days in Galway and just a day in Dublin. Howwever, if you are a city person, do I day in Galway and 2 in Dublin. <BR> <BR>You really don't have time for much else.