We're taking our honeymoon from Philly area to Ireland in March after St. Patricks day and I'd like to know if anyone has any suggestions of things we could think about seeing this time of year.

How long will you be there? which airport are you flying in and out of? (Many here, myself included, recommend flying into Dublin and out of Shannon or vice versa). What sort of things do you like to do and see? Give us a little more info about your trip and you'll find many responses her.

I can't imagine a more romantic way to spend a couple of your honeymoon nights than at Ashford Castle (in Cong). It's INCREDIBLE. You might also stay at Dromoland Castle (close to Shannon airport). It's fantastic and probably more convenient -- but not quite as "WOW" as Ashford Castle.

Congrats on your upcoming wedding -- from a former Philly guy ;-)

I was thinking that we would fly into Kerry and leave from Dublin or vice versa and that we would be there about 10 days. Why do you recommend Shannon? I'd like to try and see some historical sights, go shopping, see the ocean (even though it will probably be freezing). Really wasn't sure so I came here for ideas. I love the castle idea and will definitely look further into that!

Where are you flying from? Most of the posters on Fodors are from the US (not all!, but a majority), and so if you don't specify, it's often assumed you are American. Dublin and Shannon are, to my knowledge, the only Irish airports with flights to and from the US, so that's why they are typically recommended. Kerry is a very small airport and doesn't have flights to or from the US, but you could get there from London or other places in Europe.

If you plan to focus more on the Killarney or Kenmare area at that end of your trip, Kerry makes more sense if you can get a flight there, but Shannon will be fine. If you plan to start in County Clare, Shannon makes more sense regardless. If you are indeed from the US or Canada, I would suggest flying into Dublin and starting there so you can get over jet lag before driving.

Flights from the US arrive at either Dublin or Shannon.

http://www.shannonairport.com/

Hi, Jen. She says she's coming from Philadelphia.

Oh, sorry - just saw you're from Philly. I don't believe you can get a flight into Kerry, then, if you're going only to Ireland (the Kerry airport's winter timetable lists only London, Dublin and Frankfurt). So personally I would recommend flying into Dublin and spending a couple of days there, then getting a car and driving wherever you like. I would spend time in Wicklow, Kenmare and/or Dingle before flying home from Shannon (maybe with your last night at Dromoland), but that's just me - I would strongly suggest getting a few guidebooks from your library and seeing what strikes you and your fiancee as interesting.

Oh, hi CAPH! Yep, I reread it after I posted (you'd think I'd know to do it the other way around by now!) and was posting at the same time as you, I think.

Posting first and reading later -- I've done it many times! Sometimes I get so excited about knowing the answer to something that I don't read the whole post and that can lead to embarrassment! What can I say, I'm a terrible dork!

I was told that I could do that from Atlantic City but it appears that that information is incorrect upon further investigation. So I will take your advice to fly into Dublin and spend a few days there and I will also check out some guide books. And leave from Shannon.

I was mostly interested in things to do in March that anyone could think of. Most of the guide books are focused on summer months.

As far as special festivals or events in March, hopefully someone else could help you there. But in terms of just seeing the coast and mountains, you might have worse weather than the summer (or you might not), but they're all still there, and I think you'd be fine to drive yourself around and see them. And museums, the Guinness Storehouse, etc in Dublin should still be open. You do need to double-check things like tours (boat tours may not run due to weather, and some other organized tours may not run in winter due to low demand). And there may be some b&bs with limited months of operation.

My approach would be to see what sticks out to you in the guidebooks, and then do some investigation and see if your list needs to get narrowed down due to the time of year. But my guess is that unless you were planning on a trip full of organized tours, you'll be able to do most of what you'd do in June or July.

I don't really have a lot to add to what Jen just told you. But I was in Ireland in March of '06 and again in March of '07. In '06, we had rain the first couple of days and then nice weather. In '07, it was absolutely gorgeous the entire time I was there. And the summer that year was bad. From what my daughter's in-laws told me, July and August were very bad again this year (June and September were gorgeous). So you stand just as good a chance of good weather in March as you do in the summer.

I like being there in March because there are fewer tourists and the days are starting to get longer (especially in late March when the time changes). And flights are cheaper! But, outside of Dublin, you will run into problems with things being closed, tours not running, etc. It's a trade-off.

My daughter and I spent a night on Inis Mor (Aran Islands) in late March. It was wonderful! We were blessed with good weather. And, after the last ferry left, there were very few tourists around. There weren't a lot of B&Bs or restaurants open. But we were very happy with the place we stayed and had good meals. We even found very good traditional music that night. We bought tickets in Galway that included a bus to Rossaveal and the ferry to the island.

If you will be in the Kerry area, I would highly recommend a stay on the Dingle Peninsula. I have stayed a couple of times on the Peninsula in a self-catering cottage, right on Slea Head in Dunquin. Breathtaking views, beautiful area and the Blasket Islands are right at your doorstep. It's called the Couminole Cottage www.couminolecottage.com. Susan is a delight to work with! Even if you cannot stay in the cottage, the Slea Head Drive on the Peninsula and Dingle town are definitely worth some time. I have been all over the West of Ireland and would say that area is probably my favorite part of Ireland so far. Hope this helps. And congrats on your upcoming wedding!

If you leave from Atlantic City you will need to catch a commuter flight to Philadelphia or New York--or drive to one of those airports. There are definitely no flights from Atlantic City to Europe.