Ireland in a week
 

My husband and my parents are planning a trip to Ireland/England next July/August. We will be gone two and a half weeks (some of that time will be spent attending a friends wedding in southern England. I have been to England twice and feel comfortable planning the portion of our trip in that country, but Ireland is completely new to me/us. What can we do in a week in Ireland? Is it reasonable to fly into Dublin then work our way around the south half of the country in a week? I want to see Blarney, Ring of Kerry, and the Cliffs of Moher. Can we do this all in a week or my expectations too high? Any suggestions on sights / hotels in Ireland are appreciated!

Is it possible to fly into Shannon and out of Dublin? Not many flights to points in Europe fly from Shannon.

If flying into Shannon:

1. Pick up rental car and drive to Ennis. Check in and then drive to Cliffs of Moher.

2. Drive to Killarney
Possible stops along the way: Adare, Blennerville windmill.

3. Drive the Ring of Kerry Stops at Staigue Fort (ancient fort with 12 foot deep walls, Sneem, Waterville, Port Magee.
Spend another night in Killarney.

4. Drive to Blarney. There are beautiful gardens to explore as well as the rock to kiss. Drive to Cobh to explore and spend the night. Cobh (then Queenstown) was the last stop of the Titanic and there is a display. For many Irish this was the departure point for the US.

5. Drive to Dublin with a stop in New Ross to visit the Dunbrody--a replica of a ship from famine times. As the docent tells the story it will make even coach for a few hours seem luxurious (or at least bearable.)
Ditch the car at the airport and spend the rest of your time in Dublin. (You do NOT want to drive in Dublin--streets are confusing and parking is hard to find and expensive.

If flying into Dublin and then out:
1. Check into hotel--stay upright as long as possible walking around the city.
2. Explore more of Dublin

3. Pick up car at airport and head south to Kilkenny via Glendalough.

Leave Kilkenny and head toward Killarney via Blarney.

5. Drive the Ring of Kerry and spend another night in Killarney

6. Drive toward Ennis and visit Cliffs of Moher

7. Drive back to Dublin airport with detour to visit Clonmacnois-- round tower and Celtic crosses. If time, stop in Trim.

Spend the night at an airport hotel or B&B in Malahide nearby depending on flight time next day.

I am sure others will chime in soon to give alternate suggestions.

This will only give you a taste of Ireland, so I hope that you'll have a chance to go back again some day.

With just a week I'd probably skip Dublin all together. It is across the country from everything else you want to see/do. I'd consider flying from England to Cork and from Shannon back to the states.

Even then it will be a fairly rushed week but if you concentrate on the west/southwest you can fit in many of the scenic areas. But that and Dublin too ? - not IMO.

in general, travel in the scenic bits of Ireland is slower than in most areas of England .

Interesting! We're off to Dublin in a couple of days, and will be spending five nights enjoying ourselves. One week in the city. I might actually look of some of the cousins, but most live in the States.

I recently spent two weeks in Ireland, and am glad to give you my opinions. However, everyone has their own opinion, and there isn't one right or wrong itinerary. Most people try to pack too much into a short period of time, the result being that they whiz by places, and don't really get to experience them. I also agree with the caution that travel takes longer than you'd expect. I've been told to figure traveling at speeds of 35 mph-40mph, and I found that to be true, particularly in the western part of Ireland. With only a week, I would definitely skip Dublin, and fly into Shannon. If you tour the Cliffs, be sure to take the one hour boat cruise along the bottom, which gives you an amazing perspective of the cliff's grandeur. I absolutely loved Galway, and I would recommend using that as one of your base cities. From Galway, you can tour Connemara, which I found to be the most beautiful part of Ireland. If possible, just choose two, or no more than three base cities/towns, and go from there. Let us know what other questions you have, and I know people will be generous with their advice.