Ireland Itinerary Advice
 

I'm planning a trip to Ireland and have never been there before. What are some must sees/tips along the way based on this itinerary? I'm locked in on the dates and overnight locations.

25 July - Arrive Kerry Airport
25 July - Kerry Peninsula (overnight in Killarney)
26 July - Cork, Cobh, Kinsale (overnight in Killarney)
27 July - Burren (overnight near Galway)
28 July - Connemara, Clifden, Galway (overnight near Galway)
29 July - Cliffs of Moher, Doolin (overnight near Galway)
[Is a ferry to the Aran Islands feasible?]
30 July - Dingle Peninsula (overnight in Dingle Town)
[Is a ferry to Great Blasket worth it?]
31 July - Dingle Town (overnight in Dingle Town)
1 Aug - Depart Kerry Airport

Thanks for the advice!

We went this past May. Go to the Great Blaskets only if you like hiking up steep areas. They also have a small beach. Bring your own food & water. Additionally, the boats were totally disorganized. They have several companies, and you had to come/go with the one you bought a ticket on. We had to wait 2 hours from the time they told us they would pick us up to the actual time they came. Then, the boat only holds 12 people, and there were 16-18 at the pier that wanted to go back -- some had to wait an additional hour for the boat to go and come and pick them up.

We did the Aran Islands 3 years earlier and it was a very pleasant experience, even though it rained the entire day. There was plenty to do and see, and I would highly recommend it. ((b))

It would be easy to add the Cliffs and Doolin to your day on July 27 when you tour the Burren. Then, you'd have the full day free on July 29 for the Aran Islands.

Great! We'll include the Cliffs of Moher and Doolin on 27 July and add the see the Aran Islands on 29 July.

We will have a two month old infant with us. Should we take along a stroller or is a baby carrier a better idea?

I'd probably go with the baby carrier since it looks like you might be exploring areas that won't all have smooth, paved sidewalks.

A baby carrier would enable you to see a number of places that would be inaccessible with a stroller, Dun Aengus (on the Aran Islands) for one.
And I second the vote for adding the Aran Islands - a trip highlight for us!
Karen

And one more thing... I think you'll be pressed to do Cork, Cobh and Kinsale all in one day coming from Killarney. First, it's a couple hours of driving each way. Then to try doing THREE towns might be a bit much, especially given that Cork is a big city and finding your way around and where to park will take a bit more time. I loved Cobh and Kinsale (and did them both in one day, but we spent the night in Kinsale and didn't have a drive at the end of the day). Can't comment on Cork's attractions because we skipped it.

On the Connemara day, suggest a quick stop at Kylemore Abbey and Cong (where John Wayne's "The Quiet Man" was filmed). You can make a loop from Galway to Clifden to Kylemore to Cong and back to Galway. Easily doable in a day. (We did all that AFTER spending a couple hours in the morning in Galway - didn't get on the road til nearly noon! Of course, it was light until 11 at night.) And yes, agree with the others that you can do the Burren on the same day as the Cliffs of Moher and Doolin. Have a great trip!
Karen

Just up the road from Kylemore is Lenane (where some scenes from 'The Quiet Man' and also 'The Field' were filmed). You can turn back toward Cong here or(if the day is still young), you can turn north on the R355, to Delphi and Louisberg, past the scenic, beautiful and tragic Doo Lough, and then drive into Westport, before either turning back or continuing on to Castlebar, Ballinrobe, Cong and then back to Galway.

Thank you all for the great advice. It sounds like we'll skip Cork. I know we definitely want to see Kylemore Abbey! I didn't realize Cong was that close to where we would be. That sounds great as well. Of course, the Aran Islands sound beautiful, but I think we'll skip them (don't want to be that far away from the car with the baby). Thanks again! We can't wait for the trip. :)

My wife, the baby, and I have just finished our trip. Thank you all again for the great advice. The vacation was wonderful. I'll be posting a trip report soon.

I would skip Cobh - particularly the heritage center unless you are a Titanic fanatic. Kinsale is worth the trip and the Cliffs of Moher are an absolute must.