OK, I have reworked my itinerary and bought plane tickets. Before I book all the B&Bs, I just need some final validation that this itinerary it doable and perfect! Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Day 1 - arrive very early in Dublin. Taxi to hotel; day to sightsee/get over jet lag.

Day 2 - all day Dublin sightseeing

Day 3 - get up early, pick up rental car, drive to Kilkenny. Lunch in Kilkenny, see castle, trad music at night (overnight Kilkenny)

Day 4 - after breakfast, drive to Killarney, stopping along the way at Cahir Castle, Rock of Cashel, and kiss the Blarney Stone. I realize we may not have time to see the insides of Cahir/Cashel; we will play it by ear. Killarney in time for dinner; overnight Killarney

Day 5 - Killarney sightseeing - Ross Castle, Muckross House, National Park, etc. overnight Killarney in same B&B

Day 6 - Get up early, drive to Dingle. Lunch/sightseeing in Dingle (Slea Head drive in afternoon.) Trad music at night, overnight Dingle

Day 7 - Dingle in the morning, drive to Bunratty via Adare. I will try to find interesting things to see along the way (any suggestions?) Bunratty late banquet tonight. Overnight Bunratty

Day 8 - Drive to the Cliffs of Moher. See whatever there is to see in County Clare (any suggestions?) Overnight Bunratty (go to bed early)

Day 9 - early flight out of Shannon airport

As you can tell, the last 2 days are a little sketchy. I had originally thought we could stop at King John's Castle in Limerick, but now I've been reading a lot of reviews saying it's basically not worth our time, so I think we'll skip it. Any suggestions for how we can tighten up the time after Dingle and see the most/best attractions?

Thanks!

Day 4, if you don't get to see all 3, the rock of cashel is definitely worth a look over the other two. Day 7 is fine as is, it's a long drive so trying to fit anymore in would be too tiring. Clare is a beautiful county, try to drive up the coast road to the cliffs of moher, there are lovely villages to stop off for lunch, kilkee, lahinch, spanish point. The Burren or Ailwee Caves may also be worth a look depending on your interests. Otherwise sounds like a great trip.

Looks pretty good. Just a few things:

Given the choice between Cahir/Cashel and going to Blarney, it's a no brainer. I just don't get the fascination with kissing the Balrney Stone. The castle is a ruin with very little restoration. The crowds in the summer can be overwhelming so if you get there midday and you are traveling in the summer, you may have to wait an 1-3 hours in line, some of it inside a very narrow winding castle staircase just to kiss "another brick in a wall". You won't leave with anymore gift of gap and at least it's fairly unlikely you'll pick up an infectious disease from the rock. Cahir Castle is a much finer castle and the Rock of Cashel is much more historically significant. Of course, Cahir/Cashel are also along the route. It's your choice of course. I just went back and found a previous post saying this is a priority for your husband .... ok

Day 7 sort of depends on how much time you spend in Dingle. If you just up and go, you'll make it to Bunratty with lots of time to spare. Adare is a cute photo op and gets different reviews. To me, it's a 30 minute stop along the way or you could grab lunch in one of the pubs. Although it's possible to take the ferry instead and hit the cliffs of moher on day 7, I would suggest a fairly early start for that. Day 7 should be fine.

County Clare is beautiful. The Loop Head drive and the Bridges of Ross in the far SW of Clare is very nice. Quite a bit off the beaten track and well worth it.

It's probably in there somewhere, but I can't figure out what time of year you are traveling.

Bill

Wow, you all are so helpful!

We are traveling in mid-September. How do you think the crowds will be then? There is no way I'm waiting in line for hours to kiss the Blarney stone - I can talk my husband out of it if that's the case.

For Cahir Castle and the Rock of Cashel, are guided tours required, or do you just pay a fee and go wander? Are there usually long lines here?

Thanks so much!

Mid September should be OK, July and August would be a madhouse. September is shoulder season, but the best time to catch it is early in the day before the buses show up. It is a mandatory stop for tour buses. The other option would be just before closing. I visited in February and there was almost no one there. If you get there just when a few (or a lot of) tour buses show up, you could be in a long wait. We chatted with the guy who grabs your ankles so you don't plummet 100 feet to your death while kissing the stone. He said that in the summer months, the line goes out to the entry gate which, when and if you go, will make your head spin. That's a long line. Each kisser has to lie on there back, lean out over the opening that drops to the ground below and kiss the stone in an upside-down fashion. It's not just a quick peck and away you go. All that said, you could get lucky and not get much of a line, but it is easily Ireland's biggest tourist trap. The Gardens are nice and on the plus side, if the line is very long, you'll have plenty of time to admire them.

Still Cahir is a much nicer castle. At both Cahor and Cashel, there are optional guided tours which, if your timing is right are a nice choice. Otherwise, you can just walk through. Cahir Castle was the first place I visited where the toilets (restrooms) have arrow slits for defense (from the original walls). Nice touch.

Bill

LotusBlossom,

I agree with Wojazz about Blarney. I stayed in a hotel nearby and we'd walk over in the morning early just for the gardens. We looked at the Castle (tower) but did not go in. If there is not a crowd of tour buses it would be worth a stop. You can drive there and see.

The rest of your itinerary looks great. You did a good job on your research. I've forgotten when you are going. If it is the summer months and Sept. you might want to book soon to get the accommodations you want.

Regards, Joan

Sorry, Lotus, I see you are going in mid-Sept. , a great time to go. You still might think of booking fairly soon as you are going to popular places.

OK, so I'm second-guessing my itinerary. I know it's fine, but I want it to be perfect. Can some of you (wojazz) possibly vote and tell me if it would be better to do the above (option 1) or to do this instead - option 2 -

Same itinerary, except add a day in Kilkenny and subtract a day in Bunratty. On Day 3, we would stop in Powerscourt and Glendalough, getting to Kilkenny in the afternoon and not doing the castle yet (I heard the castle is very crowded unless you get there early in the morning.) Day 4 would be in Kilkenny doing the castle and doing day excursions to Jerpoint Abbey and the Rock of Cashel. Overnight in Kilkenny. Then when we drive to Killarney, we would have one less stop to make, thus ensuring we could tour both Cahir and Blarney. Everything is the same until when we leave Dingle, we would get up early, drive north, use the ferry, go to the Cliffs. Then drive to Bunratty, make the late banquet, fly out the next morning.

Please vote - option 1 or 2?