Ireland Itinerary- Comments Please
 

IRELAND ITINERARY Aug 31-Sept 8, 2008

Aug 31
Arrive Shannon Airport 10 AM
Pick up rental car at Dan Dooley
Visit 'Rock of Cashel'
Clare Inn overnight

Sept 1
Visit the Burren
Poulnabrone
Aillwee Cave
Burren Exposure

Drive to Doolin
Emohruo B & B

Sept 2
Cliffs of Moher
O'brians Tower
Depart for Dingle/Kerry
Dingle Peninsula
Murphy's Farmhouse overnight in Castlemaine

Sept 3
Sites: (any and/or we can get in)
Ring of Kerry
Muckross House
Ross Castle
Skellig
Valencia
Derrynane Park
Kerry Bog Museum
2nd night at Murphy's

Sept 4
Finish above sites
Travel to Waterford
Waterford Crystsl (wife must see)
Glenorney B & B overnite

Sept 5
Depart for Powerscourt
Sitesee along the southeast coast
Undecided on route
Ritz Powerscourt overnite

Sept 6
Depart for Derry via the N2
Sites along the way (suggestions please)
Killennan House B & B southeast of Derry overnight

Sept 7
Causeway
Antrim Coast Highway
Maggiminn B & B, County Down overnight

Sept 8
Sites from Belfast to Dublin (suggestions?)
Flemingtownhouse B & B, Ratoath County Meath

Sept 9
Depart Dublin AM

WHEW!

WHEW doesn't EVEN come close.

This is totally beyond crazy. Don't even know where to start. You are attempting about 3 weeks of touring in 9 days

Look at this way Tennessee Joel - you already have three times as many comments as you received the first time you asked about this. You will spend most of your time in the car but that may be okay with you. It will certainly end up being a once in a lifetime trip.

I like to be busy on trips, but even I think this is WAY too much. A few things to get you started, so you'll see why everyone is so astonished...

- You have yourself presumably driving through Limerick on your first day in Ireland. I assume, since you want to do so much, that this is your first trip. If I'm right, then driving in Limerick jet-lagged in a right-hand drive car and on my first time driving on the left is not my idea of fun. Nor would it be anyone else's around me.

- Aside from driving through Limerick, that's a lot of driving on your first day.

- Sept. 2: The Slea Head drive (Dingle) and especially the Ring of Kerry are both basically full day endeavors, unless you just wave at the scenery as you drive by. Most people stop several times along the way. It takes several hours to get from the Cliffs to Dingle. I doubt you'd have enough daylight to do all that even if you wanted to.

- Sept. 3: there's just no way.

I can't help past there. Hopefully that gives you a least a little direction as to what's realistic. For driving times, I took the times given by viamichelin.com and added 50% (as advised on this board), and that wound up being pretty accurate.

I'll make an attempt here but it is too much.

1st I will suggest that NI is too much, take it out and add time to the SW, South and east

I don't understand the beginning, driving to Cashel, then turning around and going back to Doolin the next day. Uou'll be doing mainly back tracking.

See Co. Clare at the beginning and add days to there and Co. Kerry.

Skellig is a full day, Slea Head is the better part of a day (full day for me), RoK is a full day .... As stated before Sept 3 is impossible and the whole area deserves more time.

Insert Cashel between Co. Kerry and Waterford

Sept 5 is fine

Sept 6, Even though the N2 is a pretty good road, you will spend most of the day driving so sightseeing will be minimal and staring out the window of the car will be plentiful. I think this is a very bad idea.

At this point not much reason to continue comments to the rest of the itinerary. Take NI out and spend much more time down south. Do NI next time.

Bill

One thing I forgot to mention is that I am disabled and can't do the long walks.
Spending time in the car isn't really a problem.
I do understand about the Rock of Cashel, we will probably not go or take it in on the trip to Waterford.
Northern Ireland is a must since my ancestors are from County Down.

Thanks