newcomer1

I've been reading everyone's comments and realized (quite reluctantly) that I had to scale back my mid. Sept. itinerary. We already have our flight into Dublin(with a few days in that area on business), and out of Shannon. These are the areas I am still unsure of and would appreciate comments on:
1. Wed. : Pick up rental car at Dublin airport 1:00 - see Powerscourt and Glendalough that day (night in Laragh -already have B & B). COULD we see both in that amount of time?
2. Thurs.: Leave Glendalough to Kilkenny.See castle & town. Drive to Waterford (perhaps stopping at Jerpoint Abbey on the way). Take crystal factory tour. Night Waterford (just in case we don't get there in time for the last tour). IS this too ambitious for one day - SHOULD I perhaps add Waterford to the next day instead and overnight elsewhere?
3. Fri. : Drive to Cashel,stopping to see Cahir Castle. Night Cashel. 4. Sat. rive to Killarney Park to see Muckross House,etc., and drive to Kenmare for night.
5. Sun.. :Ring of Kerry. WHERE should we spend the night to position ourselves for Dingle Ring the next day? Getting all the way to Dingle wouldn't be doable, would it??
6.Mon.: Dingle Penninsula; night in Dingle.
7. Tues. :CAN we do this??? Drive from Dingle to Cliffs of Moher via Connor Pass, taking ferry at Tarbert. See Cliffs. Go to Bunratty (already have B & B there)for late castle banquet (we probably wouldn't make the earlier one, would we?).
Thanks in advance for the comments. I've been working on this for awhile (really wanted to do Kinsale, but couldn't see how...).
8.Wed. Fly home from Shannon 11:30.

janisj

"SHOULD I perhaps add Waterford to the next day instead and overnight elsewhere?"

If it were me I would:

1) drop Waterford entirely. You don't have time and it isn't that great a place that it merits a visit on this short a trip. There are no bargains at the factory and the tour is so so.

and 2) cut back some more. 1-night stand after 1-night stand w/ long drives in between is just too hectic and tiring. If you want to enjoy Ireland you need to spend more time in places, visit the pubs, chill a bit . . . . .

colbeck

No offense, but you are trying to cram way too much into a short trip. I agree with Janisj -- skip Waterford entirely and try to spend at least two nights in two or three locations.

newcomer1

I was afraid people would say to skip Waterford, but I love that stuff ... and to actually see it made... I even had a neat B & B picked out, and planned to spend the evening at Jack Meade's pub. So, if we didn't do that, where should the extra day go? Does the rest of the itinerary seem doable? We really want to see as much as we can (and do plan to spend each night at a local pub). Thanks.

Itallian_Chauffer

You don't mention time of year. It makes a BIG difference, due to amount of daylight, traffic, etc. None of these roads are particularly easy or enjoyable after dark.

The ROK Tour buses begin in Killarney and drive counter-clockwise. Unless you want to putt along, behind them at 20 MPH, you would want to pass through Kilorglin before 10 AM.

Speaking of which, Kilorglin is 20+ minutes north(ish) of Killarney and that much closer to Dingle. The drive from there into Dingle is not to be rushed -- LOTS of scenic pull-offs and diversions (Inch Strand -- just to name one).

If Connor Pass isn't fogged in, you shouldn't have any problem making the late banquet. Depending on what diverts your attention, enroute (and for how long)you COULD make the early one.

Many times, in Ireland, it ISN'T the destination that matters-- it's the journey.

Bob

cailin

Bob - the OP says that they are travelling mid September.

"Wed. : Pick up rental car at Dublin airport 1:00 - see Powerscourt and Glendalough that day (night in Laragh -already have B & B). COULD we see both in that amount of time?"

You could probably cram both in, but I would think you would be very rushed. I would choose one or the other (Glendalough would be my choice although I love Powerscourt too).

Is there a particular reason apart from the crystal factory that you want to go to Waterford? To be honest I think your time would be better spent elsewhere. I would suggest altering your itinerary

Day 1: visit Powerscourt, night in Laragh

Day 2: visit Glendalough in the morning and then Kilkenny in the afternoon, overnighting in Kilkenny.

newcomer1

Thanks - you are both making a lot of sense (and,yes, it was just the factory I wanted to see). This, however, leads to more questions:

1.We will travel Sept.10-17 QUESTION: how late will it stay light at that time of year?
2.new itinerary:10th -Powerscourt & night Laragh
11th- Glendalough & Kilkenny (spend night Kilkenny).
12th- Cahir &Cashel (night Cashel?)
QUESTION: How long will it take to get from Cashel to Killarney? Should we overnight someplace along the way instead of Cashel?
13th - Muckross House & Killarney Park - night Kenmare
14th - ROK - night Killorglin
QUESTION: I had planned to do the ring clockwise (Kenmare to -Killorglin), as Rick Steves outlined, leaving early enough to avoid meeting buses head-on. Is that necessarily a bad idea?
15th- Dingle - night there
16th- Dingle-Cliffs of Moher-Bunratty for Banquet.
QUESTION: Would we have time to see a little of the Burren on the 16th, or am I trying to cram in too much again?
17th - fly home from Shannon

chip

10th -Powerscourt & night Laragh

11th- Glendalough & Kilkenny (spend night Kilkenny)...(liked the castle...loved glendalough and jerpoint abbey just outside of kilkenny)

12th- Cahir &Cashel-
night in or around killarney

13th -ROK counter clockwise- night Kenmare (me...I much preferred Beara peninsula/healy pass to this section of ROK)

14th - finish ROK between kenmare and killarney (my favorite part of ROK), muckross house(if time...highly recommend Ross castle)
- night dingle...stay in dingle so you can walk to all the great pubs!! the town is nice to stroll thru also

15th- Dingle - slea head...take your time and enjoy everybit ,another night enjoying dingle

16th- via kilimer/tarbert ferry, Cliffs of Moher-Bunratty for Banquet.

"QUESTION: Would we have time to see a little of the Burren on the 16th, or am I trying to cram in too much again?"

-dingle to cliffs is approx 3 and a half hours ...so if you leave early (8ish)you could go to cliffs (by noon), have lunch in doolin at gus o'connors (done by 2ish), and still have a couple of hours to explore...

a drive past doolin up the coast around blackhead to ballyvaghan then down thru burren past poulnabrone dolmen, thru ennis, on to bunratty...(guesstimate...3-4 hours, this would be with quicky stops only-pull over for walk on beach, quick pub stop outside of ballyvaghan, walk out to dolmen) or thru inland burren...explore a couple hours...

tip...we went to banquet a little early (7ish)...and had a pint at mac's pub...the park is "closed"...you won't be able to go inside of buildings...but you can wonder thru and get a feel of the park on your way to mac's then on to the castle...we did spend a couple hours in the park earlier when it was open...but the after hours stroll would have been fine with me.(of course...for those going to early banquet...you could stroll thru and have a pint after the banquet)

17th - fly home from Shannon (hopefully you will have a little time before banquet or in the morning before the flight for some shopping at the woolen mills in bunratty)

newcomer1

Thanks. I had wanted to see the Poulnabrone Dolman, but wasn't sure if we would have time - glad to hear you think it's doable. Our B & B made reservations for the late banquet but has us waitlisted for the early. It sounds as if we'd better keep the late one or we'll be too rushed.

Anyone else with comments on my ROK itinerary??? I was thinking of clockwise from Kenmare for the sake of less driving and skipping the Killarney-Kilorglin stretch. With Chip's itinerary, though, I could have 2 nights in Dingle.