Ireland- Shannon to Dublin: Too Aggressive?
 

Hi there, I'm in the beginning stages of planning my trip to Ireland after much research on various recommendations from the board. I want to begin booking B&B but want to get your opinion to see if this schedule is too aggressive. My DH and I like the hustle and bustle of travelling, but don't want to get bogged down with driving 50% of the time. I ran a trip route and it doesn't look too bad, but I'd like your feedback in case you've done this or if I'm wasting my time on any of the following. Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!

Day 1: Fly to London- stay in london
Day 2: London to Shannon via Ryan Air
Day 3: Drive Dingle (3 hours)- stay overnight
Day 4: Drive to Killarney (1 hour) and explore, afterward Drive to Kenmare (half hour) and stay overnight
Day 5: Explore Kenmare stay in Kenmare
Day 6: Drive to Cork (1 hour) and explore, then drive to Kinsale (half hour) and stay overnight
Day 7: Drive to Kilkenney (2 hours) and stay overnight
Day 8: Drive to Dublin (2 hours)
Day 9: Dublin
Day 10: Dublin
Day 11: Fly home from Dublin

Am I missing anything? I greatly value your opinion, thanks again!

Those driving times sound about right WITHOUT ANY STOPS, but you would have to be blind, bored and oblivious to beauty to make that kind of time. It will take a couple of hours to explore Slea Head Drive and Connor Pass in Dingle, Then it will be closer to 1 1/2 hours to make Killarney, if you don't waste any time stopping at Inch Strand. To do the Killarney to Kenmare drive in 30 minutes, you'll miss a great phot-op at Ladies View, the hike to Torc Falls and probably at least one herd of Irish Red Deer, although depending on the time of day, you might miss them even IF you were driving slow.. Ditto on the Kenmare to Cork route, even if you do the "shortcut", direct route via Macroom. If you drive into Bantry via Glenngarriff, then inland via Dunmanway, it is AT LEAST two hours. Taking the quasi-coast road through Skibberean and Clonakilty, etc., will take nearly four.
Kinsale to Kilkenney is probably four hours, depending on the route, traffic and how much you pass by. Dunno about Kilkenney to Dublin. That time MIGHT be right if you IGNORE Glendalough and Powerscourt.
CAN you do it? Yes, but it will doubtless take much longer than your estimates. Will you MISS a LOT, if you do it? Yes, but you will miss a lot even if you don't. Welcome to the Greatest Dilemna of touring Ireland. You have some tough choices to make and I don't envy you.

Driving somewhere, staying overnight, then driving on to somewhere else next day, means you're seeing a place only at night, and probably missing heaps. I did this sort of thing first time around, but now try to schedule at least 2 nights anywhere unless it's strictly just a passing-through stop on the way to somewhere more interesting. Dingle for example justifies more than you've given it, if you want to take in the region around Slea Head etc.

Yes that is very much my dilemna, and its difficult for us to eliminate cities considering we've never been there before, but I appreciate your candid honesty that we are trying to do too much in too little time. Since our days are designated as such, could someone please recommend what areas we could focus more on and other areas that we could eliminate?

I appreciate it!

Is there a specific reason you are spending so much time in Dublin? We got to Dublin in the early evening and spent the next full day there-That was enough time for us to cover everything(St stephens green, Trinity college book of kells, Christ church,St Patricks, Guinness Factory tour and Grafton Street). Since you shouldn't be too jet lagged from your London flight I think Driving to Dingle is fine. Consider staying two nights in either Dingle, Kenmare or Kinsale this will allow you more time to explore. maybe even hit one or two of the "less known" penisulas(Mizen Head and Sheeps Head). From Killkenny thiink about hitting Glendelaugh and the monasic ruins and the Powerscourt for the beautiful gardens-all in the Wicklow mountain range) These are very close to Dublin.
We spent two weeks on our honeymoon in Ireland staying one or two nights in each town-we are also thought we wouldn't mind mild hustle but there is alot to see and you will not want to be in the car that long. Just about around every corner is a treasure.