Irish Itinerary
 

Travelling with husband, son & his wife to Dublin for 3 days and then Kilkenny for 3 days. Son and his wife will return to USA 7th day. What would be a good 4 day itinerary for my husband & I? Previous trips included Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Kilkenny & Waterford.

At the end of those four days, will you need to be back in Dublin?

head West to Clifden and use it as a base to explore Connemara. Its every bit as stunning as Kerry. I can send you links to my photos from my last trip if you send me your id ([email protected])

Suggest flying out of Shannon to maximize your time.

a few suggestions -

West Cork and the Beara peninsula
Galway & Connemara
Donegal & Sligo
or you could see some of Northern Ireland - the Giants Causeway, the Lakes of Fermanagh, Belfast, etc.

I would say Galway/Clifden (connemara) it would be nice for 4 days and different from your previous travels.

Sorry, should have said we must fly out of Dublin on 4th day. Thank you.

Have you checked to see if they will change the return to Shannon? Its far more convenient as you have to stop in Shannon for at least an hour (often more) anyway on the return.

We were able to get two round trip tickets, on Aer Lingus, for $228 each. Flying out of Shannon, instead of Dublin, would add about $600 on to each ticket. We are travelling in late November.

OUCH!

You can still do Connemara, but will have to drive back to Dublin the evening before or you have an early morning flight.

You may also want to consider Wicklow (there are some lovely drives) so you make the most of the time.

Return flight is noon on 4th day. Would have to leave Connemara the day before and possibly stay in Trim or closer to Dublin.

Another option...
Last summer we started off our trip in the Boyne River Valley, just north of Dublin.
There are many interesting sights: Newgrange, Monasterboice, Mellifont Abbey, The Hill of Tara, and the Battle of the Boyne.
A couple hours away is Clonmacnois-another sight for famous high crosses.
There is also a Bog Train in the area (didn't have time to do, but have heard that it is interesting).

I would highly recommend Galway. It is a great base for exploring the Cliffs of Moher and the Connemara region. You could also do a day trip to the Aran Islands from there. It is quite a drive from Galway to Dublin, so i would do three night there and spend your fourth night closer to the airport.

Also, I just went to Ireland in February and I highly recommend Galway for " off season". You can see all the sights/ scenery during the day and then come back to town for great Restaurants and pubs..since it is a University town there is alsways lots to do. We found that in off season many of the smaller owns are basically shut down from Nov-March. Do check the rates at The Great Southern Hotel. It is great and we got it for $99 euros per night which was a steal! Also we heard wonderful trad music at The Crane and The Quays and Taffes! Have a great time..our weather in Feb was fantastic and I hope yours is the same!

Barstamp:

If you decide to go to Clifden, then I have two recommendations for accommodations. Both are in the expensive category.

The first is Ballynahinch Castle. I have stayed in the grounds of the house three times (a converted fort where the Queen Grainne O'Maoile garrisoned her troops). Some of the photos I sent you are of the wonderful gardens.
http://www.ballynahinch-castle.com/

The saecond is Lough Inagh Lodge just outside a village called Recess. We dined there one evening last September and the food was excellent:
http://www.loughinaghlodgehotel.ie

Obviously, there are plenty of cheaper places, but these two are very special.

There are wonderful driving tours in the area, both inland and along the coast. If you decide to go, I can send you some instructions.

Happy planning :)

From Kilkenny, I'd probably head to Galway. It's about a 3 hour drive. I'd stay there one night, tour Connemara the next day and stay in or around Clifden, and then head back to Galway and stay in that area on the third night. Then, you can drive back to Dublin on Day #4.

Keep in mind that you won't have long hours of daylight late in November. It will get dark by 4:30 or 5.

You could consider the Ring of Baera, Kenmare (which I loved, and is close to Killarney), and down to Kinsale. If you have time you can swing over to the Rock of Cashel, which I thought was incredible to see.

No matter where you go, it will be wonderful!

Thanks for all your help. Have decided on 3 days, near Galway City. Will stay at Killeen House, Bushypark, Galway. Anybody familiar with this guesthouse? Online reviews, including travel sites, are very good.