After some weeks of researching and much help from this forum, here's my intinerary:
Arriving from London to Dublin:

Day 1: Drive to Kilkenny, overnight

Day 2: See Kilkenny Castle,maybe out to Jerpoint Abbey (yes or no?) overnight in Kilkenny

Day 3: leave Kilkenny. See Rock of Cashel on way to Kenmare. From the Rock of Cashel travel this way: Cashel>Cork>Macroom>Glengarriff>Kenmar e
Stop at Gougane Barra on the way.
Night in Kenmare

Day 4: Kenmare, options open. Night in Kenmare

Day 5: Onto Dingle via Ladies view, Moll's Gap, overnight in Dingle

Day 6: Dingle, options open

Day 7: Travel the coast via Tarbert Ferry, see the Cliffs, overnight in Doolin, Ballyvaughn or Kinvarra. Not sure which

Day 8: Onto Bunratty, overnight in Bunratty

Day 9: Home via Shannon

Suggestions most welcomed. I have
omitted Galway and Cong which were in my original intinerary but there was just too much driving and running. I thought this new plan would slow us down A BIT !

You seem to be new to the board. You posted this once. Just click on your screen name and all your previous posts will appear.

Day three is going to be a long one. The drive you describe could easily be five or six hours. The traffic in Cork City can be very heavy and its easy to take a wrong turn. Until you get to Glengarriff there is not alot to see.
I am not a big fan of Doolin but others love it. I would travel up to Ballyvaughn and take a peek at the Burren but be advised that Ballyvaughn while nice is not a hotbed of activity have fun

I agree with JOHNOD that day three looks like a lot of driving, and that getting through Cork city can be difficult. I disagree very strongly with the suggestion that there is not a lot to see before Glengarriff. West Cork is beautiful, and Gougane Barra on its own would justify the driving effort.

You could route via Mallow and Coachford to Macroom -- slighly longer, and some of it on secondary roads, but avoiding the hassle of Cork city traffic.

You are right, Day 3 will be a long one. But I don't know of any other way to get from Cashel to Kenmare. I think we may just have to deal with it for that day unless someone else has a good idea I can use.

The other concern is my last two full days. I'll be leaving dingle early on Day 7. I figured we'd reach the cliffs in approximately 4 hours, putting us there about 2 pm or so, giving time for a stop. Perhaps lunch before the Cliffs, see the cliffs and then head out to our B&B which I'm still unsure of where to stay. We will need to be in Bunratty on Day 8, late afternoon is fine. Any suggestions on what to do that morning before heading to bunratty

Have you been using http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/default.asp for your route planning?
After Cashel I would go to Cahir (Cahir Castle)then go to Kenmare using the main roads(N).
The route planner says its 2 1/2 hours so plan 3 or 3 1/2.

Yes I have been using the aa routeplanner. I was told on another forum that cashel to cork was a very easy ride. They also told me to take the cashel>cork>Macroom>Inchigeelah>Glenga riff>Kenmare route. I was told that this was beautiful scenery here between Macroom, Glengariff and Kenmare. I figured this route would take about 5 hours. Thoughts? Or alternate route?

I gave you the alternative route, keeping the good stuff and avoiding the big hassle of Cork city. About 150 miles, and I would expect the actual driving to come to about 4 hours. You would spend at least as much time stopped to look at things and places.

Have both routes mapped out and make your up your mind that day.
If the weather is not great that day go for the quicker route,which is scenic in its own way.

Make sure you plan enough time for the RoC.It was the most moving stop on our trip(beside visiting family for the first time).

When everyone says Cork is very hard to drive thru believe them,it was a nightmare.Not a street sign any where.This was the only area we had trouble with.

You are right the drive through Cork isn't the way to go. Instead I was thinking about this: from Cahir to Fermoy. Take the N72 to Mallow and the N20 to Blarney. From Blarney head toward Tower and on to Macroom. (This avoids Cork City.) Take the N22 to Poulgorm Bridge and take the R569 to Kenmare.

What happended to your first plan of Kilkenny to Kinsale? Again Cork is a problem but that route is not that hard and although Kinsale has taken a beating here in the recent past I still think it has charm and again I think the N-71 up the coast is a very easy and pleasent drive. Padriag has a point, althought I still think Cork to Kilkenny is not very scenic from Cork to Kenmare has some great views its just not an easy drive. Have fun

Kilkenny to Kinsale? Well, we were just rushing things too much. By the time we made Kinsale we had enough time to settle at the B&B and make dinner and a pub before nights end. So I had to cut out Kinsale. The road from Kilkenny>Cork>Macroom>Inchigeelah>Glen gariff>Kenmare I was told was fabulous, taking in Gougane Barra, but how much time would I have to spend in some of these places? I don't think much or we'd be pulling into Kenmare at midnight!
I think Padraig's suggestion is more doable. On Day 4 in Kenmare we could always double back into glengariff as it's not very far. Hey, perhaps we could head back up into the Gougane Barra Forest Park?

Irish57 wrote: "Hey, perhaps we could head back up into the Gougane Barra Forest Park?"

It's compulsory. An hour there is worth a lot.

I recently posted my intinerary which is very similar. I used Frommer's suggested "to do in 7 days" and modified to my own liking. Click on my name to find the post. I am heading to Kinsale on day two. If you are in Cork, going to Kinsale for the night is going to be a shorter day than Glengariff and then Kenmare.

Irish: Those online computer generated mapping websites are great, aren't they? How smart of you to use it to figure out such a good route. The last one you posted is the best: "from Cahir to Fermoy. Take the N72 to Mallow and the N20 to Blarney. From Blarney head toward Tower and on to Macroom. (This avoids Cork City.) Take the N22 to Poulgorm Bridge and take the R569 to Kenmare."

All that research you mentioned is paying off. Avoiding Cork especially around rush hour is a good idea.

When coming from Dingle to Kenmare one year, IrishEyes suggested I use the Killarney by-pass and turn at Poulgorm Bridge. It worked out well. Another day we came from the other direction(same as you) and again it was a great route. I'm sorry we didn't slow down once or twice and get out of the car for some pretty sights.