Arrive Shannon 5/19/04 0755 and hopefully on the road by 10a.m. Head out to Cliffs of Moher then through Doolin and the Burren on the way to Kinvarra. Take an afternoon nap then maybe the medieval banquet at Dunguaire Castle.

We arrived at Shannon at around 6:00 a.m. and after picking up car was out around 8:00 a.m. It was raining, of course and we headed out to Cliffs of Moher. The parking lot was closed so we headed over to a town called Lahinch on the water and found a place for breakfast. It was off season so alot of places were closed. We drove back to Cliffs of Moher. We were the only ones there. It was rainy and windy, but a spectacular sight. We then headed back up thru the Burren and up to Galway. It was definitely the way to go for us.

Oh, I think it's definitely doable, distance wise. The key is "through Doolin and the Burren". Doolin is small and without a stop, will whiz by. The Burren is a unique environment and interesting. But it's very viewable by car, depending on routing. There are of course, things to do and places worth stopping, but you will certainly get a good view of the karst with even just a nice drive through.

If you do stop within the Burren, my feeling is that one of the coolest things to pull over for is the Polnabrone Dolmen, an ancient tomb and monument, older than Stonehenge. And all of three tourists there when we were last there in mid to late May. Not even a parking lot, you just pull off the side of the road.

Can't help with the banquet though. Haven't tried that yet.

Good luck.

I flew into Shannon this past October. Allow 3 hours until you get on the road. This is because by the time you land, you shuttle to the car lot and have to wait a long time before you are called. Just the way it is.

We drove straight to Galway as opposed to stopping at the Cliffs of Moher on the way.

So glad we did. We had a short nap after lunch then spent the rest of the evening taking a (short) walk along the coast and then a great dinner and pub hopping in Galway.

I think we would have burnt ourselves out if we would have stopped along the way. - And we wouldn't have appreciated the cliffs as much. Don't Rush yourselves!

When you drive to the cliffs, you go through burren.

b,

My response to your question would be "Yes".

Following a fairly lengthy flight, I'm typically up for but a single stop (one that doesn't require too much driving) prior to heading to my accommodation. Your plan would require a good deal of driving, as the drive to the Cliffs alone is a bit of a haul, never mind the lengthy drive to north Clare and Kinvarra.

As an alternative, consider driving northwest from Shannon to the quiet, historically fascinating town of Corofin, checking out some attractions, and then on to Kinvarra.
Corofin offers the Dysert O'Dea tower house, a 13th century Romanesque church, and a splendid 12th century high cross. Next, en route to Kinvarra, you can make a brief stop at the more than 4,500-year-old Poulnabrone Dolmen.

As regards the Burren, I hope you'll be able to dedicate at least a couple days to this fascinating region, perhaps taking a hike along part of the Burren Way.

Best of luck.