Itinerary….Need help from Ireland Guru's :)
 

Hey there!!… for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary, we surprised them with a trip to Ireland. All of our dream destination and both sides have roots there. We can not wait to explore those roots and the country. I have been planning away since then. Here is what I have so far. All feedback welcome :)
We love traditional irish music and more laid back environments. I do love me a pint or two.

Day 1: Land in Dublin, rent a car, take military road south through wicklow mountains. Stop at waterfall. Stay outside Kilkenny at a beautiful farm. (Lawcus Farm Guesthouse)

Day 2: Stay in area, check out Kells priory and Kilkenny

Day 3: Stay in area (suffer from Jet Leg and wouldn't mind a relaxing start) and go to Rock of Cashel

Day 4: Head to Kinsale, stopping at Blarney (parents really want to go to this) and also Fort Charles, explore Kinsale

Day 5: Head to Kenmore, taking Beara way and/or Healy pass. Stopping at Drombeg stone circle. See Killarney.

Day 6: Stay in Kenmore, explore gap of Dunloe, Killarney national park and the Muckross house.. Too much??

Day 7: Ring of Kerry to Dingle

Day 8: Slea Head Drive and Conners pass

Day 9: Leave Dingle to either Doolin or somewhere around there, stopping at Cliffs of Moher. If time, The burren as well. Or wait till next day

Day 10: Burren to Galway; or if i can do dingle to galway with both the cliffs and burren then head to the island?

Day 11: Connemara Loop (National park and Abby), stay in Cliften or Roundstone??

Day 12: Sky Road, Doolough Pass to Westport

Day 13: Achill Island, head to Donegal

Day 14: Head to Armagh (my father in law has family here). Anything interesting around here?

Day 15: Armagh to Dublin, Stopping at castle Nugent (my family heritage) just for a photo haha.. Also maybe some other stops that are worth while??

Day 16: Dublin

Day 17: Back to Canada

Phew….. haha I feel like that was therapeutic to type :) Appreciate any help! Thanks a bunch.

Nugent...ain't a guru but have been to Ireland for four visits..each one a month or so...drove the perimeter each time... I do NOT do trip reports...rather, in my infinite octogenarian wisdom, I just share my all-encompassing photos. Just an amateur but they do tell a story and may be helpful in giving you some ideas of what you want to do.

Please do not give Dublin short shrift..I find it to be an enjoyable city to visit.

Happy travels to Ireland...people ask me why I like Ireland so much...one words answer: p-e-o-p-l-e. I was fortunate to share Eire with my two late wives who also fell in love with Ireland.

Stu Tower

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...NorthenIreland http://picasaweb,google.com/stuartto...6PhMe88fg7yQE# These should be able to set up those places you want to be sure to experience. Some of the suggested lodgings are all worthwhile in which to stay.

Nugent, I juggled these around for easier viewing..this may help. Picasa is shifting everything to Google and causing the usual mess.https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...d199602#(These were all taken in 1996)
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...nIreland(these take in both Ireland and Northern Ireland)
http://picasaweb,google.com/stuartto...88fg7yQE#(some muchhearlier photos taken during the time the Irish government was helping seniotr citizens upgrade their houses.)

Tower... Thank you so much!! Your photos tell such a wonderful story. They are beautiful! And helpful indeed. Dublin looks like such a cool city, and I'll have to spend some more time there! :)
Thanks again for sharing your story with me :)

Might suggest that you not spend a night in the Dingle Penn. but explore that peninsula as a day trip on your last day heading north.

You should base the Kerry area at Killarney for 2 nights from where you can do all there is to see, i.e. the Gap, Muckross, and all the places on your itinerary. Don't miss the Gap trip - great! If you are based 2 nights in Killarney then you can do the Ring of Kerry on your 1st day coming in from Kenmore (note there is also a Stone Ring right inside the village of Kenmore), do the Killarney area on that 2nd day, and then just a day trip the Dingle on you way north toward the Burren.

If there are 4-5 of you traveling you might want to look into the two bedroom apartments located at the Scott's Hotel, Killarney. An apartment is a nice way to unwind and relax right in the middle of Killarney. Pricing works out about the same as for two separate hotel rooms. The apartments have balconies, Living/Dining room, kitchen, full bath and two bedrooms both with twins. You can sign up for the hotel breakfast which is just across a short walk way. Nice thing is they also have underground parking for your rental car. Gap tours will pick you up right at your hotel.

You might wish to bypass the Cliffs of Moher as visiting does take up a bunch of time with all the traffic & tour buses. You will be going very close to the Loop Head Cliffs which are just as tall and beautiful no open/close times, no entry charges, no paid parking - NO CROWDS! The trip to Loop Head from the ferry goes through several nice little seaside villages. Loop Head Cliffs are enjoyed more natural than commercial Moher and the lighthouse is very scenic to boot.

SB Smith

Westport is a great place to stay for a couple of nights. Clare Island and Achill plus do Cong.
I am trying to figure out if you are packing up and leaving each day.
Your parent's 50th so they are around 70ish. Might be nice to give them a little two or three nighter somewhere. Clew Bay Hotel is very nice.

Dublin is one of my favorite places. Don't short shift it as Tower has stated. Maybe take away one of Your southwest days.

I know nothing about Armagh.

Macross - Agree Westport is lovely but there isn't enough to do for two nights there, but before they get to Westport when coming off the Connemara Loop (National park and Kylemore Abby)they should spend half a day in Cong before making their way up to Westport. The Royal Abbey is wonderful - so filled with ancient history. Village of Cong is nice but wouldn't stay unless a night at Ashford Castle but very pricey.

I would visit Clifden as you will be in that area, but I would make that visit a day trip lunch stop while looping the Connemara Penn. The roads on the Connemara loop are in my opinion very dangerous during tourist season as they are so narrow with no shoulders and curvy. The danger being that there are NO shoulders on the roads to get out of the way of the big tour buses that come around the curves over the non-existent centerlines. If not experiences Ireland drivers I would avoid very much driving on the Connemara.

From Westport there is the Village of Castlebar worth a quick stop. Sligo has an interesting boat shaped modern hotel on the river in the city centre - nice lunch or dinner stop. Donegal has a lovely old castle right in the centre of the town.

When getting up into County Donegal one should NOT miss a trip out to the Slieve League heather covered Cliffs - they are much higher than either Loop Head/Cliffs of Moher and slieve League is breathtakingly beautiful. The trip to see Slieve League is a real trip with sheep jumping off hills into the road in front of you, lovely peat & heather bogs, and fairly decent country roads. Lots of shoreside B&B's and villages with interesting accommodations. Well worth a trip out the Donegal Penninsula - less life threatening than the trip out the Connemara for Donegal is less tourist traveled and doesn't have a tourist shop every 5 miles.

From Slieve League it is an easy mountain drive up to Letterkenny and on to Londonderry/Derry to see the Cathedral and the old walled city.


SBSmith

<Macross - Agree Westport is lovely but there isn't enough to do for two nights there.>>>

Are you kidding? Westport has some of the best pubs in all of Ireland. Biking, hiking, the ferry to Clare Island. Crough Patrick, Day trips to some of the prettiest scenery Ireland has.
http://www.destinationwestport.com/

Dang, better hurry and cancel my five night upcoming return visit.

sBsmith…. Thank you so much for your information. I was back and forth about whether or not to go to the Cliffs of Moher, so I'd much rather check out Loop Head Cliffs if it is on par without all the tourist stuff. Plus I am a sucker for Light houses!!.. Also Slieve League. I just checked it out, and it is EXACTLY what I am looking for. So beautiful and peaceful!… I am so excited. Thank you so much for that suggestion. We are planning to spend a few nights on the Connemara, instead of Cliften, where would you suggest we base ourselves out of? or more time in country Donegal?
The more I look into this part of Ireland, I could easily spend our whole 2 weeks here haha. I can easily see that this will not be my only trip to Ireland :)

May I ask why not overnight in Dingle?

Great idea about renting an apartment!.. I did not think of that route specially when we are staying in an area for 2-3 nights. Our family loves making our own lunches and such for picnics when on the road and staying in an apartment would allow this plus save cost.

Macross…. Good point.. It might be hard to check in/check out with our folks. hmmmm… Thanks for your information. I think we will make a stop and see Cong :)