For what you want - I agree that it would be much better to fly in/out of Shannon and skip Dublin entirely.

If you can't change your flights - you could always fly to Shannon (or Cork) from Dublin. That will save you the best part of 2 days on your itinerary.

Lots of good advice , but I do not know if you can change the flight to Shannon fom Dublin , since as you said:

You are "leaving in less than two weeks".


In answer to your question, if you concentrate on the West Coast, then yes you have time to do the Ring of Kerry.

It is a gorgeous circular drive, start out early in the morning from Killarney.

Or as was stated you can do Dingle.

When you are in Galway (Bay), you should follow Bing Crosby's footsteps from his memorable song of "Galway Bay".

This was the first place I went to when I was there.

Just ask anyone to point you to the Spanish Arch...you can walk there easily.

Here are the first four lines of the famous song:

"If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,
Then maybe at the closing of your day,
You will sit and watch the moonrise over Claddagh,
And see the sun go down on Galway Bay"

Now lukesaunt,........... Claddagh means "a stony walkway".. and that is what you will be walking along on once you past through the Spanish Arch.

You are now walking along the famous Galway Bay !!

Let me just say that when in Galway,you are very close to where John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara filmed "The Quiet Man"!

I think I will stop here because you have so much good advice, it is just a matter of how you will alter your trip now to make it more enjoyable and relaxing.

( PS. I would have liked for you to kiss the Blarney Stone , but it is too much out of the way!!)

Percy

Everyone has given some good advice. It sounds like you are enterested in the Ring of Kerry, but I guestion if it is possible to drive and enjoy the entire route in one day with such short day light hours. Padraig and others may know best about this, but I will say it took us a very long day. (Maybe we are just slower than most.?)

No matter where you go in Ireland, you are guaranteed to have a great time!

See, now THIS is why I come on these boards to plan trips. I always get the BEST advice. I have printed out everything you guys said above, and am highlighting it and planning to revamp tonight. We're looking into the flight suggestion, and we'll see what happens, but I have enough here to plan a great, RELAXING trip. Thank you!

It's the wrong time of year for the sort of trip that lukesaunt and some others have been discussing. We're talking about late November.

I really think the RoK is a bad idea in these circumstances. There is not enough time to do it within daylight hours, and there is a high risk of losing the scenery in rain or mist.

If you stay near Dublin you have possibilities in the city for wet days, and you can avail of any good weather to head 30 miles north to Newgrange and the Boyne Valley, perhaps even the next 30 miles to the Cooley Peninsula. Or you can go 15 miles south into the Wicklow Mountains and visit Glendalough. A day trip to Kilkenny is also feasible.

If you come in winter, it is best to do winter tourism.

Padraig:

This is a wild guess :) but is your last name Harrington !

Just kidding ! ((B)) Guiness !

I read on another posting that you indeed are in Ireland... therefore your information supersedes anything I could say. !

Percy

Percy wrote: "I read on another posting that you indeed are in Ireland... therefore your information supersedes anything I could say."

A kind offer, sir, but I decline it. I have a better chance of knowing the facts than many visitors do, but opinions are fair game for all.

Fact: the Gaelic word "cladach" means beach or shore. Another fact: it can also mean beaten path. I invite your opinion on which meaning gave a name to An Cladach (the Claddagh).

Weather report: It rained during the night, but when I got up I saw blue sky and sunshine. If I were on holidays near Dublin I might think it a good day for heading into the Wicklow Mountains (I would have spent yesterday in the National Museum and similar places). There has already been one good shower since.

Padraig - what happens in the winter? Do you get snow? Do all the trees lose their leaves? Is it still so green or is it brown? I sadly have no idea.

Ireland in winter... aah.

I look out the window and I see some trees and shrubs bare of leaves, and others still shedding. Of course, we also have some evergreens, introduced varieties of pine and native plants like holly.

The grass remains green, but growth is arrested, so the livestock are indoors on winter rations (still mainly grass-fed, in the form of silage or hay). Sheep, however, are still foraging the mountains.

Shorter days, a bit more rain that feels like a lot more rain because there might not be enough warmth between showers to dry things. Morning frosts are common from this time of year onwards, but the temperature usually rises several degrees above freezing during the day.

We don't get much snow. Some years we have none at all; more typically we might have about three or four days on which there is noticeable snowfall, mainly in January; it doesn't always lie on the ground for long. Once -- just once -- we were snowed in for a week in my quiet rural location (had it been really urgent, I could have battled my way out, but we had enough food in the house, and it was cosy). We don't cope very well with snow because we don't get enough of it to be trained and equipped for it. Snow chains? No. Snow shovels? No. Snow ploughs? Blades temporarily fixed to council trucks; otherwise, no. Road gritting? Some, but really for dealing with frost and ice.

lukesaunt

Forgive me for hijacking your post ,but I have a question for Padriag.

Padraig, when I did the ring of Kerry, I stopped off at a place called Waterville( I think that is the name).

I recall walking across the street to a beach area, and I saw a statue or monument here.

I do not know who it was for.

I think ,but I am not sure, that it could have been to Charlie Chaplin(?).
I did not take a picture here,like I did at the Molly Malone and James Joyce statues in Dublin.

Is there a statue, monument or some dedication here to Charlie Chaplin.?

If not then it's back to the drawing board !!

Thank you for letting me invade your memory bank

Percy

yes-there is a statue of Charlie Chaplin in Waterville . . .

Hi,
There is a statue of Charlie Chaplin in Waterville. He and his family used to vacation there. If you do a search of "Charlie Chaplin and the Ring of Kerry" several sites will come up with pictures of the statue. Sorry, I do not know how to cut and paste, put the links here or whatever they call it.
Hope this was helpful.

Seeing that the question has been answered before I saw it, all there is left for me to do is add an url: http://www.pbase.com/trip/image/216003

[Not my picture]

Thanks Padraig! It sounds sort of like what maybe Seattle gets in winter. I haven't been there. We (Michigan) always seem to have at least a foot of snow on the ground from December to March. It would be nice to see green grass (and not have to mow it).

kelliebellie wrote: "It sounds sort of like what maybe Seattle gets in winter."

Yes, or Vancouver. The comparison is often made. Geographically, there are similar factors in play.

You're in the equivalent of Poland or Belarus. Except that they have at least 30cm. of snow.

Thanks janisj, Roisin and Padraig.

Thanks for the direct link Padraig.

I copied the picture and put it in my Ireland Trip Folder.

Good Night

Percy ( now for some I-) )