We just did a family trip, mainly staying with friends. It's the first time in my life I had no concrete plans. Unless you want more than a clean , conveniently located place to stay,you can really be spontaneous and let the weather and your interests determine your schedule. There are rooms everywhere. When we arrived late in Killarney, it was the only time we got a crummy room for the 4 of us because we were hot and tired. We parked on a bustling street and took the first place we came upon. All we needed was a shower, bed and breakfast. We spent very little time looking for accomodations anywhere we stopped. The only placed we booked in advance was the night before for Dublin taking an internet offering.

Many of the places we stayed at were totally booked on our nights there. I like to book the best room I can get for the price. These are the rooms that will book up in advance.

Maybe during the low season it would be safer to travel in Ireland without any reservations. For me, since I am picky about my room, during high season I prefer to book in advance.