SeeDee

Vaughan's Anchor Inn, Liscannor.

floridapugmom

If you decide to stay in Ennis I highly recommend Newpark House. We stayed there last September and loved it. Newpark House is a 200 year old home/mansion that is now a B&B. It is very close to "downtown" Ennis and there is a supermarket about 2 blocks away that you could shop at if there is anything you might need. The house sits back off the road about 100yards and with the foliage around it you think you are driving into a garden. The host is very helpful, the rooms nice size, and the breakfast is great. Hope this helps. Becky

AlessandraZoe

Happy you straightened your first pit stop out, kpilling. The girls and I here were worried we'd next hear from you from "the other side of the light", seeing as you'd have died from jetlag, distracted driving on some wayside up to Westport.

In Ennis, we stayed at the Old Ground. Nice hotel, I'm not that big of a fan of Ennis. I should be, but I'm just not.

You know, we never stayed in LaConnor (unless you count the one in the state of Washington, USA--quite another story), but SeeBee's suggestion brought back the memory that the three in my family ate at Vaughn's there midday. AND, if memory serves me correctly (but I am FOR CERTAIN aging) that's where we attended a Ceili. And it was so lovely.

So for the record, all of these we stayed at could be your first stops from nearest to farest away:

Ennis--Old Ground (nice hotel; I'm just iffy on the town)
Doolin--We stayed in the SeaView B&B (Ok--close to one trad pub, more of a walk from two others)
Ballyvaughen (but really not in it)--Gregan's Castle Really nice, but just a tad out of the way. Not much though!
Galway--Park Hotel (?)--nice hotel in town near main square, access to trad was lovely.

Not stayed in, but you might want to consider since SeeBee otherwise seems to have been so helpful:
LaConner--Vaughn's (Spit from Doolin's, Cliffs of Moher)

allisonm

I think posting your itinerary helps a lot. Ennis is a fine place to spend the first night since you will be dragging from all the traveling. It's very walkable and small enough that you can do a lot or a little, depending on how you feel. I am not a huge fan of Ennis but I think it will be perfect for you.

The next day you will be refreshed, so the drive out to Westport won't be so hard. You can take a straight shot up and over from Castlebar or you can take a wandering route through Connemara. We love the coastal drive - stopped for lunch in Roundstone and bought some pottery. Malachi's bodhran shop was closed on Sunday. Whatever way you go, it is a bit of a drive.

The rest of your plan looks great. We spent two nights in Dingle and two in Kenmare, at The Lighthouse and The Lodge, respectively, and liked both. Two nights will be good for Kinsale. If you take the coast road through West Cork, you will pass through some lovely little towns.

The drive back to the Shannon area is not difficult once you get out of Cork City. I agree with Bob that Bunratty is a nice place to spend your last night. It is only a few minutes from the airport, and has a Blarney Woolen Mills and the associated home shop (forget the name right now) for those last minute gifts, plus your choice of several pubs and/or restaurants. We stayed at Dunaree with Penny O'Connor and would stay with her again.

kpilling

Wow - you guys are awesome for all the input. Made a slight change - what do you all think?
Oct7 Land in Shannon late afternoon stay in Ennis ???????
Oct 8 - Stay in Ennis and visit Doolin and Cliffs of Mohr
Oct 9- Oughterard ???????????????????
Oct 10-11 - Westport - ???????????? possibly Boulevard House
Oct 12-13-14-15 - Dingle (Private Cottage in Dunquin)
Oct 16-17-18 - Kenmare - (Seashore Farms)
Oct 19-20 - Kinsale - (Old Presbtery)
Oct 21- Bunratty - ????????????
Oct 22 - Home

Any places with the ??????????? would be helpful. Also any highlights of pubs or restaurants is always helpful.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks

davispeets

If you end up in Doolin - I can definatly recommend Roadford House - it's right next to two of the three pubs. Simple rooms and a FANTASTIC dinner (I think breakfast was pretty good too)! The wife was very sweet and the husband is a chef. I stayed there last September for two nights.

gablues

Westport...

Restaurants
Breakfast/Lunch
Curry’s Cottage www.curryscottage.50webs.com
The Stuffed Sandwich – Bridge Street
Lunch/Dinner
Sol Rio http://www.solrio.ie/
The Helm http://thehelm.ie/
The Linen Mill – off Newport Road
La Belle Vita – High Street
Torino’s – Market Lane

Pubs
The Clock http://www.theclocktavern.ie/
Matt Molloy’s http://www.mattmolloy.com/index.html
Cobblers http://www.wyatthotel.com/cobblers-bar
The Porter House http://www.theporterhousewestport.ie/
McGings – High Street
Geraghty’s – at the Octagon

Matt Molloy's has trad music on every night after 10pm. The Clock,Porter House,Cobblers and Geraghty's also offer music on certain nights in October.

TPAYT

gablues------thanks so much for the restaurant and pub suggestions. We will be in Westport for 3 nights in Sept.at The Boulevard House.

Any other suggestions as to things to do and see would be appreciated. We've read the guidebooks, but of course people like you who actually live there always have a few favorites.

jaja

Cliffs of Moher now charges €6 to view the Cliffs. While this includes parking and admission to the Visitor Centre, there is no more free viewing.

Not going down well with the tourists or the Irish press.

I have experienced the boat ride from Doolin and recommend it.

kpilling

Thank you all for the great suggestions.

One more question - When exploring the Connemara region - is Westport the best base or would Clifden, Oughterard or Rossaveel be best?

SeeDee

On balance, you are probably best with Westport as it offers the best choice of options in terms of accomodation and entertainment. Had a nice meal in Sage restaurant on Saturday evening - although having walked 20 miles and then climbed Croagh Patrick, I was probably ready to eat the leg of the table as well as what appeared on the plate. McGing's pub next door seemed a busy spot.
Rossaveal would be a very quiet place in October; Oughterard likewise. Clifden, by being in County Galway, can claim to be the principal town of Connemara but would not offer the same range of restaurants and pubs as Westport.
Travelling up from County Clare, you will need to decide whether to include Clifden on your route. An alternative route to Westport incorporating some of Connemara, would be to drive via Cong and onwards to Leenane. Most would regard Kylemore Abbey as a Connemara must-see, so that would involve driving beyond Leenane if taking this alternative route. Decisions, decisions.
One definite - you will need the full day for travelling when you do the Westport - Dingle leg of your trip. Don't factor in any sightseeing for that day!

gablues

tpayt, A few things I enjoy around the area..

Westport House http://www.westporthouse.ie/
Westport Golf Club http://www.westportgolfclub.com/
Croagh Patrick http://www.croagh-patrick.com/

Clare Island http://www.clareisland.info/
Carramore, Old Head (Louisburgh) (22kms west via R335) is a lovely Blue Star beach
Achill Island http://www.achilltourism.com/ is always a lovely place for a day trip

TPAYT

gablues----thanks so much for the actual websites, Very considerate of you.

cherylbr

New question here-We are thinking of coming in Sept and debating.... a bike tour or our own car tour. Never been to Ireland. Ride bikes every other day here in Neb. which is a flat state. Will we feel like we saw Ireland on a 7 or 10 day bike tour?

GreenDragon

Yes, but you will NOT be riding on anything flat, if you go to the most scenic areas, trust me! Ireland is very rolling

kpilling

We are interested in seeing the Connemara region and that would also include a trip to the Inishmore Island. Is it best to go from Ennis to Galway and stay there 2 days to see Inishmore or is it best to go to Westport for all three days?

That would be Oct 8,9,10

Then on October 11 I need a good spot to stop between Westport and Dingle so that the drive is not so long.
Oct 7 - Ennis
Oct 8,9,10
Oct 11
Oct 12,13,14,15 - Dingle
Oct 16,17,18 Kenmare
Oct 19, 20 - Kinsale
Oct 21 - Ennis
Oct 22 - Home

Thank you

SeeDee

If you plan on a visit to one of the Aran Islands, then you really need to schedule two nights in Galway. Aer Arann will get you over in ten minutes but their airstrip is well out of town. An early start from Ennis might get you on the island by lunchtime; ferries might be getting a little weather sensitive by mid October so flying is your best bet, especially on a tight time allowance.
Standard activity on arriving is to rent a bicycle and make tracks for Dun Aonghus fort; there are taxibuses for the less energetic. Either way, you need to allow enough time to get a sense of island life so the more of the day that you have there the better. Spending the night there used to have the attraction of being in a police-free state (you can work out the effect that had on pub closing times.....).
Personally, I would spend the two nights in Galway and you can cover a decent chunk of Connemara en route to Westport on the following day.
In regard to the Westport-Dingle leg, I would go for it in a single day unless you had missed out on the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren on your Ennis - Galway drive. The Killimor to Tarbert ferry gets you from Clare to Kerry without the need for going through Limerick. Stopping short of the ferry in South Clare doesn't offer too many overnight options as Kilkee is a very high-summer-only place. Doonbeg offers a very upmarket golf resort if you feel the need to test the constitution of your credit card; I think they have lodges to rent and there certainly must be a website.

AlessandraZoe

cherylbr: I have good news and I have bad news.

Bad news first: Having biked three weeks in Ireland over two separate trips, I can tell you that rolling hills is your "minimum" expectation. Our bike trip from Kenmare to Cork (south-ish coast) was quite the challenge--up Beara and Healy passes--but our Lahinch to various places in Connemara (even on Aran islands), far less arduous things, were either rolling hills or headwinds. Never underestimate a headwind on the flat--one of our best fellow bikers was a Dutchman who had never really been above sea level before.

The good news: We biked with a really good biker from Iowa who LOVED biking on our Connermara trip. His wife couldn't really press a pedal, and the dear heart just road up and down, up and down each hill--even the most challenging-- until she either a) biked her ownself up to the top or b)was driven to the top by a van.

Also biked with people on a later trip who were in quite decent shape who lived in flat places in Minnesota. They did very well in Connemara, even on hills and even against the wind.

kpilling: I loved Inishmore, and I quite comprehend your desire to see it. We took the ferry right outside Doolin in early morning with our bikes. We then biked out to Dun Aegis, had a lunch at a lovely place (wish I could recall!) overlooking the sea, and we then we headed back to the dock to take a different ferry to place us further north towards Clifden. Our biking company, if I recall correctly, shuttled us up to Clifden from wherever we landed.

Rick Steves seems to have posted a pretty good ferry guide at this link:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti...d/aranisla.htm

As always, enjoy your choices. There are no rights and no wrongs, only your own adventures.