My wife and I just booked a trip to Ireland and leave in a couple of weeks. This is a bit of a last minute decision and will be our first trip to Ireland. We are flying in and out of Dublin and plan to spend about 3 days in there then rent a car and drive west to Ballyvaughn (just a little south of Galway). We will use that as our base for the next 3 days. We will then return to Dublin to fly home. I know we do have time to see a great deal and we do not want to be so rushed that when we return home we can’t remember what we saw or did. So, I am looking for some itinerary suggestions. We will definitely visit the Cliffs of Morh and the Burren. We will of course visit Galway. We enjoy everything from historic sites to museums to just walking in a beautiful place. The only thing we are not big on is shopping. Normally my wife and I would spend countless hours putting together an itinerary but with this I think we need help and suggestions from those who have visited or live in Ireland. Thank you for all of your help.

Isn't there anyone on this board who can and will provide me some assistance?

Just south of the cliffs is the town of Ennis. The ruins of the friary is pretty cool. Driving down the coast road from the cliffs is also a pretty nice drive. If you want some touristy, but a fun evening, do the medieval banquet at Bunratty. There may be one closer to Galway though.

dave

Moran's on the Weir is great for local seafood, very near BV. Connemara area, to the west of Galway, is still very wild and beautiful.

Hi, Outside of Dublin, we really enjoyed Glendalough. In Dublin, don't miss the Book of Kells. Have a nice time!

We had a wonderful medieval banquet at the Dunguaire Castle near Kinvara. We were told at the b&b where we stayed that the lady who is in charge of the banquet wanted something that had good food and good entertainment. It had both. We like Dunguaire Castle and the Kinvara area.

We drove to Cong and walked the grounds of Ashford Castle. We had planned to eat dinner there but they said guests only were allowed. We spent an hour walking the grounds - very beautiful. We felt it was worth our time to visit Cong and Ashford Castle grounds.

Have you taken a look at this:

http://www.ballyvaughanireland.com/t...o-do-page.html

When we stayed near Ballyvaughan several years ago we visited several of the sites listed here, including the ruins of the Caherconnel stone fort, the Corcomroe Abbey, and the old burial tomb...all of that can be seen in a day.

We also enjoyed the Burren Centre in Kilfenora, and a cave whose name I have forgotten (I think it was probably Aillwee, just from looking at the website). Those could be combined in a day with the Cliffs of Moher.

Here is a site that has some suggested itineraries for the area:

http://www.burrenbeo.com/visitor-iti...?objID=Article

My husband loved the Burren -- something about it just "grabbed" him and we hope to return there for a slightly longer stay some day!

trave,

Congratulations on your trip. A couple must-sees in Dublin if you enjoy Irish history are Kilmainham Gaol and the National Museum. The former brings to life Ireland's struggle for independence, including a tour of the jail cells of some of the men who gave their lives to forge a new nation. A trip here makes for very informative and poignant visit. The latter site does a fine job covering Ireland's history from pre-historic times through the War of Independence. Be sure to be on the look-out for the 8th century Ardagh Chalice and Tara Brooch.

Concerning points west, Ballyvaughn is a fine place to base yourself. If fair skies are in the forecast, try to spend a full day touring Connemara. There is splendid scenery on offer, and you can take time to visit the wonderfully situated Kylemore Abbey. Plus, and as previously noted, try to tour the village of Cong and the grounds of the impressive (and extensive) Ashford Castle. Perhaps you're a fan of John Ford's The Quiet Man (1951); much of that film was shot on the grounds of Ashford and in and around Cong. For fans of the film, a trip here is almost a pilgrimage.

Best of luck.

On your way to or from the West, check out Clonmacnoise, south and a bit west of Athlone.

jaja wrote: "Clonmacnoise, south and a bit west of Athlone."

East. The turn-off is on the Dublin side of Athlone.

Hope this isn't too late. We visited Ballyvaughan in October '07 and had a nice breakfast at the Junction Tea House. Kinvarra is close by and seemed to have more goig on.
The Burren is very close to the south a little - also great water views heading south to Doolin.For a nice dinner in Doolin, try the Roadford House. Be sure to check out the music sessions in one of Doolin's popular pubs:McDermott's, McGann's and Gus O'Connor's. If you have time take the boat out to Innisheer from Doolin - it's a great 4 hours.