Hello,

Thanks to those of you who have offered suggestions up to this point. This trip is literally evolving as I read this site.

We are flying into Shannon and plan on either driving to the Cliffs of Mohr and then to the Bay of Dingle and stay a few nights with continued travel to Killarney, Kinsail and Cashel ( Two nights in each town). OR should we drive from Shannon to the Cliffs of Mohr and onto Killarney and then to Dingle as break inbetween towns ?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks much.

Carolyn

Sounds like you are going to do alot of driving and backtracking just to spend an hour at the cliffs. They are nice but in my view not that nice. I would skip that and spend the extra time in Dingle or Killarney. When driving from Killarney to Kinsale take the longer southern route (N-71) the scenery thru the park and thru the mountains is spectacular and in my opinion more spectacular the the cliffs. The ride along the coast to Kinsale is very nice.

The problem w/ posting multiple threads is that you get answers but some of the important details are missing -- for instance that there are 7 of you on this trip.

Not only are you going to spend a lot of time in the car - the type of vehicle you will need for seven adults and their luggage will be very large and harder to drive on these roads . . . .

You might want to consider Kenmare instead of Killarney. Killarney is more of a city, Kenmare is a heritage town, very charming - you won't be disappointed.

Also, I respectfully disagree with JOHNOD, I think the Cliffs are that nice. If it's your first trip to Eire you have to see the Cliffs.

Carolyn

I would not drive from Shannon to the Cliffs and then down to Killarney on your first day. Way too many opportunities to fall asleep. I would spend the first night in either Doolin, Lahinch or the furthest (and certainly doable) Kilkee. From there it's not a long drive to the ferry and then south to Killarney. Driving under the influence of jet lag is sort of like having just one drink past what you should have. You can stay realtively alert, especially if you have others to chat with, but your reaction time to sudden events is significantly impaired.

Bill

Hi,

Sorry - but all your help brings forth more questions. OK - well I am not a fan of backtracking especially with what will likely be two cars with family members reading maps and no clue where we are heading. So based on the responses I am wondering if we should skip the Cliffs of Mohr and spend more time in the Dingle area.
Question - is the drive from Shannon to Dingle doable in one day ? Bill suggested a beautiful B&B in the Dingle area that looks like it's worth a stop over. If Dingle is too far then where should we stay the first night - Any ideas ?

Thanks

You could drive to the Cliffs, then down to Tarbert for the ferry and make the Shores pretty easily on the first day. You probably won't see much of the Burren, though unless you route in a "loop".
The Shores (Castlegregory) is on thenorth side of Connor Pass. The next day, drive over the pass into Dingle Town and do a liesurely drive around Slea Head. I would consider staying in Dingle the second night, but Bill and Budman's praises of the Shores MIGHT tempt me to redrive the pass and forego the nightlife of Dingle.
Two nights in Killarney would be just about right. If you don't mind staying a bit out of town, I strongly recommend Carriglea House. It's half way between the road to Muckross House and the one to Ross Castle. Ask for rooms in the Carraige House. Phone is 011 353 64 3116

Be sure to drive the N71 south, through Kenmare, Glenngarriff and Bantry. The route is WELL WORTH the time.

You might consider staying in Cahir, rather than Cashel. Check out Carrigeen Castle for a unique B&B experience. You would need to book early though, given your number.

Cliffs of Moher look just like the postcards, are full of other tourists and aren't worth the backtracking in a shorter trip, in my humble opinion. Head south from the airport to Dingle, I think.

I would agree that Kenmare is the place to stay instead of Killarney. Stay at The Lodge, it is wonderful!

Big big big thumbs up on the Lodge in Kenmare. Good call sformby.

Carolyn

I have to disagree with sformby on this one. Virtually everywhere looks just like (sometimes better than) the postcards and if that was all you needed to experience a place, you wouldn't need to travel at all. It can certainly be crowded at the Cliffs but it is a spectacular place and there is no way a photo can do it justice. One thing to do to wake you up is to take a walk along the cliffs. The further you walk, the fewer people you will see. If you stay nearby, you can go back in the evening when there are very few people remaining. Watching the sun set over the Aran Islands is an amazing way to spend an evening.

I stand by my suggestion not to try to make it to Dingle on the first night. Yes it can be done, but these raen't motorways, they are narrow winding roads. You can probably do it but you are looking at 4+ hours of driving and you would need to stop a lot and get out and walk. Please be careful here. One of the glaring realities that the Republic of Ireland likes to slap it's visitors in the face with are the large signs as you enter each county detailing the number of traffic fatalities in the current year versus the previous year. The effects of fatigued driving is very similar to those of drunk driving and the results can be the same.

OK, I'm off my soap box. Be safe and have fun.

Bill

Thanks everyone. This has been so helpful in planning what will be a trip of a life time. My siblings and I are taking my mother to Ireland to make one of her dreams come true and no doubt it will be a beautiful experience for all of us.

Bill - thanks for your concern. You raise a very valid point that gives me pause.

Will keep you posted.

Carolyn

Seconding the recommendation to see the Glengariff/Bantry Bay route. It was one of my favorite parts of our trip.
If budget permits, Sheen Falls Lodge on the edge of Kenmare is a lovely place to stay.
The Cliffs are worth a detour, but I think your initial route involves a lot of backtracking. I hope you weren't planning all this driving just after your plane flight.
We made somewhat your route in reverse. We drove from Dingle, took the Tarbet Ferry, lunch in Quilty, saw the Cliffs, ate at Moran's Oyster Bar (which I don't recommend) and pulled in to St. Cleran's south of Galway late in the afternoon. It was a very long day because we got a bit lost in Tralee.
If you can come up with a reasonable route, the Cliffs are specatacular -- this from someone who has spent a lot of time on the Oregon, Alaska, California and Hawaii coasts.

Personally, w/seven travellers and lots of sightseeing, jet lag and conversations it would be hard to be safe & really enjoy the scenery. Lasy year, we contacted O'Sheas Irish Tours. Our driver, Seamus, was wondeful, the van was comfortable. They were reasonably priced (we told them how much we wanted to spend and the major sights we wanted) and they offered us several choices/suggestions. We still have one of their phone messages on our answering machine from last year; we enjoyed every single thing about our tour. They are based in Tralee. Anyway, have a great trip.

Hello Ckyle,

I am living in Cork City, and I want to wish you a nice trip when you come to Ireland.

May I respectfully suggest that when your so near Cork, that you go and visit the town of Cobh. Its only 12 miles or so outside Cork, just down the harbour.
It has a divine Cathedral,nice sea front buildings, and a fantastic visitor centre about emigration and the Titanic(as Cobh then called Queenstown was the last port of call for the liner)

It is my humble opinion that Cobh beats kinsale hands down!

Have a nice time in Ireland.

Regards,

P.