6 of us are planning a trip to Ireland, Sept.9-23, arriving at Shannon airport 7AM on the 10th, day 1-- HELP! (much fun planning tho). This may be either too general or TOO MUCH. Would appreciate your suggestions; we may be "WAY OFF" on this.

DAY 1-3 Bunratty area hotel
Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Connemara.
(On day 3 drive 90mi. to wedding near
Knock & back to Bunratty same day,
POSSIBLE)?
TOTAL 3 DAYS.

DAY 4-6 Killarney - Kathleen's B&B
Dingle, Ring of Kerry,Tralee,Bere Penn.Cork,Clonakilty,Rock of Cashel,Vee Gap,
Waterford,Glendalough.
(TOTAL 3 DAYS)

DAY 7&8 B&B outside Dublin
Nat'l Stud, TheCurragh,Dublin City
(travel via longford to Ballina)
(TOTAL 2 DAYS)

DAY 9-12 Ballina - Hillcrest House
Sligo area, then Belmullet Penn.(ancestors)
(TOTAL 4 DAYS)

DAY 13 Drive down the west coast back to Bunratty for departure on day 14 at Shannon.

Hi,
I posted too soon. I really wanted to thank everyone for their help and for reading my message.
Thanks again.

Hmm, at first glance, this looks WAY too much. Firstly, consider staying in Galway instead of Bunratty. On your first day, stop in Ennis for breakfast, hit the Cliffs of Moher, drive thru the Burren on the way to Galway. On the second day, ARan Islands OR Connemara. Or you could try to see some of Connemara to or from the wedding~keep in mind your average road speed will be 35 mph. It always takes longer to get there in Ireland.
For your second phase, again, WAY too much. On day four, (it would take at least 4 hours to drive from Galway, less from Bunratty), use the afternoon for Killarney stuff~definitely Gap of Dunloe if you get the chance. DAy five, either Ring of Kerry OR Dingle. On Day six, Beara Peninsula. Everything else you have listed is out of reach.
On the way to Dublin, stop at the Rock of Cashel. Unless one of your group is extremely horsey, the National Stud probably isn't worth the time, especially in Sept.
Why four days in Sligo? You could fill in those days with plenty to do in the area, but consider cutting it to two days, and using them for Co. Kerry: two days in Dingle and then two days in Cork perhaps.

Don't want to dismiss ANY Irish interest, but ...

Forget about Dublin and use Days 7 & 8 in Cork / Kerry.
Move Days 9 - 12 to co-incide and follow Days 1-3. If you look at the map, this is MUCH more logical. You are already there (because of the Knock area wedding. Also, if you do this, you might be able to shave a day or so here, to either add elsewhere, or to reinsert the Dublin leg. My experience, factoring in stops for food, drinks, foto ops, etc. is that it takes about 4 - 5 hours to cover 100 miles of driving, unless you put blinders on, get on a dual-carraige way and vow to get there, without distraction! You don't get to see much that way, though.
Also, consider moving your initial base from Bunratty to Galway or vicinity. The Arans will take the better part of a Day, just by themselves, as does the Ring of Kerry. Been 6 times in 5 years and I still haven't managed to see everything on your list.

Stella96,

Thanks so much for the laugh. I really needed it this morning.

Seriously, KatelP has it right and you have WAY too much scheduled for your first week in Ireland. The rest is almost as bad but a bit more doable.

Day 1 Once you are on the road go to the Cliffs of Moher and then on to Galway. You will see a good bit of the Burren on your way, either driving through it or around by the coast road. Get into Galway and find a B&B. Check out Galway and try to stay awake.

Day 2 visit places through out Connemara OR take a trip to Aran Islands. You will not be able to fit both of these in.

Day 3 If the wedding and reception is in the same town then you'll probably want to stay overnight there. Irish weddings are known for their length and the Afters known for their fun. Unless the wedding is early in the morning and the reception scheduled to be a certain time and no longer, you will probably be there for the entire day and well into the night.

Day 4 Drive to Killarney and Kathleen's B&B. Check out Killarney and figure which places the next day you want to visit. Maybe even take in a lake cruise or catch Ross Castle tour.

Day 5 Tour Ring of Kerry OR Dingle but you will not have time for both. The Beara Peninsula is a while day on it's own so if the others don't appeal to you go there instead.

I'd skip Tralee, Cork, Clonakilty & Waterford. Of course I'd also skip the Rock of Cashel for Cahir Castle but that's me. If you do not then add a day to all the rest of this. So day 6 will be 7 and on. You'll not have that extra day 12 then.

Day 6 drive like the wind to Kilkenny stopping to see the Rock along the way. You may make it to Wicklow and Glendalough but it would be a long day.

Day 7 Tour Glenadlough if you are not already there (and/or Powerscourt & on to Dublin) or head straight for the Curragh and National Stud. Hit the main road to Dublin.

Day 8 Dublin

Day 9 (I'm guessing you mean Ballina in Mayo and not the one in Westmeath or Tipperary?) Head for Ballina, you'll make in 4 or 5 hours - no stops though.

Day 10 Sligo

Day 11 Belmullet

Day 12 Pick up anything in this area you may have missed the first time around, especially in Connemara, like a day in Aran or Galway.

Day 13 drive to Bunratty and visit the castle & Fold Park maybe take in the banquet.

Day 14 depart.

I know you are going to have to rethink some of your itinerary but that's OK! There's a lot to see and do here and everyone always wants to try to fit it all in. A little tweaking and you will be good to go.

Safe travels,

Wendy

I am surely glad I found Fodor's travel talk. You are right Wendy-- I like your day 6, "Driving like the wind"! After reading all your replys I'm wondering where I left room to "kick back", "hang out" etc. Thanks sooooooo much.
We are in the process of re-doing our itinery, and it's staring to make sense now. Thank so much, all of you!!

Stella96- you are not the only one in this "do it all" boat. We are struggling between spending time in Donegal or more time in the South. My only piece of advice for you is to leave time every day for unexpected pleasures; stopping for pictures of rainbows, sheep, views. You will be amazed how many times you will say, "Next time we come to Ireland, we have to ... drive down that road, take that hike, eat at that restaurant, stay at that place". Leave breathing room in your schedule.

Have fun!

My tour favorites in Ireland - Dingle Peninsula and the Waterford factory tour. Don't try to do everything...allow "elastic" time to wander, sit in a pub, enjoy what makes Ireland magical.
We changed our entire trip plans the first night at a castle banquet outside Shannon when Americans heading home said the highlight of their trip was the Aran Islands. Missed the ferry the next day and wandered around Connemara (saw the ponies in the middle of the road, peat bogs, marble quarries on the side of the road and had to wait for "traffic" to clear as everyone departed church after Sunday mass. We were on a small country road and watched families get ice creams and little girls in crinoline dresses sashay by. Next day, Aran Islands. On Day 3, my mom and I said we had already had the perfect trip and if had to go home now (for an emergency) we would have had the best trip to Ireland ever. Just make sure you SCHEDULE time to NOT be on a tight schedule. Ireland is magical...but is at a much slower pace. Do less, relax more and you will have the BEST vacation.

It seems everyone has stated my feelings so well, that I was thinking I wouldn't post. I know it's hard to eliminate places - I'm having the same problem on a trip I'm currently working on, although not Ireland this time.

But unless you have a go-go style (and there isn't anything wrong with that), I bet you end up finding that you aren't sorry sticking to the places you do eventually choose. It's tempting to want to see the highlights of Kerry, for instance and then make tracks for Co. Waterford, etc. But if you choose to stay in Kerry, or Galway, or Clare for a while longer, you will discover many, many things to do and see that you'll enjoy. Little spontaneous drives on unmentioned side roads have turned into really memorable moments. And even the time to poke around a town and see how life works, what the little non-tourist stores carry, and so on make for very nice and very enlightening days. At least, those times do that for me.

Have fun!

Stella,

Don't worry about it. Everyone has to tweak their itinerary before and even when you arrive. Heck, I've made plans for 6 months only to throw them completely away once I got to Ireland. It really has that effect on you.

Since you are going to an Irish wedding I'm assuming that you know someone Irish there. At least you will likely meet a bunch of Irish persons while at the wedding. Use these people! They will be your best first hand info on places to go and things to see and do. You may just find that you are invited for personal tours to many of them! If so, I advise you to take them up on the offer (so long as it's not made at 3am on the night of the reception with everyone well into their cups! Hee!) You will get an insight to Ireland that most tourists do not get to see.

Keep your itinerary general. I like to have a list of places I'm interested in in order of importance in each area I go to. Sometimes you are dying to go somewhere (eg Dublinia) but when you get it's not so great. With your list you can move on to the next place instead of having to stop and figure out where you'd like to go to since where ever you are isn't floating your boat. Or, you are driving down the road and discover you will be going right past a place that's maybe further down on your list ("Look! Moone High Cross is just 3km off this road.&quot so will get to see it with only a slight detour. Another reason I suggest to get a good driving map.

Well, I'll let you get back to planning your trip. I'm happy to help where I can and am looking forward to seeing your 'final' trip set up (it's never final but that's OK, too!) and hearing about your trip once you get back!

Safe travels,

Wendy

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Stella, are you excited? I am leaving on Friday, Sept. 10th, right behind you and we are already packed! Well, we did have to figure out if everything was going to fit. Have a fabulous trip and if you see a short, round redheaded woman beaming ear to ear- say hello! That will be me. (Like there aren't any redheaded women in Ireland- duh! ) Can't wait to read your trip report.

Diane

Stella96 writes: "6 of us are planning a trip to Ireland, Sept.9-23, arriving at Shannon airport 7AM on the 10th, day 1 Would appreciate your suggestions"

So, you'll be leaving tomorrow night.

Early March we stayed at Rose Cottage B&B in Ennis: We asked for ground floor lodging away from the Pub. Carmel had our room when we arrived at 9:30 AM and we were able to nap a few hours so Friday wasn't a total washout.

Saturday we day-tripped to Galway.
Monday we did the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch.

"(On day 3 drive 90mi. to wedding near
Knock & back to Bunratty same day,
POSSIBLE)? "

Possible? Yes! I like to kick up my heels at weddings, so I would probably stay in the Knock area and visit Knock Shrine.

"DAY 9-12 Ballina - Hillcrest House
Sligo area, then Belmullet Penn.(ancestors)"

Now you're on my 'turf.' I also have relatives in Bangor Erris and Belmullet. Here are some thoughts from an ErrisMan (i.e., Barony of Erris}. Is that Evelyn Cosgrove's Hillcrest House B&B in Bangor Erris you refer to ... ? If so, she sends her 'overflow' guests to Faye's place on Church Road (which I like better than Evelyn's).

In Ballina, I recommend BrigOwen B&B on the riverfromt about 50 paces from Crocket's on the Quay. Normally, Marjorie just rents out 3 bedrooms (1-single, 1 w/twin beds & 1 w/a double bed) but she has been known to rent out one of the upstairs rooms. Crocket's on the Quay is not bad either. The restaurant is excellent and they have Traditional Irish nusic Mondays. If you stop there, tell the owner (the one with glasses - they are two brothers) that Ned recommended the place to you.

"DAY 13 Drive down the west coast back to Bunratty for departure on day 14 at Shannon."

I prefer Ennis to Bunratty. Once you have stopped at Bunratty, there's not much to do there. And Ennis is about a 25-min drive to Shannon airport.

BTW
If there are golfers in your group, Carne Golf Links in Belmullet is the best course I have ever played, bar none!