Hi, a friend and I will be spending 10 days in Ireland. I have come up with a tentative itinerary. Before I book B & B's please give me any suggestions.
I thought we'll start
Day 1 & 2- Friday & Saturday -Cork
Day 3-Sunday- Blarney, off to Ring of Kerry
Day 4 & 5- Mon and Tues- Ring of Kerry. Question: Should we stay one night in Kenmanre and one in Killarney or base ourselves in one town. Which one?
Day 6-Wed- County Waterford. What town should we stay in?
Day 7-Kilkenney
Day 8- Wicklow mountains. Which town to stay in?
Day 9-11 Dublin. We're meeting friends for two days here.
Any ideas? Anything to include or leave out? Any affordable yet nice B&B's to stay in? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Oops! I forgot to include that we will be renting a car on Day three until we get to Dublin where we will return it. Also, my interests are beautiful, scenic towns. My friend likes the "pub" idea, so maybe we could combine both. Thanks again. P.S. I've been hearing wonderful things about Dingle, should I skip something else and include this area instead?

OK. Sorry, one more adendum.
I see from reading a bunch of these posts that people do not recommend the Waterford area over Dingle. How long should we stay in Dingle if we are going to do that? We will be arriving from Amsterdam and I thought we should fly into Cork, but maybe we should do Shannon or Galaway instead. Any itinerary suggestions from there which would include Ring of Kerry and Kilkenney, ending in Dublin. PLEASE HELP! I'm so confused. We will be arriving August 13 until August 24.

Unless it's a great deal more expensive, I'd fly to Shannon and then:

Days 1,2: Dingle
Days 3,4: Ring of Kerry
Days 5,6: Blarney, Cork
Day 7: Kilkenny
Day 8: Wicklow Mtns.
Days 9-11: Dublin

Originally, you'd planned 2 days in Cork, but I left that out. Is that something you wanted to be sure to include?

I looked into flights to Shannon, it's a bit more difficult to book. I'd like to be in a big city for Friday night and Saturday (since I find them fun on weekends) and start travelling from there. I picked Cork since I heard it was the second big city. Is Shannon better?
Which is a better launching point for Dingle?
So you think the Waterford area should be skipped?
Also, where better to stay in Kerry, Killarney or Kenmare?

Cork is a little hectic right in the center, but I wouldn't call it a big city. Ireland has under 4 million population in the Republic (as I recall) and a high percentage of those around Dublin. This leaves the remaining cities possibly not what you'd think of as "big cities". I'm not sure what I'd do around Cork for more than a day. Galway maybe. Shannon isn't really a city at all, but it's near Limerick. Better bet is nearby Ennis, but it's not close to being a big city.

I guess I mean "bigger city" and I would pretty much be there half a day Friday and Saturday. So not that much time. Is Cork close to the Dingle pennisula and should I go there first or to the Ring of Kerry. Is two days too much to spend in each place, if I knock out Waterford and possibly Wicklow. Maybe I could do a day trip from Dublin one of the days, into Wicklow?

Cork isn't terribly close to Dingle. South coast vs far west coast. I will qualify and say that I didn't care much for Cork but we have some Cork residents on here and I don't want that to be taken as a slam on their hometown. It seems like a good place to live maybe, but not so much for a tourist like me to see. So, that's my bias. Also Blarney was ok, but not that cool as castles go and more of a big tourist thing. Have to do it once though, I guess (I did).

I like your Wicklow Mt piece, Dublin, Kilkenny and Dingle. Pick either Kenmare or Killarney. They're too close to worth moving.

Definitely Dingle over Waterford. Easy call there (and I like Co. Waterford, but the town is just OK). And 2 days is not too much, in my opinion, on either ROK or Dingle. Both have plenty to do.

Consider stopping over in Cashel and or Cahir in Co. Tipperary. And grab a good map to check these distances before you get too far into your planning.

I'd skip Cork.

PS - Wicklow lakes a nice drive enroute from Dublin to Kilkenny, even if you don't stay the night in Wicklow.

Where are Cashel and Cahir close to?
Is there enough to do in Dingle for two days? Should I do this before or after County Kerry?
I think I'll pick Kilarney over Kenmare since it has that beautiful national park.
Skip Waterford. How long do I need in Killarney and the general area (if I'm time constrained)?
Can I just drive through Wicklow and then maybe do a daytrip to a town in the area from Dublin (which is the best).
Thank you so much everyone for all your advice!

Cashel and Cahir are close to each other and are a bit west of Kilkenny and north of Blarney. Very cool castle in Cahir (the setting for the movie Excalibur) and the Rock of Cashel, which was the seat of kings since around the year 500.

In Wicklow, I know there's a few small towns. The big draw for me there is Glendalough, an ancient monastary site of St. Kevin set in a mountain valley. Beautiful drive getting there too. I agree with you about the park in Killarney. Keep in mind that Kenmare is close enough to drive in too and is less swamped with tourist crowds.


I don't want to steer you wrong and sway you off of your plans - really. I don't know your interests or preferences. So I'll recommend a guide book instead. A good start is the Eyewitness Guide Ireland. It's got maps and photos of sites so that you can see what you're getting into. It's not the best on minute detail, but it's great for getting oriented to the country and narrowing (or expanding) the list of things you want to see. Great investment.

For driving directions and distances, check out www.viamichelin.com


Some photos to

Kenmare over Killarney. Killarney is a huckster tourist town. Cork a nice city to wander for a day but get out then.Dingle and the Corcha Dhuibhne area is a beautiful and for walking swimming it's simply the best.The Slea Head on a fine day one of the most beautiful places on God's good earth. Go to the Skelligs an uncomfortable hour long boat ride but once you get there you'll never for get it. And finally you're trying to do too much. I'd fly into Shannon and stick to the West coast. Base yourself in Galway for a few days. And relax. It'll all still be there to come back to.

OK, here's my cut at it based on what you have said. I think you can squeeze it all in. You are traveling during high tourist season so expect crowds.

I would skip Cork and if you want some lively night life, do Galway. It's a young town with a lot of energy and plenty to do. If you are flying in and out of Dublin and I presume taking public transit, Galway is as easy if not easier to reach than Cork.

Normally I would suggest Doolin from here, but in August it would be a mad house and if you want to hear some music, you would have to be sitting with the band. You could feasibly make it all the way to Dingle on day three with some short stops at Dunguaire Castle, the Cliffs of Moher and other such. Take the ferry at Killimer. It runs every 30 minutes in August. This would be a very long day of driving but more has been done. With what you want to do, I think that would be my plan. That would give you a full day to enjoy the Dingle Peninsula.

Two days in Dingle and then two days in Kenmare. Killarney will be crazy in August and Kenmare's setting is just as pretty. Plus, the ride to Killarney National Park is 30 minutes of beauty so it's not a loss to make the drive. Kenmare definitely.

If you go from Galway to Dingle in one day, that will leave you with two days to get to Dublin. Skip Blarney and see Cahir. Cahir Castle is much nicer and the row of people waiting to kiss that silly stone will be long. Also, as you have heard, the Rock of Cashel is just up the road. I would probably stay in Cahir or Cashel, then Kilkenny the next night. You could drive through Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains on your way to Dublin.

Waterford main claim to fame is the crystal but unless you are a Waterford enthusiast, there are probably better places to stay.

So ...

Day 1&2 Galway
Day 3-4 Dingle (I probably wouldn't drive this far but it can certainly be done)
Day 5-6 Kenmare
Day 7 Cahir or Cashel (lots of good B&B choices)
Day 8 Kilkenny
Day 9-11 Dublin

Everywhere will be pretty crowded at that time of year, but you will certainly have fun. It is a busy itinerary but certainly do-able. Hope this helps.

Bill

Wow! You are all great.
OK.since I am trying to combine natural beauty and castles (my interests) and pubs (my friend's) I think I will incorporate the ideas to include Cahir and Cashel for a night, skipping the night in Waterford and Wicklow.
Can I do a day trip from Dublin to Glendalough?
I will include Dingle, any sights that are definitely not be missed besides Slea Head and Skellings?
Where should we go first, Dingle or Kerry?
I will stay in Kenmare over Killarney. Is there any sort of night life in Kenmare?
And I will look into Galaway or limit my time in Cork.
Any other tips or ideas.
Thanks again.

If you fly into Shannon and plan to travel south, you'll come to the Dingle Peninsula first and the Ring of Kerry after that. (The Blasket Islands are off the Dingle coast; the Skelligs are off the coast of the Ring of Kerry.)

The coastline of the Dingle Peninsula has spectacular scenery and the peninsula itself is full of ancient sites and ruins...Gallarus Oratory, beehive hits, Kilmakedar Church, Brandon Creek. The town of Dingle itself offers a great variety of pubs, restaurants, and shopping.

You'll find plenty of pubs in Kenmare as well.

You can do a daytrip from Dublin to Wicklow, but it's worth more time than that.

Laragh's a nice little town. One of the best B&Bs I've ever stayed in is Tudor Lodge (great breakfasts).

There are one day bus tours from Dublin to Glenndalough (sp) easily doable. From Cork city you can see Kinsale, cohb, Blarney, etc. in a day and a half (with car) and still drop in for the Fri nite show at the Lobby Bar in Cork.
I love Killarney (and I have friends that live there), but you might want to skip it in August.
You could drive from Cork to Dingle, spend the night and be in Galway the next night, but it would be a long day. Our first trip we drove from Killarney to the Cliffs via the Tarbert Ferry,lunched in Doolin and arrived in Galway in time to see the 'sun setting on Galway Bay'. We stayed at the Jury's Inn and left the car in the Parking Garage. The Quays Pub (and the enire Spanish Quarter is less than 500 feet from the Jury's. It is also across the road from the Spanish Arch, sited along side the Corrib River and the Wolf Tone Bridge. The next day you can head toward Dublin via Limmerick, Bunratty, Cahir and Cashel and Kildare.
Pick any place to stop for the night and then continue on to Dublin. This should maximize both entertainment and Castle viewing.
We are leaving Weds. 10 June for two weeks. Will be our sixth tip in last five years.

Thanks for the reply. Six trips in five years, lucky you! what show are you referring to in the Lobby bar in Cork?
I was wondering about your opinions.
I will for sure be spending one night in Dingle and one night in Kenmare. I have an extra night, which place should I spend it in Dingle vs. Kenmare. Which town has a more fun pub/Irish music scene?

It doesn't matter about what show, but you can check at www.lobby.ie or go to www.whazon.com to see the different venues. As to your "extra" night, I would stay flexible and base the decision on how I feel at the time, as tourist crowds, etc. may be a factor. You might also consider Clonakilty (DeBarras)www.debarra.ie depending on what they have scheduled. If you are in Killarney, check out the Granary. There are numerous other venues for contemporary Irish music, or you can do Trad sessions almost anywhere. If you get the chance to see John Spillane or Ciaran Wynne at any venue -- run don't walk to the door early for a good seat...

Will be back June 22, visiting Dingle, Cork, Killarney, Drimoleague, Millstreet and Dublin, as well as points in between. We are taking our daughter and her husband for their first trip. Will try to post any updated info as soon thereafter as possible.