sessa

This will be our first trip to Ireland. We are going with my parents for my mom's 60th birthday so I want this to be a really special trip (her grandparents were from Ireland). That said, we will probably only have 9 or 10 days to explore, and we want to see as much as we can in that short time. So....here is my preliminary plan. I know March isn't ideal weather-wise, but we like to travel in the off-season for less crowds and off-season prices. I welcome suggestions on the proposed itinerary!!

Fly into Dublin and spend 1 night (see a little bit of the city and rest up from flight)
1 night Kilkenny (to break up the drive to Kinsale)
2 nights Kinsale
1 night Kenmare (to break up the drive to Dingle)
2 nights Dingle
2 or 3 nights somewhere near Shannon, Galway, Ennis....need suggestions here as we will be flying home from Shannon

I know this is a lot of moving around, but the troops are up for it (or so they say). We may be meeting my brother in the Shannon area on the back end of the trip.

Also, this will likely be the week of St. Patrick's Day. I would like to avoid the crowds and would prefer to be in a smaller town that day. I just read on another thread that Dingle might be a nice place for St. Patrick's Day so I think that will work out.

Kyliebaby3

We were in Ireland for 2 months during this time, the weather was not bad at all. Mid 50's, some rain, not a lot. Kilkenny is very nice and the drive to Kinsale is fantastic. Kinsale is one of our favorite places. We stayed about an hour away in a home and had the best time. As far as St. Pat's, every town, village, etc., has a parade so you won't be able to drive or move around much. I don't think you need 2 nights in Dingle. Killarney is really fun, a jaunting cart in the park is a must, Killarney is a larger with more to do. If you are there on a Monday and can spend the night, the Eveiston Hotel with the Danny Mann pub has a great band on Monday night, Tim O'Roirdan with Natural Gas, they are fantastic! Bunratty castle is near Shannon, and it's a lovely area. There is a nice motor hotel near the airport for your last night. Lot's to do in paradise, enjoy!

sessa

Looks like we are only going to have 9 days, so I am thinking of spending the last two nights in Doolin. Is it possible to get from Doolin to the Shannon airport for a 10:30am flight without too much trouble?

I am hoping to purchase flights tonight. Fares are at $770 flying from Atlanta. That seems like a decent deal, and I am afraid they will only go up.

Should we do both Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula with such limited time or skip one?

Appreciate any other advice or recommendations on places to see, things to do and lodging.

jent103

I actually disagree with kyliebaby - I think two nights in Dingle is great. You'll spend the better part of a day driving the Slea Head loop, and with your other time you can see the beach at Inch, see Fungi the dolphin, visit Great Blasket Island... whatever. I'd be tempted to take a night from Kinsale or your last stop and add it to Kenmare, so you can do more around Killarney National Park, if you're interested in it. (I haven't been to Kinsale, though, so I can't say for sure.)

As far as the Ring of Kerry vs. Dingle, I would say to definitely not miss the Dingle/Slea Head drive. You'll see part of the ROK between Kenmare and Killarney. I'd leave the decision about what to do with the rest of your time there up to how you feel and the weather, honestly. By that point in the trip you may really want to see the rest of the ROK, or you may really want to do something else and not be in the car for awhile!

Staying in Doolin - I think it took us about an hour to an hour and a half to get to Doolin from Ennis. So if you're OK with a 1.5-2-hour drive and a VERY early start on your last morning, that would be fine. Personally I wouldn't, but that's my preference.

Whatever you do, you'll have a great time!

skibumette

AA says it's 1 hr 8 min (40 miles) from Doolin to Shannon airport -- but many people increase the times by 50% to be more realistic. Since all but the last 13 miles is on small roads that might be a good idea? Remember that you'll need to check in at least 2 hours before departure and also allow time to turn in your rental car...it could be an early morning departure?

If it were me, I'd probably skip doing the entire ROK in favor of more time in Dingle. You'll get to drive the Kenmare-Killarney portion anyway, which some think is the prettiest; you can make stops at Moll's Gap, Ladies View, Muchross House en route and still have time to explore Dingle town that day, then do the Slea Head Drive the next day

sessa

Okay, so maybe 2 nights in Kenmare and only 1 in Kinsale? BUT, if we didn't do the entire Ring of Kerry, would it be reasonable to do take a night off of Kenmare and add to the end of the trip?

I'm thinking we'll want to stay our last night in Shannon to be closer to the airport, so two nights in Doolin (or somewhere around there) would be nice so that we have time to explore that area. So, the revised itinerary would be:

1 night Dublin
1 night Kilkenny (should we skip and go straight to Kinsale?)
1 night Kinsale
1 or 2 nights Kenmare
2 nights Dingle
1 or 2 nights Doolin (other recommendations?)
1 night near Shannon airport

Gosh, I'm wondering if we should just fly in and out of Shannon...but we really want to see as much as we can. Hmm...

skibumette

Out of the Kilkenny/Kinsale/Kenmare days, I'd make one of those stops two nights. Changing hotels every night can be wearing...if nothing else you spend the last part of the afternoon thinking about finding your way/getting settled, where to eat dinner, etc. I rather prefer your original schedule for the first half.

On the other end, how about Ennis (17 km from airport turnoff, mostly on dual carriageway) instead of Shannon? I've never heard anyone rave about Shannon! Or you could stay near Bunratty (5 km south of airport turnoff, again dual carriageway) and do the kitschy medieval banquet? Or, if price is no object, splurge for a night at Dromoland Castle (again very close to airport)?

jent103

Agreed - you have a lot of one-nighters in that itinerary. If you can handle the drive in one day, I'd drop Kilkenny, or even a night in Doolin. It all depends on what you want to see.

Honestly, I would fly into and out of Shannon. You don't seem to want to see much in Dublin and aren't really attached to Kilkenny, and that would save you two nights right there that you could easily put somewhere else.

sessa

Thanks so much for all of the helpful tips! I talked to my mom about flying round trip to Shannon, and she is set on into Dublin and out of Shannon because she really wants the nonstop flight going. We'd have to connect at JFK to fly into Shannon, and she is afraid to fly as it is and will already be making one connection to Atlanta). I guess I can't really blame her..I don't really want a layover in JFK on the way either since March weather could be iffy.

So, we will have a bunch of one-nighters on the front end until we get to Dingle. I may still add a night to Dublin and skip Kilkenny. But I'm thinking of sticking with 2 nights in Dingle and then 3 in Ennis (thanks for the suggestion, skibumette).

Do you have any recommendations on a really cool place to stay that would be a good base for exploring the Cliffs and Burren? It'll be St. Patty's Day and my Dad's birthday AND we are there to celebrate my mom's 60th, so I would love to end the trip with some great accommodations. Don't have to be expensive (Drumoland Castle looks awesome but is way over budget)..just something really neat.

Thanks all!

Viajero2

Not sure about your itinerary: too much packing/unpacking. What about drive Dublin-Killarney on Day 2 (Day 1 is arrival day). Day trip to Kinsale and Kenmare from Killarney. On to Dingle for a couple of days, then up to Shannon. For a 10 day trip to Ireland in March with kids you shoud NOT even attempt more than three home bases.....

sessa

Viajero2 - How long is the drive from Dublin to Killarney? Is Killarney a fun place to stay? Rick Steves's guide makes it sound like a tourist trap (if I am recalling my reading correctly).

I know it'll end up being some one-nighters since we have such limited time (which we have done before without a problem), but thankfully we aren't traveling with kids!

jent103

I can't speak to the drive from Dublin, but I'm inclined to agree with Rick Steves on Killarney. We stayed there and visited Kenmare, and I wish we'd stayed in Kenmare instead. My feeling was that there just wasn't too much to do in Killarney itself, and most of the restaurants were pretty expensive (granted, we were on a tight budget, so our definition of "expensive" may not have been yours). Kenmare seemed to have more going on, more restaurants, and I just liked the feel of it better. Killarney is very nice for its proximity to the national park, but the park is between Kenmare and Killarney. I think staying in Kenmare would also give you the option to do things in the Park, drive the Ring of Kerry or see the Beara Peninsula pretty easily.

sessa

I'm so mad...Delta just discontinued service from Shannon to Atlanta (and to JFK) which means we'll have to fly round trip to Dublin...UGH! The other options are either too expensive or have weird 1 day layovers elsewhere in Europe. Not that I would mind a night in Paris...

Anyway, I think we'll stick with staying in Kenmare for now. If I could only get these flights nailed down, I could smooth out the itinerary.

Thanks again for all of the help!

sessa

We bought our plane tickets over the weekend so we are really going to Ireland in March 2010!! Because Delta has discontinued their service to Shannon for now, I purchased round trip tickets to Dublin and extended the trip one night to account for that.

So, we have 10 days now, and I have refined the itinerary as follows:

1 night Kilkenny (after flying into Dublin at 9am)
1 night Kinsale
1 night Kenmare
2 nights Dingle
3 nights Doolin, Ennis or Galway??? (still struggling here)
2 nights Dublin

I realize the first part of the trip will be a little rushed, but the round trip to Dublin really messed things up. Does this seem better that the original?

I really need help with the 3 nights - it would be nice to stay in one place for all 3 of those nights so need a good home base.

jent103

My personal opinion is still that I'd take one of those three nights and move it to Kenmare. That gives you more time to see things in that area. I don't know much about Galway, but I think there's much more to do around Kenmare/Killarney than around Doolin and Ennis. However, it's your trip!

That said, between Doolin or Ennis (since that's all I can speak to), I think it just depends on what you want. Doolin is small. Ennis is bigger (though definitely not a "big city"). Staying in Doolin would put you very close to the Cliffs of Moher; in Ennis you'd be driving an hour or so to get to them. Our full day in Ennis, we drove to the Cliffs visitors' centre, then took the Cliffs cruise (highly recommended) and drove back to Ennis via the Burren. That was plenty of time for me. In our case Ennis was a better choice because we flew home the next day out of Shannon, but with your new plan you don't have that constraint!

Viajero2

Killarney is touristy, but it is a good choice for families because of easier logistics....which I just noted it is not your situation (somehow I thought Spring Break...??). There are TONS and TONS of things to do around Killarney though; castles, lakes, waterfalls, hike trails, National Parks, historic homes, traditional farms. Families often prefer a Killarney stay because of kids things to do, including restaurant choices (pizzerias, fast food, etc...), cinemas, waterparks, etc...

That said, I was one of those who stayed at Kenmare (all adults travelers) and loved it.

Between Dublin and Killarney (about 4 hours) you have Cashel, definitely worth a stop. In Cashet we stayed at Hattie's B&B, within walking distance of the Rock of Cashel; it would be a shame if you go to Ire;and, go by Cashel and do not stop to at least take a peak....

If I were you I would just head out to County Kerry (Kenmare) with an overnight stop in Cashel. I would not do Kinsale and Kenmare and Dingle on a limited-days trip . I would pick Kenmare and Dingle that's it, hands down.

chip

1 night Kilkenny (after flying into Dublin at 9am)
1 night Kinsale
2 night Kenmare
2 nights Dingle
2 nights Doolin
2 nights Dublin

If you change anything else...I would skip Kinsale and add night to Kenmare.

I have been to all of the above...you will have a very nice trip. Dingle and Kenmare are my favorites. You really will want at least 2 nights in Kenmare to enjoy the area and the town...same with Dingle.
If you like history I would stop at Glendalough on the way to Kilkenny. Jerpoint Abbey is a quick stop that is well worth it, just outside of Kilkenny. We also toured the castle...was OK tour if time.
On the way to Kinsale be sure to stop at the Rock of Cashel is a must see. We also stopped at Cahir Castle (ruins) since it was so close. We liked touring Charles Fort in Kinsale.
Take the scenic coastal route to Kenmare and if timing allows do the bit of Beara Peninsula that crosses Healy Pass. The part of the ROK between Kenmare and Killarney is wonderful...Ladies View, Moll's Gap, thru the park. Enjoyed tours of Muckross House and Ross Castle and had a nice lunch at Kate Kearney's Cottage...where you can catch a jaunting cart to view the Gap of Dunloe.
Stay in Dingle...you will love this town, great to walk about and nice restaurants and fantastic pubs w/music. Of course the scenic Slea head loop drive is a must. I think Rick Steves book gives a great site by site description of this drive.
Do take the kilmer/tarbert ferry and scenic drive up to doolin...you can stop at cliffs of moher on the way since it is very close to doolin. I would stay within walking distance of one of the pubs...Gus OConnors or McGann's/McDermott's on other end. When you tour the burren, the coastal drive north of doolin, blackhead, is very nice. then cut down thru burren. we all enjoyed bunratty castle and folk park.
in dublin you should do one of the hop on off tours. kilmainham jail is a must for history lovers. we liked seeing the book of kells but the library was our favorite part. i would also suggest doing one of the pub crawls...we did the literay and the music one and both were fun.

Viajero2

To add to previous post: if stopping at Cashel overnight please consider staying at http://www.wattiesbandb.ie/. Maria the owner worked for years inspecting B&B for the Irish Tourism Office and she does not overlooks details. Her breakfasts are wonderful and she has a lovely handicapped-accesible room, a rarity to find in a B&B.

sessa

Wow - thanks again to all for the great info. Chip - I like your revised itinerary for us and it includes the 2 nights in Kenmare that jent103 is encouraging. I think this will work well for us, and 2 one-nighters won't be too bad.

I am now in the process of scouring trip reports for lodging so any recommendations are appreciated. I have made inquiries with:

Kilkenny - Butler House (90 euro per room)
Kinsale - Rivermount B&B (haven't heard back)
Kenmare - Watersedge (32 euro per person)
Dingle - Emlagh Lodge (35 euro per person)

For Doolin, I read some good reviews about Roadford House. I have also looked at Atlantic View and Sea View B&Bs.

I am stuck on Dublin. We'd like to stay somewhere central and relatively inexpensive, but I have a feeling this will be hard to find. Thoughts?

jent103

I can't help on the others, but just wanted to say that Emlagh is a great choice for Dingle, and I hope Maggie has availability for you. It's walking distance to town and really comfortable, and Maggie makes a great breakfast! I think Chip's itinerary is a nice compromise on everything, and I'm glad you're thinking about a little more time in Kenmare. Have fun planning!