cannella2255

Hi!

My boyfriend and I, along with another couple, will be going to Ireland in April from the 13th-21st. I've been to Dublin several years ago for a quick visit, but never saw the countryside. The others haven't been to Ireland at all. We will be in Ireland for a good amount of time so I wanted to do Dublin and see the country. I don't want to jam pack the itinerary as I've done this before and ended up just being exhausted and rushing from site to site and not actually enjoying my trip. I want this to be a good mix of seeing enough sites/places, but be relaxing too. We arrive Friday, April 13th early in the morning. Here is what I have so far:

Spend Friday April 13, Saturday, April 14, and Sunday April 15 in Dublin - see major sites, walking tours etc

Monday April 16 - drive from Dublin to Kinsale. Stop at Middleton Distillery and arrive in Kinsale by late afternoon, have dinner, visit pubs, etc. Stay the night in Kinsale

Tuesday, April 17 - leave Kinsale and drive to Blarney Castle (this drive is like 40 minutes?). After the visit to the Castle I was planning to spend the afternoon and stay in Cork for the night. Again - another dinner, pubs, etc. Since Blarney is the only thing on the list for the day, are there any other things to see in the area? So we could have a full sight seeing day and then spend the night in Cork?

Wednesday, April 18 - leave Cork and drive up to the Cliffs of Moher (2 hrs 30 mins?). See the cliffs and stay in the surrounding area for the night again. Probably stay in Doolin?

Thursday, April 19 - back to Dublin for 2 more days till we leave Saturday April 21st.

Does this seem like a reasonable itinerary? Should we only do Kinsale and Cork, or are the Cliffs of Moher are reasonable addition? Another option could be Dublin to Killkenny, Kilkenny to Kinsale, then Kinsale to Cork and back to Dublin -- no Cliffs of Moher. Any thoughts are appreaciated!

PalenQ

Cliffs of Moher are nice but to me the Dingle Peninsula was more awesome and rather closer I would think than the cliffs. Dingle town is a great watering hole, especially for younger folks with an active pub scene - drive around the peninsula and head north. Could do all on 18th.

Macross

Do you drink? I have been thinking of Midleton. There is a hotel there so you can do a lot of tasting at the distillery. Ballycotton is beautiful and closer. Cobh is also high on my list. I have not been there for 20 years and it has improved with more added to the port. There is so much history there. You can take the train there and to Midleton if you don't want to drive. If you have a designated driver then go for it. We took the bus to Kinsale for the day and it was enough for us. We walked around and ate. We stayed in Cork last trip and there are many places for evening food and drink. I like Doolin as long as you stay close to the three pubs for nighttime entertainment. Lahinch is also a good stop for lunch and stroll on the beach watching the surfers. check out rome2rio for driving times. Have a great time. If I had my choice I would go to Ireland twice a year. I love Dublin, check out lovindublin.com to see what is on. You might catch a concert, play or sporting event. The literary pub crawl is fun.

travelhorizons

County Clare is a really cool place to visit. In addition to the Cliffs of Moher, I'd visit the Burren National Park (preferably with a guide who can explain the significance of what you're seeing) and some of the other Celtic artifacts. My favorite hotel in County Clare is Gregans Castle — and you can get a complimentary walking tour of the Burren with a 2-night stay... https://celebratedexperiences.com/ho...regans-castle/

cannella2255

I've been debating between Dingle and the Cliffs! I would love to see both and it says its about 3 hours between the two, but I'm afraid we might get to the Cliffs too late. If we leave Cork by 9, reach Dingle by 11:30, stay for a few hours (1:30) then head up to the Cliffs we would get there around 5. I guess we could go to our B&B for the night and then see the Cliffs the morning of the 19th before we head back to Dublin? Ugh this is so difficult! I've gone back and forth on my itinerary about 15 times haha! Between the Cliffs and Dingle...would you choose Dingle?

travelhorizons

Starting the day in Cork, driving to the Dingle Peninsula, driving around the peninsula, and then driving to to the Cliffs of Moher is a monstrously long day.

You started out by saying: "I don't want to jam pack the itinerary as I've done this before and ended up just being exhausted and rushing from site to site and not actually enjoying my trip. I want this to be a good mix of seeing enough sites/places, but be relaxing too." Well, this plan is the epitome of jam-packing an itinerary.

You're planning 8 nights with the first 3 and last 2 in Dublin. This leaves 3 nights (and a LOT of driving) to see/visit Kinsale, Blarney Castle, Cork, Ring of Dingle, Cliffs of Moher, and Doolin. 3 nights in Dublin is good, but then focus on just 1 or 2 other places — Cork, County Kerry, or County Clare. If possible, fly back from Shannon.

cannella2255

Okay, so no Dingle Peninsula. What about Kinsale, Cork, and Cliffs of Moher. Still too much? In Cork after Blarney I just plan to walk around the city and see Saint Fin Barre's. The next day wake up early and drive to the Cliffs then go to our hotel for the night.

dugi_otok

I would do this:

Dublin (2) nights

Drive to Cork stopping at Blarney Castle en route
Cork (1) night

Drive to Dingle stopping at Killarney National Park en route (You may prefer to stop in Kinsale)
Dingle (2) nights This gives you a full day to visit the peninsula.

Drive to Doolin stopping at the Cliffs of Mohr en route
Doolin (1) night

Drive to Dublin stopping in the Burren en route. You could do this the previous day or skip it.
Dublin (2) nights

See map for driving times and distances https://goo.gl/maps/UMAi5GvnhKT2