piperpilot

Hello all,

Well this past weekend I pulled the trigger and bought a couple airline tickets to Ireland for Thanksgiving week. My wife and I will leave Tampa, Florida on the 19th and arrive early morning on the 20th into Shannon. I have been reading this board for a couple weeks, but thought I would poll for suggestions since my research time is limited.

We plan on staying in the western/south portion of Ireland and want to have probably 3 base areas we are going to visit. Right now my plan is to drive to Doolin and stay at the Seaview for our first two nights. The idea is to wind down after our trip, listen to some Irish music and enjoy some fabulous scenery. After that I'm not sure where we are going to go.

We would like to go to Blarney and that will probably be the furthest east we go. Thinking maybe after Doolin of taking the ferry to the Kerry area or the Dingle Peninsula. We are open to suggestions. Most of the postings here revolve around the spring summer time, so I am open to things that are Fall/Winter friendly. We do enjoy the outdoors and aren't afraid of a little chilly weather (even though we are from Florida, we know how to dress in layers).

Any help is appreciated!!!

Thanks,
PiperPilot

Itallian_Chauffer

Check out my thread: "Round Ireland in a Minibus" or older still, "11 day June trip report (2004)", for ideas in the Dingle, Killarney and West Cork area. You can access either by "clicking" on my screen name and then perusing the list.
Dingle might be worth 2 nights (as it gets dark early. You could do two more in Killarney or Kenmare, then drive by Blarney, enroute to Bunratty, for your last night.
You definitely won't get to see it all, but you can get a good "taste of the SouthWest.

Bob

NEDSIRELAND

So you have 5 full days, the first of them you may be suffering from jetlag: Doolin is a good target for your first night; if you can't make it that far, you can stop in Ennis. Cruise's Restaurant & Pub in Ennis has Trad Irish music every night.

While in west Clare, be sure to check out the ITB shop in Lahinch. It had 30% off on everything the last time we stopped there in the off-season.

My only November trip to Ireland the weather was a disaster: heavy rain and gale force wind (40+ mph). IrishFerrys to Wales & England were shut down: I don't know about the Tarbert-Killimer ferry ...

You'll be arriving Sunday AM. Keep in mind that the George hotel in Limerick City has music Sunday nites. Just in case you get stranded there.

ChocolateTruffle

Sorry to disappoint you but The George Hotel in Limerick is currently a building site. The bar is boarded up. They will be reopening under a new brand in about 12 months or so.

JOHNOD

Now this is just my opinion but I feel Doolin and Blarney are two of the most overrated places in Ireland. Doolin is in my opinion a grubbly little village with three Pubs not within walking distance of each other and no great scenery in the village. Doolins only saving grace is its proximity to the Cliffs and the Burren. Blarney is a long line of tourists (even in Nov.) getting off of tour buses to stand in line to kiss the stone and not much else. If I only had a week and keeping in mind the short days I would head right to Dingle. About a two and a half hour drive. You will have time to drive the Connor pass and arrive in Dingle in the afternoon. You can park the car and hit as many Publs as you want. There will be music in the town. From there you can head south and do the ROK and the other Peninsulas where there is great scenery and real Irish villages. If you must you can hit Blarney on your next to last day and then its a prety easy drive up the N-20 to Limerick and Bunratty. Bunratty is very touristy but it is an easy place to spend your last night, Ennis would be another option (check Ned on this posting). All this just my opinion and feel free to disregard it all. Have fun

cd

piperpilot
I enjoyed Doolin and especially the Clifs that are but 10 min from Doolin and am glad we were there. Maybe one night in Doolin and then head to Dingle. It has been two years since we were there but as I look back, what I remember liking the most is the beautiful scenery and stone fences. Dingle, Connor's Pass, Slea Head Drive, Cliffs of Mohler (sp?) are all just beautiful. Have a great time.

NEDSIRELAND

ChocolateTruffle: Thanx for the info re. the George Hotel in Limerick City. As I recall, it was renovated about 5-years ago. And the last thing I want to do is post misinformation. They called the sub-Basement (where the Limerick Men performed) Skibbereen: I wonder if they moved somewhere else nearby (like Dolan's on Dock Street).

ChocolateTruffle

NedsIreland - Don't know if the group moved or not, but www.limerickpost.ie will give you details of live gigs in Limerick.

Whole place is a bit of a mess. I THINK it is the Lynch Group that will be moving in to the new hotel.

allisonm

We took our first trip to Ireland with two teens in 95. We went to Blarney and have no regrets. It is very touristy, no doubt, but also very interesting with beautiful grounds. The town is nicely compact with several restaurants, and don't forget the Woolen Mills.

I posted a trip report for the southwest of Ireland. (I don't think I ever finished with the Dingle leg.) You can click on my name, it was last fall.

beach_dweller

If I read your itinerary correctly you have 6 days, 6 nights effectively.

Haven't stayed in Doolin (we drove through County Clare from Dingle and stayed in Lahinch, very quiet off season). But it seems that it would make a good base to explore the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren.

If you stay 2 nights in Doolin, then head south to Dingle for 2 or 3 nights. Or you could go a little further south and stay in Kenmare (an awesome little town), allowing oyu to explore the Beara Peninsula, as well as Killarney National Park.

Then head back to Bunratty for your final night before flying out. Perhaps you could make the Blarney Stone on your way for that--if you are dead set on puckering up. Personally, I'd rather spend more time puckering up to a Guinness (or three) in one of the great pubs in Dingle or Kenmare.

Have a great time!

CU

Just thought I would let you know that the forcast for the next week in Clare is for bright crisp weather with an average daytime temp of 10 C and night of appox 2c with sunrise at appox. 8.15 a.m. and sunset at appox. 4.45 p.m. so that may give you and idea of your day.
This is a quiet period in Doolin. You will meet the locals in Gussy Conners or Canty's pub.
If you want to get in Dingle and other places in between Bunratty would be a good kick off point with the medival banquet and folk park and the Blarney Woolen Mills nearby (www.blarney.ie) Then on to Limerick - Adare and on down to Dingle. Back up north to the Tarbert Ferry and across to Clare where you can drive up the coast to Lahinch, St Bridgets Well, Cliffs of Moher and down into Doolin.
Then take the 30 mile journey to Shannon and off you go back home with many sweet memories.
If you would like to read someting about Ireland go to www.goireland.ie
Have a good tiem and wherever you venture may ir be a journey of joy .

CU

Sorry about the mis=spellings above but you get my meaning.
Slan agus bennacht agus go n-eiri an bothar leat.

NEDSIRELAND

CU: I think Gus O'Connor (RIP) would roll over in his grave if he read your referring to him as "Gussy Conners." He passed away in April, 2002, I believe. Of course the pub is still there and it's a good place to have lunch.

It's good to hear that the outlook is for bright, crisp weather in Clare for the next week; but piperpilot will be arriving Sunday, 20 Nov and their week starts then. So your 'forcast' as of 16 Nov may be superceded several times in the interim. One thing we know about Ireland's weather: It is very changeable!

piperpilot

Thanks everyone for the comments! Helps me realize that I wasn't totally off base for my schedule. Any thoughts on B&Bs on the Dingle Peninsula? Also thinking of a night in a castle. Maybe our 2nd to last night (thurs) somewhere in the south. Most of the ones I know of (Adere, Dromoland, Bunratty, etc are located near Shannon. That would be good for our last night but we'd like to be able to spend some time there enjoying the atmosphere.

Anyways, 2 days and counting. thanks for the weather report, will be checking that again daily before departure. Hoping for a least a somewhat dry week.

Regards,
PiperPilot

JOHNOD

I can Rec. Dromoland. A bit pricey but very nice. Private golf course and nice grounds in the spring, can't comment on Nov. Great Rest. and Pub and a breakfast to die for. For the spring and summer you have to book way in advance, don't know about this time of the year. Have fun.

piperpilot

OK, here are my thoughts at this point...comments welcome/requested:

Fly into Shannon Early on Sunday Morning.
Drive to Doolin, rest, clean up, visit cliffs. (stay Seaview House)
Next day, restfull morning, drive south along the coast to Dingle (probably take the ferry as well)
Spend 2 nights in Dingle at Emlagh Lodge. Explore Dingle/Kerry area.
Wednesday drive to Kinsale where we will spend the night (need B&B recommendations in the area)
Thursday, pass by Blarney (Wife really wants do to) on the way to Adare manor where we will spend the night.
Friday, rest, check out late, explore Limerick stay in B&B or hotel near the airport for flight out on Saturday at approx 11am.

What do you all think?

NEDSIRELAND

Your 11:00 flight from Shannon means you should check-in around 09:00 (not just for Security, but to get your VAT refunds at the TaxBack counter in the Duty Free area). You also may have some traffic going to the airport - there are several 'Corporate Parks' out that way. I'm not sure how much it will be on a Saturday.

IMHO, Adare is a wast of time. I would give it a pass. I have overnighted in both Limerick City and Ennis before my return flights - there are buses from Ennis to Shannon (08:30) and Limerick City to Shannon (07:45) in the AM that get you there with time to spare. But then I never have a rental car to turn in at the airport before my flight.