i guess i didnt make myself clear in that last post. we arent skipping the rest of the itinerary, we just changed a few things at the beginning. we'll be seeing lots more of ireland, not just galway, westport and dublin.

Joanna,
I think this last change to your plan will make a big difference to your trip. However, I would reiterate my doubts about returning to/ staying in Galway 3 times. As it stands it seems you are staying Galway, Galway, Westport, Galway, Dublin. Why not stay in Galway city after the Burren, then head towards Connemara (and catch a ferry to the Aran Islands from Rossaveal if you want), continue on towards, but not as far as Westport the next day, and then head to Westport (perhaps stay at the Wyatt Hotel in the centre of town?) with a side trip to Achill, This would keep you heading in one direction, cut down on all the driving and give you more time to get out and about. The drive from Westport to Dublin is about 30 minutes longer than Galway city to Dublin but is on arguably better roads.

Achill is lovely. If you have time you could rent bikes in Westport and cycle some of the Atlantic drive when you get to Achill. In the summer you can rent boogie boards and surfboards and wetsuits on Keel beach. Also try to find the deserted village and the old graveyard beside it. There is a headstone in the graveyard where a husband wrote a poem for his departed wife- I can’t remember it now but have a peek around for it – lovely stuff that evokes some of the history of the place. Try to book a table at La Bella Vita in Westport… loads of non-fishy choices as well!!

mayfly-
do you not think we should go to the aran islands?

Chip:

I have heard that Cregg is up for sale and they were originally going to be open this summer. They have now decided to make their last day of business 30 April. I can't find what they want for it. I'll bet it's more than my pocket change :-)

jhg:

Achill is lovely if the weather is good. One thing to keep in mind is that it can be sunny all over Ireland and misty on Achill. When it is clear, it is beautiful. Take the Atlantic Coast road and then follow the very steep road up to Minaun Heights. There are a bunch of radio/cell towers on top, but the view is spectacular. Also stop and see Gráinne Uaile's Castle along the coast as you start the Atlantic Drive. There are some beautiful long beaches to enjoy also.

Another place to visit in Westport. Though everyone wants to go to Matt Molloy's, step next door into The Porterhouse and listen to Oclan and Kevin on Tue, Thu and Sun evenings. Oclan plays traditional whistles and Kevin really mixes it up with the guitar. Amazing stuff and you'll actually get to hear and get close to the music. Westport is a great town for trad.

The Aran islands are beautiful, though I think they are better enjoyed if you stay the night. In July, it will be quite busy but with the sun setting so late, once the boats to the mainland leave, you'll have the island to yourself. You can rent a bike or go for a walk or get some business person to give you a minvan tour. Inishmor gets the greatest amount of business. Inishman and Inisheer get less but are still quite beautiful. The Arans are much slower paced. By the way, you can get some fine food, The Pier House is excellent, but pricey. Visit the seven churches and Dun Aengus. Be careful as you walk up to Dun Aengus and don't enjoy the scebery of the cliffs too much. As I was viewing them, I nearly walked off the edge.

Keep planning!

Bill

Joanna,

It’s hard for me to say if you should go or not… I’m not sure what your priorities are. Sometimes when you travel overseas you are more willing to put in long days travel, whereas I tend to have (active) relaxation as my priority when travelling in the West. Additionally, I think the area in between the Galway city – Clifden -Westport axis is worth investing time in if you can. This is based on my preference for doing some exploring by car in the morning and finding somewhere nice to hike/ swim/ drink a coffee and write postcards in the sun etc. and cruising on to the B&B up the road in the evening. I don’t think you should necessarily give the Aran Islands a miss, however you could continue on your journey from Galway city and make more of your time and experience of the islands as Bill has said.

As another option you could drive to Rossaveal, leave the car, get the ferry to Inis Mhor, stay overnight, get the ferry back in the morning and continue on your trip? 24 hours on the island would far out do a return day trip from Galway city. The islands are best enjoyed on a bike getting lost and relaxing with a few pints in the American Bar in the evening. I think this would be hard to do if you are watching the clock during your day there, contemplating the long journey back to Galway.

my sister and i are terrible at sitting still :0) so, being really busy and on the go are what we actually enjoy doing on a vacation. what do you think of this idea?
1. we would arrive at the airport and see ennis, relax for the day and stay in ennis.
2. second day, drive to the cliffs of moher and the burren and then up to galway and stay in galway. (if we left ennis right after breakfast how much time do you think we would have in galway?)
3. drive to rossaveal and take a ferry to the aran islands, spend the day and take the ferry back? and then drive up to kinvara and stay there.
4. drive to kylemore abbey, through the doo lough valley and onto achill island. then stay in westport.
5. drive back down through cong and neale and back to walk around galway and stay in galway.
6. head towards dublin.

what do you think of that? do you think the day 5 is unnecessary and we should use that day somewhere else?

thanks so much for your help,
joanna

Are you sure you maen Kinvara in point 3? It is not in the same area as Rossaveal and Kylemore Abbey.

To give you an idea of distance and timing, to drive From Kylemore Abbey to Leenane, through Doo Lough, To Louisburgh, Westport, around Achill and back to Westport would take a large portion of the day even without stopping.

All told I think you have hit upon a better way to spend this portion of the trip. If you were to leave Ennis after an early breakfast you could detour through the Burren and still be in Galway in the early afternoon.

Day 6 is a toss between rural and urban. You could always see what the weather/ mood is like and not book accommodation until that day? If you stay in Mayo you could have an extra day in Westport/ Achill etc. There are some pretty cool blanket bogs north of Achill and Mulranny that you won't have seen thus far. Stark contrast to the landscape in rocky Connemara... or just return to Galway if you prefer the city buzz.

does kinvara not make sense? when i looked at a map i thought after rossaveal we could head north to kinvara on r336 and then the next day continue on r336 and then west on n59 to kylemore abbey?
but, if you have a better suggestion then i would appreciate it, because i basically have no idea.
thanks,
joanna

Joanna, your exactly right. There is another Kinvara the other side or Galway city back towards the Burren. But, as you correctly said, there is a Kinvara on the way to Kylemore Abbey. Have you had any success in find accommodation there? If you don't have any joy try Roundstone which is more developed. Also, the journey times I mentioned yesterday were too long -I often cycle these areas over a few days and get quite surprised how when I realise how relatively close the distances are by car! Enjoy!

thanks so much mayfly! i was about to book hotels in the wrong kinvara! any suggestions on where to stay in roundstone?

There are 3 options I know of:
1. mega expensive but hard to beat as a destination: http://www.ballynahinch-castle.com/

2. A ten minute drive from Roundstone in a beautiful setting http://www.anglersreturn.com/

3. Right in Roundstone: check out his website I came across which outlines many accommodation options: http://www.roundstone.ie/index.php

If you're flexible with not staying in Roundstone itself, I'd highly recommend Renvyle, which is the other side of Clifden - http://www.renvyle.com/.

thanks so much for the suggestions. renvyle looks lovely, but its a bit too expensive for us. i'll see what else i can find.