Which K? Which C?Hello again to the forums! Thanks to the feedback I got on my last thread, we will be spending more time in Ireland. So much to do, so much to see. But, I still need advice.

We'll be flying into Shannon Airport. If all goes as planned, we'll arrive in the morning on Sunday, with, hopefully, a few hours left of the day by the time we leave the airport. We plan to be in Ballycotton for the wedding on Friday, leaving us 5 nights along the way.

So, the questions I have are:
1. Killarney or Kenmare for nights 1-3?
2. Cork or Cobh for nights 4-5?
3. Hoping to drive the Ring of Kerry & the Ring of Beara. What other "must sees" are along the way?

Will gladly accept all other advice you are willing to share.

Thank you once again.

Killarney is busier than Kenmare but it has a lot to offer including quick access to Killarney National Park, Muckross House, Gap of Dunloe, jaunting cars, lake tours, music sessions. Kenmare is equally as pretty and is quieter. We've been to Ireland several times and have stayed in both. For a first time visitor I might suggest Killarney. It is about 2 hours from Shannon Airport which is a little further than we like to drive on arrival. (Kenmare is even slightly further from SNN). If we were going in the direction of the Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Beara Peninsula, etc. we would base in Adare the first evening to relax and refresh before heading out to Killarney or Kenmare lodging. Just my humble opinion. I understand the desire to get to your first "base" on day one just please be careful of the driving. Be careful when viewing drive times on apps for Ireland...I always add an additional 30% to the time.

Cork or Cobh - I vote for another "K". We very much enjoyed our stay in Kinsale while we toured that area. Cork City is a nice city and has some nice areas but we prefer smaller towns when we visit Ireland. Cobh is nice and we enjoyed the Cobh Heritage Center as our grandparents departed Ireland from Cobh for USA. If it must be either Cork City or Cobh I would go with Cobh as it is smaller.

I recommend Kinsale over Cork. It is lovely seaport town with good dining.

Thank you both for your input. We're travelling with another couple and things keep changing. Looks like now we are going to head to the Cliffs of Moher on arrival on Sunday (where to stay is the other couple's job) first, then Killarney (lodging is my job), taking the Killimer ferry to knock some of the driving off, then the wedding festivities in Ballycotton on Friday.

Of course, when there are 4 people in the mix, things are destined to change...again.

I certainly understand that having 4 people in the mix can contribute to constant changes! Our last visit to Ireland my husband & I acted as "guides" for our close friends who had never been. We were a group of 11!

I'm not quite sure of the type of lodging you prefer...hotels, guest house, b & b, self- catering but let me offer my two cents. We had a wonderful stay at Killarney Lodge Guesthouse in Killarney. Lovely rooms, great breakfasts, easy 2-minute walk to pubs & restaurants More importantly, the owner is a gem.
About Killarney Lodge | Killarney Lodge

Thanks, Bette. I was looking at the Killarney Lodge as a possibility. We are open to most types of lodging. Was wondering about the walk to town. Will definitely keep the Lodge on my short list.