wilees

Going to Ireland 20th - 28th October. Currently only have our flights booked. Into Cork and out of Shannon. We have never been to Ireland before. (Please no suggestions to change the flights - this was delegated to DH - who booked them on the wrong day and chose not to go to Dublin! - I am holding my tongue on this matter!) We are NZders so are OK on mountains and narrow roads driving on the left.

Anyhow this is my first attempt at an itinerary - I will have to start booking accommodation this week particularly for the last section as this is a bank holiday (and start of school holidays) in Ireland.

Friday 20th - arrive in Cork, pick up car. Drive to Blarney Castle. If we are good for time will go to Cobh - otherwise the rest of the time in Cork. CORK

Saturday - drive N71 via Clonakilty, Drombeg Stone Circle, Beara Pennisula. Finish with a walk in Killarney NP to stretch legs. KILLARNEY

Sunday - Drive Ring of Kerry, Trip through Gap of Dunloe and visit Ross Castle. KILLARNEY

Monday - Drive around Dingle Pennisula. DINGLE

Tuesday - Drive to Cliffs of Moher + ??? DOOLIN

Wednesday - Drive The Burren. Perhaps the Dunguaire Banquet in the evening. Stay near GALWAY.

Thursday - Kylemere Abbey, Climb Croagh Patrick, Connemara NP GALWAY or WESTPORT

Friday - Drive south or take a loop south east?? Any ideas?? I could just let DH play golf. sigh.

Saturday - Fly out of Shannon late


Questions:
Is the Sunday too ambitious?
I am fairly vague on the Connemara NP - this forum did not have an much information on this area? Any suggestions.
Do you think I can fit the Rock of Cashel in anywhere? I want to see it but it is kinda out of the way.
Any ideas for the last section??


We will be coming from London. We love history and scenery. And we travel fast and often find we get through planned activities with time to spare. We are both amateur musicians.

All comments appreciated. This forum is always so helpful.

wilees

ttt

Clifton

It is a fairly fast paced agenda, but doable on a night to night basis. Not sure what NZ roads are like in general, but I've driven in Aus. a bit and Ireland roads are somewhat slower. It's kind of the close in stone walls and limited visibility that contributes to that in a lot of places.

Yes, I would unfortunately think that Sunday is probably too ambitious. The Saturday (the day before) will fill your day completely, but that Sunday I think something will have to give. It's just that you couldn't really rush the Gap of Dunloe bit if you wanted to. It takes the time it takes (but it is a good day out). On the upside, Ross Castle is right there where the boats depart for the first leg of the Dunloe circle (or last, depending on your direction). The ROK is, on it's own, the better part of a full day as well. Perhaps you may have a bit of time to do part of the ROK, but those are shortened hours of daylight that late in the year too.

At Cork, I much prefer Cobh to either Cork City or Blarney, but we're getting into tastes here. Blarney is VERY touristy, and not just in a crowded sort of way. The surrounding gardens are nice, but otherwise it's a fairly average castle ruin with a brilliant marketing campaign and a lot of plastic leprechauns and kiss-me-I'm-Irish t-shirts on offer. Cork city isn't like this at all, but it is a busy, sort of chaotic town and not a scenic cityscape, to my eye. The kind of place I'd probably enjoy living, but didn't get much from as a tourist. But everyone's way of seeing things IS different, so that would be a judgement call for sure. The rest of the trip on Dingle, the Burren and Connemara I think look very possible.

Good luck.

wilees

Thanks for the advice Clifton!! I think that I will have to push it all out a bit as I am really looking forward to Kerry and don’t want to feel rushed. (and I am sneakily scheduling 9 holes of golf for my husband!!)

I may yet stay in Cobh for the first night because Cork hotels seem very expensive!! As we will be so close to Blarney I’d like to go – but as you say my expectations are not that high! Do you have any other suggestions for a good first night nearby Cork (in case we have delays with flights)??.

Gap of Dunloe – I was planning to drive right up to it? Is it a one way gap?? I am a bit confused about this and a tad concerned that in October there will not be any horse and carts. Any thoughts?

teacher33

In answer to your question about the Connemara NP, I have been twice, both in summertime. There is a nice visitor center with a video on the archeology and geology of the area. Explains the peat bogs. Also some displays. There are hiking paths there. the first time I went it was pouring and so I wimped out. The second time, the biting midges (or some such insect) were so awful we just did a short loop and gave up. Didn't see a whole lot. The visitor center is worth a short stop on your way to Kylemore.

I think your Sunday is doable if a bit of a long day. Of course it depends on how much you stop and look on the ROK. While on the ROK take a bit of a detour to the Staigue Fort (Stone AGe).

Actually your Thursday sounds longer IMHO. Climbing to the top of Croagh Patrick is nearly an all day deal (but I am old and not in top shape)

Have fun!

chatham

Wilees, Considering staying your 1st night at Blarney Woollen Mills Hotel. It is connected to the Woolen Mills which has pub food during the day, you can see the castle lit at night and is quite comfortable. We couldn't get a room once in Cork and we were really happy with this hotel. You can walk over to the castle before the hordes of tour buses arrive. It was really and trully a nice stay. Also had dinner a couple of nights at the hotel and was very good. Five minutes to the castle at most and three minutes to the village.

chatham

wilees, I meant walking to the castle and village. Check trip advisor and see what is said as my visit was 6 years ago and the hotel was called Christies.

chip

If you get to cork early enough (seems like you don't mind driving) you could detour north and tour cahir castle and rock of cashel...stay in cashel or cahir or work way back towards cork/kinsale...depending on time/interests

if you stay in cashel/cahir I would take quicker inland route to beara(not sure how scenic since I haven't went that way). be sure to do healy pass-highlight of beara pen.

either way you may want to stop in kenmare vs killarney...closer, see kenmare's small stone circle

that way you could enjoy the inland section of ROK between kenmare and Killarney (my favorite part of ROK)

FYI- the gap of dunloe by jaunting cart/boat is an all day event...plus you will need to get transportation back to your car ...this is not a loop...one way...start at kate kearney's cottage to lord brandon's and get a boat to ross castle

in June we started at kate kearney's at 10 am, thru gap, boat ride, and made it to ross castle just in time for the last tour

you can drive the gap...in june we did meet a couple of cars...there are some pull outs along the way for passing...so you may want to check into that...not sure where you go after lord brandon's since we took boat across lakes.

if you are serious about climbing croagh patrick...on your wed. you may want to head up to westport so you could get an early start

in june we got to croagh patrick early and some hikers were on their way up...said between 2-4 to get up depending on your ability then of course you would want a little time at the top and then time coming down...going up to the statue at the base was enough for us.

we really enjoyed driving the doolough valley past the fjord to kylemore abbey. (we started at 9am, spent a little over an hour at the famine memorial and croagh patrick, drove the doolough valley...some stops, stopped at aasleagh falls and hiked around for a bit, got out and walked on bog, toured kylemore abbey, drove part of sky road, drove coastal road past clifden and on to roundstone for a quick stop and back to westport at 7:20pm...long day!

on a clear day, driving the sky road just outside of clifden is great ...pretty nice just doing part of it even on a not so clear day!

I would suggest the following

20-cashel(cahir/cashel)
21-kinsale (blarney/cobh)
22-kenmare (drombeg/healy pass)
23-dingle (inland ROK-kenmare past moll's gap, ladies view, killarney national park/ ross castle)
24-dingle (slea head)
opportunities to golf in dingle-regular course and 9-hole pitch & putt
could do the morning you leave for doolin if nice weather
25-doolin (golf?/cliffs of moher)
26-westport (burren/cong)
27-clifden/connemara area (croagh patrick/doolough valley/kylemore)
28-depart

Clifton

Well, I saw a few people driving it, although they were not making fans of the walkers or horses (it's essentially a single lane). I think my favorite part of that trip was the boat portion from Ross Castle to the cottage where you pick up the pony or a cart. The views from the lake are very nice.

We like the Watersedge in Cobh http://www.watersedgehotel.ie/ as well as the Jacob's Ladder restaurant in the hotel. It's a bit modern for what some people expect of Ireland, but it does have a good position in town and on the water.

Clifton

Oh - just read the last post. We actually did it as a loop. Was picked up in Killarney center, taken by the little trolley looking bus to Ross Castle where we caught the boat. Boat to the cottage where we got a cart to cross the gap. At the other end, by the little shop, the trolley bus picked us up and dropped us again in the center of Killarney. Never used the car that day. I suppose it may depend on who it's booked through. We just went into the little agency office there in Killarney, just north of the main square.

wilees

Thanks for your your suggestions.

To be honest I didn't imagine us getting to the top of Croagh Patrick (once I see it I will decide). If it is nice weather I thought we'd walk a little way up (then we can say we'd climbed Croagh Patrick!).

It seems I need to rethink the Gap of Dunlow part!!

I have booked a hotel outside Killarney that has a golf course for DH. Only 9 holes and he better get up early for it so it doesn't impact my schedule.

And yes we do enjoy driving holidays - which is fortunate as in October we do not know how good the weather will be for sightseeing outside the car!! I am however not adverse to standing in the rain! (Apparently the highlight of our honeymoon for DH was the rental car!!)

I will tinker with the itinerary tonight!

bluesmusic

Is there a way to get from Blarney to N71 without going through Cork?

wojazz3

The N71 is a long road so it depends where you want to pick it up and where you are headed after.

For instance, take the road to Macroom, then follow the R584 towards Ballylickey. On the way, you'll pass Gougane Barra which is a beautiful area, well worth a long stop.

Another way is to take the N22 west to the R590 and then south to Bandon.

Bill

bluesmusic

Thanks for the tip to take R-590. We want to see the Dromberg stone circle, so that will work.