Hello Irish lovers

This is Jose Miguel, I'm from Barcelona and I'm planning a trip to Ireland for next summer, 8 days /7 nigths and I would like listen your coments/thoughts. i have not the flights fixed yet and that could vary some points, but initially one flight arrives at DUB at 9:10 and another at 13:05. I expect take the first one.

day 1

On arrival pick up a rented car and drive straight to Glendalough, wich should be arround 1h 10 or 15', spend there between 2 or 3 hours (depending on my fligh) . Then face to KILKENNY and stay there 2 nights

180 Km 2h 30 plus 2h 30' on visits and snacks/food, coffee

Day 2

Jerpoint Abbey // Waterford, take my time to stroll the city and lunch, then back to Kilenny making a stop at Kells Priory and/or St Mary's Gowran or back straight to KILKENNY to visit the Castle

171 km 2h 20 + 4h 10'

Day 3

I can place her my visit to Kilkenny Castle, before leaving
Rock of Cashel // Cahir Castle // Blarney Castle
finishing at CORK for 2 nights

174 km 2h 40' + 3h 10'

Day 4

Dromberg Stone Circle // Inchidonney Beach // Clonakilty // Kinsale (lunch)
CORK

159 km 3h 25' + 4h 30'

Day 5

Ross Castle // Muckross House // Torc Waterfall // Ladie's view // Moll's Gap
KENMARE

137 km 2h 45' + 4h 45'

Day 6

Staigue Stone Fort // Loher Ston Fort (could skip one) // Waterville // Bailingskelligs // Kerry Clifts / Beehhive Huts Village // Cahersciveen // Caheral Stone Fort // Killorgin
DINGLE

219 Km 4h + 3h 10'

(this day along ROK looks a bit bussy, I supose will skip some points depending on the time and weather conditions. A sunny day takes long time visiting than a rainny or windy)

Day 7

Eask Tower // Dunbeg Fort // Cashel Murphy // Beehive forts / Dunquin Pier // Gallarus Oratory // ST Brendan's Oratory or Cathair Deargain Ring
KILLARNEY

120 KM 2h 40' + 3h

Day 8

At this point I have 2 options

Drive to DUB which takes 3h 35' 313 km

or leave the car back at Kerry Airport and take a plane to DUB

The fly back to Barcelone should be at 19h 25' (or at 13h 45)
I realize there are a few spots could seem repetitive, so I open to change in order get a new target

Thank you

Welcome to Fodors. I don't have enough time to review your plan in detail until later this evening but just a couple of initial comments.

• You say '8 days / 7 nights' - it generally doesn't work that way. 7 nights will not give you 8 days but more like 6.5 days. You're 8th day is entirely filled with travel/transit.

• and your various comments such as "174 km 2h 40' + 3h 10" I assume mean the drive would take 2 hrs 40 mins and you'd spend 3 hrs 10 mins sightseeing/eating/misc. For example Day 3 the drive from Kilkenny to the R of C to Cahir to Blarney to Cork might take 2:40 if you are very lucky, but you can pretty much count on it actually taking more like 3 to 3.5 hours.

Then allowing just 3 hrs 10 minutes total time to visit three very popular sites is being VERY optimistic IMO/IME. Just the queue a Blarney Castle alone can easily take more than one hour. The R of C doesn't usually have long queues but is can be very crowded so a visit can take quite a lot of time.

Just don't over-plan your days -- the driving can take more than any of the on-line mileage calculators -- I generally add about 25% to the drive times but sometimes even that isn't enough. Especially on weekends when there are soooooo many tourists.

Friend, this reads somewhat like a sprint. Many will advise taking it a bit slower and really seeing things rather than trying to maintain this very, very tight schedule. But it is your call. Perhaps choose the best castles....after so many, a castle is...a castle...plan another trip, choose your priorities. I recall the old saying..."the man who needs a vacation just got back from one."

Thank you Janisj.
You are right,is a very optimistic plan. I have to reconsider my timetable. Beside of that, I posted a list of places to see/go, obiously is not mandatory do it all, always cans skip them in order of many factors, time included

Thanks Wildiowa
In fact the day I find more busy, too busy is day 6 through The ROK. I'm considering add one night stop there, maybe in Cahersiveen, or in Killorglin.
the rest, in the end, as most are quite similar, you cans skip some castle or ruin and have a bit more time to just stay there, and walk or have a drink or a coffee..