We two, not four, are going to Ireland this summer. Based on Fodor's, Lonely Planet, and "favourite driving itineraries", we've come up with a rough 8 day itinerary. It would be wonderful if you could let us know any changes we should make. If you have problems commenting, email me and I can put them on the site if you'd like.
Day (overnight location): itinerary
Day 0 (Dublin): Arrival day around noon
Day 1 (Dublin): around Dublin
Day 2 (Dublin): Near Dublin (Tara, Newgrange, stately home) (overnight in dublin)
Day 3 (Kenmare): Travel to Kenmare, via Waterford and Rock of Cashel. Dinner in Kenmare or before.
Day 4 (Kenmare): Ring of Kerry ending with dinner in Kenmare, maybe Gap of Dunloe?
Day 5 (Connemara): Killarney in morning, north to Cliffs of Moher and the burren, ending at Connemara.
Day 6 (Connemara): Clifden and Sky road, maybe dinner Ballinrobe.
Day 7 (Galway): travel to Galway, around Galway.
Day 8 (Galway): Kayaking in Galway Bay
Day 9 (Galway): Leave 8 am from Galway for 1 1/2 hour drive to Shannon noon departure
Is this too packed in general? Let us know if we should drop something in favour of something else. Should we drop one of Connemara or Kerry? Is the English Market in Cork and cork itself worth a visit? Waterford is an extra 75 mins not including visiting/parking/etc. time is it worth a trip given all the other sites? Should we shorten up the Saturday near Dublin and do Newgrange and stately home on the way to Kenmare, perhaps overnighting in Cork or somewhere else on the way to Kenmare? That would cause missing a night in Dublin, which seems like a lot of fun. Is there not enough time for Cliffs of Moher and burren on the Tuesday?
4 stops with some recommended hotels:
Dublin: La Stampa, O'Callaghan Alexander, Browne's, the Shelbourne (pricy) or the Mont Clare. We'd like to be near St. Stephen's green.
Kenmare: Fodor's recommends Sheen Falls Lodge but expensive, Fodor's recommends Park Hotel but 1 guest said it was way past it's prime.
Connemara: A friend has recommended loughinaghlodgehotel.ie
Galway: Fodors recommends Radisson SAS. Fodor's mentions Adare Guest House
Food
Recommendations at http://foodandwine.net/.
I've heard a good review about about J.J. Gannons in Ballinrobe. We're interested in top 2-3 new Irish cuisine. Kinsale is known for Irish food renaissance, but Fodor's doesn't list any "recommended". Is a trip to Kinsale for the food worth it, or Kenmare, or some other places?
driving research
Kinsale to Kenmare: 1hr 45 mins, so probably too long for after a nice dinner.
Dublin to Kenmare direct: 4 1/2 hrs
Dublin to Waterford: 2 1/2 hrs
Waterfrod to Kenmare: 3 1/4 hrs
Kenmare to Galway via limerick or ferry: 4 hrs Galway to Shannon: 1 1/2 hrs
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