What should my week-long Ireland itinerary look like?

Question

I am going to be in Ireland from March 15th to March 22nd, but I am in Dublin until the 17th (my brother is marching in the St. Pat. parade). I am going with my dad, and we don't know where else to go. Could someone recommend an itinerary that would help us see as much of Ireland as we can without being super rushed? I want to see castles, possibly the Crystal Factory Tour (if it's worth it), and maybe the Cobh Heritage Center. I've heard so much about the Ring of Kerry, Blarney Stone, Galway, Connemara, Ballybunion, the Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Maher, ect. Oh, and also the Aran Islands-those sound beautiful. I know I will have to just pick a couple, but which is the best? Is Cork worth seeing? Also, should we drive or take a train? Thanks!

Answer 1

do ya know i heard that the workers at the blarney stone pee on it...probably lies but i still wudnt kiss it....

Answer 2

drive along the west coast- its all beautiful- surfing in the atlantic, doing the ring of kerry, eating food in kinsale- all stunning.

whisky tours are excellent, never doen the crystal one.

Aran islands are stunning but will take at least 2-3 days of your trip.

Drive- train will slow you terribly- you can cover a lot more ground by car.

parade is on mar 15 this year, by the way so youc an get out of Dublin sooner.

Answer 3

I've lived in Ireland for a year and visited it countless times. If you ask me, go to Galway and plan on staying most of the week. Take a look at Connemara and surrounding countryside as well as sites in Galway. You will not be disappointed believe me.

Answer 4

If you want to see most of those places, you will need a car, because there just isn't the train system in place.

Also, looking at all those places, they are very spread out over the West and South-west of Ireland, and it will take a lot of time to go between each location. While the distances may seem short on a map, it takes me more than 3 hours to travel from my house in County Limerick to Dublin without stopping, and if traffic is in my favour - the roads just are not there for high-speed heavy traffic.

I would advise picking an area and sticking with it. You can go EITHER the South-west and include Cork and Kerry (Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Cork city, Cobh, Blarney, Ballybunion, and a day trip to Waterford; OR head to the West: Clare and Galway (Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Loop Head, Galway city, Connemara, and the Aran Islands.). Bear in mind that it might not be possible to get to the Aran Islands, as weather conditions are not always favourable to a safe crossing.

This way you can pick one place to say that's central and make day trips, or stay in the southern half of where you plan on going for 3 nights, then spend the remaining time 70 or so miles up the road.

Let me stress: the roads here are NARROW. We do not have the huge superhighways that exist in the US or mainland Europe. It's very common to get stuck behind an agricultural machine of some kind on any one of the main roads. You can always be brave and try the back roads, which is a terrifying prospect for many tourists, but generally the stronger-hearted ones relish the challenge and enjoy the surprises they find.

Answer 5

Whoa boy.  Hold up for a second there.  Do you want to spend your entire trip sitting in a car or do you want to actually get out, walk around, and SEE some of Ireland.  Everything you've suggested is great, but it's way too much to cover in just a handful of days.  You WILL be super rushed and you will feel like you haven't seen a darned thing.

I've been to Ireland twice and each time we stayed in one place and saw stuff in the areas nearby.  We never felt rushed and we saw an awful lot.

My favourite places: The Burren (Co. Clare).  It's one of the most unique landscapes in the world.  I would head up the 480 and see the famous Poulnabrone Dolmen and if you're up for a bit of walk up a hill made of limestone rocks and across a plateau, look for the signs off the 480 to the Poulawack Cairn.  It's an amazing place and you won't be disappointed.  Few tourists go there, so we've had it almost entirely to ourselves each time we went.

If you're there in Clare, you should also get to the Cliffs of Moher.  You're not likely to see as many tourists this time of year so any time you can get out to them is good.

All of this can be done in one day...there's a lot more on the Burren but some of it requires being willing to take the time to hit the back roads with a map and a compass.

The Aran Islands are an entire day trip, so only go there if you really want to.  They're lovely, but you'll spend a lot of time on the boat.

Galway City is a wonderful place to wander around -- if you go there, I suggest hitting the walking mall area.  A lot of great shops and, at least when we've been there (May-June) buskers all over.  It's fun hearing the wide variety of music out there.  And if you like fish and chips, McDonagh's has the best!  The best pint in town can apparently be had at Murphy's Pub (I don't drink, but this is what my friends tell me!).  Both are in the walking mall area of the city.

I would choose between heading into Connemara or down to the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry.  Trying to hit both of those on a short trip is going to be difficult, especially if you need to head across country to get back to Dublin to fly out.  Both are beautiful areas of the country.

And I would drive.  You can see SO MUCH more if you're not tied to train schedules and where you can walk.

Answer 6

Hire a car. Don't miss the Burren, Connemara, Achill Island, the Mournes, Enniskillen, Wicklow Hills, Slieve Blooms, Antrim Coast Road, Roe Valley Country Park....