Ireland Itinerary

Here's the first of many itineraries to come: our first road trip around the southwestern part of Ireland...



Day 1

Blarney Castle

• €12 - you could spend 1-3 hours here - climb to the top of the castle, kiss the Blarney Stone, walk around the grounds (extensive, so you can make it as long as you like)

Kinsale

Kinsale is a little fishing town set on a harbor, just 20-30 drive from Cork (40 or so from Blarney). It has narrow streets and cute pastel buildings, so it's very nice to walk around. White Lady Hotel would be a good place to stay (or even just grab a bite to eat in the restaurant). There's also a well-known restaurant called Fishy Fishy, which is supposed to have (surprise, surprise) good seafood. 

What to see nearby:

• Charles Fort - just 2-3 kilometer drive outside of Kinsale (could do this the same day if you have time, or in the morning the next day) - huge 17th century star-shaped, 12 acre fort on the harbor - costs ~4 euro
• Old Head Kinsale - golf course, pretty coastal scenery

Day 2

Killarney National Park

What to see (should be signs for most of these):

• Muckross House
• Muckross Abbey
• Torc Waterfall
• Ross Castle
• Ladies' View (viewpoint on your way out of the park)

  *Tourist info office is on Beech Rd in a shopping plaza before Muckross House, says "Discover Ireland" on the sign - they'll give you a map of the park and some good suggestions

  *Don't go in entrances that say "jaunting car entrance" - they are horse and carriage entrances!

  *If you want to do a carriage ride (I did with my parents and it was really pretty), you can get a ride by Muckross House for €30 and they'll take you around one of 2 routes around the lakes, to the Abbey, to the waterfall, etc.

Kenmare

The town is very small, with just a few main streets and a town square (triangle). It's a great stopping point before starting the Ring of Kerry. There aren't really "sites" to see, so just walk around and check out the pubs and little shops! Tom Crean's Fish & Wine restaurant (across the street from the Lansdowne Arms hotel) is good. There are also plenty of places on Henry Street, which is the main street going through the town (pretty view of the town and chapel and hills in the background from the start of the street!).

Day 3

Ring of Kerry

Kenmare is pretty much the start of the Ring and there should be lots of signs, but N70 will take you around the whole ring. Take your time and take lots of pics! You'll pass through a few towns that would be good to stop and grab a bite (Waterville & Cahersiveen at the top of the ring, Killorgin more toward the end - will just depend on your timing).

Dingle

The whole Dingle Peninsula is gorgeous and the town itself is quaint - definitely spend a night here! We stayed in the Dingle Benners Hotel and loved it. It's the oldest hotel in Dingle, very charming and right in the town center.

What to see/do:

• Slea Head Drive - beautiful views
• Murphy's Ice Cream - on Strand Street, famous ice cream place started in Co. Kerry - they have Guinness flavored ice cream! 
• O'Sullivan's Court House Pub - we went there and listened to some great live music! Don't know if they'll have music on Wed, but it's still a cool pub!

• Conor Pass (next day, if you have time) - highest mountain pass in Ireland, spectacular views - takes you over to Brandon Bay. Don't do this drive if there is bad weather, b/c the road is very narrow and the visibility would be poor up in the mountains.

Day 4

Adare 

Nice little town, just southwest of Limerick - would be good stopping point for lunch before getting to the Cliffs in the afternoon

• Cute thatched cottages/shops
• Castle
• Old Franciscan Friary (founded in 1464)
• Adare Heritage center also has a couple good shops

Cliffs of Moher

• €6, awesome views, only takes ~1 hr. to see (just walk from one end to the other)

Lahinch

Good place to stay for the night after seeing the Cliffs, only about 10 min drive away. It's known for surfing, and is a good place to take lessons if you're interested! We stayed in the Atlantic Hotel (ok hotel restaurant, breakfast included). Doolin is also a town nearby - we didn't stay here, but it's known for good live music.

Day 5

Aran Islands

The Aran Islands could be skipped for timing, but they're really cool and a nice taste of "old Ireland." People still speak Gaelic here and most of the signs are in Gaelic too (some with no English!). We took a ferry from Doolin that took you by the Cliffs of Moher (cool to see it from a different perspective and shows just how massive they are) and then to Inisheer. 

• Inisheer is the closest and smallest island of the 3 (only 2 pubs on the whole island), but Inishmore would be the largest and most common to visit.

Galway

Spend 1-2 days here (only spent a night and part of a day, but would like to see more). We stayed by the famous Quay Street/Latin Quarter - cool area with pedestrian streets and lots of pubs, restaurants, and shops.