driving itinerary for Ireland

Your trip is exactly what I would like to do. 2 weeks will be perfect for driving through Ireland. You may want to visit Wicklow/Glendalough which is about a little over an hour away from Dublin. It is a very beautiful place and can be seen in a 1 full day. If you need suggestions on a bed/breakfast (no hostels there), we stayed at the kindest familys place I had ever been to.

3 days to get from Donegal/Derry to Belfast is too much. There's not all that much to see up that way, as far as I'm concerned!

That said, to do a circuit of Donegal is a full-day drive (wee small roads).

Westport to Derry is only a few hours, the roads are pretty good. Once you get off the main roads, things get small and bendy, but very picturesque.

Also I'd skip Limerick and find somewhere nicer to stay.
Seeing as how you're up for biking, I recommend an overnighter or two on Aran (like I always do :) Also consider a walk up Croagh Patrick, not forgetting Dun Ailish near Derry, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, etc.

On the stretch from Portrush to Belfast, be sure to drive along the North Antrim Coast. It's a slow drive, especially if you get out of the car to visit one or two villages and go for a short walk, but it's stunningly beautiful.

Thanks for the replies! That three days includes: full day of drive around Donegal; another day of seeing both Derry and Portrush, and places like Carrick-a-Rede, Bushmills, and then that third day will be spent driving through the Glens of Antrim on the way to Belfast (I think that's what it is anyways, if I've got the geography right, off the top of my head...) Plus we are staying with her aunt for two nights in Portrush. Maybe I didn't number the days correctly but that's what we've worked out in our heads. ;-)

Seaneendubh: when you say to skip Limerick, why is that? Why is it not nice? We were just looking for a decent place to stop, to break up what my friend thought would be a long drive from Dingle to Galway. Where would you stay, or do you think that drive is reasonable? I remember looking up all the distances, and it's about 153 km. Where I'm from no one would think that was any great distance, but considering the size of Ireland ... is that considered a long distance for locals? I don't know the road conditions either... whether it would be windy, paved, gravel, or whatnot.

Will look into the Aran islands more ... was going to try it out as a day trip but we'll see. Thanks for the help!

Thanks tony_b! Will make sure to do that. Can't wait - very excited to see it!

Distances can be misleading in Ireland. Your average driving speed can be very slow compared perhaps to what you're used to. It can be as slow as 40 km/h because of narrow, winding roads and the need to drive through villages and towns. Plus, you need to factor in time for stopping and looking around. That 153 kms could easily involve all day on the road.

No Limerick isn't a very nice place, and not very interesting neither. (IMO)

Going from Dingle to Galways via Limerick is the long way around anyway. You can catch the ferry at Tarbert and skip right into Clare. If you really want to stop, you can consider any of the Clare towns, maybe Lehinch or Lisdoonvarna.

But unless you're doing the Ring of Kerry first, I think Dingle to Galway is doable in one day, and then you'll have an extra night to spend somewhere more interesting than Limerick. There's loads of B&Bs down that way, so if you decide you're tired, just stop.

Agree with Sean above, Limerick isn't a great place.
I recently drove from Dingle up to Leitrim, took around 5 1/2 hours with a stop in Ennis. Guess you could do Dingle to Galway in around 3hrs. We used the ferry to get down to Kerry, and the Limerick road back. To be honest, didn't notice to much difference in the time it took.
Spend the additional time exploring Connemara, or possibly break your Westport - Letterkenny drive with some time in Co.Sligo or Southern Donegal. Though a bit away from your route, the Slieve League cliffs in Co Donegal are worth a visit, as is the area around Sligo town.
If you want somewhere of the beaten track, try Leitrim, where there is no track lol. Seriously, a great place with some great scenery, especially in the north of the county.
Also, if you head through Connemara on the way to Westport, try taking the Delphi - Louisburgh route along the Doo Lough pass, absolutely stunning.
I've never been to Portrush, so I can't critisise the place, but I'd suggest 2 nights in Derry, with some time at the Inishowen Peninsula. Malin Head and the Inishowen 100 drive are worth doing/seeing.
Enjoy your visit, I love driving in Ireland, and I'm feeling just a bit jealous...

Edited by: sadbloke

locals don't call limerick 'stab-city' for nothing!