Ireland in November - Achill, KIllarney, Galway

I can't comment on Achill or Mayo but as of the end of September a lot of tourist-related Ireland begins to wind down. Galway is always busy so that won't be a problem but smaller places (Clonakility for example) you may struggle to find accom (I struggled in Schull a year ago to find accom since most of it had closed the weekend before). Alot of museums/galleries have winter hours which means shorter opening and closed on Mondays so watch for that.

Killarney nice and since you have a car the nearby national park is definitely worth a visit and while the weather may make it less pleasant this is going to be the case anywhere on the west coast. In terms of buses tearing around RoK the theory is that you travel anti-clockwise, the same direction as them.

I'd skip the Blarney stone if you are worried about 'Disney land'.

On your question of Clonakility vs Kenmare, well that's a a taste thing, but Kenmare did little for me (but me be great for a 60 yo mum since it has some great woolshops etc) just don't stay at the Rose Cottage BnB in Kenmare. Clonakilty has some great level walks along the seaside and foreshore.

I haven't been to Achill, but with the short time you have, it's a long ways to go especially in November. You should probably check on ferries in November, as they often are cancelled or delayed because of weather (at least this is the case with the Aran Islands off Galway).

I agree it's probably best to stay in areas that are more highly touristed, as quieter areas will be more closed up, and there won't be a lot of tourists around.

Achill is a great place to visit at any time of the year. Yes, it will be very quiet, and there's every chance you'll have the place to yourself, which on a windswept day would enhance the the feeling of solitude.
Not sure about accommodation on Achill, but you should find something open in nearby Westport or Castlebar.

You don't need a ferry by the way, the island is linked to the mainland by a causeway, which is also the starting point for the spectacular Atlantic drive .

If you do visit Achill, you could commit the cardinal sin and base yourself in the Galway/ Mayo area instead of Kerry. Kerry is very beautiful, but so are Galway and Mayo, especially in Connemara and the coastal areas of Mayo. Either destination is worth eight days of anyones time. I'd visit one area and plan a visit to the other at a later date.

Not sure where you are flying from, and if you haven't already booked, you could fly into Knock airport, which would be convenient for both Achill and Galway.

As you say your Grandfather is from Achill, you might find this interesting.Type in Achill in the parish section, and it shows all of the inhabitants of Achill and its townlands from the 1901 census. Worth looking at if geneology interests you
Hope you enjoy your visit, where ever you roam : )

Edited by: sadbloke

I think you might find it a rather long drive from Killarney to Achill Island. You'll surely go through Galway on the way, so it would make more sense to go Dublin-Killarney-Galway-Dublin rather than retracing to Galway from Achill. It's a long enough drive from Dublin to either Killarney or Achill, so you might find that you are doing more driving than you want for such a short holiday, especially given the short daylight hours that come with November. #3's idea either to visit the SW or the NW is a good one.

You'll probably find that a lot of B&Bs aren't expecting anyone at that time of year. I always remember Eric Newby's story, in his book Around Ireland in Low Gear, when he went cycling there in winter, of knocking at a B&B, and the proprietor taking one look at him and immediately slamming the door closed in his face. I also once visited Killarney out of season and it wasn't terribly easy to find anywhere (modest) to stay: a lot of the B&B signs had been taken down for the winter. But that's 15 years ago now and things have changed a lot since then.

Hi,
The weather in Ireland is never good so i wouldn't let that stop you doing anything! The west coast is gorgeously windblown and fresh, a lot of people complain about the wind but I love it, reminds you your alive.
Kerry is class, I used to holiday there as a kid, beautiful scenary and beaches. I don't know why you'd go to balarney, its just a wall that they get silly tourists to kiss . . . waste of time and you'll just feel stupid afterwards!
I'm from Galway and I wouldn't live anywhere else in Ireland . . it has everything, location, the sea, the Gaeltacht, the people and its by far the nicest city in Ireland (If you can call it a city) Its very wet though one of the wetest places in Ireland i'd say. It has a nice feel about it and its very tourist friendly without selling out to the whole tourist thing.
I was in Achill once, surfing in November, beautiful, the weather wasn't much worse than the rest of the country.. I'd stay in westport or some other town in Mayo though. Maybe rent some boards and a wetsuit, good fun!

Kilarney is very touristy, but nice ( a bit too touristy for my liking though) and Kinsale is great.

Thanks for everyone's advice. All very helpful. So I have revised the itinerary a bit.

Dublin - 2 nights

Killarney - 3 nights
- RoK, Kenmare
- Explore Killarney & the national park
- Dingle if time allows

Galway - 3 nights
- Day trip to Achill, Wesport/Castlebar
- Explore Galway

Except for Blarney on the way to Killarney, this itinerary unfortunately excludes Cork. The Blarney Stone is not high on my list either. I don't know if I can talk my mother out of it though. If we do bypass Blarney any suggestions for a place to stop in Cork for lunch that wouldn't be shuttered in late November? I think that this plan has us doing less driving and centered in hubs that won't have tumble weeds rolling down the street.

In Killarney right now I have narrowed down accommodations to The Cahernane House or ClooClogher Manor House for more luxe accommodations or Glenn Fea, Kingfisher for a more moderate B&B. Any thoughts?

For Gallway, I was considering St. Martins B&B. Their web site seems to no longer exist though. If we stay in a hotel I was considering The Meyrick or Radisson SAS.

Thank you all for you great suggestions.

Cork is a busy city that will take you time if you want to stop in the centre. But once you've stopped, it has a compact central area that will give you plenty of options for dining. If you are visiting Blarney castle on the way from Dublin to Killarney, I don't think there is time for lunch in Cork, you are having a snack in some place on the road.

viamichelin.com suggests its a 4 hour drive from Dublin to Killarney direct, and that's via Limerick, nowhere near Cork. That probably doesn't account for any congestion you might experience in Dublin. Via Blarney, its about 5 hours drive. Personally I would go from Dublin to Killarney via Cashel instead. It is less out of the way and really worth a visit. People in Ireland eat, even off season. There are nice little places in nice little towns.

The town of Killarney itself has nothing much to see. You can have a walk in the miniature "national park" and see the castle. Really it is a gateway to the surrounding area.

viamichelin.com suggests it's a little over 2 hours from Galway to Achill Sound, one way, and that's not by the scenic route. Driving around the island, etc, is extra. The average speed isn't very high, but it's realistic.

Try Kenmare instead of Killarney.
In Galway: I stayed at the Salthill Hotel and got a great rate - it is a super nice hotel right across the street from Galway Bay. As much as I enjoyed the smaller B&B's and guest houses I stayed in for the rest of my 2 week trip, the Salthill was a very nice place to stay with very friendly/helpful staff.

Edited by: heartsinireland

We too will be heading to Ireland in early Nov.. My son is already over there and I will be taking my Dad (76) ..

Thinking of doing the wing and a prayer trip just making sure to have plenty of information on the various B&B's figuring I may have to call several each day, have a rough itinerary but figure some things may go by the wayside depending on where the roads take us.

We are wanting to fit in some England and Scotland area so thinking 16-21 days.. No doubt too much to see in too little time. We have some old pictures of Plymouth and Fowey from when my grandfather was in WWI stationed over there plus a Scottish cap from the Gordon Highlanders Bydandy regiments that we wanted to trace some steps back on..

Figuring 7-10 days in Ireland (North and South) and the balance England and Scotland.

It will be a Tour of Blur but I don't see getting the three of us back again any time soon. Maybe the last for my Dad as he is getting up in his years but he is in good shape so far and anxious to go.

Managed to get my brothers and sisters to pitch in on the trip and we managed 1st class flights via air miles, we will fly in and out of Dublin.

Here is the thing I am debating;

a) Better of to rent a car and ferry between Ireland and England

OR
b) Rent car in Ireland, tour and return to Dublin, then fly to England and rent car, tour Scotland/England and fly back to Dublin.

Then my son goes... can we take 2 days and go to Paris?? Hmmm...