Ireland Itinerary

Hey there,

A friend and I are traveling to Ireland next month for 12 nights (Nov. 17 - 29). Our flights are booked, and our first three nights are accounted for in Dublin.

Any help on the remainder of the itinerary would be much appreciated! Nothing else is booked, but we have a car rented from the 20th-29th. Here's what we were thinking:

20th - leave Dublin, drive through Wicklow Mtns to Kilkenney Castle, overnight in Waterford (maybe?).
21st - Waterford in am, drive to Cashel, spend the day & overnight there.
22, 23, 24 - Not sure what cities/towns/villages to stay in, but we want to see the Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands, Killarney National Park, and the Ring of Kerry. This might be too ambitious?
25, 26, 27 - Head up to Galway? Connemara?
28 - We have to overnight in Dublin in order to catch our early flight the next morning.

Any recommendations on creating a route that would minimize driving would be great. We want to see as much of Ireland as possible, just not from the inside of a car :) Also, what might be some worthwhile day hikes along the way? We're definitely making room for out hiking boots, and the more remote, the better :)

Thanks in advance!

A visit up through Co. Sligo and on to Co. Donegal, is a must.
The cliffs of Slieve League (amongst the highest sea cliffs in Europe - over 1,900ft) are just incredibly beautiful. The drive up to them isn't for the fainthearted though ! !
After doing that wonderful trip, try and find time to get over to Antrim - and experience The Giant's Causeway. Regardless that it's normally swarming with tourists, it's such a weird and wonderful natural phenomena.
Here's a couple of interesting statistics....
The most northerly part of Ireland, is in Southern Ireland.
There are two Lough Earns (also very beautiful) in Co. Fermanagh - Northern Ireland.
Lower Lough Earn is 'Above' Upper Lough Earn ! !

#1 Southern Ireland? Really? If you are referring to the Republic of Ireland as Southern Ireland that is just silly, inaccurate, inappropriate and not even narrowly used. Just so OP knows, referring to the republic as Southern Ireland in almost all places will get you a quizzical look or directions towards the nearest exit.

Donegal is a good idea for something different and some great walks, however it would require some serious carving of days from the earlier part of trip to achieve it. IMO the Giant's Causeway sucks.

Your days of 22-24 are ambitious. I would suggest 22/3 for KiIlarney/RoK and the remainder based in or around Galway for The Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands (maybe a night in Doolin).

Just remember, in terms of hiking, the days are short, it will be cold and there may be snow since it is November and you will get wet since it is the West Coast. Search for Christopher Somerville on independent.ie for some walks (they are taken off line after a certain period so you might want to grab and print or save a copy of the pages you are interested in in the run up to your visit) but you may need to buy a book or do some web searching for walks.

Driving in Ireland can be challenge. Off the motorways or larger N roads you will find getting above an average of 70 km/h can be challenging in winter. AAireland's route planner is a good resource IMO but they can be a bit hopeful in their timing predictions on smaller roads.

#1 Southern Ireland? Really? If you are referring to the Republic of Ireland as Southern Ireland that is just silly, inaccurate, inappropriate and not even narrowly used.

Here we go again...))

On the basis of cutting out driving I would omit Waterford.

Hill walking can be problematic at this time of year especially rain mist on the tops. Also often quite long walk ins from the roadhead. Suggestions could include Galtymore (the Galtees) in Tipperary and reach one of the four Irish "Munroes" ie over 3000ft. It will of course be dark around 5pm.

Carraunttoohil (Macgillycddys Reeks) and Mangerton in the Killarney Area are other options.

I would not leave the Aran Islands for your last day in case of poor weather that can cancel sailings at short notice. Watch the forecast.

If you were to place more emphasis on Connemara by which it means having to factor driving somewhat north of Galway The Maamturks, The Twelve Pins, Mweelrea and Joyces Country all give excellent options though not recommended if mist is low. Many footpaths are poor. In good weather a joy compared with the highly developed paths of parts of the English Lakes, Snowdonia etc.

R

If you are referring to the Republic of Ireland as Southern Ireland that is just silly

Not really silly - when the vast majority of people refer to it as the South, rather than the Republic.
Many refer to it as 'Eire' too.
There's really no need to be so pedantic.

As 3.... rightly says - +Here we go again...))*+
Some people just aint got anything better to do, other than just try their utmost to wreck a good thread.

Since it isn't just south (as you yourself point out), yes it is silly. It is not about pedantic. It is about being accurate and helpful for the poster. I can see from the NI perspective why they wouldn't want to call it the republic or Ireland but that doesn't make it right.

It is not about wrecking a good thread (which appears to have died without any other posters) but providing the poster with accurate and useful information. Oh yeah, and I think #3 was referring to you being deliberately troublesome.

Well - the fact that I put up a post of correct info - and once again, you come along with nothing better to do than thread wreck (you're so good at it), I'd say it's 'You' and nobody else that's content on spoiling it for everyone.
Still - have it your way, you always insist on it.
(Quote....) Oh yeah, and I think.... That's doubtful - too.

Well done BB, get something wrong and then head on into abuse to cover your tracks - your usual MO. Bravo.

*8....
I didn't get anything wrong.
And all that coming from someone who says he'd like to see passenger planes firebombed.... Not a nice guy.

Definitely not getting involved in this one...

#10, coward. :-P

#9, I know you don't get subtlety but I did explain the obvious meaning in little words for you so I will presume this is just you (someone who encourages visitors to the UK to break the law without telling them that is what they are doing, can't read information provided by LHR and believes that European train users magic their way through gates without tickets) being deliberately disingenuous.

#10, coward. :-P

I don't believe you...oops, sorry, I thought you shouted Judas...

Coward, you say?...I put it to you, sir, in the strongest possible terms that I resemble that remark...

You're smarter than me.