That's a LOT of driving for one day!

Try running your route through the Route Planner on:

www.aaroadwatch.ie     or    www.viamichelin.com 


Take the otal Miles Driven and divide it by 30 or 35, to figure REALISTIC driving times, then ADD anticipated STOP time for meals, touring and standing in line ...

aaroadwatch says:

Route Planner (From Castleisland to Castleisland) Via: Waterford, Midleton, Blarney Time: 5 hr 44 min Total Distance (miles): 282.80

Using the more generous 'Rule of 35' (rather than 30), that works out to about EIGHT (8) Hours DRIVING TIME -- WITHOUT Stops.


And that LEAVES OUT Clonakilty...


Bob

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur at 16:58, 2007-04-04

Castleisland is a nice little town, well situated as a base, but ...

It IS kinda off the beaten path and your Waterford trip might be better suited if you add in an overnight stay. If you COULD do that, you could route ito end in Waterford, tour the factory in the morning (only the sales and show room are open on Sunday, anyway (I think). Then drive back to Castleisland through Cahir and Cashel.

That way, you could hit LOADS of 'Big Gun' sites in two days.
Dingle and Slea Head are quite 'doable' as a daytrip from Castleisland. So too,is Killarney/Kenmare and the Lakes. If you plan to do the Ring of Kerry drive, get an EARLY start. That way, you should be ahead of the big Tour Buses, rather than puttting along behind, breathing their exhaust...
The Deros Tour departs Killarney at 10:30. I suspect MOST of the Bus Tours begin CLOSE to that time. If you are IN Killorglin at, or before 10:00, I would think that you would be good, but I don't know that for fact.

FYI: The old BUTTER ROAD (a 1700's Turnpike) used to run from Castleisland and Killarney, almost ARROW STRAIGHT to Cork Harbor, via Millstreet, Co. Cork. The route took it right past Blarney Castle. In 2005, the Cork County Council had the Millstreet to Cork section resurfaced, to promote tourism and to provide a good, alternative 'shortcut' into Cork city. It probably won't show up on any of the regular highway maps, but the locals can probably direct you to it. It would doubtless be the shortest and fastest way toget to Blarney AND the Kinsale/ Clonakilty area....

Bob

Thank Bob & Michelle, great info all.

So far, the others in the party seem to think we can do it by switching drivers but I'm inclined to move Waterford to a day later in the week and maybe include Cashel with it. Especially if Bob is right and only the sales & show room are open on Sundays. The itinerary looks like this so far:

Day 1 - Land in Shannon, go to Ballyvaughan, visit The Burren
Day 2 - Galway/Cong (Ashford & Quiet Man set), stay in Ballyvaughan again
Day 3 - Doolin/Cliffs of Moher
Day 4 - Dingle
Day 5 - Dingle and Peninsula
Day 6 - Tralee
Day 7 - Castleisland
Day 8 - Castleisland/Blarney, et al
Day 9 - Castleisland - Free Day
Day 10 - Castleisland/Cashel (adding Waterford?)
Day 11 - Castleisland/Ring of Kerry
Day 12 - Castleisland - Free Day
Day 13 - Castleisland - Prepare for departure (laundry, lol)
Day 14 - Bunratty area B&B/Bunratty Folk Park & Medieval Banquet
Day 15 - departure

Castleisland was chosen because we wanted to spend some time in a thatched-roof cottage and we found a good deal there. It also seemed pretty well located. The "Free Days" were worked into the plan to give some flexibility and to allow for some "down time" in case anyone is bushed (The cottage has a hot tub, so the kids will want time to soak). As it was my first time planning a trip to Ireland and it was to an area I never been to, I relied on alot of websites and customer reviews and so on.

After seeing the notice about Aer Lingus direct flights out of Sanford/Orlando, I figure that if anything gets messed up, it can be corrected by a return visit in Oct or Nov! LOL!

Anyway, thanks for letting me drone on and thanks for the great advice. I WILL be working the Butter Road into the plan!

Chris

-- Edited by Auld Sod at 13:36, 2007-04-05

Susan,

That's the one. I'll be sure to give a review when we get back. I'm looking forward to checking out the town. Hopefully they'll have room for a Yank (or 5) at the pub!

Chris

http://www.cottagemaryrose.com/

Apparently, a new pub ("Hughes Pub") is "within walking distance" of the cottage. That's a good thing as I don't think I'd want to negotiate the left side of the road in a vehicle after having "visited" with Messrs Guinness & Jameson!

Yes, the N22 IS a modern highway, by Irish standards.  It is the MAIN Cork-to-Killarney Road and you would doubtless make good time over MOST of it.  It is also pretty scenic.  Watch for the 'Random' sculptures along the roadside (mostly in Co Kerry).  You will have to drive into Killarney first, to pick it up, but the intersection is outside of town, at least, so traffic there shouldn't be horrible.  It DOES bog down, getting through Macroom, a bit...

EVEN RESURFACED, THE BUTTER ROAD IS NARROW AND YOU WON'T MAKE HIGH SPEED, BUT...

Along the way is Millstreet Country Park, St John's Holy Well, Knocknakilla and, of course, Blarney.  IT TRAVELS UP, OVER THE TOP OF MUSHERA MOUNTAIN, through some of the wildest  remaining Irish countryside.  Well worth a look, time permitting.

see:  www.millstreet.ie for more info

That being said, if you still intend to see Midelton AND Beal Na mBlath, the N22 is probably the quicker route.

Bob

Thanks so much to both of you for the info, I'd have probably never come across all this on my own!

We'll have a mini-van rented for the trip and I was wondering if the narrowness of The Butter Road might cause problems?

After consulting with the others in my group, it was decided that the advice given is to be taken. we'll go as far as Midleton (the Irish in me can't miss a distillery without giving it the once over!) and then turn back, visit Cobh and maybe Kinsale depending on time constraints. The Butter Road sounds like the way to go when we head back later in the week (of course, if a mini-van will fit safely on the road)

Next question (thanks for the patience!) Are there any markers I should look for in Killarney that would direct me to The Butter Road or is just best to stop and ask for directions? My frame of reference makes me envision a large town and my being on the opposite side of where I need to be. This is usually where a well meaning local gives me directions that I quickly screw up, lol! Not that being lost is a bad thing, in fact, I usually find the best places that way.

Many, many thanks to Michelle, Bob and Corey & Liam for directing me here. It's been a Godsend!

-- Edited by Auld Sod at 16:15, 2007-04-06

Thanks Dude.

We're scheduled to get an Opel Zafira: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Zafira

I checked the pics online of your Tourneo. WOW! Yeah, I can see that folks would give you plenty of room! The range of vision really looks tremendous.

I appreciate the info.

They call the Zafira a 7 passenger, but the reality is that it's viable for four adults.  You COULD squeeze a child into the middle seat, but I wouldn't want to make the length of trip you are planning that way.  The rear seats fold up, out of the floor of the cargo area and are akward to enter and exit.  If they are utilized, there's almost NO room whatsoever for ANY luggage.

The Renault Scenic is pretty much the same.  The only commonly offered Seven Passenger I know of that truely IS a mini van is the Kia Sedona, but rental companies WON'T promise a Specific make OR model.

I've driven a nine passenger VW Carravelle (think VW Bus) and a Mercedes Vito (even bigger) on "roads" (The Irish call them BOREENS - tracks with grass growing up in the middle) that make the Butter Road seem like an Interstate!  It can be a bit unnerving and slow going in spots, but you should be fine.  The 'improved' Butter Road begins in Millstreet, rather than Killarney.  I've never actually driven ALL of it, so I'm not exactly sure where it comes out in Cork / Blarney area.  I do know that a few of the Millstreet folks who attend UCC or work in Cork were quite excited by the time and distance savings they would realize, once the resurfacing was completed.

Dunno how large your party is, size-wise', butthe Zafira just might be a bit too small, particularly for long haul driving.  You MAY need to consider up-grading to a 9 Passenger...

Bob

We'll have five people: three adults, an 18-year old and a 12-year old (Both girls, may the Good Lord help me and keep the boys at bay!). We're planning on a duffle bag for my wife and myself, one for the kids and my mother will have two carry-ons and a backpack.

The driving with the luggage will be from Shannon to Ballyvaughan (staying 2 nights), Ballyvaughan to Doolin, Doolin to Dingle (again staying 2 nights), Dingle to Tralee and Tralee to Castleisland. At that point, the bags come out and the van is ours.

I just saw a Dodge Caravan on the way home from work and it looked similar to the Opel. Dude, did you have any open space behind the 3rd seat?

Thanks again to everyone! I'd have been so clueless without all your wonderful help!

PS-Bit, I am SO looking forward to enjoying any mischief the "little people" have in store for us!

-- Edited by Auld Sod at 18:46, 2007-04-06

-- Edited by Auld Sod at 11:30, 2007-04-07

Oh, yes, the Tourneo seated five rather zaftig women quite comfortably with our luggage in the back and room on the third seat for our shopping bags and the 5th sister. Two in the "bucket seats" in front, two on the middle seat, and if pressed we could have put three in the back. And there was ample room in the back for five women's luggage. We each had a largish bag (checkthrough size) and a carryon.

When we arrived in Shannon, Hertz stuffed us into a Land Rover. Loved the car, hated having five chubby women crammed into room for four regular ones and our luggage reaching to the ceiling in the back so my rear vision was quite limited. After two days of this we were able to switch out in Killarney to the Tourneo.

The disadvantage was that we couldn't communicate too well with the other seats because of distance. And it was a diesel so not quiet but economical on the petrol.

Hope this helps. Only three going next trip so we are moving down in size--probably a VW Passat.

Let me know when the time machine is perfected. I have some trips to take....