Cherry,

Welcome to my forum. On arrival you will likely be tired. I would question the idea of driving all the way to Galway on that first day for pubs and music. (Also, if you plan on having some pints at the pubs it is against Irish law to drink and drive.)

If you are going to stay in Adare it would be better to take an easy day and stick around that area. Or consider spending the night in Galway instead of Adare. It would save driving and backtracking.

Michele

For starters, you should definitely read Michele's DRIVING IN IRELAND info:

http://www.irelandyes.com/cars.html 


After there, you can go to:

http://www.aaireland.ie/routes_beta/   and figure your routing and distances.  Michele's guideline is to DIVIDE MILES TO BE DRIVEN by 35 (as in, 35 MPH!) to determine driving times.  If this is your First-Ever time driving in Europe (and particularly, in the British Isles -- on the "WRONG" side of the road  ), I suggest you use a divisor of 30 ... 

YOUR Mileage MAY vary --  

AA says Adare to Adare, via Galway, totals 149.5 Miles, and they say that totals 3 hours and 26 minutes of driving time.  By Michele's suggestion, TRUE driving time would be a bit over 4 1/4 hours.  My factor would make it more like 5 hours, so that puts you somewhere between 2 and 2.5 hours EACH way.  That's probably WAY too much driving on your first day.

It is almost 25 (23.68, to be exact) miles between Shannon Airport and Adare.  If your flight LANDS at 7:00 AM, by the time you collect your baggage, clear Customs and Immigration AND pick up your Rental Car, it will probably be between 8:30 and 9 AM before you exit the parking lot.

Whenever I land at Shannon, I usually drive down to Bunratty (about 7 miles +/-) and stop, for a: "I'm in a foreign country - driving a strange car - on the 'WRONG' side of the car AND the road - and I haven't slept in x hours!" REALITY CHECK.  I may even have breakfast.     

Only THEN, do I procede.

Regardless of the Bunratty stop, the drive to Adare will probably take AT LEAST 45 minutes -- and POSSIBLY, as much as an hour.

There are LOTS of nifty, little shops, cafes and pubs IN Adare. 

Michele will have more and better advice, but this should get you started.. 

Hope this helps,

Bob

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur on Tuesday 12th of January 2010 10:08:45 PM

Bob,  Thanks so much for the info!  A couple of years ago we spent a week on Galway Bay in a house we rented and we drove (or I drove!) for the week around the area.  All went well once I got adjusted - it was an adventure!  This time we are bringing friends who want the same experience, so we're having fun planning the week. I have read lots of your posts over the last few days.

Michelle, yes, we will be at Adare Manor villas for the week. We land at 7:00 am on Sunday, May 16 at Shannon. There is no guarantee that we can check in early, but we are promised they will try. Of course, we won't know until that day. So we have to be prepared to spend some hours "on the run"! 

I know we will be tired. Perhaps if we plan on a brunch for our meal - Adare? Limerick? any other close place? - then in the afternoon go to the villa and get settled in. We will stop and grocery shop on our way to Adare.

We know we will do a lot of driving, but the husband of the other couple will share the driving. Since we are in the shoulder season, hopefully we won't be in long bus lines are we travel to the Dingle and Iveraugh peninsulas.

I am very appreciative of your help, and I will be sure to share our observations with others once we complete our trip. Please offer any and all suggestions! Cherry

Michelle, Have definitely decided to stop in Bunratty. I misstated our arrival - it is at 8 am on a MONDAY, so a stop in Bunratty might help let the traffic thin out through Limerick. If we go to Bunratty, is there a place to eat breakfast? Also, I've had a hard time finding operating hours of the castle online, but I did finally find a place that said it opened at 9:30 am. Is that correct? We could eat and do the castle then on to Adare. Thanks!