At the advice from some other forums...I am going to discuss with my sisters the option of doing Dingle Peninsula and not ROK. We've got to cut somewhere and I think that might be the place so that we can add more Day 6 and beyond.

Heather,

Welcome to my forum. I agree that you should skip doing the entire ROK. You will get sick of so much driving. Instead on the drive between Dingle and Kenmare stop in Killarney to see Muckross House & Gardens, Ross Castle, Torc Waterfall and (as Bob suggested) Moll's Gap and Ladies' View on the drive between Killarney and Kenmare.

Reservations at B&Bs expire at 6 pm. If you have reservations and will be arriving later you should inform your hosts. As long as they know your approximate arrival time you are okay. If you are trying to find B&Bs on the fly it can take more time. You didn't mention what time of year you are going but you should be checking into a B&B before dark. It is fine to check in and then go out for dinner and a pub crawl. If you are coming back very late just tiptoe in as other guests might be asleep already.

You should be able to get from the Galway area to Doolin in a couple of hours, depending on your route and starting point. Doolin is in the Burren. If you take the coast road round Black Head you will be driving the border of the Burren. Going more inland are other Burren sightseeing options such as Aillwee Caves, Poulnabrone Dolmen and Corkscrew Hill.

If you are driving from Kenmare to Bantry that means you are taking the coastal route. You will be going on Tunnel Drive through the mountains and the pace will definitely slow down and take you longer than you might expect. You are probably better off skipping Blarney Castle on the drive, since it will mean more backtracking. Instead you will go north after Kinsale and can see Blarney then. You have a lot packed into day 8 and may not get to it all unless you get started directly after the earliest breakfast you can get at you B&B. You really won't have time to see much of Kilkenny and might consider an overnight in Cashel instead.

On the whole I think your itinerary is okay. You start with a couple of multiple-night stays and then the pace picks up dramatically with mainly one-nighters till you get to Dublin.

You might find that you are not up partying till all hours after all. The Irish music in pubs generally starts after 9:30 or even 10. Most tourists find that no matter how energetic they are all that sightseeing and driving all day takes a lot out of them. So don't be surprised if you have some early nights too.

Do you plan on making any B&B reservations? Or will you wing it, choosing them as you go?

Michele

Heather,

Nice avatar photo! In June you will have looooong daylight hours. You are correct that June is not as busy as July and August. But since you are packing a lot into each day, why take time from your precious time in Ireland searching for B&Bs? And keep in mind that B&Bs taking vouchers are in the minority.

Since you have a pretty firm itinerary I think you should just go ahead, choose some B&Bs and inquire about availability. Then make reservations. That way if you do show up at 8 pm your room will be there waiting for you and you will not have to scramble around ringing doorbells looking for rooms. But don't forget to let your hosts know you will arrive after 6. You should definitely get reservations in Dublin.

I think the only itinerary decision you need to make now is whether to spend day 8 in Cashel or Kilkenny.

What do you think?

Michele

Heather, 

Why thank you for your kind words. My book is not half bad either. 

Day 6: Yes. I think skipping the ROK is a better plan. You will already have seen one of Ireland's most scenic peninsulas. Rather than more of the same mix it up and go on to something new. You can easily spend a week in Killarney. Pick and choose carefully what is of interest to you there. My top picks would be Muckross House & Gardens, Muckross Abbey, Torc Waterfall, Ross Castle and (if you're interested) a jaunting car ride through KNP. 

Day 8: I think Cahir Castle is certainly one of Ireland's most interesting castles. The tour is great and very informative so you will need time for it. You can also explore on your own but I really recommend waiting for the tour. You will learn so much you never knew about castles and how people really lived. (Definitely not a fairy tale life!) If you can get on a tour soon after arrival perhaps 1-1/2 hours. The Rock of Cashel is a top site. But it is mostly open to the elements. If it were hailing or lashing down rain, I would skip it. Otherwise it would be on my list. You could probably do it on your own in 40 minutes. But the tour will inform you about everything so double the time.

You can probably do Kilkenny to Glendalough to Dublin in 5 hours but you can't linger. Start early. Get a leaflet, skip the tour and walk around yourselves. Or better yet, find the history of Glendalough online and print it to take with you. 

With B&Bs booked and a firm itinerary you have one less thing to worry about when in Ireland. Do the thinking and homework now. Have the enjoyment while there. 

Michele

Zstep, 

You both need to wear a IrelandYes pin so you can recognize each other! 

Michele 


http://www.zazzle.com/irelandyes_irregulars_pin_button-145837742580583017