Ireland itinerary advice

redneck6497 · Member

Ireland itinerary advice

clark219 · Veteran Member

I would stay in Dingle to be near the cliffs of moher. Dingle has some great music at night and there are other things to do in the area like The Buren, Aillwee Caves, Aran Islands, and Loop Head Lighthouse. If I counted right you have 5 nights not spoken for so I would spend a night or two in Doolin, 2 or 3 in Dingle, and 1 in Cashel. You could also see Cahir Castle when your in Cashel.

Michele Erdvig · Host

redneck,

Welcome to my forum. Taking into account your request to stay somewhere special on Sept 1 you could consider:

Doolin
Dingle
Dingle
Kenmare
Kenmare

Special places to stay in Kenmare for your anniversary would be Park House Hotel, Sheen Falls Lodge, Sallyport House. As for Dingle it is hard to beat Emlagh House for locality, charm and elegance.

Michele

redneck6497 · Member

Thanks for the replies and the warm welcome!

After looking at this, I think what I might want to do is the following.
DUB - Westin [1night]
DUB to Cashel (stay at Cashel Palace Hotel) [one night]
Cashel to Dingle - Stay at Emlagh House [3 nights]
Dingle to Doolin - Stay at Atlantic House [1 night] ... Not sure if this is close enough to the pub scene. Any other recommendations for Doolin? I liked the fact you can see the Cliffs of Moher from the B&B.
Doolin - DUB - Clontarf Castle [1 night] Then depart to USA

While Kenmare sounds like a lovely place, I would rather stay in Dingle longer.

I am still sort of apprehensive of burning a night in Cashel. Should I instead spend another night in Doolin or Dingle?

Michele Erdvig · Host

Redneck,

The drive from Dublin to Dingle is a long one. I think your idea of breaking up the drive is a good idea. It will take approximately 2 1/2 hours to Cashel. Then you will have time to explore the Rock of Cashel (take the tour), Hore Abbey, Cahir Castle and Swiss Cottage. That will fill up your day with sightseeing. You might want to take in the Bru Boru show in Cashel if it is on the night you are there. Then proceed to Dingle.

If you go to my Lodgings page I have many recommendations for accommodations there.

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig on Wednesday 28th of July 2010 01:03:22 AM

lazydaze · Newbie

I stayed in Clontarf Castle a week ago, also on our departing night, it was lovely! It took us around 15 minutes to get to the airport from there. St. Annes park nearby was grand, especially with the rose show going on.

Dingle has zillions of B&B's..we did a farmhouse and it was so-so.

Doolin we also did a B&B. Equally as impressive as the Cliff's of Moher is the Bridge of Ross on Loophead, Co. Clare. The best part was were were alone in the entire area. Truly magical.

I'd recommend staying in Kilkenny if you're doing to Cashel, not too far. We stayed at the Kilkenny Oremond hotel and it was nice.

-Greg from Anaheim

Michele Erdvig · Host

Greg,

Many thanks for your recommendations. We would love to hear how your trip went if you have the time. Glad you got down to Loop Head. It is one of my favorites. Such a different atmosphere than the Cliffs of Moher.

Michele

redneck6497 · Member

Greg, Thanks for the info!

We're leaving for our trip a week from yesterday, and now I am having really bad anxiety that I haven't covered all of the trip reports, guidebooks, and forums. For some reason I feel like I'm going to squander our trip. Dingle is the longest stay of the trip, and I feel like I don't really have a plan for Dingle (other than maybe a trip to the Skellig hotel spa on our bday / Anniversary day).

Am I crazy for kind of just letting things fall into place in Dingle? Are there drives I'll want to make from there?

Dublin (only from noon to noon) - Guinness Storehouse (got to bring some stuff back for folks), Pub crawl, and either the Gaol or the National Museum....bad ideas? We're staying in the Westin, so we'll also do Grafton Street.

Cashel - The Rock, and maybe a few of the other sights Michelle suggests.

Doolin - Its all about the music and the cliffs as far as I'm
concerned. No? Maybe I'll try and hit the Bridge of Ross )per Greg's Suggestion).

-- Edited by redneck6497 on Saturday 21st of August 2010 08:47:05 PM

-- Edited by redneck6497 on Saturday 21st of August 2010 08:47:56 PM

redneck6497 · Member

Final Itinerary

Fri - Depart USA for DUB

Sat - Arrive DUB 9AM .. Check into Westin Dublin (points), and Explore Dublin

Sun - Leave Dublin around 10:30AM for Cashel Stay in Cashel Palace.

Mon - Leave Cashel after breakfast head to Dingle ... check in at Emlagh House

Tues - Dingle

Wed - Dingle .... (Special BDay and Anniversary Day ... want it to be special).

Thurs - Leave Dingle around 10:00 ... head to Doolin. Check in at Daly's House

Fri - Leave Doolin by 11AM and explore just a little bit more ... Arrive Dublin around 4:30 and stay at Clontarf castle.

Sat - Depart Clontarf Castle by 8AM for an 11AM departure to USA through DUB.

1) Westin - http://www.thewestindublin.com/
2) Cashel Palace http://www.cashel-palace.ie/
3) Emlagh House http://www.emlaghhouse.com/
4) Daly House http://dalys-house.com/
5) Clontarf Castle http://www.clontarfcastle.ie/

Michele Erdvig · Host

Redneck,

Looks like everything is in place and you are just counting down the days. The anxiety will disappear when you arrive. Then you can relax and enjoy the journey.

Since you don't have a lot of time in Dublin you should take the hopper bus tour. If at all interested in Irish history Kilmainham Gaol is a very poignant place to visit. The Book of Kells and library at Trinity College is high on most people's list of "must sees" for Dublin.

You definitely want to do Slea Head Drive in Dingle. Near the Skellig Hotel there is a pathway along the harbor you might be interested in hiking. When at Emlagh House tell Marion and Grainne that you are celebrating a BDay and anniversary. They will suggest something special or a really good restaurant. Tell them Michele says "Hello" from across the pond! You are going to love it. The downstairs rooms have private patios that overlook Dingle Bay. It would be lovely to sit outside watching the sunset with a bottle of champagne for your special day.

Hope you have a grand time. If you have the time on your return, we would enjoy hearing back from you.

Michele

tony2phones · Guru

Kilmainham gaol is high on my list for Dublin, (unfortunately the photographic and historical exhibition planed for the Dolphins Bar Library has been canceld) and don't just go to the Storehouse for Gifts as you will find the same items in many gift shops all over Ireland for the same if not lower price.

Be sure to stop off in Kilkenny your way across to Cashel, it is the end of Heritage week in Ireland and there is free entry to the castle as well as free guided tours of St Canice's Cathedral and Rothe house and Gardens.

http://www.heritageweek.ie/index.php/whats-on/

From Cashel to Dingle is a long drive but as you will be passing call in at Cahir for the castle and Swiss Cottage.

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/South-East/CahirCastle/

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/South-East/SwissCottage/

(Had I not been sleeping whilst you were planning I would have suggested you spent this night in Killarney, cutting just over an hour from the drive time) It is unfrotunate that you will be just too late for Heritage week and as you have the music intrest just too early for the Dan Furey event in Labasheeda, which you pass on the way to Doolin. I would though plan on arriving in Dublin a little later for your last night and call in at Clonmacnoise on the way across.

http://www.moytura.com/clonmacnoise.htm

Have a good trip, be good and be lucky.

wckc · Guru

When we were in Dingle we stayed at Coill an Rois (Forrest of Roses) B&B http://www.dinglebb.com/index.html. Jimmy Bruic is wonderful and we still keep in touch with him regularly. When we stayed he had just reopened for the season. We were his only guests, and he gave us our choice of all his rooms. As a trained pastry chef, his food is to die for!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Wendy,

You are making my mouth water. On one occasion when I arrived at Coill an Rois Jimmy sat my husband and me down in the sitting room and disappeared into the kitchen. It seemed like just a few minutes later when he appeared with a plate of fresh chocolate truffles that he just "whipped up". He is an amazing host and cook. Jimmy should be the model for genuine Irish hospitality. If only he could bottle it!

Michele

wckc · Guru

Michelle -

I can do you one better. Besides us spending some of our evenings with him and his friend Geraud having tea and fresh cookies, one morning he brought us some of his fresh made black pudding. On another day after being out sight seeing, to go with our tea he made us a fresh lobster salad! It was so big and good we hardly ate anythijng for dinner!

We had stayed with him back before he started offering little cookery classes to his guests, but he also spent time with us showing Keith some of his secrets (like his fabulous brown bread).

It's sad to think when he's in the states he makes more money as a waiter than as a pastry chef!

-wc

stewh · Guru

Redneck
Anxiety is a waste of time; as Michele says, your trip is well planned. I know the Guinness Storehouse is a very popular stop in Dublin but you certainly don't have to visit to have a great pint (I have never had a bad pint in Ireland) and it seems you can buy Guinness 'gear' in almost every store in the country. I have my pints in pubs.
you will have a great trip
Stewart

-- Edited by stewh on Tuesday 24th of August 2010 12:48:26 PM

chaika · Veteran Member

Looks like we will be in Dingle at the same time as you for our first trip to Ireland. Have booked Conner Pass house for the week. We are going to go down to Kenmare to see the Beara peninsula and ROK for two of those days. On Saturday then we set off to Doolin and the Burren.

-- Edited by chaika on Monday 23rd of August 2010 09:35:03 PM

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dave,

Welcome to my forum. You should have a great time in Dingle. Since you are doing the Beara Peninsula you may want to read my Blog article about Josie's Restaurant there.

Michele

Michele Erdvig · Host

Wendy,

Lobster salad! That has my mouth watering. It is a pity that his culinary skills are at a lower pay scale than being a waiter! I just don't understand that.

Michele

redneck6497 · Member

Dave,
When are you going to Dingle?

redneck6497 · Member

Does anyone know of a good spa in Dingle? I would like to book a spa appt. for me and my wife on our anniv. I was thinking about the Skellig hotel, but have heard mixed reviews.

redneck6497 · Member

I really appreciate all of the good comments by everyone. I'm sorry I have been a little out of touch this week.

Thanks everyone for putting my mind at ease about the anxiety.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Redneck,

I have not used any spas so can't advise about them. Here are the ones I know of in Dingle:

http://www.dingleskellig.com/spa.html

http://harmonyspaandbeauty.com/

Michele

redneck6497 · Member

Michele,

Just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing time in Ireland. I will be posting a full trip report soon.

I told Marion that you said hello. There are a few copies of your book in Emlagh house.

-- Edited by redneck6497 on Sunday 12th of September 2010 10:01:04 PM

Michele Erdvig · Host

Redneck,

Welcome home! Glad to hear you had a good trip. I hope you enjoyed Emlagh House. It is a lovely place. And thanks for giving Marion my greetings. Can't wait to hear all about it.

Michele