flutterby1
Unregistered User
(8/3/03 1:08 pm)

1st trip to Ireland - Please help with Itinerary

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Can you tell me if this itinerary sounds reasonable or should I keep working on it? Husband and I will rent a car. Any help would be great since we have never been before. Thanks!

Day 1 : Land in Shannon at 8am. Figure by the time depart plane, get luggage, and rent car it will be 10:30. From 10:30 - about 11:30 drive the Cliffs of Moher. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR LUNCH NEAR THE CLIFFS? 11:30 - about 3:00 see the Cliffs and do lunch sometime in there. 3:00 - 4:30 drive time to Adare. Explore Adare and either sleep in Adare or if time head towards Killarney and stop along the way to sleep. ANY SUGGESTIONS OF B&B ALONG THE WAY ? maybe on the coast?

Day 2 : If still in Adare, drive to Killarney. Drive Ring of Kerry with a packed lunch till about 4:00 or 5:00. Drive to Drive to Kenmare, Glengarriff, or Bantry for the night.

Day 3 : Drive to Drombeg Stone Circle, from there drive to Kinsale. Explore Kinsale and head to see Blarney Castle. If time head towards Cshel to sleep.

Day 4 : Drive to Cashel (if not already there). See rock of Cashel and Athassel Priory. Stop in Cahir to see Cahir Castle along the way (if we have time). Drive towards Kilkenny and see Kilkenny Design Center in the afternoon. Sleep in Kilkenny.

Day 5 : Morning see Kilkenny Design Center if didn't the day before. HOW LONG SHOULD I ALLOW FOR THAT? Drive to Glandalough and see Wicklow Gap along the way. If time see National Park and visit little village of Clara (Vale of Clara). If we didn't have to see Design Center today then we should have time to see Powerscourt in Enniskerry in the afternoon.

Day 6 : See Powerscourt in the morning if didn't get to the day prior.
If we did already see Powerscourt on day before, then will head to Trim to see Trim Castle in the morning. Either way will also see Books of Kells in Dublin.

Now, if Powerscourt was already done on the day before how should I arrange seeing Trim and Book of Kells in Dublin... should we go to Dublin (from Enniskerry) in the morning to make sure we have time to see Book of Kells, then head to Trim and go back to Dublin at night to sleep OR should we go directly from Enniskerry when we wake up to Trim then head back to Dublin to see Book of Kells and then sleep in Dublin???

Day 7 ? Fly home from Dublin.

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1664
(8/4/03 12:21 am)

Whirlwind Itinerary

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Hi flutterby1,

I must admit that my head is spinning just a bit from your ambitious itinerary. If you are young, fit and don't mind a lot of driving from place to place I am sure you can fit in a lot of what you want to see and do. The time of year you are going to Ireland will also dictate how much you can do as in the autumn and winter daylight hours are reduced. I will comment on the day-by-day itinerary below.

Day 1 : Land in Shannon at 8am. Figure by the time depart plane, get luggage, and rent car it will be 10:30. From 10:30 - about 11:30 drive the Cliffs of Moher. ANSWER: Drive time is more like 1 1/2 hours. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR LUNCH NEAR THE CLIFFS? ANSWER: Aberdeen Arms Hotel in Lahinch or the cafe at the cliffs. 11:30 - about 3:00 see the Cliffs and do lunch sometime in there. 3:00 - 4:30 drive time to Adare. Explore Adare and either sleep in Adare or if time head towards Killarney and stop along the way to sleep. ANY SUGGESTIONS OF B&B ALONG THE WAY ? Are you using vouchers? maybe on the coast? ANSWER: If you have just come off a trans-atlantic flight you will be exhausted after your planned activities. You might plan on staying in Doolin or Ballyvaughan. Adare is as far as you would want to backtrack today.

Day 2 : If still in Adare, drive to Killarney. Drive Ring of Kerry with a packed lunch till about 4:00 or 5:00. Drive to Drive to Kenmare, Glengarriff, or Bantry for the night. ANSWER: Depending on where you start from this could be a very long exhausting day. Had you considered that Dingle or Killarney might be more managable?

Day 3 : Drive to Drombeg Stone Circle, from there drive to Kinsale. Explore Kinsale and head to see Blarney Castle. If time head towards Cshel to sleep. ANSWER: Trying to do West Cork (small, rural out of the way roads), Kinsale, Blarney and reaching Cashel in one day is much too much. Something should be cut.

Day 4 : Drive to Cashel (if not already there). See rock of Cashel and Athassel Priory. Stop in Cahir to see Cahir Castle along the way (if we have time). Drive towards Kilkenny and see Kilkenny Design Center in the afternoon. Sleep in Kilkenny. ANSWER: Another long day.

Day 5 : Morning see Kilkenny Design Center if didn't the day before. HOW LONG SHOULD I ALLOW FOR THAT? ANSWER: It's shops so it depends on how much shopping you plan on doing. It could take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours if you have lunch there. Drive to Glandalough and see Wicklow Gap along the way. If time see National Park and visit little village of Clara (Vale of Clara). If we didn't have to see Design Center today then we should have time to see Powerscourt in Enniskerry in the afternoon. ANSWER: Another very long day. Driving through the mountains takes time with the possibility of getting lost on the small roads. The Vale of Clara is out of the way (south of Glendalough when you should be heading north to Powerscourt). You could easily spend a few hours at both Glendalough and Powerscourt. It is hard to say how far you will get today.

Day 6 : See Powerscourt in the morning if didn't get to the day prior.
If we did already see Powerscourt on day before, then will head to Trim to see Trim Castle in the morning. Either way will also see Books of Kells in Dublin.

Now, if Powerscourt was already done on the day before how should I arrange seeing Trim and Book of Kells in Dublin... should we go to Dublin (from Enniskerry) in the morning to make sure we have time to see Book of Kells, then head to Trim and go back to Dublin at night to sleep OR should we go directly from Enniskerry when we wake up to Trim then head back to Dublin to see Book of Kells and then sleep in Dublin??? ANSWER: I sincerely doubt if you will see Powerscourt on Day 5. Skip Trim altogether and enjoy your time at the gardens and in Dublin.

Day 7 ? Fly home from Dublin. ANSWER: I hope you have a few days to recuperate?

Is it possible to revise your itinerary any to avoid a "green blur" tour? If you can, post again and I will try to help. Remember less is more in Ireland.

Michele

flutterby1
Unregistered User
(8/4/03 10:05 am)

Updated Itinerary

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Thanks for your advice. I have a few questions/replies:

- yes we will be using vouchers for the B&B's

- you said Kilkenny Design Cntr is just shops - are you able to actually see the craftsmen work? My husband is interested in seeing them work and create. If you are unable to see this then we may just spend a short time there just to pass through.

- I could possibly cut out seeing Adare all together, but am not sure yet if that would be one of the things I would want to miss out on or not. Have you any suggestions on if Adare is worth seeing? Also if we do cut out Adare entirely, do you think we would then have time to see the Vale of Clara (even though it may be out of the way) or would it still just be too far out of the way to bother with. ALso, if you have been to both Adare and Vale of Clara, which one would you recommend over the other??

- On day 2 we may very well be too tired to make it all the way to Kenmare, Glengarriff, or Bantry for the night. If that is the case then I would be more than willing to stop in Dingle or Killarney. Thanks for the suggestion of which towns to stop in for the night. We do not have any pre-booked nights at B&B's so we can be flexible along the way.

- Day 3 we may just drive to Drombeg Stone CIrcle, then see Kinsale and head to Blarney to sleep. Then on day 4 we could see Blarney Castle on the way out of town to Cashel, then finish day 4 as planned, but cut out either Castle or Athassel Priory.

-On day 4 I could either cut out Cahir Castle or Athassel Priory. Which would you recomend that I see? Is one a guided tour and the other not (so one may take a little more time)? Also is Cahir Castle more "touristy"?

- I was thinking that including Trim for day 6 was probably pushing it too much. I think I will take your suggestion and skip Trim all together.

I look forward to your reply and then I will go back to the drawing board based on whatever your answers may be. Thanks again!!

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1671
(8/5/03 12:53 am)

Itinerary

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Hi flutterby1,

Happy to be of help. I am so glad that you are thinking of revising your trip a little. What time of year will you be in Ireland?

I have a suggestion for your first day. Skip Adare and instead take the ferry across the Shannon from Killimer to Tarbert. Spend the night in Ballybunion. This will set you up for your sightseeing on Day 2.

The Kilkenny Design is across the street from the castle and is housed in the old stables. At certain times of the year there may be craftsmen there but the last few times I have visited there have just been goods for sale. The castle is worth a tour.

I have been to both Adare and the Vale of Clara many times. The Vale of Clara is south of Glendalough on the road to Rathdrum. It is a scenic drive. Adare is a busy town with a row of thatched cottages, most of which are shops. Whether Adare or the Vale of Clara is worth seeing is really a matter of individual taste. Tell me why you think you should see them and what your expectations are, and I will give you my opinion.

- Day 3 we may just drive to Drombeg Stone CIrcle, then see Kinsale and head to Blarney to sleep. Then on day 4 we could see Blarney Castle on the way out of town to Cashel, then finish day 4 as planned, but cut out either Castle or Athassel Priory. ANSWER: The Rock of Cashel is the one you should see rather than Athassel.

-On day 4 I could either cut out Cahir Castle or Athassel Priory. Which would you recomend that I see? Is one a guided tour and the other not (so one may take a little more time)? Also is Cahir Castle more "touristy"? ANSWER: In my opinion Cahir Castle is by far more interesting and not touristy at all. It has guided tours if you want one or you can wander around on your own -- or both. I highly recommend doing both. Athassel Priory is just some ruins in a field. Last time I was there the gate was locked and you would probably have to hunt down the person with the key or climb the fence.

I hope that this helps you fine-tune things a bit.

Michele

flutterby1
Unregistered User
(8/5/03 12:56 pm)
 
THANKS AGAIN!

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We will be in Ireland from Sept 11 - Sept 17, 2003. As to my expectations of Adare and Vale of clara...

I have heard Adare is just a lovely little village. I am really unsure what all there is to do there, but I guess I was wanting to go because I am under the impression it will give me the experience of seeing true Irish culture. I wanted to see what "a small Irish village" really feels like a far as the people and the shops and such. Now I do know that I will get to see Irish culture the whole time I am in Ireland, but I just got the feeling Adare would be more untouched and unspoiled (less touristy). Tell me if I am correct or not?? Also will any of the other towns on my Itinerary give me the same feeling of "small town/ small Irish village" - untouched and unspoiled? I was thinking Adare is much less touristy then many of my other stops - am I correct??

As far as the Vale of Clara - I also do not know too much about it other than the few beautiful pictures I saw in one of my travel books. I had imageined that there would be open landcape and fields I could just explore and wander off into. Is there really anywhere to stop and get out and walk or is it just somewhere to drive through?

As to Kilkenny Design Center... husband works with metalware - church goods and metalware to be specific. A few pics in a travel book I saw showed men creating a monstrance (spelling?) (which is an item used in Catholic churches) in the Kilkenny Design Cenbter. We were under the impression that there would be lots of people there who create these and that he could watch them. If this is not the case, then we may skip Kilkenny all together. Please shed a little more light on this. Is it only a store/shop? Are the goods only things such as crafts or is there a manufacturer of Church goods that you know of?

Again thanks for all the input!

MaryZ
Unregistered User
(8/5/03 5:47 pm)

Itinerary

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Actually, I think you'll find Adare to be one of the most 'touristy' places in Ireland! The thatched buildings are attractive, but I don't think anyone actually lives in them...they're craft shops, antique shops, etc.
I'd take Michele's suggestion to take the ferry across the Shannon and stay in Ballybunion (or Listowel). Either place will give you a better feel for a real Irish town than Adare will.

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1677
(8/6/03 12:30 am)

Adare/Vale of Clara/Kilkenny

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Hi flutterby1,

MaryZ is absolutely correct. Adare is very "touristy". It is a busy town on the main route from Limerick to Killarney with lots of traffic passing through. Most tour buses stop in the town for photos and the strip of thatched cottages are shops and restaurants. On the route you are taking probably Dingle and Cashel are the types of towns you are thinking of, though there are tourist attractions in each town. If is is some romanticized ideal of a "shamrocks and shillelaghies" town untouched by the 21st century then your best bet would be to visit Bunratty Folk Park. Kinsale is a cute seaside town but can be packed with tourists on weekends. Kenmare is my favorite small town in Ireland. For an authentic Irish village full of thatched houses I like Kilmore Quay south of Wexford. But that is not on your agenda.

The Vale of Clara is a scenic road between Glendalough and Rathdrum. It traverses lots of woods and winds along through hills, mountains and above rivers. At Clara you can take a small road down to the church and bridge. You can stop and walk around at the church. There are not a lot of open fields along the drive.

As for the Kilkenny Design Center, I have never seen craftsmen making anything related to church objects and don't know of a related shop there. There is a shop in Dublin that sells religious items but you won't see them being made there. Yes, the goods being sold at the Kilkenny Design Center are things like Waterford Crystal, Belleek China, linen, lace, pottery, jewelry, books, woolens, etc.

I'm curious about the title and publication date of the photo book of Ireland you are looking at.

Michele

garyvol
Unregistered User
(8/6/03 8:13 am)

kilkenny

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Flutterby and hubby can still check out the castle and walk the huge grassy grounds, then hop across the street and get a bite to eat at the 2nd floor Cafe above the Design Center gift shop. Then if they need to reload on cash, walk down to the corner ATM machine.

happy travels
-gary

P.S. I'm probably biased here, but my wife Mary and I (since we are Ballykissangel fans), just loved visiting Avoca near the Vale. We then also enjoyed the nearby and peaceful Thomas Moore's Meeting of the Waters.

DebbieK
Registered User
Posts: 45
(8/6/03 9:01 am)
 
Re: kilkenny

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Small world again Gary-
we stopped at the "Meeting of the Waters" too! Actually, we were hungry and it just sort of popped up around the next curve.
Very good (plentiful) food, and the stream(?) it is on is beautiful.

Flutterby - not sure of iron works, but all around Kilkenny are all sorts of craftsmen. Nicholas Mosse Pottery & Jerpoint Glass Studio come to mind.

flutterby1
Unregistered User
(8/8/03 1:26 pm)

THANK YOU

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Just wanted to say thanks to all for your help, again. I am reviewing everyone's comments and am still working on getting my itinerary finalized. Thanks Again!

garyvol
Unregistered User
(8/8/03 1:50 pm)

the queen's court

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Queen Michele and Princess Debbie will always keep you on the correct path. Although we haven't heard from Sir Bill lately. He always has good info. too.
keep those plans coming
-gary

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1696
(8/9/03 1:33 am)

Re: the queen's court

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Hi Gary,

You always have good info to share too. I think another knighthood in the royal court might be in order.

Michele

garyvol
Unregistered User
(8/11/03 6:28 am)
 
knighthood, ehm, I don't think so

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Thank you, however
Since my wife Mary figures I have a lot of blarney (I did not need to kiss the Blarney stone) I
think the spot for me would be the Jester (is that spelled correctly). Just hopping around the royal courtyard merrily.

Come on, just having some fun here folks.
-gary

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1707
(8/11/03 6:32 pm)

Court Jester...Just What We Need!

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Hi Gary,

You are in good company. My husband has also never been allowed to kiss the Blarney stone...because he doesn't need to. A court jester is exactly what we need to lighten up some of the postings! Consider yourself officially appointed. Fun is what we all want and need. The world is too serious as it is.

Michele