first trip to Ireland, 17 nights, early April

fillyjonk · Member

first trip to Ireland, 17 nights, early April

tony2phones · Guru

One night in Kinsale would be enough for me followed by a drive round Beara and possibly Sheeps Head on the way to Kenmare. If you are on the Burren for the 14th -18th then you might catch the Kilfenora music festival but your dates don't look to fit?

http://www.kilfenoraclare.com/events/kilfenoramusicfestival2011

I would keep hold of the car and call in at Clonmacnoise on your way back across to Dublin.

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

-- Edited by tony2phones on Monday 17th of January 2011 03:15:54 PM

fillyjonk · Member

Thanks, Tony! Alas, we'll be flying out of Dublin on the 15th so will miss the festival in Kilfenora (hopefully we'll find some other good musical opportunities in Clare). Clonmacnoise does sound well worth seeing -- we'll weigh that against the possible advantages of dropping off the car early. And good to know that we might not need more than a night for Kinsale.

Michele Erdvig · Host

fillyjonk,

Welcome to my forum. I am curious about your friend's suggestion of Kenmare not being to your taste. Since it is my favorite small town in Ireland I am wondering what their objection to Kenmare was? Now, they obviously know you and I don't, so perhaps they are spot on. wink

Unless you have a car during your stay in Dublin (which I don't recommend) getting to Mullingar might be a problem. As for your question about driving through the mountains to get to Glendalough, if you take a different route you don't have to drive directly through the mountains. I would tend toward driving south after Dublin to see Powerscourt and Glendalough. I also think that 3 days in Dublin might suffice. That will give you an extra day elsewhere.

If I were to skip Kinsale or Kilkenny, I would skip Kinsale. Kilkenny is a great little city surrounded by beautiful and interesting scenery and sightseeing. Now you have an extra 3 days for somewhere else.

I suggest driving from Galway to Dublin. If you plan on spending the night at an airport hotel it will make life much simpler than taxis, trains, buses, etc. The drive time is only about 3 hours. Plus you can stop at Clonmacnoise on your way to break up the trip. It is one of Ireland's best monastic sites. This would also be a place to fit Mulllingar into the trip. You might even consider dropping off the car in the afternoon at Dublin Airport and taking a shuttle to your hotel. It will make departure on your last day less complicated.

Michele

fillyjonk · Member

Thanks Michele! With another vote in favor of driving back to Dublin from Galway, I think we're now leaning in that direction. Good point that Mullingar would also be more or less on the way. (We had initially been thinking of taking a quick jaunt to Mullingar by rail from Dublin, where we won't have a car; apparently the train runs pretty frequently and takes about an hour.)

I was surprised by our friend's verdict on Kenmare as well, since I've read a lot of positive reports about it. It's not that she thought it wasn't a pleasant place; she just seemed to think that the general vibe and mix of things to do there might be a bit less compelling to us than what we'd find in some other places, e.g. Dingle, Clare, and Galway. Of course everyone experiences places differently!

I was also thinking that if we omit a stop, it would most likely be Kinsale, so it's good to have your opinion on that. We might end up playing that portion of the trip by ear after we arrive.

Thanks again for the advice,
Fillyjonk

Michele Erdvig · Host

Fillyjonk,

I would actually add any extra days to Kenmare. It makes a terrific base for the SW. The Beara Peninsula is very beautiful and untouristed - great for hiking. Lots to do from Kenmare. Plus is is such a friendly town with excellent restaurants.

Michele

fillyjonk · Member

Thanks, we will consider going direct to the Kenmare area after Kilkenny and Cashel. Beara Peninsula does look appealing.

stewh · Guru

Sounds like you are on the road to planning an interesting trip. I would never think of Kilkenny town as twee; it is a proper small city with loads of character and a very lively social scene. Should be of interest to an an art historian. I would definitely choose it over Kinsale. Kenmare is one of our favourite spots in Ireland located in a setting of great natural beauty; there is also a very good outdoor farmers market (I'm not sure of the days). As Michele and Tony point out, a drive around the Beara peninsula is a must for someone who enjoys natural beauty, sublime. As fans of WB Yeats I'm sure you're planning to visit Coole Park and Thoor Ballylee while you're in the neighbourhood; the sites in Co Sligo will probably be out of reach this trip. As and art historian you will probably enjoy the large collection of Jack B Yeats' wonderful work at the National Gallery in Dublin.

Have fun planning and have a great trip.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Fillyjonk,

Keep in mind that Dublin museums are closed on Mondays.

Michele

fillyjonk · Member

Stew, thanks for the endorsement of Kilkenny -- I figured it's the kind of place we'd probably enjoy (I do love medieval cities) but don't personally know anyone who's been there, so wasn't sure what to expect. Yes, we're definitely hoping to get to Thoor Ballylee while we're in the area, and I look forward to getting acquainted with Jack Yeats, whose work I barely know at all . . .

CowboyCraic · Guru

The last time I checked, Thoor Ballylee was still closed for renovations. That was in November. Michele, has there been any update on when it will reopen to the public?

Coole Park might be a better choice.

'Under my window ledge the waters race,
Otters below and moor-hens on the top,
Run for a mile undimmed in Heaven's face,
Then darkening through 'dark' Raftery's 'cellar' drop,
Run underground, rise in a rocky place
In Coole demesne, and there to finish up
Spread to a lake and drop into a hole.
What's water but the generated soul?'

W.B. Yeats 'Coole Park and Ballylee, 1931'

fillyjonk · Member

Didn't know about the renovations at Ballylee, thanks for the alert!

tony2phones · Guru

Thoor Ballylee remains untouched, the promised renovations have not even been started and the grounds themselves are becoming overgrown and neglected. It is a shame because on the rare occasions (these days) I drop past there are often people wandering around. Coole Park is a good spot to wander around and there are organised walks on a Sunday.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Tony,

It sounds like Thoor Ballylee is a victim of the recession. Too bad.

Michele

tony2phones · Guru

Victim of disinterest more like, it would take a few of the lads on FAS scheme less than a week to clear the grounds and make the place presentable.

Should also have given a mention to Kilmacduagh Abbey which is well worth a little detour out of town off the Corrofin road.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I like Kilmacduagh. It is often overlooked and virtually empty of tourists.

Michele

EngagingKate · Senior Member

I agree! Kilmacduagh was one of those places we ran across incidentally, and we have been back to visit another couple of times. It's really an interesting place to see.

Check out these pictures of the site:

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=kilmacduagh+monastic+site&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=681

We have only seen a few other people when we visited the site. It's quiet and wonderful.

Sorry to hear about Thoor Ballylee. We haven't been there, but I know of several people who went out of their way to visit the site...

fillyjonk · Member

Thanks, all, for the Kilmacduagh tip. That's going on the list!

fillyjonk · Member

Thanks again, everyone, for the helpful suggestions! May I trouble you for a bit more itinerary advice? Following your recommendations, I think we're going to eliminate the stop in Kinsale and stay for at least two nights in Kenmare in order to see the Beara Peninsula. Now we're trying to decide how to distribute the seven nights that fall in the middle of our trip.

We're pretty sure we want to spend three nights in Dingle. So we could either have three nights in Kenmare, three in Dingle, and one in Doolin before going on to Galway; or two nights Kenmare, three nights Dingle, two nights Doolin, then on to Galway. The former would give us a little more time to explore the southwest and/or relax in Kenmare, while the latter would let us avoid any single-night stops and give us more time to wander the Burren, which sounds like a really unique and fascinating area. It sounds as though it's possible to see some Burren "highlights" in a day's drive from Doolin to Galway, but I'd like to have time to get out of the car and do a bit of walking around the various ruins; is a single day enough for that? Advice appreciated!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Fillyjonk,

I like the first plan. Much of what you want to see in the Burren can be done on the day you drive there from Dingle. Take the Shannon ferry across the river and go north up the coast. See the Cliffs of Moher. At that point you will be driving through the Burren. You might want to continue up the coast to Ballyvaughan, then go south to see Aillwee Cave and Poulnabrone Dolmen. Circle back to Doolin via Corkscrew Hill and you will drive through the heart of the Burren.

Michele

fillyjonk · Member

Thanks very much for the reply, Michele. I figured you would probably vote for an extra day in Kenmare! :)

Because I love medieval sculpture and ruins, I'm very drawn to places like Dysert O'Dea, Kilfenora, and Corcomroe, which is why I wondered if we might need a little extra time in Clare . . . but I guess we'd also have the option of driving back down from our base in Galway for an afternoon if we feel like a day in the area wasn't enough. Will keep this in mind.

Thanks again!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Fillyjonk,

Keep in mind that since you are spending the night in Doolin, you have all the next day to explore the Burren too. You don't have to be in Galway till late afternoon.

Michele

fillyjonk · Member

Good point. I think we'll plan on a single night in Doolin (or maybe Corofin, depending on how the lodging options shape up). Looks like things are coming together!