This was to be our year to skip Ireland and travel to Germany instead.  Two of my grandparents have German ancestry, so it seemed like the next best European Country to explore, after 4 trips to Ireland.

Our "German expert tour guide" bailed on us for this year,  so will postpone the Germany trip untill next year.

So now, maybe Ireland?  We work our "tourist business"  really hard for 6 months, 7 days a week and then spend 5 months in Arizona (we follow the Pacific North West snow birds down there).  We have both taken employment for those 5 months in a 55 plus RV park where we own "retirement property" in Arizona.  This allows us to pretty much take the month of Oct off....to travel!

We both have family in Nebraska, so my thoughts are:  spend a week there visiting them, and then 3 weeks in Ireland this time!  The previous four times we spent 9 days once, and 2 weeks the other three times.  Since airfare is one of the biggest expenses of the trip, why not spend more time there?

Have been watching airfares for the past month from Omaha, Portland, Seattle, and Phoenix to Dublin for Oct, and it seems that 3 of the 4 markets have just taken a $100 jump in the last few days.  Will need to make a decision soon!

Next question,  How do we spend these 3 weeks?  I am open to suggestions! 

Previous trips:  (1)  9 days-green blur-south 1/2 of Ireland

                          (2)  2 weeks in Northwest Ireland, Shannon to Donegal Town

                           (3)  2 weeks, Dublin-Kilkenny-Millstreet-Kenmare-Shannon

                           (4)  2 weeks (1week Scotland)  1week: Sligo-Derry-Portrush-Belfast-Dublin

Initial thoughts are to spend 1 week with 2 night B&B's on the East Coast, Northern Ireland to Waterford/Dungarven area;  then  1 week self catering cottage in SW Cork County, and 1 week Self cater in County Clare/Ennis. 

Is this still trying to cover too much area in 3 weeks?  I keep saying that one of these days, we are going to slow it waaaay down!

Dan