Hi -- We are two couples heading from Dublin with the following possible itinerary --
- Leave Dublin early morning Saturday
- Stopover at Rock of Cashel
- Spend the night either at The River Lee Hotel in Cork or Castlemartyr Resort. Leaning towards the River Lea -- Thoughts?
- Would like to visit the English Market the next morning but I think it's closed on Sundays. Any ideas for the morning in Cork would be appreciated. Otherwise we'll just walk around for an hour or so and then head out of town towards Kenmare.
- Plan on driving the coast road via Skibbereen, Baltimore, Mizen Head, and Bantry. eventually landing in Kenmare for two nights. Any thoughts on places along the way we shouldn't miss?
- Although we're spending two nights in Kenmare, we really only have one full day. So, we thought of doing either the Ring of Beara or possibly head to Dingle instead. The concern is that if we've already driven around Mizen Head or Sheep Head's Peninsulas the day before, are we just going to see more of the same if we do Beara, the next day? Would really appreciate some thoughts as to drives or sights during our one full day.
Any and all help would really be appreciated. Thanks
My second question would be: Where do you go from Kenmare?
Some options for your afternoon / evening in Cork city: http://www.cork-guide.ie/cork_city/corkcityattractions.html The English Market is open until 6 PM on Saturday. If you depart Dublin early enough, say, 10 AM and spend 2 hours at the Rock of Cashel, you could be IN Cork by 3:30 - 4 PM.
Driving from Cork to Kenmare along the N71 can be an all day affair. I'm not sure you'll have time for both Mizen AND Sheep's Head AND a detour to Baltimore. A lot will depend upon time of year and the weather.
If you decide to visit Dingle on your full day, it makes no sense to drive back to Kenmare and you would be better off spending that night IN Dingle.
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Bob
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In June, you'll have daylight until 10 PM, provided it's not rainy and cloudy . . .
Since you'll be passing Cashel in both directions, you could skip it on the way down and drop by on the way back to Dublin.
If you head straight to Cork (again, leaving about 10 AM), you would arrive in Cork about 2 PM. That would give you plenty of time to visit the English Market. In that case, staying at the River Lee makes very good sense. It's location on Western Road is fairly convenient to central Cork city. Be sure to plot out the route in advance, though, as Cork traffic can be difficult due to the one-way streets and bridges.