Ireland is currently under Code 5 'Lockdown' -- Meaning that Irish Citizens can not travel more than 5 Kilometers from there home, except for specifically Government Approved reasons.  Anyone entering the country is expected to Quarantine for 14 days -- and AFTER that, would still be limited to the 5 Km limitations.  These restrictions remain in effect until April -- at which time the government will reassess.

September of 2021 is likely the EARLIEST that tourist travel is likely to be allowed, IF it is then.  Doubtless, the government will undoubtedly require that all incoming visitors provide proof of immunization via an approved vaccine.

I would think that travel in September of 2022 shouldn't be a problem, but I would suggest making NO plans that aren't fully cancelable and / or refundable before the Irish government announces the resumption of 'Normal' procedures. 

You're very welcome!  September of 2022 SHOULD be a 'Safe Bet'.  I only hope that Ireland safely reopens her borders MUCH sooner than that.  

Those of us with a SERIOUS Ireland addiction are twitching from withdrawal already!      

If you have any questions about where to go / what to see / how to make your trip, be sure to check out Michele's FAQ:  IrelandYes! Ireland Dream Trips or, just inquire here.  Michele and her "Irregulars" collectively have hundreds of visits under our belts and we are only happy to share.

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur on Wednesday 17th of March 2021 06:29:46 PM

Good morning and thank you for your responses. this will be my 3rd trip back, each time has been with another part of my family. I am not a seasoned traveler, but i do know about my favorite areas and i also have Michele's book. It is a little dated, 2014, but i do know that it will give me more ideas on where to go. Still hoping to go in September of 2022. Taking my cousin this time and she has never been over seas, but Ireland has always been a dream of hers. Hoping to make her dream come true. I have made a itinerary of the towns that we will be staying in, just need to finalize the amount of days. At this time we are flying in to Dublin staying in Howth, traveling to Kilkenny, down to Kinsale, up to Killarney, then to Ennis and flying out of Shannon. I would say these are my favorite places to see, since i have stayed in 3 out of the 5. Howth and Kinsale are new areas to me. Any ideas of where to stop along the way to these areas would be helpful. As always, i look forward to all your ideas. This forum has always helped me with my other two trips. Thanks in advance of all your advise.

It would be helpful to know the length of your trip so we can suggest how long to stay in each stop. Since you have been to Ireland before you know how rich it is in things to see and do. You could easily spend a week or two in each place and not see it all. Do you know what you want to see in each area? That will help too.

Multiple night stays are much preferred. 2-4 nights in one place lets you settle in and really see the area without rushing around. From the info you have given so far I will assume Howth and Ennis are one-night stays at the beginning and end of the trip to place you near the airports for arrival and departure.

A note on Kinsale: Try very hard to avoid weekends there (Fri-Sun). Since it is so close to Cork it can become overrun with locals then.

My 2014 book should be fine.

Well, our B&B's are all reserved and our flights are booked. Next will be the car rental. We are extremely excited about our trip. This is my 3rd trip over and my cousin's first. She is excited and nervous about the trip. I have told her that Ireland will take her breath away when she sees it. It did for me. I told her that the land is just gorgeous and the people are wonderful.

Our trip starts out in Dublin, staying in Howth, then onto Kilkenny, to Kinsale, onto Killarney and ending in Ennis. I have never been to Kinsale, so if anyone has a favorite Restaurant/Pub and any favorite sights in Kinsale, please let me know what they are. Looking for ideas.

In most areas, we are staying 2 nights. We are staying 3 nights in Killarney, so i am hoping to take a trip to another place i haven't been, Kenmare.

As for car rental, is there any that are recommended by anyone. The other two times i have been over there, i used Dan Dooley, but i see that they are no longer renting. Any help is appreciated.

As for the requirements regarding COVID, what else is needed from us traveling over. We both are fuly vaccinated and have our boosters. We will have our cards with us, but we are wondering what else is needed. Our trip is 10-21 September 2022. Hoping that everything dies down more by the time of our trip.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kinsale can be very crowded on weekends. A few restaurants I have enjoyed are: Hoby's, Jim Edwards, Dino's, Vista, the White House. But check on them first as with Covid some may have had to close.

Some Kinsale sightseeing: Charles Fort, James Fort (across the harbor via the bridge & up a hill behind the Dock Pub), Old Head of Kinsale. Day trips: Fota, Drombeg Stone Circle, Cobh, The Queenstown Story, Timoleague Friary.

Kenmare is a pretty small town but it is fun to walk around and interact with the locals. On Wednesday they have a market. Behind town is the Druid's Circle and there is a small lace museum. Seafari offers boat cruises along the Kenmare River. But check in advance because like everything else Covid has affected many things.

I'm finally returning to Ireland this May. We had plans for a golf trip to Mayo, Galway and Clare (first time golfing in Ireland after many visits) in May 2020 but naturally that got blown to bits by the pandemic. We got vouchers from Aer Lingus that worked out well since they gave us an extra 10% added to the voucher as a thank you for not asking for a full refund. So we booked our flights for May 11th and have plans to stay in Westport, Clifden, and lastly Ballyvaughn with tee times arranged for Carne, Enniscrone, Westport Golf Club, and Connemara Links. I've planned a couple of days of sightseeing in between since the two guys going with me have never been to Ireland before.

So far the planning has gone fine. The only thing making me a bit nervous is car rental. I've noticed that the car rental desks at Shannon open later than they used to which is not much help when the flight from Boston lands at 6am. I imagine that the car rental business in Ireland was decimated and they're trying to rebuild both their fleet and staffing. That and the cost has risen dramatically but split three ways we'll deal with it. So I'm evaluating my options there. The trick is we need automatic and we need something large enough for three plus golf clubs. We'll see how it goes.

Michele Erdvig wrote:

---

Mark,

Can you email the car rental companies to see it they will be open for early flights? Perhaps they have not updated the info on the websites. I would find it highly unusual if they were not open for early flights into Shannon.

Sounds like a great trip.

---

 

I went back and looked and found that come spring they expand their hours.  So I was worried for no reason. 

Well, it is just 15 weeks until our trip. Everything is in place, airline, car rental and B&B's. It has been such a long time since my last trip. I am so looking forward to this one, just to be able to show my cousin this beautiful country.

Itinerary is all set. Land in Dublin and drive to Howth for 2 nights. We plan on spending the first day in country exploring Howth and the second day exploring Dublin. We almost had tickets to see Garth Brooks, but we found out about him being there a little too late.

Next, we head to Kilkenny for 2 nights. We plan on stopping at different stops along the way, just so we can see more as we drive from place to place.

Next we head to Kinsale. I have never been there so this will be exciting for me. We are planning on taking a boat trip to see Kinsale from the water.

Next stop is Killarney for 3 nights. There is so much to see in this area, so we needed an extra night and day to see a little more. Taking in a show, Celtic Steps while in Killarney. We also plan on a trip to Dingle and hopefully, down to Kenmare.

Next and last is we head to Ennis for 2 nights. Main plan is to head to Cliffs of Moher. We also need to get our Covid test so we can head back the next day to the U.S., so we will do that first then head to the Cliffs.

My cousin really wants to see the old ruins, castles, and also she loves flowers, so i am hoping to bring her to see some beautiful gardens that Ireland has to offer.

If you have any ideas on what we could do for Pubs/Restaurants/Places of Interest, we would be grateful. I am so looking forward to this trip and any help you can provide will be grateful.

Sounds like everything is in place for a great trip. Well done!

When in Kilkenny I suggest seeing Kells Priory & Jerpoint Abbey.

There are actually two forts in Kinsale. Charles Fort (the one all the tourists go to) and James Fort across the harbor that is a nice ruin. For James Fort cross the bridge and turn left. The road dead ends at the Dock Pub. The fort is up a hill from the pub. Blarney & Cobh are nearby and there are beautiful gardens at Blarney. 

Near Ennis is Clare Abbey. You will probably have that ruin all to yourselves. There are signs and you park at a dead end and cross the railroad tracks on foot. 

I'm sure your cousin will enjoy Muckross Gardens & Muckross Abbey in Killarney. 

 

 

 

 

If you're willing to make a day of it, you could visit Kenmare on the way TO Killarney:

 https://goo.gl/maps/rSuZG7draYxAtMmH9

Not only does it include Kenmare, but the route also offers up the bulk of the N71, which it quite scenic -- including the Stone Tunnels within the Caha Pass.  I also way pointed Drombeg Stone Circle and the one-way bridge between the VERY scenic, Glandore and Union Hall.

A lunch break in Skibbereen at The Church (One of my personal favorite eateries) might be of interest.

If that route doesn't appeal, here's an alternative:

https://goo.gl/maps/R66FH4y1jgkECq3s7

This option includes the site of Michael Collins death, the Kilmichael Ambush memorial, Gougane Barra and Carriganass Castle.

Thank you so much for all of these ideas! I really appreciate the help. I will definitely look at all the different routes that Bob has suggested and also Michele put on here.

We just had our first little snag in our trip. I received an email from one of our B&B's (Rosquil House, Kilkenny) stating that they were canceling our reservation due to their retirement. I was in a panic when i saw the email. the new owner will be continuing with the B&B, but they were not sure when it would be open for business. I am just glad that i at least had some time to figure out another place to stay. We are now staying at the Bridge View B&B in Kilkenny. It has a lot of great reviews and it is right in the city center. I have actually had dinner at the restaurant at the end of the road that the B&B is on, Matt the Miller's. Now that we are in walking distance, it makes it even better.

We did get our rental car all set. Pick up on Saturday, 10Sep and drop off on 21Sep.

Thirteen weeks and counting! So excited for this trip. My cousin and i are getting together next weekend to go over all our ideas and yours, for the trip. I can't wait to show her my favorite place in the world.