very cofused w/ trip

monica ferreira · Member

very cofused w/ trip

Mark · Veteran Member

"since we arive at 930am can wa go to limerick, to have breakfast and look around before we go to galway?"

Monica,

I've got a breakfast idea for you. Head to Kinvara (it's on the way to Galway) and have breakfast at Keough's. My wife and I have made this our breakfast stop after landing in Shannon the last three years and I swear they do one of the best breakfasts in Ireland. I wouldn't recommend going to Limerick first because you'll be dealing with city traffic and you'll get enough of that in Galway. Instead take a scenic route through the Burren. Start by heading up through Ennis then on to Corofin and then continue on to Ballyvaughn. From Ballyvaughn on to Kinvara where you can stop and eat then continue on to Galway. Kinvara is is only 20-30 minutes or so from Galway city.

Mark

Andi · Senior Member

I agree with Mark that there's no real reason to go into Limerick, unless you have a particular reason. You'll probably be quite tired with jet lag. Have you thought of spending your first night closer to Shannon, for instance in Ennis? You could look around Ennis, quite a cute place, perhaps visit the Cliffs of Moher. That might be enough for a first day. Near Ennis is also Quin Abbey, and beautiful old ruins, and Dromoland Castle, an expensive castle hotel that has beautiful extensive gardens to explore.

The next day you could drive to Galway as Mark suggested, and do Galway City sightseeing. If the weather is nice, it would be easy to spend the day visiting the Burren area. There are visitor centers that can give you info and maps for a trip through the area. For Inishmore Island, you can arrange a day trip from a Galway tourist center. You cannot take a car on the ferry--but you can easily do a daytrip. They will give you all the info at the tourist center. You could spend the entire next day doing a drive trip around Connemara, including a visit to Kylemore Abbey if you want. Again, the tourist center can give you guidance on a good loop trip, and there is alot of scenic beauty and interest. You could either return to Galway City for a 3rd night, or continue on southward toward Killarney.

I'm sure Michele will have lots of ideas for you. Ireland is fairly relaxed, so try not to worry. Have a great time!

yesiree · Guru

Can't help you on accommodations...However, Ardawn gets very good marks on Trip Advisor.

I prefer Conemara by car, but the tours in that area are very good. The Aran Islands will require a short ferry or plane ride, and will take a good part of your day (a worthwhile trip). Michele's book and other guidebooks (like Fromers, Fodors and Lonely Planet) all have info on tour companies and ferry/flight details for that area (just don't be tempted to start reading about the parts of Ireland not in your itinerary...you will find yourself trying to pack too much in).

Don't go to Limerick for breakfast. You'll want to keep heading toward your accommodations. There's nothing worse than being two hours from your B&B on the first night and jetlag is setting in. As mentioned earlier, grab something along the way. Mark's firsthand referal sounds like a great idea. I'd also recommend a stop at Coole Park in Gort; they have a nice cafe and the park is a great place to stop and stretch your legs (I also recommend the multi-media presentation about Lady Gregory).

Shannon to Galway to Kenmare to Dublin is really a lot of ground to cover in one week. Have you considered spending a few days in Clare or Wicklow instead. There are many phenomenal sites in those areas and you won't have to drive so far to get there.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Monica,

Everyone has given you fantastic advice already. I must agree that unless you have business in Limerick you won't want to go there on a weekday morning after a transatlantic flight. Instead take the main road to Galway. This drive takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and is about as far as you will want to drive on your first day. I like Corey's idea of stopping near Gort at Coole Park for a little walk through the lovely garden and refreshment in the cafe there.

Three days in Galway is good for doing what you want -- the Aran Islands and Connemara. You won't want to plan too much for your first day. Ease into your trip. Personally, I would drive around Connemara because then you can take the route you want and stop where you want for as long as you want. It is a gorgeous area and will take the whole day. For the Aran Islands you can either fly or take the ferry. The tourist office in Galway can set it up for you. In fact your B&B hosts may be able to do the same. I am not familiar with Ardawn House but it seems to get good reviews. You can look at my "Lodgings" page for more.

Next, you want to go to Killarney and depending on your route it will probably take you 4 hours drive (much more if you do the coast of Clare). On the day you drive from Killarney to Dublin the drive is about 6 hours. Use that as you guide to if you want to stay there and how many days. Killarney Lodge is a lovely guesthouse within walking distance of town.

Kilronan House in Dublin gets very mixed reviews.

Michele