We have 12 days to fill in from killarney to dublin ..would appreciate any suggestions?

Hi to you all. As the title suggests, we have 12 days from Killarney to soak up the Irish experience. Yet to get a car, but have accommodation in Dublin, Waterford and Killarney till the 17th June.
We need to leave from Dublin on 29th June, giving us 12 days after leaving Killarney - having hopefully done ring of Kerry and Dingle drives prior to that.
We would like to spend 3 nights in Galway and to base ourselves in a couple of other places for similar times to see the areas. Just don't want to drive all the time and miss the real you. We hope someone has some suggestions where to next, but we don't want to drive further north than Sligo, with a final night around Lucan - for an easy drive to the airport for an early flight.

Hi Tony,

It's great to hear that you will have a spare 12 days after your time in Dublin, Waterford, and Killarney to fill with some more wonderful places to visit.

Galway would be a perfect base to explore both Counties Clare and Galway. I have put together a personal scrapbook of information on places to visit and our accommodation search page for you to select appropriate places to stay as you fill in your itinerary.

While in the Galway area, West Clare is a must with the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and a trip out to the Aran Islands would be a definite place to see. Maybe, stay on the islands a night for the true island experience!

Moving inland, a stay around the Longford area would be a great choice. The waterways of the Midlands are a little-known feature of the island of Ireland. A trip on a canal boat could possibly fit in with your plans to see the countryside from a different angle and pace.

Finally, a stopover in Dundalk in Ireland's Ancient East may be an excellent way to end your tour of Ireland. The east coast has loads of wonderful small villages and towns to visit, including Howth for some of the best seafood anywhere on the island. Also, at home in the Brú Na Bóinne area with history dating back over 5000 years, a visit to Newgrange would be high on anybody's list of places to visit. 

Are there any places you particularly want to visit?

I am sure other members will have great suggestions too. 

Speak soon,

Martin

Thanks Martin some great ideas there you have done a terrific job putting together the scrapbook and after going through it we have booked Galway ,Sligo and Longford for 4 nights each, now we have no time left so that's a good excuse to come back :-)

Hi Tony,

Thanks for getting back to me, I'm so glad that you found the scrapbook helpful and that you have made firm plans on where to locate yourselves for your final 12 days with us!

I remember you mentioned not going farther north than Sligo, but a wee trip into County Donegal may prove too much of a challenge not to take. A previous community post on the Glengesh Pass may also be of interest. A beautiful drive that you might be able to include some if not all of the areas mentioned.

What type of accommodation have you gone for?

Martin

Two self catering apartments and one hotel and we will take a day trip a little north of Sligo there is no hard and fast to this trip just go with the flow and see what is on in the area will enjoy it no doubt about that

Sounds like a wonderful plan!

If you need any more assistance, please feel free to get back in touch.

We hope you enjoy your time with us and would love to hear all about your adventures!

Hi Tony,

Welcome to the Community! 

Sounds like your plans are well underway for a great holiday and I'm delighted to hear you are thinking of staying a little further inland, in the Midlands of Ireland, a much under-appreciated area which is beautiful and has a lot to offer. 

Kinnitty Castle Hotel might be your ideal base as we are located only 90 minutes from Dublin and the area surrounding us has history and beautiful scenery in abundance. We are a true authentic Irish Castle, with history going back for hundreds of years, check out our website and Instagram feed to get a real feel for the ambiance and history of the Castle (@kinnittycastleireland).  We are only 15 minutes drive from Birr Castle & Gardens, 20 minutes drive from the beautiful Lough Boora Parklands, County Offaly, with wide open spaces, fascinating sculptures and bike hire.
There's plenty to keep you entertained during your stay, and we can even provide you with picnics to send you on your way exploring every day.
We are located in County Offaly, at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, and you can experience activities such as Horse Treking, Archery and Clay Pigeon Shooting (over 16s only) along with plenty of walking trails both on site and in the local area.  Here are the links you may find interesting and useful.
www.birrcastle.com
www.loughboora.com
www.visitoffaly.ie 

Wishing you good luck in planning your itinerary.

Kindest regards,
Clair Donogher

Hi Tony
Martin has given you some very sound advice on how to make the most of your trip - thanks for including us in your list Martin :)  Here are some specific tips to help you plan for your day on the Aran Islands and maybe also the Cliffs of Moher cruise.

• Our boats depart from Doolin in Clare, which is about a 1 hour 20 minute from Galway city.  Be warned... much of the drive is on small, winding roads, but it is truly spectacular scenery through the Burren! Parking is available at Doolin pier (coins are needed for the meters).
• There are various time (and destination) options available on our website - remember to build in 30 minutes to arrive at the pier before your chosen departure time to allow for parking, boarding etc.
• If you prefer not to drive, you could take our "Super Combo" trip which is a bus trip that departs daily from Galway and picks up from a huge list of Galway locations. The driver will regale you with information on the route to Doolin where you will depart for Inis Oirr island for about 3 hours. On the way back to the mainland, the boat cruises below the Cliffs of Moher.  Then your friendly driver will take you to view the cliffs from the Visitors Centre before heading back to Galway

Hi Joan and Clair thankyou both  for your suggestions, have booked a trip across to the Islands with your ferries last week Joan, thought it would be a terrific day (if the weather is kind) and Clair unfortunately time has got the best of us so yet another reason to come back to the midlands as we are staying a bit north of your area, maybe a boat down the Shannon ,a sip of aqua vita  in Tullamore and  down to the ploughing championships for something we haven't seen before :-)

It seems like you have a few holidays planned there Tony!

The Ploughing Championship is indeed something else.
Once they had a Tractor Football game there, the atmosphere was just unbelievable!

Make sure to let us know if you need further help with this year trip. 😊