Three nights in Galway and Three in Dublin

Hello, we are four late-middle aged american guys coming to Ireland the first week of March 2019. All in average shape, but enjoy the outdoors, pubs music and food! And of course getting to know local culture.
The plan is this:
Feb 28th - Fly overnight from U.S. 
March 1 - pick up rental car and go to Galway - what to see on way to Galway from Dublin?
March 2 - Galway - where should we go?
March 3 - Galway area - where to go, what to see?
March 4 - Drive back to Dublin - what to do, where to go?
March 5 - Dublin - what to do?
March 6 - Dublin - what to do?
March 7 - still in Dublin until 1300, then flight home at 1500
Thanks Oh so much! we are really looking forward to this trip. 

Hi Mike,
Welcome to the forum.  
National Geographic listed Galway in its Best Trips for 2019 so you are ahead of the curve with your plans! I'd love to tell you to come on a boat trip with us, but sadly we wont start sailing until mid-March...
I would definitely recommend a drive through the Burren which is North Clare, just south of Galway city.  This is a stunning area along the Wild Atlantic Way, the scenery here is like nothing else in Ireland - miles and miles of barren limestone rock dotted with little towns along the sea - Kinvarra, Ballyvaughan, Fanore, Doolin.  There are castles, caves, fabulous restaurants, and of course, the Cliffs of Moher!
You'll find more information on the area in this site - www.burren.ie



Enjoy your stay in Ireland - and come back and take a boat trip with us next time :)
All the best from Joan at Garrihys Doolin2Aran Ferries

Hi Mike,

Many thanks for sending us a preview of your itinerary, we will be happy to help fill in the blanks!

Thanks also to Joan for some excellent ideas.

The route from Dublin to Galway is crisscrossed with many super locations to visit, maybe one or two will catch your eye as possible stop off points along the way.

Galway City has plenty to keep you busy from walks around the city, food places to enjoy the local produce to excellent locations to listen to trad music and have some craic!

In addition to places mentioned by Joan, you could travel north a little and experience Connemara at its best, with the National Park, Kylemore Abbey, and Clifden to name a few! Maybe even a trip into Cong to take a wee look at the Quiet Man Museum.

Again, on the way back to Dublin, try a few more of the locations not visited on the way to Galway and our off the beaten track article mentioned above.

Dublin has many iconic attractions, you will easily fill your two days in the city. Dublin is an easy place just to walk around, there is an excellent public transport system and a super hop on hop off bus to take away the worry about getting around. If you fancy getting out of the city too, there are plenty of great places to visit within easy reach, many also by public transport.

There is also a previous community post on Dublin to Galway that you may wish to take a wee look at for some additional information.

I hope this helps and I'm sure some of our other Industry partners and fellow members will have some advice too.

Speak soon,

Martin

Hi Mike,

Galway City and Connemara are beautiful. We highly recommend a drive out to Spiddal and the coral beach at Carraroe - this is a part of the Gaeltacht area of Galway, where you will hear the Irish language being spoken among the locals.
If you're looking to venture out a little further than Galway, then a trip to Doolin in neighbouring County Clare is a must!
If you enjoy the great outdoors, pubs, music, and food, then Doolin ticks all of those boxes. Doolin is widely regarded as the home of traditional Irish music, with its year-round trad sessions in the local pubs and venues. You'll find fantastic seafood here, caught 1km away from the village itself. The scenery here is jaw-dropping with its Wild Atlantic Way location, near the Cliffs of Moher and the beautiful Burren. There are plenty of outdoor excursions to embark on such as guided cliff walks, cliff and island cruises, caving and more. 
If you'd like to find out more about our quaint little village, check out the Doolin Tourism website here: www.doolin.ie

I hope this helps, and have a great trip.
- Doolin Tourism

Thanks to everyone who has responded thus far, all the suggestions look amazing-  keep them coming! I just hope our U.S. government gets its act together - and does not interfere with our flight plans!   I noticed no one mentioned a day trip to the Aran islands?  Do you think it is too much of a time commitment?

Thanks again!
Mike

Hello Mike, 

It's great to see that you've already received so many recommendations and suggestions! :)

A visit to the Aran Islands is a wonderful experience, and they are definitely worth taking the time to explore. You can find a suggested itinerary here, that will give you an indication of how much time it takes to see everything. Because you travel by ferry to each island, it will probably take you more than one day to visit all of them. In that case I recommend spending the night in one of the cosy B&B's, or on the campsite on Inis Mor with a breathtaking view. 

• How to overnight or island hop on the Aran Islands?
• Things to do on the Aran Islands
• Can I see all of the Aran Islands in 1 day?
  

Hi its Mike again.  Another quick question. Does anyone know anything about getting a tour of a sheep farm and watch the sheep dogs in action?  Any other off the beaten track things to see?  I wish we had more than 6 days.  By the way,  When we return to Dublin  on our 4th day we are returning the rental car so we will not have the car in Dublin.
Thanks!

Hi Mike, 

I'm happy to answer all of your questions. :) There are several sheepdog demonstrations on working farms all around the island, and I have collected a few suggestions, as well as some hidden gems and ideas for Dublin in this personal scrapbook. 

Dublin is a very compact city, and you can easily navigate through it on foot or by public transport. Is there anything in this area that you wouldn't want to miss? You could even go on a tour to some of the surrounding sightseeing spots and places of interest. 

I hope this was helpful, and if there is anything else you need, just give me a shout! :)

Hi Mike, 

Our tours visit a working sheep farm in Galway, the farmers name is Tom Nee and he is always happy to give sheep dog demonstrations, we would definitely recommend it! The farm is called Killary sheep farm situated in Connemara which is definitely a must to visit if you are in Galway! 

Give us a shout if you need any more information. 

The Vagabond Team

Hi, Mike.

If you're looking for a sheep dog demonstration, this thread might be of interest. The farm is situated in Annamoe, in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains. This area is also known as the "Garden County", and the surrounding landscape is really beautiful!

Also, if you fancy doing and seeing something unique, I'd recommend having a look at this other thread that has plenty of ideas for the last days of your trip. 

I hope this helps, and if there's anything else you'd like to ask, I'm always here.

Have a good day!