15 days in Ireland

My husband, my son and daughter (both grown) and myself are planning a 15 day trip to Ireland in early August. 
We are planning on staying in airbnbs in three different cities; Limerick, Cork and Dublin. We plan to fly into Shannon and depart from Dublin.  
We are going to rent a car in Shannon and drop it off in Dublin upon arriving in Dublin around day #10. 
My question is; does this sound like a good plan. We are in the very early stages of planning and are opened to suggestions. Any feedback is welcomed now as we haven't booked any airbnbs yet.
Many Thanks!
Penny

Hi Penny
Welcome to our forum - always so exciting for visitors to plan their trip at this dreary time of the year (I think myself its a big part of the joy of a holiday!)
Delighted to see you are arriving in Shannon airport, this is a great option for you, and you dont have the headache of a big, busy airport and navigating out of Dublin traffic. You have great options around you in the Shannon area to use as a base before you head south to Cork and on to Dublin - for example, Bunratty Castle is literally minutes away from the airport - might be a option to shake off the jet lag and get some nice breakfast! 

So (surprise, surprise) I would suggest you come north to Doolin for a night or 2 to base yourself here and explore:
- the beautiful Burren
- the Cliffs of Moher (from the sea...)
- the Aran Islands



Limerick is a beautiful city and county, you could take in the fabulous - and brand new - Kennedy Rooms in Bruff, which gives a fascinating glimpse into history in a beautiful setting.

One word of advice, as you are coming in August, it will be very busy, so do try and book as much as you can in advance to avoid disappointment. Enjoy making plans, and we hope to see you in Doolin next August :)

All the best
From Joan and the team at Garrihys Doolin2Aran Ferries

Hi Penny,

A 15-day trip sounds like a wonderful experience for you and your family!

Choosing the three locations, Limerick, Cork, and Dublin is an ideal way to have a wonderful time in each area, taking day trips to make the most of your experience.

The Wild Atlantic Way sections stretch from your time in Limerick all around the coast as far as Cork. There are plenty of exciting things to see such as Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Killarney National Park, the Dingle Peninsula, Cork City, Cobh, and some wonderful castles as you head up towards Dublin.

We also have an approved accommodation search page which may be of interest to you. Please feel free to have a look and see if there is something that would fit your needs.

We have a super information page on renting a car, that may also be of interest. Please check the terms and conditions with different rental companies as these vary and also as you intend to pick up and drop off in different locations.

I hope this gives you lots of inspiration, and I'm sure your fellow members and some industry partners will be able to add to this list!

If you need any more help, just let me know!

Martin

Dear Penny.
Fifteen days in Ireland starting from Shannon Airport.
Day 1; Shannon to Galway via the Cliffs of Moher and the Burran - overnight in Galway.
Day 2; Galway to Clifden via a south coastal tour of Connemara to Clifden - overnight Clifden
Day 3; Continue enjoying Connemara - Leenane, Maam cross - Cong  - overnight Westport.
Day 4; Westport to Donegal Town via Ballina, Sligo town to Donegal.
Day 5; Donegal town to Derry taking the coastal drive to Derry city -  overnight.
Day 6; Derry to Belfast city, coastal drive to Belfast and overnight.
Day 7; Belfast, enjoy the city perhaps overnight 
Day 8; Belfast to Athlone town in the centre of Ireland
Day 9; Athlone to Arklow (on the coast south of Dublin)  to Wexford - overnight.
Day 10; Wexford to Kinsale - 18 miles south of Cork city.
Day 11; Kinsale to Bantry via south coast to Mizen Head and Bantry - overnight.
Day 12; Bantry to Kenmare via the Beara Peninsula, Dursey Island, - overnight Kenmare
Day 13; Kenmare to Killarney via the Ring of Kerry - overnight Killarney.
Day 14; Explore Killarney 
Day 15; Killarney to Dublin - 4 hours drive.
Now Penny, using the above as a rough guide. If you take out a map of Ireland and everywhere I suggest there is plenty to see, explore and enjoy. Staying in Limerick, Cork and Dublin - 5 days in each, personally would not be my choice - get into the country and explore the outdoors, the towns, villages, sea side resorts where you will find the culture and people. In each location use the tourist offices to get to know the area.
Have a great time - 15 days is super long to explore and experience our beautiful Country.
Conor.

We really wanted to have a few bases (airbnbs) to keep from having to pack up on move almost every day.  We are paying for the trip and staying in airbnbs are a better option for us.  I guess I needed to make that more clear. I should have asked for day trips suggestions from these three cities or if we needed to pick different cities in order to be more central to a lot of sites.

Thank you for the reply.

Doolin2Aran Ferries Are you suggesting not staying in Limerick/ Cork and stay in Doolin instead. 
I plan to rent 3 AirBnBs and stay at each for 5 nights. Which 3 cities would be best?

Penny.
The 15 days of traveling is tiring but keeps you on your toes and you go everywhere. North, West, Midlands, East and South.
Ok if I were picking bases I would choose.
1/ Galway - explore Cliffs of Moher, The Burren and Connemara
2/ Derry. - Explore County Donegal, Malin Head, Giants Causway, Rope Bridge, Glens of Antrim, Titanic & Black cab tours 
3/ Dublin - Guinness Storehouse, National Gallery, Hop on off bus, visit Dublin Tourism offices to get your head around everything to be done.
4/ Killarney - explore The National Park, Ross Castle, Gap of Dunloe, Ring of Kerry, Dingle and Beara peninsulas
That's 3 days at each base.
Regards
Conor

We have taken in consideration of August being busy so we all agreed to shift the trip to September.  I realize we won't be able to see everything but I would like someone to suggest 3 bases; 5 days at each base.  Dublin I think is a must; so which other 2 cities?

Hi Penny, 

It's a great idea to stay in one city or town for a few days and explore the area from there. :) 

Dublin is a good choice, because besides seeing the city, you can easily venture out into Ireland's Ancient East, up to Northern Ireland, or head south to Wexford or Waterford. 

Do you have an idea of what you and your family would like to see and do while you are here? This way I can provide you with the best suggestions on where to stay. :)

If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Warm regards,

Melin

Hi Penny
Doolin and North Clare are very "do-able" from Limerick, so by all means stay in Limerick and come up for a day-trip.  We actually have an option to do a combined bus tour with pickups from Clare (and possibly Limerick by next August) which would cover the Burren, Doolin, the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher, if you would prefer not to drive yourself.

If you want to drive, then I would suggest this route:
8.30 (ish) Depart Limerick for Doolin (Take M18 - N85 - N67) 
10.00 Sail to Inis Oirr, Aran Islands, spend about 3.5 hours there, tour the island either with pony & trap or bikes & lunch
13.45 Sail from island below the Cliffs of Moher and back to Doolin
15.00 Option to go to the Visitor Centre at the top of the Cliffs of Moher (note, if you do, be sure to pre-book your ticket online)
Or take a beautiful scenic coastal drive along the Wild Atlantic Way from Doolin to Ballyvaughan (R478 - R477)
Then turn down through the Burren (R480) and stop at the Polnabrone Dolmen
Continue to Corofin (R476 - N85) to Ennis and back to Limerick

I hope this helps with your planning, let me know if you have any questions

All the best Joan