Picking an airport

We want to travel in July 2022. Would like to see parts of County Mayo (Ballina and Claremorris) and County Clare (Cliffs of Moher) as well as Dublin. Should we fly into Shannon and stay for a few days, then move on to Dublin, or should we fly to Dublin and try to day trip? (It seems far.) Appreciate hearing opinions on this, and if we go the Shannon airport route, what area to book lodging for a couple of nights that would be middle ground between the Mayo and Clare sites. 

Hi Mary. 

I'm delighted to hear you are looking to travel to Ireland this Summer. July is a great time to visit. 

How long are you planning to stay for, and do you plan on taking public transport or renting a car? 

-Cathaoir 

Thank you! Staying 5-6 days. Have decided to fly into Shannon. Thinking now about staying in Ennis or Limerick as "home base" and doing day trips to Ballina, Cliffs of Moher, and Ring of Kerry before definitely taking a train to Dublin for three more days there. (I would consider moving "home base" to Killarney for a night's stay for the Ring of Kerry experience.) As for the day trips, I'm still trying to decide how we're getting there. The prospect of renting a car feels very intimidating to me but I realize it would be most convenient for Ballina and Ring of Kerry. Is it possible to make those trips *without* driving on a motorway? Also, do people ever hire themselves out as drivers? Not necessarily tour guide drivers, but just straight chauffeur types? I could definitely be interested in that. 

Hi Mary,

Take into account, The Ring of Kerry is around a 7 hour round trip from Ennis. Moving your home-base to Killarney as you suggested, would cut down a lot of your travelling time, and you could see Killarney National Park, Ring of Kerry and even Dingle. It means you could see more during your stay as it's very accessible to a lot of tourist spots. 

There are also a lot of companies offering day trips based out of Killarney to the other places you want to visit like the Cliffs of Moher and Ballina. You can check some of them out here. If you want to hire a driver, there is also a company in Killarney who offer that service, you can find them here.  

Let us know if you have any more questions! 

-Cathaoir