Help us experience the best of southwest Ireland in 5 days in May 2024

We are two couples from Sweden who have planned to spend 5 days, May 1st to May 5th, on this wonderful island. We arrive early on May 1st and have immediate access to a rental car. We prefer not to spend entire days in the car, but since we arrive early on day 1, we thought that maybe we could head all the way down to the southwest corner of the island and still be there by early afternoon. We would love to see the best of the Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and other hidden cozy spots along the way. We want to stay at cozy B&Bs along the route, and if time allows, we'd like to spend the final night in Dublin. If it's necessary to spend all 4 nights in accommodations outside of Dublin to fit everything in, it's fine as long as we get to spend the last day in Dublin before heading back late in the evening on May 5th. How would you plan the itinerary, and where would you recommend for cozy places to stay? I would really like to spend one or preferably two evenings at a local pub that plays local music so that we can get a lovely dose of the Irish soul. How can we find out which pubs have live music? Is there a good website to search in? Grateful for all tips on how to use our time, where to stay, and which detours are worth taking / Johan with friends

Hi Johan,

It's great to hear that you are planning a trip to Ireland. Firstly, I would say that our website is a great resource for planning a trip here.

Heading down to the southwest corner is an excellent idea if you wish to get a taste for Ireland's culture, warmth, and more. I would encourage you to check out this Charming Towns and Villages page for some great places to visit along the Wild Atlantic Way.

As you will be renting a car, our Trip Ideas page is worth checking out, as it's full of self-drive ideas around the island. Our Accommodation page is also very handy for finding cosy places to stay during your time here.

Then, in terms of local pubs where you can listen to music in the evenings, I would highly recommend places such as Doolin and Dingle. These villages are famous for their Irish music sessions!

Regards,
Eoin