Do you mean skip Limerick, rather than Killarney? I can’t imagine anyone skipping Killarney and the Ring of Kerry whilst touring Ireland. Also, it’s true that driving on the ring is one of the scariest things you can imagine but I’d say it’s worth it. Some of the prettiest sights are just random points along the road where a tour bus might now stop. One bit of (bad) advice that I heard was that, by agreement, all tour buses run counter clockwise around the ring so it’s best to drive clockwise to make sure you don’t get stuck behind a bus. I’d rather be stuck behind a bus any day than ever come face to face with another bus one a road that’s barely wider than a cow path.
We spent a few days in Dublin and drove west to Galway. It’s not a long drive. We stopped at Clanmocnoise to see the ruins, which were cool.
The Cliffs of Moher are worth the trip.
The Burren is cool.
We were happily surprised by Blarney Castle. The grounds are gorgeous and kissing the stone, while a tourist attraction for sure, was much cooler than we imagined.
I am assuming “Stab City” has a negative connotation, that is good info to have. thanks..
Our plan is Pub food, pub music, farmer’s markets until we cannot take it any more.
We are not tied to anyone place so stepping away from Limerick is a snap, Adare looks nice, Dingle looks good.
Do you mean skip Limerick, rather than Killarney? I can’t imagine anyone skipping Killarney and the Ring of Kerry whilst touring Ireland
I was wondering the same, Killarney is a popular destination.
And after looking at the map with an education eye, I wonder if we are better off staying in Waterford or Kilkenny for a night just to break up the drive to Cork, then we could do a night Adare instead of Limerick.
Dublin to Cork City is now about 3hrs on the motorway. Stopping off in Kilkenny might be nice just because it’s a nice place to visit with lots to see and meant to have good grub etc. Waterford would take you more off course. It’s a nice enough town I suppose but if you’re heading for Cork City I’d say skip Waterford City.
My wife and I made a trip a couple years ago with pretty much the exact same itinerary you described in the OP. We spent a night in Kilkenny on the way down to Cork and I’m glad we did (though one night was enough). We also spent a night in Limerick, and in hindsight I wish we had skipped it and spent more time in Killarney. Lastly, don’t skimp on Galway! The city itself is well worth exploring, and you’ll be kicking yourself if you wasted a day in Limerick when you could have been travelling through Connemara. I’ll disagree with RadioWave and say that you should stop by Kylemore Abbey, but either way make sure to take the time to really see the whole area - simply amazing.
Kinsale, south of Cork, is well worth a visit. And I’ll add my vote for at least the gardens of Kylemore Abbey.
Also, unless you’re on the main roads, driving through Ireland will be slower than you’re used to. You’re not going to make good time on the secondary roads. They are narrow, congested, sheep-riddled and utterly charming; just not optimized for rapid transit. Which can be nice. But don’t look at two spots 100 miles apart on the map and think you’re going to get there in 2 hours using the backroads. You’re not.
I kised the stone in the 70s and they locked the castle up then. Also had the man who held my legs as I went under the parapet.
I must have wandered around dozens of castles that were completely open to the public and with no guides, or even a caretaker. Sometimes they were locked, and you had to go next door to get the key ( no charge ).
