Ireland Cork, Kerry and Dublin

We are planning a hiking trip in southwest Ireland for next Summer. Roughly the route on the map below. We have the hiking part of the trip pretty much covered, but I would be interested in any info on other things to see and do in the area, whisky stops are a plus. I am particularly interested in if anyone knows of anything worthwhile between Limerick and Dublin on our return to the airport. We are thinking about breaking up that part of the trip into a couple of days versus one long train ride. Also is Cork worth spending a couple days in? Thanks in advance.

Not sure if you’re a golfer, but some of the greatest golf courses in the world are right there…Waterville, Tralee, Lahinch, Ballybunion, Old Head…there are others too. I was there on a golf trip in the Summer of 2013 and will never forget the experience. Other than golf, we didn’t do much so I’m not a help there.

I used to be a big golfer, but not so much anymore. The intent of the trip is more hiking/food/culture.

The Burren (northwest of Limerick) is a great area to view.

It’s not directly on the route to Dublin, but the Rock of Cashel is worth seeing.

Kilkenny (also not really on the direct route to Dublin from Limerick) is also a great location. Lots to see in a really compact area, plus some good restaurants.

I didn’t spend a lot of time in any of the cities on the direct route between Dublin and Limerick when I lived there. And most of the Irish were fairly dismissive of most of that area, but someone else might be able to suggest something I’m not aware of.

I enjoyed the Burren and the rest of County Clare (30 years ago ::creak:: ). Dolmens, scads of old abbeys and churches,and plenty of room to walk. A hobbit hole would not seem out of place. The Cliffs of Moher (the sheer rock face that Westley scales early on in The Princess Bride) are impressive; they are heavily touristed for a reason. Plenty of out-of-the-way stuff to stumble upon as well… Loop Head lighthouse is on a point with seacliffs and detached stacks where puffins hang out. And there is some interesting sedimentary geology on the coast if you like that sort of thing.

The Lakes area around Killarney was interesting, too.

What Jim said.

Also, the biggest distillery, Old Middleton, is east of Cork. Great tour and tasting opportunities.

Cork fancies itself the cultural capital of Ireland, although I think of this as more a #2 city, like a little brother, trying to feel good about itself. We stayed at the Best Western in Cork, which isn’t as bad as it might sound. A converted hospital way up the hill to the north of the river, so high ceilings and great views.

I’m guessing you already know this since you’ve planned Cork specifically into your itinerary, but since you mentioned food, Kinsale (S of Cork about 15 miles I think) is known for being one of the better locations in Ireland for food/restaurants.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We may bypass Dublin and fly Denver - London - Cork and return Shannon - London - Denver instead. It would save two long train rides just to start/end our journey.

Dublin itself is cool. Kilmainham Jail tour is a can’t miss, Trinity College / Book of Kells. Guinness factory tour is interesting. I think there is also a place where you can do whiskey tastings. It’s just that there isn’t much on the direct route between Limerick and Dublin.

My wife has been to Dublin so the motivation for exploring something new is higher for Cork. We found out long ago that one of the key ingrediants for a good trip, at least for us, is the sense of newness and the moments of discovery. We rarely go over the same ground twice, unless of course, it’s Italy.

You could easily go North, through the Burren, and then spend time in Galway also. There’s a major highway between Galway and Dublin, so it’s exceptionally easy to get from one to the other.

Honestly, in terms of a compact area that has a lot of nice historical sites, good food, good music, and a great medieval vibe, I’d like to reiterate how fantastic I think Kilkenny is. St Canice’s chuch and roundtower (which you can climb to the top), Kilkenny Castle and grounds, BlackFriar’s Abbey, a few other cool churches, some good places for music (Kyteler’s Inn), etc. I think the food tends to be a bit more sophisticated than out west (I think they get a lot of people coming in from Dublin for golf and such). It’s all in a very compact area. Easy to see a lot in a day. The caveat with Kilkenny is that it’s not really on any direct route from the west to Dublin.

It looks like our extra time will spent in and around Cork, just based on where our hiking starts and the ease of flights in and out of Cork to London.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Barra is beautiful, particularly if you can make it to the Barra peninsula. South of Cork is a gorgeous fishing village… can’t recall the name, but if you ask around Cork they’ll know it… very famous. Stunningly picturesque. I’ve also been to Dingle, so you’re going to some beautiful parts of Ireland. The Connor Pass on Dingle is pretty wild and the beaches of Dingle are truly amazing.

We are really looking forward to it. Thanks.

Ireland is one of my favorite places on the planet. Extraordinarily beautiful… wait until you try the French Fries, nobody does them better. BTW if you get to Dublin there’s a great restaurant called the “Library”. I think it has a Michelin star. I’ve eaten there a few times and never been let down. I think its Bobby Flay’s favorite restaurant in Dublin - FWIW.

My wife and I visited Ireland in September. Clonmacnoise is a must see. If you can make it, get there early in the morning before the crowds.

Not a fit if you finish in Cork but 40 years ago or so, I was in Ireland and still remember the beauty of Glendalough and the magic of wandering the abbey ruins.

From your map, it looks like you avoid Kinsale. Bad idea if you like to eat Fishy’s and other joints are superb.
Kenmare is a great town (there is a wine store with interesting selections run by the first cousin of Michel Bras - Michelin 3 star chef in Lagiole, France - both fellows are very friendly actually
Sneem is also worth visiting - there used to be a great pub called the Blue Bull … had superb crab cake there once with lovely brown bread, and a very very good pint.
Dingle is on your roster of spots, and rightly so … my sister gave us a bottle of Dingles Gin and we loved it … http://www.dingledistillery.ie/ and they are a local distillery so I would pop in, if there.
If you are adventurous, Paudi O’Shea’s pub … ex Kerry football legend, now dead, but his pub is a lively place http://paidiose.com/paidi-o-ses-pub/
In Killarney, there is https://www.celticwhiskeybar.com/ and for food/wine, I would go to Foley’s (really decent wine list with bunch of reasonably priced vintage wines … full disclosure …my sister works there) and for seafood, I have always eaten well at Gaby’s.

For a stop on the way back to Dublin, there is a famous pub which was always our stop on the way from Killarney to Dublin and that is Matt the Threshers, in county Tipp… http://www.mattthethresherbirdhill.ie/ … for overnights etc, my parents loved everything about Kilkenny, so I second the praise given above.

Well done Karl!!!

Kinsale was the place I was trying to remember. It is truly one of the most picturesque places in all of Ireland and that’s saying a lot, because almost everywhere you go is breathtaking. Kinsale is almost surreal, like it was taken from the mind of a landscape painter. If you’re in Cork you can’t miss Kinsale!