Q&A #2: How to allocate time between Dingle and Doolin, recommendations on what to do, Ireland itinerary, and more!

Meegan had some questions for me, and my response ended up being too long for a comment.  So, Meegan, here are my answers - I hope this helps!

Ireland Picture Post #4: The Burren

These photos are from Day 6, Galway to Doolin via the Burren, Part 1 and Part 2.  The Burren was, much like Connemara, absolutely beautiful.  It was also a stark contrast - barren where Connemara was lush.

---

Dunguaire Castle, located just south of Galway

Ireland Picture Post #2: Galway

These photos are from Day 4, Galway City Part 1 and Part 2. Click any image to view it in the photo gallery. Enjoy!

---

Galway town from across the water

Ireland Picture Post #1: Clonmacnoise, Birr, and Galway

I'll be switching gears for a little bit to editing and posting photos before I pick up the story again.  First up are the photos from Day 3, Dublin to Galway via Clonmacnoise.  Click any image to view it in the photo gallery. Enjoy!

---

Clonmacnoise Monastery

Ireland Intermezzo #2: Driving in Ireland

Our happy little Fiat Punto.

Today's guest post is written (and partially illustrated!) by the official "make-sure-we-don't-die" expert extraordinaire: Jason.  Enjoy!

---

I loved driving in Ireland – sure, we had to repair a punctured tyre and bent rim, but isn’t that all part of the adventure?  And how else would I have met that nice mechanic in Galway?  As the old saying goes, “You can’t know a city until you’ve fixed 2 tyres in it.”  (Okay… I might have made that up.)

Ireland Day 6, Part 1: Galway to Doolin via the Burren

Phew – the car is fine.  Jason got it repaired this morning – it took no more than 30 minutes and only cost 30 Euro.  The rim was bent, not cracked as I’d originally worried, so it just needed to be hammered back into place.  There was a puncture in the back left tire, so the mechanic patched that up, too.  (Bless his heart, he answered my panicked call to his all-hours number at close to midnight the previous night, which, while posted on his website, he apparently doesn’t get many calls at – it sounded like it was his home phone.)  Now that we're paying more attention, there are a lot of signs for "tyre repair" and safety checks alongside the roads here.  Looks like issues with potholes and bushes are pretty common.

We had another amazing breakfast at the B&B and consulted with our hosts on the best path to take.  They gave us some great tips for restaurants and sights to see along the way, and we were off.

Ireland Day 5, Part 1: Connemara scenic drive

A funny craft shop wall mural, found early on the Connemara drive

Connemara is completely unlike anything we’ve seen so far in our trip.  The road from Dublin to Galway, while it was lovely and green, was still just a highway.  For our detour to Clonmacnoise we ventured off the beaten path and got our first taste of the more rural R- roads.  Our drive through Connemara, however, was truly spectacular.

I'd been pretty well convinced that Connemara was something we had to see.  However, given that Jason had been doing a lot of driving, we decided to ask one of our B&B hosts what he thought.  His response sealed the deal: "It's unmissable," he said.  "I recommend it to anyone who spends time in Galway."  Our hosts' advice had been invaluable so far, so this was all the encouragement we needed.

Ireland Day 4, Part 2: Galway city

Back at the B&B, we switched into better walking shoes, grabbed a cup of tea, and set out again in the opposite direction to what’s known as the Salthill Promenade (or “Prom”, for short).  About a 10 minute walk away, this path goes all along the water as far as the eye can see before the road wraps around and out of sight.  Even in the face of the blustery wind and dark clouds building in defiance of the earlier sunbreaks, plenty of people were out walking, jogging, and even biking.

Salthill Promenade, before the dark clouds began rolling in

What at first appeared to be a long pier intersecting with the Prom was actually a small road to Mutton Island: an area mysteriously blockaded off from outsiders at about the halfway point, with the rest of it stretching off into the distance beyond the padlocked gate and ending at the island.

Ireland Day 4, Part 1: Galway city

This morning began with our first ever Irish breakfast, made fresh by our hosts at the B&B: a sunny side up egg, two slices of bacon, balsamic tomatoes, and a really fantastic sausage, all on a plate artfully dotted with homemade basil oil. 

An amazing breakfast at the B&B

Ireland Day 3, Part 2: Arrival in Galway

We eventually arrived at the B&B intact. Once we got past an extended parking debacle which I won’t detail here (like my inability to dial Irish phone numbers on the first day, entirely a matter of user error), we were off to hit the town.  Well, sort of.

We decided to keep it simple and visit the Crane Pub just around the corner, hearing from our hosts that the trad (short for traditional) music there is exceptional.   After all, we’d been in Ireland for about a day and a half at this point, and still hadn't visited an Irish pub or had Guinness.  This was a problem which required immediate rectification.

Ireland Day 3, Part 1: Dublin to Galway via Clonmacnoise

Up early at 7 am to pack the bags up and shuttle to the airport to pick up the rental car.  Sleeping went fairly well, except when I woke up at 2 am feeling extremely hungry (that’s 6 pm Seattle time; I guess my body was expecting dinner.)  Breakfast was yogurt we picked up at Tesco the day before, and granola we snagged in Chicago (before realizing the need for a mad rush to the international terminal).

After Jason did a few loops around the parking lot to get a feel for the car (Fiat Punto!), we hit the road, heading out along the M6 toward Galway.  I think Irish roads are somewhat given a bad rap, so I’d like to clear the air just a bit.  The highways (prefixed with “M” or “N”) are a completely reasonable width.  

M- and N- routes in Ireland -- not unlike any other highway.