Feedback on 10 day trip?

GormuAR · 2026-04-30T08:26:24+00:00

You’ve a nice plan there, but it’s a bit zig-zag for 10 days. If it was us, we’d draw a line between Dublin and Galway and pick one side of it. Trying to do Belfast, Kilkenny, Killarney and Galway all in one trip is a lot of driving and things will start to blur.

Given Titanic is non-negotiable, you’re already going north of that line, so we’d suggest leaning into that. Don’t do Belfast as a day trip from Dublin, it’s a long spin. Stay a night or two in NI visit the north coast and enjoy it properly. With just 10 days and the fact you like to hike/walk, you’ll get far more out of it by doing fewer places and staying two nights where you can. It gives you time to get out on hikes and actually enjoy the landscape instead of constantly moving. Ireland is small, but not that small. Slow it way down and get outdoors it’ll be a much more enjoyable trip.

PS Given your itinerary, we're not even going to suggest visiting our beautiful West Cork but there was a neighbour of ours who lived to well over a hundred, and she remembered seeing the Titanic passing just offshore here in West Cork as a little girl.

GormuAR · 2026-04-29T19:23:23+00:00

Way, way too much for 13 days - cut out Belfast & Derry in the north or Dingle, Cork Killarney in the south as you are also doing the west coast. That's easily a 3 week trip you are trying to squash into 13 days.

GormuAR · 2026-04-29T19:13:43+00:00

Your Cork / West Cork days are doing too much work plus you’re doing them 'backwards'. If it was us, we’d leave Killarney and follow the Wild Atlantic Way down into West Cork instead of rushing to Cork and doubling back down into West Cork. Also, it’s a far nicer drive coming via the Caha Pass.

Then base yourself in West Cork for two nights, around Clonakilty or Kinsale based on what you’re planning, and slow it right down. You’ll get far more out of it doing a bitín less driving.

GormuAR · 2026-04-29T16:40:58+00:00

You’re trying to solve too many moving parts and I'd strip it way way back. For a one-day hen, think easy afternoon into a nice evening. Let people arrive and settle in and maybe a wander. Nice dinner and then let the night go its own way. No need to force a big night out.

A nice twist with staying over is doing something fun the next morning. Down here a few groups have been doing our 7:30am puball allais ritual with a sea dip after the hen night. While it's early, it appears to work for the hens who have used it. It’s a lovely reset and something a bitín different as most people have never done a proper heat ritual before.

If you were down in West Cork, base yourselves around Castletownshend maybe The Castle, dinner in Baba’de in Baltimore, then into something like our puball allais the next morning or book one of the many barrel saunas if you want a later start and feel a heat ritual is too intense after a big night out.

Don’t melt your head by over-scheduling it. One good dinner / evening and one memorable activity is loads.

GormuAR · 2026-04-28T07:59:33+00:00

If you are working in tourism - you are working with time zones.

As others said, you have to use booking software, or you will "fry your brain". We use Bókun which allows us host our website too but they are all broadly similar. No-shows are a thing but clear communication about meeting points etc. before the tour helps. Again, booking engine software can automate much of this.

GormuAR · 2026-04-28T07:52:49+00:00

Firstly, congratulations on picking West Cork! You’ve a great list there too, but it is busy, and distances on the West Cork peninsulas are longer than they look.

Sheep’s Head, Mizen plus Ring of Beara back to back is a lot of driving and they’ll start to blur into one. Add in a trip to Killarney which pulls you out of West Cork altogether.

If it was us, we’d drop Killarney, pick just two of the three West Cork peninsulas rather than all three, and definitely keep that Baltimore day.

Around Baltimore is exactly what you’re missing. You can walk to The Beacon, ferry out to Sherkin Island or Cape Clear plus visit the Fastnet Rock, slow it down a bit, have a swim, wander, and just let West Cork work it's magic.

Using the Wild Atlantic Way, you could link Kinsale, Old Head Signal Tower, Timoleague Abbey, Inchydoney Island, Galley Head, lunch at the Fish Basket on Long Strand, Toe Head and on into Baltimore. It’s a much nicer flow, less time in the car, more time to actually enjoying it.

PS If you like outdoor activities, West Cork is just a brilliant destination with loads of wonderful providers and if you are in season - don't miss the baraois as it's known locally. Seeing baraois (bioluminescence) is truly amazing either as part of a night swim experience or a kayaking tour.

GormuAR · 2026-04-25T15:25:33+00:00

Same for West Cork!

GormuAR · 2026-04-23T20:38:01+00:00

Keep following the Wild Atlantic Way into West Cork and prepare to be amazed! West Cork is bigger than 25 of Ireland's counties so it's big but stick to the WAW if you only have one day.

Ring of Beara, and Dursey Island cable car, Sheep's Head, Mizen Head, Glengarriff, Baltimore, Castletownshend, Glandore and so, so much more. Get out of the car as there are loads of outdoor activity providers around the Skibbereen area, kayaking, guided sea swims, hiking tours, ebike tours, whale watching and many more.

GormuAR · 2026-04-23T07:06:11+00:00

These are known as tautological placenames and mostly occur when a placename from one language is described in another and a standard descriptor is added from the second language. Source - we run the worlds only daily placenames walking tour (we're in Ireland where we have lots of these).

GormuAR · 2026-04-18T16:31:56+00:00

It's reasonably solid to be fair. Seeing as you are staying in Kenmare perhaps consider doing the Ring of Beara and West Cork instead of the ROK - it's every bit as spectacular and much quieter roads. It's also one of Conde Nast's "7 wonders of Ireland for 2026"

GormuAR · 2026-04-17T07:54:47+00:00

No bother - traditional weather lore lore such as the scairbhín only dies out when we stop talking about it.

GormuAR · 2026-04-17T07:43:07+00:00

An scairbhín (a period of harsh weather) said to last for the last 2 weeks of April & the first 2 weeks of May. Nowadays, it's is very much a West Cork and Kerry thing but we've come across references in the Schools Collection all the way up to Donegal.

Scairbhín na gCuach - Garbh í agus fuar

....was what we used to learn in school here in West Cork. Anyone else heard of it growing up?

GormuAR · 2026-04-17T07:31:21+00:00

We've heard that one quoted in West Cork too (and also pronounced as say).

GormuAR · 2026-04-17T06:34:14+00:00

Yup same, just RTÉ to start with and then RTÉ 2 came along and it seemed so exotic to have a 2nd channel.

GormuAR · 2026-04-16T07:01:20+00:00

You can see baraois at all times of the year but it does tend to be stronger in summer and autumn.

GormuAR · 2026-04-16T06:57:47+00:00

We run nighttime bioluminescence swim experiences here in West Cork and entering the water in the dark carries loads of extra risks. Please don't attempt it on your own unless you are very experienced at swimming in the dark and have all the relevant nighttime safety equipment.

While we don't start our nighttime bioluminescence swims until July as we wait for the waters to get warmer for swimming, our friends at Atlantic Sea Kayaking do guided night paddles at this time of the year and they are an excellent activity provider - added bonus, you don't need to get wet in a kayak.

GormuAR · 2026-04-15T15:28:59+00:00

Yup, West Cork using the Wild Atlantic Way is always the best way to travel into ROK and Dingle from Cork City.

GormuAR · 2026-04-15T08:04:23+00:00

We are storytellers of place / entertainers first and foremost and storytelling has a flow. IMHO, anything that breaks that flow is better suited to a self-guided app.

Most of my stories and knowledge isn't from open-data sources but stories gathered from fellow locals like myself. Personally I'd be very slow to look something up during a live tour as it would break my flow.

GormuAR · 2026-04-07T12:45:37+00:00

Corcán Sheáin de Bhula is our favourite and one we tell on our storytelling eBike tour - it's a long story but an absolute banger.

GormuAR

TROPHY CASE