u/LivLyfe21

Hello!
We are a couple and a four year old visiting this summer. We will be driving from Kilkenny to Killarney on Tuesday, July 21st, around mid-afternoon (3pm ish). Just a few questions, please:

- Google Maps estimates 2 hours 40min for the straight drive through. What is a realistic estimate?
- One option is the M8 then the N73 and N72 to Killarney. The other option is the N76 to N73 to Killarney. Both show as pretty much the same drive time. Which is better?
- Both of the above routes seem to pass very close to Cahir Castle. Is this worth a stop/do we have time? I'm guessing we will hit rush hour.
- Similar to above, where would be a good stop/stretch point (if not Cahir)?

Any other considerations for this journey? Thanks in advance!

Hello!
We are a couple and a four year old visiting this summer. We will be driving from Kilkenny to Killarney on Tuesday, July 21st, around mid-afternoon (3pm ish). Just a few questions, please:

\- Google Maps estimates 2 hours 40min for the straight drive through. What is a realistic estimate?
\- One option is the M8 then the N73 and N72 to Killarney. The other option is the N76 to N73 to Killarney. Both show as pretty much the same drive time. Which is better?
\- Both of the above routes seem to pass very close to Cahir Castle. Is this worth a stop/do we have time? I'm guessing we will hit rush hour.
\- Similar to above, where would be a good stop/stretch point (if not Cahir)?

Any other considerations for this journey? Thanks in advance!

Hello!
We are a couple and a four year old visiting this summer. We will be driving from Kilkenny to Killarney on Tuesday, July 21st, around mid-afternoon (3pm ish). Just a few questions, please:

- Google Maps estimates 2 hours 40min for the straight drive through. What is a realistic estimate?
- One option is the M8 then the N73 and N72 to Killarney. The other option is the N76 to N73 to Killarney. Both show as pretty much the same drive time. Which is better?
- Both of the above routes seem to pass very close to Cahir Castle. Is this worth a stop/do we have time? I'm guessing we will hit rush hour.
- Similar to above, where would be a good stop/stretch point (if not Cahir)?

Any other considerations for this journey? Thanks in advance!

We (couple and our 4 year old) will begin our Ireland trip in Belfast. The plan is tentatively as follows:

July 17: Land Dublin 11am, coach to Belfast; arrive Belfast 3pm ish. Easy wandering + dinner (jet lag).

July 18: Morning = black cab tour (w/snacks and activities to keep kid occupied) + Crumlin gaol (our son is interested in jails and excited for this lol). Afternoon = Open (free time @ a park, Ulster museum maybe, Gruffalo Trail are some options)

July 19: Daytrip to Derry full day. Train or car rental?

July 20: Morning = Titanic Experience + SS Nomadic. Around 2/3pm, coach to Dublin + drive to Kilkenny.

Would you keep the day trip to Derry or just stay in Belfast? My husband is a poli-sci major and a social studies teacher and is interested in the history there, and me, well I loved Derry Girls lol. It is a 2 hour train ride each way though. Worth it?

(We won’t be doing Giants Causeway etc due to time and also because we have plenty of coastal days later in Kerry and Galway).

Thanks!

Hello! We are visiting with our four year old this summer. He absolutely loves the titanic, reading books about it and watching videos. I’ve read that although the Titanic Experience is fantastic, it may not be suited for younger kiddos. We are torn about it as he’d be happy as a clam just throwing rocks somewhere for free haha, and also there are other things we can do in Belfast — and the titanic experience is not inexpensive! Wouldn’t want to pay just to leave in an hour, but also happy to do so if it’s age appropriate and worth it.

I know of the free Ulster Museum… definitely wouldn’t mind checking that out. Also read about how fantastic W5 is, but I’d like to experience things we cannot here, and we’ve got a pretty nice science centre where we live.

Any thoughts/experiences re: Titanic Belfast with kids? Thanks!

This is my first ever Reddit post, so go easy on me! We (husband, wife, four year old) will be visiting Ireland this summer. We land in Dublin and will be taking the airport bus to Belfast upon arrival, where we will stay for 4 nights. Then the plan is to take the bus back to Dublin airport and rent a car to drive to Killarney that same day (3 nights) then onward to Connemara (3 nights) before returning to Dublin.

We’d leave Belfast early (830am ish; earlier if needed) and I’m hoping we can be on our way in the rental car from Dublin at 1130am ish. The aim would be to get to Killarney no later than 8pm.

Any suggestions on places to stop en route? We will need to give the little guy some breaks. I’d love to see Kilkenny but it’s out of the way — otherwise the playground right on the castle grounds would be perfect.

Thanks in advance!