hello! i'm planning my next trip to ireland and i was wondering if anyone has any feedback on which of these i should definitely visit: dingle, sligo or donegal. I have roughly 20 days in total so i can't do all three plus everything else i want.
my itinerary is something like this:
dublin
kilkenny
cork
dingle?
aran islands
galway
sligo?
donegal?
ballycastle
belfast
thank you!
maria

Well I'd say definitely go see Dingle. 100%. It rocks. As for Sligo or Donegal, it depends what you're looking for. Scenery/nightlife/culture/shopping? Both are beautiful counties, but I'd go for Donegal myself. It's a bit wilder. People joke that Co. Cork and Co. Donegal aren't really part of the republic at all, they're a law onto themselves, fiercely proud and great fun. Good luck with figuring out the Donegal accent as well!

Also, is there something in particular that you want to see in Kilkenny? It's a nice town but as you have limited time you might be better off going straight from Dublin to Cork and spending more time in the west coast. But then I'm biased towards the west.

Oh also, Dublin ain't all that. Don't spend loads of time (or cash) there.

Enjoy your trip!

last time i was there i spent next to no time in dublin and i was sorry about it. however, i think i'll stay like three day but making a couple of side trips from there...don't know yet.
as for kilkenny, i loved it and have wanted to go back since i left...but i know there isn't that much to see.
i've been constantly hearing dingle is the place i should choose so i just might. any other opinion is more than welcome though. thanks!!
maria

Yeah that area of Kerry is lovely. The Slea head drive is one of my favourite places in the world. It's cool to do it when the weather is misty and cloudy because you're driving on a very narrow road with a high cliff to your right and a deep ravine to your left. The rocks above you come right over the car in places. Plus you get to drive through a stream! Deadly. Also if you stop off at Connor pass which is around that area, there's a viewing point. It's all rocks and waterfalls and stuff, but if you keep walking/scrambling up over the rocks and bogholes (not as bad as they sound) you'll arrive at a sort of plateau with a small lake. It's lovely.

If you're basing yourself in Dublin for a few days it might be worth your while heading into Co. Wicklow. Lovely county.

Up in the northwest, Knockarea and Ben Bulben mountains just outside Sligo town are fairly impressive. Mullaghmore is a lovely seaside village about 20 minutes outside Sligo with stunning scenery. Also there's Strandhill and Rosses Point.

As for Donegal, I'd say keep heading north west for scenery, it's beautiful there. Letterkenny's a cool wee town, very lively. If you head out the road to Derry (about 7km from Derry town) there's a place called Grianan Aileach which is a hillfort built back in the day. It's wicked. Plus it has incredible view.

Ok my brain is empty now, I'll post anything else I can think!