Five days in south-west Ireland

[Magpie]

My husband and I have been thinking of visiting Ireland this June, and we would love to do a bit of walking.  After I'd narrowed our choices down to the Kerry or the Dingle Way, I was very happy to find Rucksack Readers books on them and I've now read through both - they're wonderful! These forums have also been really useful, especially the threads that compare the Dingle and Kerry Ways. But I'm still overwhelmed with choice and I could use some advice:

- We don't have enough time to do an entire Way. We've got about 4 nights, 5 days.  Although we're fit and love to walk, we also like to stop and look at things, take time for lunch, that sort of thing. I imagine we'd be actually walking ~5 hours a day, not including our stops.

- I also have a thing for archaeology, so I'd love a route that includes interesting sites and stoneworks; as well as scenery.

- We love the idea of walking continuously from place to place instead of doing day-hikes from a single centre.

- We'd prefer not to road-walk that much, but if it's a quiet road that's not really a big issue.

With those preferences in mind, I've been trying to figure out what portion of either the Kerry or the Dingle Way would be the best. I think the problem is that each route I look at sounds great! It's hard to choose!

Thank you!

[sandrahal]

Hello there
Choosing between these two is indeed difficult !
The Dingle Way, from Tralee to Dunquin would give you 5 days' walking, with only one long day, from Dingle to Dunquin.  Public transport should be available from Dunquin, back to Dingle and on to Tralee but you should check with the recommended website, just to be sure.  Road walking would be involved, but this is unavoidable in Ireland.  The main highlight would be the opportunity to visit Great Blasket Island - not to be missed, if at all possible.  Alternatively, to maximise your chances of visiting the island, you could start from Dingle and finish at Camp to avoid retracing your steps, and have time to spare for side trips.   
However, if you fancy some real hill walking in the most rugged mountains in Ireland, then the Kerry Way is the answer.  A side trip to Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest summit, is described in the book and another one not to miss, if the weather permits !  From Killarney you'd walk through Killarney National Park - definitely worth more than a fleeting look.   You could continue as far as Glenbeigh or Cahirciveen (4 or 5 days' walking);  public transport back to Killarney should be available.  Road walking would almost certainly be less here than on the Dingle Way.
As for a recommendation - as a dedicated hill walker, I'd be tempted towards the Kerry Way, but I love visiting islands too, so it comes down to personal preferences.
Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.
Good walking and best wishes
Sandra Bardwell

[Magpie]

Thank you - I really appreciate getting an idea of which 4-5 day portion of each Way would be the best!

It's not the determining factor, but I am curious how Tralee-->Dunquin and Killarney-->Glenbeigh/Caherciveen compare in regards to Standing Stones/Dolmans/Forts/etc on the route?

Thank you again!