justind,

I will just have to disagree with bbkenney on this one.

Would agree with tdo-c and IrishRed, jerseyfinn and others - to see Ireland and particularly Cork (where you have relatives), you should probably only try to do one direction from SNN - down thru Limerick to Kerry, over to Cork and back thru Cashel would give you a great trip !

Galway and (Co. Clare) North of Shannon doesn't give you so much more that it is worth cutting short time in the other regions for that ...

To Do
Tralee, Dingle, Ballybunion - in Kerry - you can do these on your Kerry loop Bunratty - you can do this just after you arrive or just before you leave SNN

???
Adare - nice enough town, but Kinsale in Cork is beter in every way
Lahinch - nothing in particular here except a good golf course
Doolin, Killaloe - Average enough towns
Cong - sure, Ashford Castle is good, but it is totally in the other direction to Cork/Kerry
Galway - ditto to the above

Remember, a vacation in Ireland is not a race to get in as many towns as possible - your main objective should be to enjoy your time here, and not spend most of your time in the car watching the countryside go by from inside .....

Take a more measured approach, and enjoy what Ireland has to offer - those small galleries in back-streets, the hidden cafes in small villages, the unspolied countryside outside the normal tourist destinations etc. etc.

I am available if you want to PM me ...

In any case, enjoy it ^

John P