I felt like I needed to say something about driving in Dublin. Please understand that I used to travel all across the US for a living, so I've driven in most major cities here and never had issues. However, I travelled to Ireland last October, flew into SNN and got a car. I circled the coast and went to Belfast and things were still okay until the day I drove into Dublin. I've never, ever, had such a challenge in my life. If you're a local, it would be okay, but I would really recommend that you reconsider getting a car in Dublin. It's a great place, but I would also recommend the west of the country, it's better than I can put into words.
I hope you enjoy your trip, it sounds wonderful!