Dunsmore East to Rock of Cashel

[DRS/NC]

I'll be on a HAL ship in late July. We're due to call at Dunsmore East (for Waterford), Ireland. I'd like to go to the Rock of Cashel.

 

I've contacted 2 tour operators about a private tour, but there are 2 issues:

* little interest in sharing on the Roll Call, and

* the tour companies' refund policies (Dunsmore E. is a tender port; could easily be missed).

 

My question here is, how likely will I be able to hire a car after getting into port? I'm also uncomfortable of hiring a car as I'm a solo older woman.

 

Advice?:confused:

[VMax1700]

To hire a car you would need to get into Waterford city. There are no car hire offices in Dunmore East. Dunmore East is a small fishing port.

 

By the time you get into Waterford City and do the car hire paperwork, I don't think you would have sufficient time to drive to Cashel. You don't have your location listed, but I presume you would be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road to your normal driving!

[DRS/NC]

I don't mean "hire a car" as in get a rental car. I mean hiring a driver/car to take me to Rock of Cashel.

 

Does anyone know if there are cars/taxis available for private tours at the port -- similar to those found in the Caribbean?

[newgrange]

You could try this guy:

Taxis & Taxicabs - J&L Dunmore E. Private Hire, 1 The Woods Dunmore East, Waterford

(051)383000

I doubt it will be cheap.

Edited June 18, 2014 by newgrange

[Thoie]

If you're interested in other castles, how about Cahir Castle? http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/South-East/CahirCastle/

 

Cahir is easier to get to - you can get a direct bus from Waterford to Cahir. The bus from Waterford to Cashel changes at Cahir, and there can be quite a long wait between the two.

 

The bus to Cahir from Waterford City takes 1h15m, and there's a bus roughly every 2 hours. See http://www.buseireann.ie for bus details.

 

Kilkenny castle is impressive too (and nicely preserved - I was just there two weeks ago), and you can get to Kilkenny from Waterford by train in about 30-40 minutes. See http://www.irishrail.ie for train details. http://www.kilkennycastle.ie/ Kilkenny Castle is more "done up" than some of the others - there's been a lot of restoration work done, and it was still being lived in up until the 1900s (having been built around 1200).

 

Either way, you'd need to get into Waterford first.

 

If you find a car and driver, I wouldn't be concerned about your safety - we're generally pretty civilised ;) Whether you can understand the accent is a whole other question.