Just got back a few days ago! Overall, everything was WONDERFUL and the planning in advance definitely made a difference. I may post in more detail later, but here were some general things:
Weather was great...we only had rain on the day we went to the Aran Islands...very rough ferry ride!
Prices: In general we found food very pricey, especially in Dublin! We began going to the grocery store and saved a lot by eating picnic lunches. After the Irish Breakfast we didn't need much anyway...plus we had views that no restaurant has. We picnicked at Slea Head, across from the Cliffs of Moher, at the peak of the hiking trail in Connemara National Park....doesn't get much better!
Driving times: Maybe we just got lucky, but for the most part, we made great time enroute from town to town and even were able to add unexpected stops on some days! I think the latest we ever arrived at a B & B for the night was 7 pm.
Sightseeing: Getting up early (if you can!) makes a huge difference. My husband and I had the Rock of Cashel and Powerscourt literally to ourselves for about 30 minutes because we were the first ones there.
Cliffs of Moher are beautiful, but Dun Aenghus on Inishmore still allows the "crawling to the edge" experience that the barrier takes away at Moher.
B & B's: Were all fine...reading reviews here seems to have been a good way to go.
People: The Irish are wonderful and friendly. Unfortunately we did have one bad experience. A college kid in Tig Coili in Galway asked my husband where he was from, and upon hearing "Texas", asked him if he was a steer or a queer. Hubby tried to play this off as a joke, and the kid started cursing and calling us f-ing soulless Americans. Well, he was getting aggressive, so we left, which really annoyed me as we had staked out great seats for the music. (Perhaps he wanted our seats???) But, there is one in every pub, I guess. Other than that, people could not have been more helpful with directions, suggestions for food, etc.
Favorites: Dingle, Galway (other than jerky college kid), Connemara National Park, Ashford Castle, especially falconry, Dun Aenghus
Well, I'm still coming down from the whole experience...no energy to post in detail, but if anyone searches for my itinerary posts, just know that we fit in everything and more!
Thanks to all who advised me in my planning!