Limerick is the natural base for the west of Ireland. The Cliffs of Moher and the Burren are an hour up the coast; the Ring of Kerry starts an hour and a half south; Galway is two hours north.
Bunratty — Bunratty Castle and the Folk Park, with a restored 15th-century tower house and a reconstructed Irish village around it; 20 minutes west of Limerick toward Shannon.
Adare — one of the prettier villages in Ireland, with thatched cottages along the main street, three medieval friaries within walking distance, and the grand Adare Manor hotel on the edge of town; 25 minutes south-west.
Cliffs of Moher — the iconic Atlantic cliffs of County Clare, 200 metres straight down to the sea; 75 minutes north.
Lough Gur — the lake-side Bronze Age complex including the Grange Stone Circle; 30 minutes south.
Killarney — gateway to the Ring of Kerry and the Killarney National Park; 90 minutes south.
Galway — the rambunctious second city of the west, with its medieval lanes, Spanish Arch, and Atlantic atmosphere; 90 minutes north.