Touring Ireland without a car: which route works by train and bus?

What most people said

• Most say it works if you base in one or two towns (Galway, Killarney) and take day tours out; Rabbie's is often praised.
• Take the direct express bus (Citylink) from Dublin Airport to Galway; buses cover far more places than the limited rail network.
• Cross-country trips are slow: Kilkenny to Killarney by train means going back via Dublin, and Dingle is bus-only from Killarney or Tralee.
• Opinions split: feasible, but many say you spend much of the trip on buses; a few hire a car for part of it.

What people said

• If coming directly from Dublin airport to Galway then take the CityLink bus. It is direct and far easier.
• Kilkenny to Killarney there is a train, but that is 5.5 hours. You go back to Dublin and change trains. You can take the bus from Killarney to Dingle, a little over an hour.
• We based out of Killarney and loved it. We didn't have a car so we took the train there from Dublin and then took tours out each day.