Traveling to Ireland with spouse on May 10 to May 25. In and out of Dublin. Renting a car and will h

Traveling to Ireland with spouse on May 10 to May 25. In and out of Dublin. Renting a car and will head north from the airport with no particular itinerary at this time other than spending the last 2 or 3 nights in Dublin. Want to see as much of the island as possible given the time constraints. Love beautiful scenery, animals, local culture and good beer. Will want to experience a few castles and churches as well as Bushmills. Like B Bs and would love to not make reservations ahead in order that we have some flexibility. Is this incredibly naive? Is driving in Ireland similar to driving in Scotland (which we have done)? Any thoughts are welcome.
You can drink your way to Cork, a lively southeastern city with a large Heineken plant, of no interest, and the working Jameson distillery which runs an informative tour. The Jameson location in Dublin no longer functions but is open for tourists.
Most beer production in Ireland not owned by Guinness-Diageo military discounted airline tickets is dominated by Heinekin's various brands. Boring. But Dublin, Cork, and (by reputation) Galway have microbrew/brewpub alternatives. While I usually try to provide links, when it comes to beer you will be far better equipped to find the perfect pint if you do your own searches.
You can also use the Search the Forums function, top right of this page, to find answers to issues such as driving, what's of interest, etc. It contains pro-and-con opinions about the Guinness "experience" in Dublin, which does not let you inside the brewery itself but does offer a wonderful view across the city on a sunny cay.