I assume you could do that, if you let the tour director know that was your plan from the outset. We did see some beautiful countryside on the way back however, though at least from Killarney back to Cork, it was the same route.

I doubt that. I visited Cobh the morning of the day we left Cork, and it is at least 15-20 minutes from the city. The tour bus has a specific pick-up location inside the city, at the Paddywagon office. You should be able to take a taxi from Cobh to the departure location for under $40 though.

We were on two different buses through the company. I don't recall if they were air-conditioned, but I was not uncomfortable during our mid-September tour. However, it was probably about 60 deg. F. that day.

The bus to Killarney would hold likely about 50 people, though it was not filled. There, we switched buses to what I was told was a smaller one to go out to Dingle (I was told the roads were narrow and did not accomodate a large bus, but the 2nd bus seemed about as large to me). I would say we had about 40 people to Killarney (they stayed on for the Ring of Kerry tour and were joined by others), then maybe 25 or so out to Dingle that day.