While researching places to visit with kids in the Republic of Ireland, I found many reviews geared toward adults. There's a big difference between what an adult might enjoy and what a squirrelly eight-year old boy will like. Family-friendly sights and activities can be found on a few websites, and I'm glad to share our experiences as well. Here are some places our family loved!
Remember, this is our experience traveling with two tween-age boys to places that interested us within the time we had...this is not meant to be a sole resource.
For a step-by-step trip planning guide, start with this post.
For a step-by-step trip planning guide, start with this post.
In and Around Dublin
(We spent three nights)
Irish mummies. Need I say more? Seriously, while a little creepy, the Bog Bodies at this museum are amazing. There are also fantastic exhibits of gold jewelry, Viking artifacts, and incredible early Irish Christian crosses. Oh yeah, and weapons through the ages. (It's also free admission, which is awesome.)
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| A long-lost cousin, perhaps? |
So. Fun. An interactive museum geared for kids that's great for the parents, too. The three levels have displays, activities, and actors demonstrating life through the ages in Dublin. If your kids have energy to burn, take them up the 96 steps to a great view of the city. This museum also offers a combo ticket to Christ's Church Cathedral, but it was closed the day we were there.
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| A tour guide explains medieval justice systems. |
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| Helmet's a little big. |
Not only does this stunning library include some of Europe's very first books off the printing press, it contains a great exhibit surrounding The Book of Kells, a 1200-year old illuminated Gospel. Before you go, be sure to watch "The Secret of Kells," which is a gorgeous fantasy-telling of the book's history--and gives the kids buy-in when seeing the real thing.
Tours of the campus are also available, which Jay and I enjoyed when we went without kids, but gave it a miss while having them. There's a campus cafe across the quad from the library, which makes for a convenient cake break.
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| http://www.atlanticbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Library-long-room-Trinity-College-Dublin.jpg |
Parks and Playgrounds
We stayed within walking distance to two parks the boys really enjoyed, Iveagh Gardens with its boxhedge maze and super fun boulders and hills to climb on; and the large St. Stephens Green with ponds, trails, and a playground. These parks are free (and the only ones we had time to explore). Here's a helpful link to reviews of Dublin's playgrounds.
THIS IS COOL. When's the last time you were in a 5,000-year old structure? I can't recommend enough taking this half-day bus tour. It includes guaranteed entry into the Newgrange passage tomb (with no waiting in lines), time to wander the dripping-with-history Hill of Tara, a lovely lunch break at a family-friendly farm, and wonderful live-narration of the area's history during the driving.
Our boys loved running up and down hills, feeding chickens, milking a plastic cow, and touching stone carvings that were made before writing was invented. It's totally worth it to take the tour. Our boys were the only kids on the bus...which made for a quiet ride, but it's too bad families are missing out!
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| "We can run anywhere we want?!" Bliss! |
Counties Kilkenny and Wexford
(We spent two nights)
I'm sure we didn't do the cute town of Kilkenny justice, because we only spent half a day walking around. We did...
Kilkenny River Walk (we did a piece of it)
The River Nore is beautiful and there are a number of trail routes you can walk (or cycle) along its banks. Great way for the kids to run and burn some energy. If you follow the river through town, it takes you to...
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| View of River Nore from Kilkenny Castle |
You'll have to gauge your kids to know if they'll enjoy touring the castle. Its foundations were laid in medieval times, but the current castle has been restored as it was in the Victorian era. So while I enjoyed the lavish wall coverings and furnishings, my boys were a bit bored. However, I pointed out to them that this was how English nobles were living during the time impoverished Irish were emigrating from their homeland in droves, so it's good for perspective.
There's a lot we could have done in County Wexford (including this cool outdoor museum-park-thingy we had to skip because one of our travel days was unexpectedly long), but we only had time to visit the...
If you or anyone you know is of Irish ancestry, a tour of this ship docked in the town of New Ross is especially meaningful. The Dunbrody is a full reconstruction of an actual 19th century "famine ship," which took often-desperate emigrants one-way to the New World to try and find a better life. The tour includes a brief history video, exploration of the boat, and conversation with actors representing actual passengers. It's really cool.
Totally worth the 45-minute drive from Kilkenny, but don't plan on doing anything else in the town. New Ross doesn't seem to have recovered from the recent recession and didn't have a whole lot to offer.
Rock of Cashel
Not only is this ultra dramatic stone complex a feast for the eyes and mind, it's set atop a grassy hill with walls around the base...and a docent told us, "Let the kids roll down the hill!" Jay and I gawked through the medieval church/fortress and the kids got grass stains. Win-win! Do try to get there before noon, however, because it can get pret-ty busy with tourists.
Don't let the word "archaeology" scare you! This 2.5-hour tour is a great alternative to doing the more rigorous Ring of Kerry drive, and it includes time for the kids to run around at the various stops. Tim Collins and his son are both scientists who take a small group twice a day around the peninsula, showing off breathtaking views and staggeringly-old sites.
Traditional Music
Linger at Siopa Ceoil during the day when you get your tickets, and chat with owner Michael. If you or your kids are musical at all, you might even get to jam with him a bit! I was thrilled to play a little piano alongside his accordion.
Farm Stay
If you possibly can, stay on a farm on the Dingle Peninsula. It was incredibly peaceful to have ocean on one side, mountains on the opposite side, and grazing sheep everywhere in between. If you stay with a relaxed farmer like we did, your kids might even get to chase the sheep around.
Between County Kerry and County Clare...
Totally worth the 45-minute drive from Kilkenny, but don't plan on doing anything else in the town. New Ross doesn't seem to have recovered from the recent recession and didn't have a whole lot to offer.
County Tipperary
(We drove through)
Not only is this ultra dramatic stone complex a feast for the eyes and mind, it's set atop a grassy hill with walls around the base...and a docent told us, "Let the kids roll down the hill!" Jay and I gawked through the medieval church/fortress and the kids got grass stains. Win-win! Do try to get there before noon, however, because it can get pret-ty busy with tourists.
County Kerry
(We spent two nights)
You've probably heard of "The Ring of Kerry," a not-to-be-missed dramatic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula. Well, we skipped it and didn't miss it. Spending four hours in the car looking at scenery and trailing behind tour buses with two tween-agers wasn't our idea of fun. Here's how our family enjoyed the beauty, history, and music of this amazing county.
This was a perfect break in the long drive from Cashel to Dingle, but it's a great destination in its own right. This working, outdoor museum shows how three family farms were run in the 1940s. The docents actually work the farms and are delightful to chat with. We ate soda bread baked over a peat fire (no electricity), milked a cow, hunted for eggs, turned a lathe, and held downy chicks.
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| Jay milked the cow too! |
There is an extensive baby-farm animal area for petting--ask the docent about the animals and listen hard through his thick Irish accent--a playground, picnic areas, and even a bouncy-house!
The walk between the three farms is simply beautiful, and there's a little shuttle bus that you can take instead if you want to save your legs.
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| The boys warm up over a peat fire. |
If you're interested, Muckross also has a Victorian mansion for touring (a separate admission fee); we skipped it because the kids had enough of that sort of thing at Kilkenny Castle.
Don't let the word "archaeology" scare you! This 2.5-hour tour is a great alternative to doing the more rigorous Ring of Kerry drive, and it includes time for the kids to run around at the various stops. Tim Collins and his son are both scientists who take a small group twice a day around the peninsula, showing off breathtaking views and staggeringly-old sites.
Everyone gets to hear about the area's history while driving along the coastline between stops, and then the kids get to explore. This is NOT a no-touching experience! Once again, our boys were the only kids on the tour, which is a real shame.
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| G investigates an escape tunnel from this ring fort. |
Traditional Music
Dingle is famous for its lively "trad sessions," which can be found just about every night after 8 or 9:00 in the local pubs. But--especially after sight-seeing all day--by that time in the evening, our kids were done. As an earlier alternative, Dingle has a couple music events each week during the summer around 5 p.m. at the charming music store Siopa Ceoil and at St. James' Church. G and I went to the Siopa Ceoil concert and found it to be cozy, lively, and fun. (The orange juice and Irish coffees given during half-time were nice too). Granted, most of the 30 audience members were graying tour bus types from Ohio, but they were enthusiastic nonetheless!
Linger at Siopa Ceoil during the day when you get your tickets, and chat with owner Michael. If you or your kids are musical at all, you might even get to jam with him a bit! I was thrilled to play a little piano alongside his accordion.Farm Stay
If you possibly can, stay on a farm on the Dingle Peninsula. It was incredibly peaceful to have ocean on one side, mountains on the opposite side, and grazing sheep everywhere in between. If you stay with a relaxed farmer like we did, your kids might even get to chase the sheep around. |
| Part of the climbing structure |
What a gift! Tralee's giant indoor playground for kids under 12 is about an hour inland from Dingle. It made a great driving break for us on the way to County Clare: Jay sat in the cafe area with The Playdium's wifi while the kids romped...and I went shopping in cute old-town Tralee. (Ahem, for shopping bargains go to Penneys. Not JC Penny's.)
Between County Kerry and County Clare...
...Take the ShannonFerry. Your nav system may very well try to route you around the Shannon Estuary through Limerick, but don't do it. The 20-minute ferry ride is inexpensive, a change of scenery, and a break from driving. The kids--and parents--can get out of the car and watch the water zip by in the wind.
County Clare
(We spent three nights)
These ridiculously dramatic cliffs dropping into the wild Atlantic ocean are breathtaking. There are several ways to experience the Cliffs, depending on your time, budget, and physical fitness. We chose to start at the visitor center and walk around within the park (there are tasteful safety walls all along the edges). If you're not worried about yourself or your children dropping off the rim to certain death, you can hike for miles along the coast on a narrow cow path. There are also boat cruises and airplane rides for booking.
Fanore
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| Our 8-year old could see, but not swan dive. Perfect! |
Fanore
Or Doolin or Ballyvaughan. This stretch of Ireland's West Coast is simply stunning. Get yourself an AirBnB cottage and relax for a few days. In addition to staring at sunsets over the ocean and reading books in a farmhouse while listening to the sound of the waves outside my window (or in the case of the kids, getting in some quality tablet time), there are several things in the area we loved doing.
Fanore Beach
This is one of Ireland's highest-rated beaches for swimming and playing, complete with lifeguard. It has bathrooms, outdoor showers, smooth sand, and surf board rental. The parking lot is a good size, but if it fills up, you can take a nice walk through the fields from your nearby rental. It's okay to hop over fences, apparently.
On our beach day in mid-June, half the time we were playing it was sunny. Then it wasn't, and I was glad for my windbreaker and towel to bundle up in. The kids were still in the water though! Be sure to bring a picnic or snacks, unless you want to save your appetite for...
O'Donohue's Pub
This wonderful place springs up out of nowhere along the Wild Atlantic Way. Technically in Fanore, if you blink you'll miss it (really, you'll miss Fanore entirely if you blink). The decor is charming, the food is delicious, the staff is friendly toward families, and they often have local musicians in for trad sessions on weekends. Since it's the only restaurant for 20 minutes in either direction, this is a local watering hole not overrun by tourists. Score!
Walking Trails Through the Burren
Medieval and Folk Banquet
Candles flicker against stone walls, jolly guests clamber onto wooden benches and tables, pitchers of cold mead clank against goblets, the aroma of roasting potatoes fills the air. A harp begins strumming and clear voices sing out a welcome to "My lords and ladies of the castle!" With so many castles in Ireland, how can you not take your family to a banquet at one?
Shannon Heritage in County Clare offers evening banquets year-round at three different castles: Bunratty, Knappogue, and Dunguaire. (Technically, Dunguaire is in County Galway, but barely.) Bunratty gets a lot of press because it also has an outdoor folk museum where kids can dress up and pet animals. However, it's right near the Shannon airport and I read reviews that said it was overrun by jetlagged tourists. If you go to Bunratty, please let me know what your experience was like!
This is an activity that should be booked a couple months ahead of time...especially if you'll be there in summer and prefer the 5:30 seating to the 8:45 seating (or vice versa). We had a 5:30 Sunday evening showing at Dunguaire Castle and--as seems to be the pattern with our trip--ours were the only kids there. Because of this, we got seated right at the front and our kids got a lot of attention from the performers. They ate the feast and the entertainment up!
Fanore Beach
On our beach day in mid-June, half the time we were playing it was sunny. Then it wasn't, and I was glad for my windbreaker and towel to bundle up in. The kids were still in the water though! Be sure to bring a picnic or snacks, unless you want to save your appetite for...O'Donohue's Pub
This wonderful place springs up out of nowhere along the Wild Atlantic Way. Technically in Fanore, if you blink you'll miss it (really, you'll miss Fanore entirely if you blink). The decor is charming, the food is delicious, the staff is friendly toward families, and they often have local musicians in for trad sessions on weekends. Since it's the only restaurant for 20 minutes in either direction, this is a local watering hole not overrun by tourists. Score!
Walking Trails Through the Burren
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| I can't not include this photo. |
The Burren's landscape is dramatic and varied, with trails that loop all around the area. If your family doesn't fancy an all-day hike, you can do like Z and I did and just walk a section. We drove up the hill from Fanore, parked the car (after following a cow for a while, since the road was too narrow to get around her), and walked as long as we wanted before turning around.
Medieval and Folk Banquet
Candles flicker against stone walls, jolly guests clamber onto wooden benches and tables, pitchers of cold mead clank against goblets, the aroma of roasting potatoes fills the air. A harp begins strumming and clear voices sing out a welcome to "My lords and ladies of the castle!" With so many castles in Ireland, how can you not take your family to a banquet at one?
Shannon Heritage in County Clare offers evening banquets year-round at three different castles: Bunratty, Knappogue, and Dunguaire. (Technically, Dunguaire is in County Galway, but barely.) Bunratty gets a lot of press because it also has an outdoor folk museum where kids can dress up and pet animals. However, it's right near the Shannon airport and I read reviews that said it was overrun by jetlagged tourists. If you go to Bunratty, please let me know what your experience was like!
This is an activity that should be booked a couple months ahead of time...especially if you'll be there in summer and prefer the 5:30 seating to the 8:45 seating (or vice versa). We had a 5:30 Sunday evening showing at Dunguaire Castle and--as seems to be the pattern with our trip--ours were the only kids there. Because of this, we got seated right at the front and our kids got a lot of attention from the performers. They ate the feast and the entertainment up!
County Offaly
(We spent one night)
Smack-dab in the heart of the Irish Midlands is the little town of Birr, halfway between Galway and Dublin. If you're going through this area, Birr Castle is a fantastic place to get the kids out of the car and play. With an awesome playground, gorgeous trails and gardens, and the once-largest telescope in the world, your family could end up spending hours playing and exploring. (The castle itself is only open to pre-booked tours during the summer for ages 12 and above, because the Parsons family--owners since 1620--still lives there!)
If you've visited any of these places as a family, or have other suggestions, please share in the comments!
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