How to Take Your Kids to Ireland--Preparing the Kids

Planning a trip to the Republic of Ireland with your family? Let our experiences traveling with two tween-agers help you see the country, meet locals, connect with history, and keep to a modest budget! For step-by-step guidelines on planning your trip, start with the Introduction.

Family Planning

No, not that kind. As with any kind of family adventure, things tend to go more smoothly and be more fun when the kids have buy-in and a sense of what to expect. Honestly, this is true for every family member! We found that preparing our kids in a number of ways really enriched our experience as a whole family.

I'll go into more details below, but here's a quick list of ways we found to include our kids in preparations:

1. Read about Irish history and culture
2. Highlight locations of interest on an over-sized map
3. Get kids' input on the itinerary
4. Make a to-scale timeline including Irish, world, and family history
5. Clean the house for a restful return--and earn souvenir money in the process
6. Go over expectations for spending, airport and museum etiquette, cultural sensitivity, food differences, and electronics usage

That's the list, and if you want to see how these played out for us, read on!

Exploration...from the living room.

While I--as the primary planner--had initial ideas of places I wanted to visit, I wanted our kids to weigh in as well. We checked out picture books about Ireland at the public library, read Irish folklore, and even learned a few words of Irish from a free online program. I read books about the potato famine and shared pieces of that history with the boys.

We watched the movie "The Secret of Kells," which is a fantasy-laced telling of the origins of one of Ireland's most famous books. (When we saw the book in real life during our trip, it wasn't just crumbling pages under glass. It had become cool.)

Meanwhile, I printed a huge map of the Republic of Ireland and taped it up in the hallway. Each family member had their own highlighter color assigned to them, and if they read about a place that sounded exciting to visit, they highlighted it on the map.

Influencing the itinerary.

After looking at a book about Vikings in Ireland, Z came running up to me. "There's this place I want to visit!" he said excitedly. "Vikings lived there! But I can't remember the name of it."

"Is it called Dublin?" I asked.

"Yeah!"

"Well guess what? We're going there!"

"REALLY? Wow!!!"

Suddenly, Dublin was a place Z bought into. After this interaction, I made sure our itinerary included a visit to Dublinia, an interactive museum about Dublin's Viking history, and it turned out to be a huge hit. There was also immediate buy-in for another museum visit when Z learned that the National Museum of Ireland housed real-life Viking jewelry and weapons. Winning!

Now all Z needs is a spear. Not gonna happen.

Creating context.

As I planned our trip, I imagined taking the kids to a tomb built 5,000 years ago and having them shrug and say, "Yeah, I guess that's old, no biggie." No! I wanted them to feel a sense of wonder and awe that the squiggles on the stones pre-dated writing systems.

But dates are slippery things, and it's easy to lump stuff into the broad category of "old." One day, I had an inspiration. Why not make a giant to-scale timeline? G was currently learning about ancient civilizations in school; we were listening to the Old Testament of the Bible; I was doing genealogy research for Jay's Irish ancestry.

So we ran butcher paper down both sides of our hallway and worked as a family to mark down significant events from all those categories. One inch equaled 25 years, so there was a HUGE visualization of time when the construction of Newgrange was on one side of the room and their great-great-great-great grandfather emigrating from Ireland was on the other.

The above piece of the timeline above shows that the birth of one of Jay's very ancient ancestors was only 15 years before Patrick came to Ireland, which was basically halfway between Constantine and Muhammad.

Here, we see the Book of Kells being worked on while gunpowder was being invented, 200 years (8 inches!) before Lief Ericsson settled in Canada.

Full disclosure: This project was not grumbling-free. I'd like to say that all three other members of my family were completely delighted with the whole process, but that wouldn't be quite accurate. However, there were definite "wow" realizations when we were done, and we referred back to the visuals here time and again as we visited sites associated with this history. Don't give up on including the whole family, even if you hear whines of, "This feels like homework!" It's totally worth it.

"Why do we have to clean the house if we're not even going to be home?"

I used to ask my mom that same question. But after weeks of being gone, there's nothing like coming home to a place of order. In all the last-minute chaos preparations of leaving on a trip, it can be really hard to also clean. But hey, the boys earned souvenir money wiping down cabinets and door jambs, and I could focus on getting the last of the laundry put away.

Cleaning is better in jammies.

Expectations.

Even in everyday life, I sometimes have to grab one of the kids' elbows and hiss, "The grocery store is not a playground!" (Please tell me I'm not the only one.) Different locations require different behaviors, and it's only fair to our kids to explain these things ahead of time.

It can be helpful to give them a little briefing before entering a new situation. Is this a place they can touch exhibits? Can they run ahead or do they need to stay right next to us? Is it dangerous if they cross the stone barrier? (Jay and I almost had heart attacks when one of the boys defiantly waltzed onto unprotected trails on the Cliffs of Moher.)

And there are other things it's helpful to address ahead of time, too. What if they don't see grilled cheese on the restaurant menu? What happens if they find a toy in a gift shop they *reeeeeeally* want, but they don't have enough money? Does driving time = electronics time, or are there set limits?

Of course, adjustments can always be made as you go, but discussing these things ahead of time is all part of preparation.

What about you?

When you travel with your kids, how do you include them and get them ready? Please share your insights in the comments!

Find more information in these posts about restaurants and food, car time, and places to visit.

How to Take Your Kids to Ireland--Sights and Sites

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.

In and Around Dublin

(We spent three nights)

National Museum of Ireland--Archaeology

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.)

A long-lost cousin, perhaps?

Dublinia

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.

A tour guide explains medieval justice systems.

Helmet's a little big.

Trinity College Library

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.

http://www.atlanticbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Library-long-room-Trinity-College-Dublin.jpg

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.

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.

Cheater!

Newgrange, Newgrange Farm, and the Hill of Tara

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.

"We can run anywhere we want?!" Bliss!

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!

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...

View of River Nore from Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle and Grounds

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.

The grounds are gorgeous. Large lawns, pretty flowers. Apparently, there's a playground here (included in paid castle admission), but my boys were too tired from walking along the river to check it out.

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...

Dunbrody Famine Ship

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.

County Tipperary

 (We drove through)

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.

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.

Muckross Farms

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.

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.

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.

Dingle Peninsula Archaeology Tour

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.

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.

The Playdium

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)

Cliffs of Moher

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.

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

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)

Birr Castle Playground and Gardens

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!

How to Take Your Kids to Ireland--Transportation

Planning a trip to the Republic of Ireland with your family? Let our experiences traveling with two tween-agers help you see the country, meet locals, connect with history, and keep to a modest budget! For step-by-step guidelines on planning your trip, start with the Introduction.

To Drive or Not to Drive?

With the glaring exception of Dublin, you really do need a car to travel in the Republic of Ireland. There just isn't an extensive-enough train or bus system for cross-country travel. I was intimidated to rent a car internationally and then drive it on the "wrong" side of the road, but it's totally doable. Here's what my family learned from our experience being in the Republic.

Dublin: Yay for Public Transit!

 

Double-decker buses have the best views!

Dublin is a nightmare to drive, but is simple and economical to get around with buses, trams, and some good ol' walking. The buses even have their own lanes, so you're not spending time gridlocked at intersections. And you can buy a family visiting card, so there's no need to fumble for coins when you get on the vehicle...simply scan your bus card and your whole family gets on. It's cheaper this way, too.

When you first arrive at the Dublin Airport, stop by the bus information desk just past the arrivals gates. They can help you figure out the best kind of option for your time in Dublin. I scoured the Leap Card website ahead of time to decide which plan we needed, but there was an even better option I learned about at the desk.

This desk can get busy, but it's totally worth it to stick out the line. Have your spouse take the kids to the bathroom and feed them the last of the snacks while you get the transit passes. Make sure your passes include the AirLink bus that takes you into the city.

Then, download the National Journey Planner app to your smart phone. You can enter one or more destinations and it will map out exactly how to get there from your location using public transit.

Car Rental

Thankfully, there are a lot of websites to help figure out the ins-and-outs of renting a car in Ireland. It's very important to read the fine print and know what kinds of insurance coverage, navigation systems, and other extras you do or don't want; a Google search on renting a car in Ireland will give you some good information. Some important things to consider:

• It's usually cheapest and most convenient to pick-up/drop-off at the Dublin airport and then take public transit if you're going into the city.

• GET THE SMALLEST CAR you can be comfortable in. Seriously. Many of the roads are n-a-r-r-o-w, mostly with no shoulders, and flanked by stone walls, shrubbery, or both. We opted for a small sedan (one category up from compact), and it was just right for the four of us. (Packing light helps enormously.)

Ack! Where did he come from?

• We paid a little more to get an automatic transmission. That's what I'm used to driving at home, and what with simultaneously answering questions from the kids, gawking out my peripheral vision at the scenery, getting directions from Jay, and saving my side-view mirror from oncoming tractors, I'm so glad I wasn't managing a clutch.

• We saved money by choosing just one of us to drive. Costs go up to have more than one driver listed and insured, so Jay got to be navigator.

Navigator is also photographer.

• Your child might need a booster seat, even if they don't at home. My eight-year old did. Legally, the child must be 5-feet tall or 79 pounds to ride without one. You can rent one from the car company for around 10 Euros a day...or you can bring one from home for free on the airplane. We had a spare sitting around, so we packed it in a duffle, checking it for free on the way there. At the end of the trip, we left the booster in Ireland and packed all our dirty laundry in the duffle, having paid ahead of time to check it. More room for souvenirs!

• We also saved money by not renting a navigation device because we were able to do mapping with our phones. (Turns out, the iPhone had data everywhere; the Samsung didn't have any data in western Ireland, but it had the Google capability of downloading routes on WiFi and then following them off-line.)

  
  

  Sometimes this happens. "Rerouting..."

  
  

Driving Times

A glance at Google maps makes driving the width of Ireland look like an easy three or four hours. But that's not how it works when you're driving in Ireland...especially if you have antsy kids in the car. Most routes involve roads that are often narrow (think one-lane roads with two-way traffic), curvy, and hilly. There may be tractors, cyclists, buses, haying machines, or cows around the next bend, so the posted speed limit may be faster than you're comfortable with. This makes for a very exciting drive, but not a speedy one!

There are also so many wonderful things to see en-route to pretty much anywhere, that with a family it really makes sense to incorporate stops along the way.

For a detailed example, here's how we did the drive from Kilkenny to our stay on the Dingle Peninsula (Google maps says 3 hours, 45 minutes):

9:15 a.m.--Left Kilkenny

10:30 a.m.--Arrived Rock of Cashel and stayed for visit

12 p.m.--Left Rock of Cashel; ate sandwiches in the car

1:00 p.m.--Arrived Mitchelstown; stopped to find bathrooms and hunt down a detailed Ireland road map, since Jay's phone wasn't picking up data

1:45 p.m.--Left Mitchelstown; ate snacks in car

3:45 p.m.--Arrived Muckross Farms and stayed for visit

5:45 p.m.--Left Muckross and ate last of the snacks in car

6:30 p.m.--Stopped in small town with one pub; ducked through rain to find out if pub served dinner (it didn't); got back in car and worked at preventing starving family from resorting to cannibalism

6:45 p.m.--Stopped in next small town and found a pub serving dinner; ate one of the most delicious meals of my life

7:30 p.m.--Left pub warm, fed, and less cranky

8:00 p.m.--Stopped on side of the road for two minutes to photograph Atlantic ocean in the rain

 8:45 p.m.--Arrived at Airbnb stay

Total time in car from Kilkenny to Dingle Peninsula:

6 hours, 15 minutes. Adding two significant stops, three minor stops, and dinner: 11 hours, 30 minutes. And folks, we were exhausted. We were grateful to be staying on the peninsula for a couple days!

The point of all this? Traveling through Ireland takes longer than you think. Plan for it, don't fight it! If you can't see everything on this trip that you want to, say, "Next time!" and end your visit to Ireland having kids who want to do it again.

Tips for Car Time with Kids

We tried to be strategic in planning a road trip that wouldn't end with the four of us killing each other--or worse. Everyone's family dynamics are different, but these are some ideas that might be helpful:

Assemble "travel binders" before the trip with pencils, pens, and paper activities. My kids used blank paper for creating their own comic strips and Plants vs. Zombies characters (the scavenger hunts and bingo activities I'd printed didn't end up interesting them).

Decide ahead of time about setting limits on electronic device usage. Our policy for the kids was, "No electronics in the car," because we wanted to encourage conversation and awareness of the countryside we were traveling through. This policy did mean that we had to break up the driving more, however.

Build in planned stops that break up the drive. See the Sights and Sites post for some ideas.

Always have water bottles and betweeen-meal snacks. The kids appreciate this, too.

Leave time for spontaneous stops. When we happened upon a lake during a long driving stretch, we got out and the kids swam!

We found out later this was called Lough Bunny. Photo taken before the swim trunks went on.

Allow the kids to take photographs. They may be blurry, but who cares?

Keep full meals eaten in the car to a minimum. Stopping for meals takes time, but it's more opportunity to experience local life and it gets everyone out of the vehicle.

What are your strategies for car travel with kids? Share in the comments!