Annie_pie -do you still want kid trip info?
Aug 6th, 2006, 12:50 AM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just saw your other post - I got the kids wellies at Dunnes in Galway. We had fabulous weather most of the time, but they did need them a few days so as not to curtail their outdoor activities.
We stayed with my friend in Craughwell, about 1/2 hr from Galway City, and 15 min from Loughrea (which is in larger print on the map!). Just being in a village, coming from L.A. was a major treat. The space was amazing. The scenery gorgeous. It stays light until 10. The kids were out most of the time, having way more freedom than at home. They really didn't want to be parted from their friend, so they went with him and his sister to camp a few doors down 4 hrs per day the first week. The third week they went to a music camp a few hours a day. At 2 P.M. you still have a whole day ahead of you. Many afternoons they spent hours in the cold water at the lake at Loughrea.We spent one glorious day at Tracht Beach and got great shells and beautiful water. We spent 2 days in a row driving to and around The Burren. First time, Dunguaire Castle was already closed for a banquet, but the kids literally rolled around the grounds till we pulled them away. We spent some time at the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey. The Aillwee Caves were closed by the time we got there. We did walk around the Poulnabrone Dolmen. Also, at some point my friend remembered a very windy road from her days of car ralleys and she asked someone we saw outside her home about it. The woman gave very explicit dirctions (everything is by landmarks not necessarily obvious) but we found it. We stopped to see donkeys at the side of the road, and had to stop quickly as a bunch of sheep were being herded on the road. My videocamera was working very inconsistently, but thankfully it was on for this! We went down to some beach easy to miss. It was too cold to go in but the kids had a blast. Their pants and feet got soaked, and Monks in Ballyvaughn was very nice letting the kids in barefoot with rolled up wet pants. There was only room in the bar area so we ate there. We weren't crazy about the food but the kids were. And as seems to happen, an old man started kidding around with the man behind the bar. My friend said "You must be a Meath man - I hear your accent, my dad was from there. Turns out he knew her dad when they were young men. We drove back home with gorgeous sky around us, stopping for 99s - 99s were a highlight of the trip. It's whipped vanilla ice cream with a Cadbury flake stuck into it. I preferred it without the flake, but we generally had 2 per day!
The next day my husband came and we went into Dunguaire Castle which they enjoyed. We also all liked the Aillwee Cave tour. We ate in Lisdoonvarna and continued onto to Cliffs of Moher. The construction did not mar the amazing beauty. They are really not to be missed. We took the costal route back. We stopped briefly O'Connors in Doolin. So many people were walking along the roads you could barely drive. The place was so packed and the music was phenomenal. It was another beautiful ride back.
My husband and I took the train from Athenry to Dublin. I'm so glad the kids didn't come - the streets were so crowded. We did the on/off bus to get out bearings. Later we walked endlessly, ate on Temple Bar and heard some great music. The next day we acually went to Trinity College, etc. It was great.
We really liked Athenry. There is the castle, and we had the best pub lunch of the trip at a place just inside the arched entry wall. One night we had very good Chinese food there - it was one of the few places around that served late dinners.
One adult thing we did was go to St. Clerens in Craughwell for a truly magnificent dinner. It was 392 euros for 5 of us, which translated to $499 on our Visa bill, but it was absolutely worth it. It's also a B & B, owned by Merv Griffin, and used to be the estate of John Houston.
The second week we took the Kilmer-Tarbert ferry. The kids ate at the pub right there, and we drove to Ballybunion. We had no idea what to expect - it's a full blown resort with the longest beach and a castle ruin. We parked where we could and walked. There are tidepools and caves and the kids wanted to kill us because they weren't wearing swim trunks, but they hiked up their shorts and splashed around. We really could have spent the day there, but we didn't know where we were going and decided to head to Dingle. We got there after 8 and were hungry. The main street was hopping and we had to wait, but we also asked about acommodation. It took about 45 min after dinner at Murphys to end up at the Murphy's B&B next door! Apparently they don't speak to each other. It was fine, and the next day we spent about 6 hrs around Slea Head Drive - forts, beaches, beehive huts. Much to see both interesting and beautiful. We drove on to Killarney where we stayed at a dive called the Wild West. We arrived after 9 this time and just needed a place. Had a crummy meal at an Italian place a few doors down. This room was so hot we took showers and passed out! Next AM walked to the tourist bureau and secured a place about 10 min drive away - more of what I expected from a b&B. Checked in, and did the ROK. Except for some traffic congestion at the beginning, we had no problem. Rossleigh Beach was wonderful, as was a million other stops we made in our 10 hour trip. The next day we returned stopping in Tralee. We went to the windmill, and the Kerry Co museum, both hits. Did a lot of driving back, had dinner at a pub in Ennis and strolled a bit.
Another day we all went to Inis Mor, Aran Isalnds. It poured! The ferry was packed and it was a bumpy ride, but we ate at Super Macs, a kid favorite upon arrival. It took a bit of time to get a mini van for a tour, and he dropped us at the main attraction, Dun Aonghasa an amazing fort you have to walk a bit to get to. It was raining so hard evryone was cramming into a coffeshop. The line for food was so long that the weather completely cleared up! It was great. At the end of the tour we hung out at a rocky beach for a while, ate, and took the ferry back. It was a whole day thing. It was also a very very expensive day - the ferry for 3 adults and 4 kids - family plus one - was 115 euros. We spent a lot of money on so so food too.
The other family thing we did was all go to Connemara. It did rain on the way, so the 12 Bens was obscured. We stopped at a gorgeous castle that is a hotel, and on to Roundstone where my friend's husband's family is from. We stopped at his uncle's place, visited other family property, ate at a very pleasant cafe overlooking the water. Then we went to Dog's Beach. It was overcast but everyone had fun in the water. We went to Clifden and took a room at the Atlantic Hotel. We all drove part of the Sky Road and the kids had fun at a rock quarry. Then my kids went back home with out friends and my husband and I had another night out! We loved Clifden. Pretty, great food, and we bought a few things We ended up staying at the hotel for music after walking around. My friends stayed there the following week. We did the Sky Road in beautiful weather, went to Kylemore Abbey, and went to Leenane for a meal. By this time it was pouring nonstop, so we canceled going to Westport and went back to Craughwell where it hadn't rained at all.
The kids went to a child's theater performance during Arts Week, and we all went to the parade. We also visited 3 castles that people have redone from ruins and now live in. Fabulous. We also went to a 250 acre castle that the current owners have been restoring to its original glory for 10 years and were given a tour. He told us of one occasion when they had 250 guests - 50 of them children - staying there!
It was an amazing trip that we could not have done without staying with our friends. Being with locals always gives you a different experience. Twice we went with her mom to one of the village pubs where she has been doing set dancing. The first time was just general dancing but I felt like a fool because everyone still seemed to do the same steps and twirl at the same time! The other occasion was the last night of the season for the set dancing. It was amazing to watch. Most of these people are retired and the speed and energy invoved in this dancing was breathtaking. What a treat.
Wow - it's 1:45 A.M. I really hadn't written down what we did. I hope this is useful to you, and that you have a wonderful time.
We stayed with my friend in Craughwell, about 1/2 hr from Galway City, and 15 min from Loughrea (which is in larger print on the map!). Just being in a village, coming from L.A. was a major treat. The space was amazing. The scenery gorgeous. It stays light until 10. The kids were out most of the time, having way more freedom than at home. They really didn't want to be parted from their friend, so they went with him and his sister to camp a few doors down 4 hrs per day the first week. The third week they went to a music camp a few hours a day. At 2 P.M. you still have a whole day ahead of you. Many afternoons they spent hours in the cold water at the lake at Loughrea.We spent one glorious day at Tracht Beach and got great shells and beautiful water. We spent 2 days in a row driving to and around The Burren. First time, Dunguaire Castle was already closed for a banquet, but the kids literally rolled around the grounds till we pulled them away. We spent some time at the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey. The Aillwee Caves were closed by the time we got there. We did walk around the Poulnabrone Dolmen. Also, at some point my friend remembered a very windy road from her days of car ralleys and she asked someone we saw outside her home about it. The woman gave very explicit dirctions (everything is by landmarks not necessarily obvious) but we found it. We stopped to see donkeys at the side of the road, and had to stop quickly as a bunch of sheep were being herded on the road. My videocamera was working very inconsistently, but thankfully it was on for this! We went down to some beach easy to miss. It was too cold to go in but the kids had a blast. Their pants and feet got soaked, and Monks in Ballyvaughn was very nice letting the kids in barefoot with rolled up wet pants. There was only room in the bar area so we ate there. We weren't crazy about the food but the kids were. And as seems to happen, an old man started kidding around with the man behind the bar. My friend said "You must be a Meath man - I hear your accent, my dad was from there. Turns out he knew her dad when they were young men. We drove back home with gorgeous sky around us, stopping for 99s - 99s were a highlight of the trip. It's whipped vanilla ice cream with a Cadbury flake stuck into it. I preferred it without the flake, but we generally had 2 per day!
The next day my husband came and we went into Dunguaire Castle which they enjoyed. We also all liked the Aillwee Cave tour. We ate in Lisdoonvarna and continued onto to Cliffs of Moher. The construction did not mar the amazing beauty. They are really not to be missed. We took the costal route back. We stopped briefly O'Connors in Doolin. So many people were walking along the roads you could barely drive. The place was so packed and the music was phenomenal. It was another beautiful ride back.
My husband and I took the train from Athenry to Dublin. I'm so glad the kids didn't come - the streets were so crowded. We did the on/off bus to get out bearings. Later we walked endlessly, ate on Temple Bar and heard some great music. The next day we acually went to Trinity College, etc. It was great.
We really liked Athenry. There is the castle, and we had the best pub lunch of the trip at a place just inside the arched entry wall. One night we had very good Chinese food there - it was one of the few places around that served late dinners.
One adult thing we did was go to St. Clerens in Craughwell for a truly magnificent dinner. It was 392 euros for 5 of us, which translated to $499 on our Visa bill, but it was absolutely worth it. It's also a B & B, owned by Merv Griffin, and used to be the estate of John Houston.
The second week we took the Kilmer-Tarbert ferry. The kids ate at the pub right there, and we drove to Ballybunion. We had no idea what to expect - it's a full blown resort with the longest beach and a castle ruin. We parked where we could and walked. There are tidepools and caves and the kids wanted to kill us because they weren't wearing swim trunks, but they hiked up their shorts and splashed around. We really could have spent the day there, but we didn't know where we were going and decided to head to Dingle. We got there after 8 and were hungry. The main street was hopping and we had to wait, but we also asked about acommodation. It took about 45 min after dinner at Murphys to end up at the Murphy's B&B next door! Apparently they don't speak to each other. It was fine, and the next day we spent about 6 hrs around Slea Head Drive - forts, beaches, beehive huts. Much to see both interesting and beautiful. We drove on to Killarney where we stayed at a dive called the Wild West. We arrived after 9 this time and just needed a place. Had a crummy meal at an Italian place a few doors down. This room was so hot we took showers and passed out! Next AM walked to the tourist bureau and secured a place about 10 min drive away - more of what I expected from a b&B. Checked in, and did the ROK. Except for some traffic congestion at the beginning, we had no problem. Rossleigh Beach was wonderful, as was a million other stops we made in our 10 hour trip. The next day we returned stopping in Tralee. We went to the windmill, and the Kerry Co museum, both hits. Did a lot of driving back, had dinner at a pub in Ennis and strolled a bit.
Another day we all went to Inis Mor, Aran Isalnds. It poured! The ferry was packed and it was a bumpy ride, but we ate at Super Macs, a kid favorite upon arrival. It took a bit of time to get a mini van for a tour, and he dropped us at the main attraction, Dun Aonghasa an amazing fort you have to walk a bit to get to. It was raining so hard evryone was cramming into a coffeshop. The line for food was so long that the weather completely cleared up! It was great. At the end of the tour we hung out at a rocky beach for a while, ate, and took the ferry back. It was a whole day thing. It was also a very very expensive day - the ferry for 3 adults and 4 kids - family plus one - was 115 euros. We spent a lot of money on so so food too.
The other family thing we did was all go to Connemara. It did rain on the way, so the 12 Bens was obscured. We stopped at a gorgeous castle that is a hotel, and on to Roundstone where my friend's husband's family is from. We stopped at his uncle's place, visited other family property, ate at a very pleasant cafe overlooking the water. Then we went to Dog's Beach. It was overcast but everyone had fun in the water. We went to Clifden and took a room at the Atlantic Hotel. We all drove part of the Sky Road and the kids had fun at a rock quarry. Then my kids went back home with out friends and my husband and I had another night out! We loved Clifden. Pretty, great food, and we bought a few things We ended up staying at the hotel for music after walking around. My friends stayed there the following week. We did the Sky Road in beautiful weather, went to Kylemore Abbey, and went to Leenane for a meal. By this time it was pouring nonstop, so we canceled going to Westport and went back to Craughwell where it hadn't rained at all.
The kids went to a child's theater performance during Arts Week, and we all went to the parade. We also visited 3 castles that people have redone from ruins and now live in. Fabulous. We also went to a 250 acre castle that the current owners have been restoring to its original glory for 10 years and were given a tour. He told us of one occasion when they had 250 guests - 50 of them children - staying there!
It was an amazing trip that we could not have done without staying with our friends. Being with locals always gives you a different experience. Twice we went with her mom to one of the village pubs where she has been doing set dancing. The first time was just general dancing but I felt like a fool because everyone still seemed to do the same steps and twirl at the same time! The other occasion was the last night of the season for the set dancing. It was amazing to watch. Most of these people are retired and the speed and energy invoved in this dancing was breathtaking. What a treat.
Wow - it's 1:45 A.M. I really hadn't written down what we did. I hope this is useful to you, and that you have a wonderful time.
Aug 10th, 2006, 10:00 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you sooo much for taking the time to write such a detailed report! Have you ever considered travel writing as a profession? Your trip sounds like the perfect vacation & you went to lots of the places I'm hoping to go to.
Your location sounds ideal. Did you like Galway? I'm dying to go to Connemara(my favorite part of Ireland) but don't know how much time we'll have for that as we've got loads of family in Clare to visit.
We're staying in Smithstown Castle in north Clare. I plan to take the kids to see the Cliffs, Ailwee caves, Ennis, Kilkee & hopefully Kerry. Everyone wants to do the Bunratty feast.
We're flying from San Diego through London & I am dreading the jetlag (& all the heightened security/delays.) How did you deal with that?
I remember 99s from when I was a kid. Can't wait til the kids get to try them (& the fish & chips.) How'd you like the food in general?
I tried to make a room reservation at St. Cleran's but they were booked all the nights we could go. It sounds like a magical place. Maybe I can talk my husband into having dinner there. Thanks again for an amazing trip report & take care.
Your location sounds ideal. Did you like Galway? I'm dying to go to Connemara(my favorite part of Ireland) but don't know how much time we'll have for that as we've got loads of family in Clare to visit.
We're staying in Smithstown Castle in north Clare. I plan to take the kids to see the Cliffs, Ailwee caves, Ennis, Kilkee & hopefully Kerry. Everyone wants to do the Bunratty feast.
We're flying from San Diego through London & I am dreading the jetlag (& all the heightened security/delays.) How did you deal with that?
I remember 99s from when I was a kid. Can't wait til the kids get to try them (& the fish & chips.) How'd you like the food in general?
I tried to make a room reservation at St. Cleran's but they were booked all the nights we could go. It sounds like a magical place. Maybe I can talk my husband into having dinner there. Thanks again for an amazing trip report & take care.
Aug 11th, 2006, 12:57 AM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 204
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A lot of people who go to North Clare just drive around the Burren and don't actually explore it. There are wonderful walks along green roads (old unused roads) across the Burren. You can walk from Ballyvaughan to Fanore, or Fanore towards Doolin. Even if you haven't got time for this, I would suggest parking the car near Black Head - coast road from Ballyvaughan to Fanore and climbing up onto the Burren. You can then walk across the limestone paving, see the cracks in the limestone where the ferns and alpine flowers grow.
Ballyvaughan is one of my favourite places to visit. You will find excellent bar food in Hylands Hotel and in Monks Pub near the Pier. Another good place on the road from Ballyvaughan towards Kinvara is the Burren Experience a modern building with a gift shop - they have an excellent cafe food for soup, coffee, salads, etc.
Ballyvaughan is one of my favourite places to visit. You will find excellent bar food in Hylands Hotel and in Monks Pub near the Pier. Another good place on the road from Ballyvaughan towards Kinvara is the Burren Experience a modern building with a gift shop - they have an excellent cafe food for soup, coffee, salads, etc.
Aug 11th, 2006, 01:02 AM
#6
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 204
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would recommend the Bunratty banquet. I live in Ireland and I always presumed it was some tacky tourist thing. However, I was invited to it with a group of friends about 2 years ago and I found it was far from tacky. The food and music were excellent and the show was quite entertaining. The folk park attached to Bunratty is also well worth a visit. The cottages etc give a very good impression of how Ireland was in the last century. I stayed in an excellent B & B called The Courtyard near Bunratty.
Aug 20th, 2006, 12:58 PM
#7
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just came home, took 5 kids, ages 8-18. Their favorites: Clonmacnois (number 1 with all), the Burren, esp. the Aillwee caves, Cliffs of Moher (we were lucky enough to rent a house w/in walking distance so went almost every day), Kilkenny Castle, Slea Head and the bee hive huts. Things they didn't love: Rock of Cashel (I found they didn't engage if we didn't go on the tour and that's what happened there. Also, they have been to Mt. St. Michel and kept comparing...), Galway city.
They tended to like the small towns the best: Doolin, Lahinch, loved Ennis (not so small) on market day, Blennerville (windmill), and Westport.
They tended to like the small towns the best: Doolin, Lahinch, loved Ennis (not so small) on market day, Blennerville (windmill), and Westport.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
waterlily252
Europe
23
Nov 4th, 2008 08:52 AM
