mom929

Hello,

My family and I are planning our first visit to Ireland next August. We have two sons, who will be 7 and 10 next summer. We plan to fly into Dublin and spend a few days heading over to the Southwestern part of the country and then to spend a week in a cottage.

I've found two houses we are interested in. One is on the Beara Penninsula in Ardgroom, the other is on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. Both houses look private and beautiful. Can anyone suggest pros or cons to each county? Suggestions for activities with a family?

I should mention that our 7 year old son walks with crutches. He can manage a 10-15 minute walk and can take stairs (slowly), but longer trips require his stroller. Is one area better than another for him to get around (ie level vs. hilly)

Also, we plan to fly into Dublin and spend a few nights there (B&B or hostel reccomendations?), then a night in a castle at Kilkenny, before heading to Kerry or Cork. Any suggestions for a place to stop for the night in between?

Depending on costs we may fly home out of Shannon or Cork airports, or we might need to go back to Dublin. If we fly back to Dublin we would need another one night stop midway between, preferably a different route from the way we came.

Thanks so much for everyone's help!

Wendy

McShane

Hi Wendy,
We've now rented 4 different self-catering places for 2 different trips to Ireland. It's perfect for kids.

One thing to know is that it takes a long time to drive places in Ireland. If you plan on leaving your house to do day trips it's nice to be centrally located. If your places are very far down either peninsula it may be a slow drive on narrow winding roads to see other areas - or it could be exactly the private retreat your family is looking for!

Last year in Kerry we rented a townhouse in Kenmare. My son was 11 and he loved being within walking distance of the bookstore, the shops and the tea shop. We were able to easily strike out for trips in county Cork and Kerry. We also rented one of the 'Donegal Thatched Cottages' and had a fun week hiking nearby and playing on the beach. My son LOVED walking on the mud flats at low tide with a stray dog who adopted us for the day. Two totally different travel experiences! This year we rented a place on a peninsula in Donegal but found it a bit of a hassle getting anywhere (which is why I'm now cautious about a week on a peninsula.)

It's hard to choose between Kerry and Cork - both are great with plenty to do. There are many, many nice cottages/houses to rent in both areas. I loved staying in Kerry; next time we'll probably stay in Cork (near Bantry.)

For activities with a family - my kids did not enjoy long, scenic drives! Didn't like them, don't remember them. But they did like visiting towns, exploring, eating in pubs, having tea, exploring old ruins that aren't in the guidebooks (they like to believe they've discovered things.) Old abbeys with graveyards can entertain us for quite a while!

There are lots of kids in Ireland, so there are lots of playgrounds. It's especially interesting for them to meet and play with Irish kids! And you know there are kids in pubs in the afternoon. In a pub in Westport local boys would play pool in the afternoon and they were very welcoming to someone new joining in. Those are encounters they don't forget.

So, do consider if there are places you like that are more convenient to day trips you might want to do, and good luck with your planning!

MaryZ

With kids, I think I'd choose Kerry. Beara is just wonderful, but part of what makes it that way is that it's rugged and kind of remote. My own children never appreciated "peace and quiet" the way their parents did.

I'm sure your boys would enjoy Killarney National Park and if you incorporate a boat ride and a pony-cart trip, you can cut down on the amount of walking required.

The Dingle peninsula has some beautiful beaches and I think your boys might enjoy the liveliness of Dingle Town.

mom929

Thank you McShane for the great tips. I hadn't thought about how far out we might be on the peninsula, but I certainly don't want my vacation punctuated by a constant chorus of "are we there yet?".

One of the houses I'm looking at is in Ardgroom, which by the map looks to be mid-way along the Beara Peninsula, while the other is in Ballinskelligs (sp?) which is way out on the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula. So I guess that's one point in favor of the house in Cork. Both houses are right on the beach though, so that's a plus for my kids.

I don't think scenic drives are a big hit with any kids. I remember agonizing, endless drives packed in with my cousins on fall foliage tours in New England thinking every single leaf looked just like the last! We'll definitely plan shorter trips to more active places. Castle ruins would be a big hit with my kids too.

I think my itinerary is going to be Dublin to Kilkenny to Cork to Ardgroom. We'll probably stay in the hostel at Foulksrath Castle in Kilkenny (my 10 year old is very gung ho about that one - anyone been there?), but a need a place to stay in Dublin and in Cork. Suggestions would be very welcome. Also day trips from Ardgroom. Thanks.

Padhraicin

would suggest B & B family-room accommodation slightly out of town - Clontarf is a nice area on north side of bay by the sea and a regular bus service to town which takes about 15 to 20 mins on a bus lane with no traffic. It is also about 20 min taxi ride to/from airport. There are a number of bed & breakfasts in Clontarf.

McShane

Podhraicin -
Why a B&B rather than self-catering? With kids I like to have the extra room, privacy , kitchen, washer/dryer that you get with a weekly rental. Just curious!

Padhraicin

I was replying to the last part of mom929's query re accommodation in Dublin.
Self-catering accommodation especially during summer months is usually only available on a weekly basis.
Worth checking out www.irelandathome.com for self-catering.