SiobhanP

Go see the mummies! I forgot about it and it is only a ffew streets away from me. Here is another Dublin tidbit. Apparently the remains of Saint Valentine are housed in Dublin and I think in a church not too far from St. Michan's where the mummies are. It was a gift from the vatican ages ago (Not this century I believe).<BR><BR>As for July vs August. August will be the warmest and yes, not getting into politics but travelling the North in July can be a bit of hassle. Not exactly Ireland putting it's best foot forward or at it's tourist best.<BR><BR>To be honest tourism is much slower since sept 11th and I don't notice the c5rowds as much as previous years so I would not be concerned with that. I just prefer the August weather.<BR><BR>Enjoy!

Ann41

Well, I actually prefer the end of August/early September, but that may not be an option for you with your kids. Things just tend to be a little less crowded, and often you'll get the best weather then, too (as Siobhan said).<BR>

cavan97

Traveling often to Ireland with grandchildren of disparate ages may I suggest two locations that meet all needs: west Clare and Dingle<BR>west Clare:<BR>Bunratty Castle and folk Park<BR>Dysert O'Dae Archaeological Trail<BR>Craiganowen Project<BR>Burren hikes<BR>Beach at Fanore<BR>Aran Island Ferries<BR>As well, the small seaside villages of Lahinch and Ennistymon provide plenty of tourist amenities: great pub food, etc which makes life on the road easier.<BR>http://www.Clare Ireland tourism - hotels, bed and breakfa�<BR>Dingle Peninsula:<BR>Dingle town<BR>Blasket Island museum and ferry to the abandoned island village<BR>many archaeologcal sites<BR>great hikes<BR>Beach at Castlegregory<BR>Beach at Coumenoule<BR>Again, Dingle town provdes a wide range of food and othe amenities i.e. laundramats which always makes travel<BR>with kids easier. Try the Lighthouse B&amp;B accesible to town but in a quiet area and very family friendly<BR>http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie<BR>Jean<BR>

julie_Colorado

I've taken my family to Ireland several times - from 1 week to 1 month stays. The first trip (1 month) we rented a farm and did a combination of day trips and overnight trips. We kept the farm the entire time because it was 250$/week and we didn't want to fully pack for each move. We did go to Belfast (the Belfast zoo was fun for the kids). And we went to the Northern coast of Northern Ireland (Giant's causeway, etc)... Northern Ireland is lovely - and feels quite different from Ireland. The one thing we learned (and I'm probably a minority) was that we ruined the trip by trying to see each nook and cranny. All our subsequent trips we have spent one week in a cottage in County Cork (a small town called Court MacSherry). The cottage is on the water - a day trip to Cork, Blarney, Kinsale, Baltimore, Mizen Head, etc.. The kids fish in river in town - and we horseback ride. Each night we spend in the pub (my kids are now 11, 16, 23). In small town Ireland a pub is an extension of the living room - and children are welcome. The most moving I would do is 3 one week stays.... perhas in Northern Ireland, the southwest, and the northwest. But to me, the bliss of Ireland (and for me, everywhere else!) is not quantity but quality - making friends and getting a real feel for small town life. I would personally happily locate in one house for 3 weeks. We'll be in Court MacSherry the first week in June.

lotty

You might try Quad Trekking out of killarney or Waterville in the SW. They instruct you on how to ride the four wheelers, and have rain gear, helmets, boots for you. Very beautiful drive through remote mountain trails otherwise unaccessible. Our kids were really pleased because it had rained the day before - lots of mud puddles to drive through! But you must book early, they do fill up very very fast. Have fun!

LRK

Thanks to all for your thoughtful replies--they've been really helpful! Julie, do you use a particular agent when booking farms or cottages? Thanks!

julie_Colorado

I can't find the contact, but we used the Irish Tourism Board (they had a web site - and so many selections I had to narrow down to a county). I'll do a bit of investigation and post tomorrow. We still go back to Ireland frequently, but now we go back to the same place each year. <BR>Most agencies rate accomodations or you can tell the quality by pictures and price. We have rarely been surprised - we rent houses in several cities/countries in Europe.<BR>I suggest you go to your search engine of choice (I go to www.yahoo.com) and search on &quot;Irish vacation rental&quot;, &quot;Irish house rental&quot;, etc.. <BR>One site we have used very succesfully is vrbo.com (vacation rental by owner). They have rentals in virtually every country and you work directly with the owner - typically at a better price. We haven't used VRBO for Ireland but have used it for France and Italy. <BR>I suggest you first pick a location(s) and search specifically to that location across several agencies. Ireland is full of various rental properties (from modest homes to castles)and it is quite overwhelming unless you narrow down the options. <BR>Just a thought, but we typically go to Ireland for one week - and somewhere else in Europe for one week. We do this for the same airfare as r/t to Ireland. This year we are doing Ireland and Provence, France. Ireland is a great place to relax and unwind before moving to someplace else. Last year we did Ireland and Rome.

julie_Colorado

Looked on the internet, here's 3 resources I've used:

www.Ireland.Travel.ie: Not as easy to search - but find your way to self catering rentals - and you'll be asked to select an area. This is the only site that is exclusive to Ireland.

www.VRBO.com: Just looked and confirmed there are several beautiful house rentals. If you like one, you will work directly with the owner.

www.Rentvillas.com: There expertise is Italy, but they have some very interesting looking Irish houses (I tend to like the old stone farmhouses, etc). These folks are out of California and you can call to talk with an agent. I've found them to be very helpful (though perhaps a bit more expensive than other options).

I'm sure there are several other options. Good luck.

justbeachy

LRK - my family and I (husband, two kids (17 and 9) and my Mom (74) are also planning an Irish holiday. You've had some great replies to your initial post, especially interesting are those by &quot;flaneuse,&quot; &quot;cavan97,&quot; and &quot;julie_Colorado&quot;! Most interested to hear the type of accomodations you have booked? Have you booked traditional hotels? Manor houses? B&amp;B's? It's always challenging finding the right &quot;fit&quot; for kids when travelling. I've looked seriously at The Clarence or Four Seasons in Dublin, Mount Juliet (Kilkenny), Killarney Park Hotel(Kerry), Sheen Falls Lodge (Kerry) and Ballynahinch Castle (Galway) as well as Ashford and Dromoland Castles. Some seem too &quot;over the top&quot; and fussy, while others seem too far off the beaten path. Looking for a happy medium!!!

LRK

Hi Justbeachy: I am a little overwhelmed planning this trip! I did invest in a good road map of Ireland, which helped put places and distances in black and white--we've never been to Ireland before. Also, since we have the leisure of taking 2-3 weeks, I've been going back and forth trying to decide between staying in one or two places (self catering) or trying to travel about more and doing B &amp; B's and hotels. So, I will keep you posted as I get closer to making actual reservations. LRK