Top 10 in Ireland
Jun 24th, 2008 | 08:20 PM
#1
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Top 10 in Ireland
We're going to Ireland for 2 weeks with our kids 8 and 5 in August. We're starting in Dublin and heading south/southwest and ending up at Adare Manor near Limerick then flying out of Shannon airport. What are the top places to visit that should not be missed?
Jun 25th, 2008 | 08:04 AM
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Ah Padraig, you never fail to amuse. "Quick dear, that smart Irish guy said we should go kiss the stone" hehehe ...
Please don't do as Padraig is suggesting you might, especially with kids. So many folks do that and Irelansd is so much better enjoyed at a slow pace. Here are some thoughts in no particular order.
In Dublin, I would normally suggest Kilmainham, but it's a pretty dark history. I don't know, I don't have kids (other than myself) so I don't know how they would handle it. The Viking Splash tour might be fun for them. I've never done it. There is also Dublinia which tells the history of Viking Dublin http://www.dublinia.ie/. It was pretty dry when I visted quite a few years ago, but I understand it has been livened up a bit for the youngsters. There was, for a short time, something similar to York's Jorvik Center, but that died. It was fun for kids.
I think Kilkenny is a nice choice, but especially on weekends, it is a little carzy in the evening w/ stag and hen parties. It's a nice medieval city and I think I can still find a well done walking tour. The castle there is furnished and contains an art gallery. You can only do guided tours, but they are interesting. May not be as exciting for youngsters.
Blarney Castle - no no no no
Cahir Castle - yes, this is a well preserved and restored castle that the kids would think is very cool. Totally different from Kilkenny Castle. The Rock of Cashel is spectacular and may hold some interest for the entire family. The 1st view of it approaching from the north is pretty impresive and generally, the views from a distance are as exciting as those upclose or going inside.
Gap of Dunloe is beautiful, but it is a long day outside, roughly 10-4. Not sure how well a 5 yo would handle that. It involves a bit of walking, a jaunting car ride that the kids would like, a boat ride that ends up at a castle, the boat ride can sometimes get a bit wet and choppy on the big lake. Without the jauting car, it's a 7-8 mile hike.
Kenmare is a beautiful village, which will probably be fairly crowded in August (as will most of Ireland). Lots of nice shops and pubs, a megalithic stone circle right in the middle of town and the seafari cruise which could be interesting. The Inchaquin falls are not far off on the Beara Peninsula nd right after a rain are very impressive. They sit at the top of a beautiful glen that looks out to the Kenmare River/Bay. There are some short hikes in the area. It's on private property, so you have to pay the owners a small fee and perhaps have a cup of tea at the end of your walk. There are a few Ringforts along the RoK that are inetersting.
The Dolphin boat tour and the Dingle Peninsula are good suggestions. Dingle has an aquarium that I have never visited. Have no idea if it's nice. The Dingle peninsula is loaded with antiquities and is very compact so you can see a lot preatty easily. The Slea Head drive will take you through all sorts of ooohs and ahhhs.
Staying at a Farmhouse B&B could be fun too. I think fishing villages like Kinsale and Dingle would be fun or get crazy and stay somewhere really small like Baltimore. There are boat trips from there out to Sherkin and Clear Island.
The Cliffs of Moher has a brand new shiny visitor center which they did their best to creat not destroying the surrounding envirnonment. They did a good job, but walking along the cliffs very any distance is no longer an option unless you want to brazenly ingnore the private property signs and notice about a raging bull that will eat you and then spit your less tasty parts off a cliff. It is a beautiful sight though midday is absolutely packed w/ tour buses. I would suggest 1st thing or last thing for the Cliffs.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park may be fun for the the family. I've never been a huge fan of the Folk Park though many are. There is a castle banquet in the evening (it books up very quickly) and also something called a "Traditional Irish Night" at the corn barn. The latter may be a better option for kids. Also near there is Craggaunowen just north of Bunratty that would be very interesting. Visit shannonheritage.com for lots of info on things in the Shannon region.
This isn't really a list of top 10 but like Padraig, I'm not a list checker. Hope it's helpful.
Bill
Please don't do as Padraig is suggesting you might, especially with kids. So many folks do that and Irelansd is so much better enjoyed at a slow pace. Here are some thoughts in no particular order.
In Dublin, I would normally suggest Kilmainham, but it's a pretty dark history. I don't know, I don't have kids (other than myself) so I don't know how they would handle it. The Viking Splash tour might be fun for them. I've never done it. There is also Dublinia which tells the history of Viking Dublin http://www.dublinia.ie/. It was pretty dry when I visted quite a few years ago, but I understand it has been livened up a bit for the youngsters. There was, for a short time, something similar to York's Jorvik Center, but that died. It was fun for kids.
I think Kilkenny is a nice choice, but especially on weekends, it is a little carzy in the evening w/ stag and hen parties. It's a nice medieval city and I think I can still find a well done walking tour. The castle there is furnished and contains an art gallery. You can only do guided tours, but they are interesting. May not be as exciting for youngsters.
Blarney Castle - no no no no
Cahir Castle - yes, this is a well preserved and restored castle that the kids would think is very cool. Totally different from Kilkenny Castle. The Rock of Cashel is spectacular and may hold some interest for the entire family. The 1st view of it approaching from the north is pretty impresive and generally, the views from a distance are as exciting as those upclose or going inside.
Gap of Dunloe is beautiful, but it is a long day outside, roughly 10-4. Not sure how well a 5 yo would handle that. It involves a bit of walking, a jaunting car ride that the kids would like, a boat ride that ends up at a castle, the boat ride can sometimes get a bit wet and choppy on the big lake. Without the jauting car, it's a 7-8 mile hike.
Kenmare is a beautiful village, which will probably be fairly crowded in August (as will most of Ireland). Lots of nice shops and pubs, a megalithic stone circle right in the middle of town and the seafari cruise which could be interesting. The Inchaquin falls are not far off on the Beara Peninsula nd right after a rain are very impressive. They sit at the top of a beautiful glen that looks out to the Kenmare River/Bay. There are some short hikes in the area. It's on private property, so you have to pay the owners a small fee and perhaps have a cup of tea at the end of your walk. There are a few Ringforts along the RoK that are inetersting.
The Dolphin boat tour and the Dingle Peninsula are good suggestions. Dingle has an aquarium that I have never visited. Have no idea if it's nice. The Dingle peninsula is loaded with antiquities and is very compact so you can see a lot preatty easily. The Slea Head drive will take you through all sorts of ooohs and ahhhs.
Staying at a Farmhouse B&B could be fun too. I think fishing villages like Kinsale and Dingle would be fun or get crazy and stay somewhere really small like Baltimore. There are boat trips from there out to Sherkin and Clear Island.
The Cliffs of Moher has a brand new shiny visitor center which they did their best to creat not destroying the surrounding envirnonment. They did a good job, but walking along the cliffs very any distance is no longer an option unless you want to brazenly ingnore the private property signs and notice about a raging bull that will eat you and then spit your less tasty parts off a cliff. It is a beautiful sight though midday is absolutely packed w/ tour buses. I would suggest 1st thing or last thing for the Cliffs.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park may be fun for the the family. I've never been a huge fan of the Folk Park though many are. There is a castle banquet in the evening (it books up very quickly) and also something called a "Traditional Irish Night" at the corn barn. The latter may be a better option for kids. Also near there is Craggaunowen just north of Bunratty that would be very interesting. Visit shannonheritage.com for lots of info on things in the Shannon region.
This isn't really a list of top 10 but like Padraig, I'm not a list checker. Hope it's helpful.
Bill
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Aug 18th, 2008 | 12:36 PM
#10
Joined: Apr 2005
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My teen boys LOVED Blarney Castle, and so did their parents! You'd have to keep an eye on the little ones, but I think they'd always remember the cave and crawl spaces underneath, etc.
Also, if you find yourself around Kells (south of Kilkenny), there's this big ruin of the old medieval city and abbey. My kids LOVED running around there. The castle at Kilkenny is wonderful, too, but I think your kids are too young to enjoy the tour (my 12 year old was too young, oh, wait, so was my 17 year old). They have a nice playground, though, and that's free.
Oh, and be sure to go to one of the beaches that has big sand dunes--they are everywhere in Donegal, it seems, but the one in SW Ireland that we found that was just wonderful was Inch Beach on Dingle Peninsula. Just drive down to the end of the beach and park (on the beach), and head back into the dunes, and run, run, run! My boys did this when they were close to your kids' ages in Scotland, and loved it, and were so happy to find similar dunes in Ireland!
Also, if you find yourself around Kells (south of Kilkenny), there's this big ruin of the old medieval city and abbey. My kids LOVED running around there. The castle at Kilkenny is wonderful, too, but I think your kids are too young to enjoy the tour (my 12 year old was too young, oh, wait, so was my 17 year old). They have a nice playground, though, and that's free.
Oh, and be sure to go to one of the beaches that has big sand dunes--they are everywhere in Donegal, it seems, but the one in SW Ireland that we found that was just wonderful was Inch Beach on Dingle Peninsula. Just drive down to the end of the beach and park (on the beach), and head back into the dunes, and run, run, run! My boys did this when they were close to your kids' ages in Scotland, and loved it, and were so happy to find similar dunes in Ireland!
