COUNTY ANTRIM - The Giants Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway is a remarkable geological location that is steeped in mythology and legends. Located on County Antrim’s coast in Northern Ireland, the iconic hexagonal basalt columns that stretch out into the ocean were believed to have been created by the Irish giant Finn MacCool to face his Scottish rival, the giant Benandonner. In a more geological sense, the basalt columns were created by ancient lava flows. Similar basalt columns can be found across the ocean on the coast of Scotland.

While the coastline and pathways down to the causeway are free and accessible to everyone, we opted to pay to use the visitor centre. It is admittedly a little on the expensive side, but this guarantees a parking spot in the dedicated carpark, access to the very informative displays in visitor centre and use of the audio guides, which the girls really loved! They received the kids version which had lots of stories and facts from the legend of the giants.

We walked down the blue track from the visitor centre, which takes the lower path along the shoreline. We fully intended to take the red path on the way back that requires you to climb up the hillside and follow the path at the top of the cliffs, but we spent so much time at the causeway, we decided to return back up the quicker blue track.

There is a shuttle bus that ferries people along the road of the blue path, it’s 1 pound per person and is ideal for anyone with mobility issues but we found the walk to be really easy and enjoyable for the kids.

Even though I’ve known about the Giant’s Causeway since I was a kid, I kept my expectations low, fearing it would be over hyped. But I was very wrong. It was very busy with other tourists, but it really is a magical location. It’s amazing to be able to walk across all the basalt columns and enjoy the coastline stretching out on either side. It’s so much fun to simply explore the location and take in the scenery. There were many other points of interest that we didn’t make it too, including the Giants Boots and Organ Pipe, you could really spend all day exploring the area if you are willing to do a lot of walking. We visited in the afternoon, after stopping at the Dark Hedges and Dunluce Castle, and spent about 2.5 hours there, in hindsight we should have allocated a lot more time.

COUNTY ANTRIM - Dark Hedges and Dunluce Castle

From our accommodation in County Donegal, we ventured across into Northern Ireland to see some of the iconic sites: Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle and The Giant’s Causeway. Technically Northern Ireland is apart of the United Kingdom, but we were able to easily cross the border in our car.

Our first stop was the Dark Hedges, an atmospheric tree lined road that has been made extra famous when it was featured in Game of Thrones, although it was already one of the most photographed locations in Northern Ireland. It also has a spooky ghost story about the Grey Lady who haunted the beech tree lined road.

My photos honestly don’t do it justice. It would look phenomenal at sunrise or sunset with a zoom lens and fancy camera. I’ve just been using my iphone on this trip, and it’s been extremely convenient but this location (and many others) have made me pine for my old Canon 5Dmk3 and lens.

We parked in the nearby carpark of the Hedges Hotel (parking was approx 5 euro from memory) and this location will forever more be remembered as where Hallie and Rooney both slipped over in the mud, only seconds after Braino told them not to run on the muddy grassy. It was honestly like a scene from Funniest Home Videos, I could barely contain my laugher while Braino came close to loosing his cool. Thankfully we had the suitcases in the car, as we had checked out that morning, so we were able to change the girls into clean clothes. Crisis averted.

After the Dark Hedges, we travelled on to Dunluce Castle, a magnificent ruin from the 16th and 17th centuries. It was inhabited by both the feuding McQuillan and MacDonnell clans and dramatically sits in a rocky headland overlooking the ocean. This is probably my favourite castle ruin that we’ve visits in Ireland, the location is just spectacular! It was also used as a location in Game of Thrones, although with a lot more CGI.

COUNTY DONEGAL - A Drive Through the Countryside and Pub Lunch in Town

After we visited the Slieve League Cliffs, we drove back to the town of Donegal and I absolutely loved the countryside of Donegal. Donegal is one of the more remote counties in Ireland, tucked away in the Northwest corner, the northern end of the Wild Atlantic Way.

It felt so remote and untouched, windswept and ruggedly beautiful. It is one of the remaining Gaeltacht areas (Irish speaking areas) and is a land of towering rocky green mountains with sheep surrounding quaint solitary white farm houses.

We ate lunch at O’Donnells which is on the diamond area in the centre of Donegal town. It has a fantastic cost feel and a delicious menu, we could have stayed all afternoon listening to their classic rock playlist.

Afterwards we stopped in at Donegal Castle, which is located in the centre of town, which is worth a look.

We only spent 3 nights in County Donegal, one day visiting Slieve League and the other visiting the sights of Northern Ireland, but if I was to return to Ireland (and I certainly hope I do) I would dedicated a lot more time to exploring County Donegal.

We also did a drive one day from Galway to Westport in County Mayo, through the Connemara area and the scenery was absolutely stunning. Rocky peaks rising above lakes and remote valleys dotted with farmhouses. I would definitely prfioritize seeing more of County Mayo and County Sligo too.

COUNTY DONEGAL - Visiting the Slieve League Cliffs with Kids

The rugged, soaring cliffs of Slieve League (or Sliabh Liag in Irish) are located in County Donegal in the far north west corner of the Republic of Ireland, near the town of Teelin. These magnificent cliffs are nearly three times as high as the Cliff of Moher and are much less touristy, although we found that the infrastructure that is in place for visitors makes them easily and safely accessible for families.

We parked in at the Sliabh Liag Cliff Experience & Visitor Centre where we then caught a shuttle bus up to the viewing platform on the edge of the cliffs. The bus trip is around 10 minutes and leaves every 20 minutes, no advanced bookings were required. There is also a cafe, toilets and information display located in the visitor centre. Alternatively, next door is the Slieve League Cliff Centre which offers similar facilities. \

The shuttle bus was 6 Euros per adult and 4 euro per child or 20 euros for families.

The other options are to walk from the visitor centres in Teelin to the viewing platform. This takes around 50 minutes and you’d be walking along the narrow windy roads that the cars and shuttle buses are driving along - definitely not ideal for kids.

There is a car park about 5 minutes past Teelin along Sliabh Liag Road, the same road that the shuttle buses travel along, but the car parks were limited and I believe it’s 5 euro to park there. If you were arriving very early in the morning it may be a good option. But it’s still about a 25 min walk to the viewing platform.

We were happy we opted for the shuttle bus, it’s definitely the most convenient and safest option for kids.

The panoramic views of the sea cliffs from the viewing platform are astonishing! And we felt quite safe with the basic fencing along the edge. We did decide to hike a little further up the stone steps that lead higher up the mountainside and the views became even more phenomenal. We could see people high up on the ridge of the nearby peak of the cliffs and the girls would have happily kept going higher but we got caught in the misty raincloud that swept in off the Atlantic Ocean. We made it back to the viewing platform where our shuttle bus was waiting to take a number of drenched sight-seers back to the visitor centres.

I would recommend wearing warm waterproof jackets and good walking shoes (although the girls were just wearing their crocs and they were fine, the girls pretty much love in them ). The wind was pretty wild and chilly and the rain clouds came over quite quickly. I’d suggest even bringing a change of clothes to keep in the car. Funnily enough, I left the accommodation without my rain jacket, thinking it was already in the car but thankfully Braino had his two jumpers / jackets in the car so I was able to wear one of his.

Slieve League would be an incredible location to do more of the extensive hikes (you can read more about hiking trails here) but taking the shuttle bus to the viewing point is certainly enough of an adventure with kids in tow.

COUNTY CLARE - Loop Head Lighthouse & Bridges of Ross

The Loop Head Lighthouse sits at the southern tip of the peninsula that makes up County Clare, at the mouth of what becomes the Shannon River. We drove down from Lahinch on a spectacular day with blue skies and warm sunshine.

For a small fee you can enter the lighthouse grounds which has a small museum display, coffee shop and toilet facilities. You can pay a small amount extra to climb to the top of the lighthouse but we opted not to. Instead we did a walk beyond the walls of the light grounds to the edge of the cliffs.

The cliffs are extremely high, with no fencing at all. I’ll admit, as much as it is breathtakingly beautiful and exhilarating to see the coastline stretch out either side and the Atlantic Ocean stretch out to the horizon, it’s also quite anxiety inducing. Our girls are really sensible and cautious and they behaved themselves really well, but it’s hard to escape intrusive thoughts of someone going over the edge. Braino was surprising brave, being memorised by the crashing waves below. May times I felt compelled to tell him to get back from the edge. We even saw a local man with a fishing rod and tackle box climb down to a precarious ledge to fish over the edge. We could see all the way to the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula to the south, it was really magical.

We stopped off at the nearby Bridges of Ross, which is another section of the coastline that has unique naturally formed arched bridges that cross parts of the cliff. You can see in last photo on the right Braino and the girls siting on top of the bridge section over the water below.

COUNTY CLARE - Kilkee Beach & Kilkee Cliffs

Kilkee is a picturesque beachside town around an hour south of where we were staying in Lahinch with stunning, and somewhat underrated, sea cliffs.

We actually came here on two different occasions to enjoy the beach on sunny days. The beach is a lovely sandy cove with calm water and the main street just one block back. It felt very much like a hidden gem, somewhere that’s been kept off the tourist radar; a summer destination for Irish families.

We would recommend it over Lahinch, where we stayed, as a beach destination. Lahinch is a small town with a large beach that is considered more of a surf beach, but it has a huge rock wall reinforcing the store line. At high tide the waves crash against the rocks and it can feel pretty wild. Kilkee Beach, being in a cove, felt a bit more protected and the town felt more spread out and walkable.

On the headland either side of the beach are the stunning sea cliffs. We only did a drive by after our day at the beach, pulling over for me to take some photos but there is a dedicated walking track along the top of cliffs.

I’ve been reading various facebook groups for Travel Tips in Ireland and many people lament how ‘touristy and over run’ the Cliffs of Moher can feel, with the huge numbers of tour buses that arrive each day. Many people say that the Kilkee cliffs are a much more authentic, lesser known option. While they didn’t seem as high as the Cliffs of Moher, they are still spectacular. (and don’t come with any admission. prices)

But I would recommended that if you’re able to venture of the track to Kilkee, then keep going south to the Loop Head Lighthouse which has even more incredible coastline scenery (read more about it in the next blog post)

COUNTY CLARE - Bunratty Castle and Folk Village

Bunratty Castle and FolK Village was another wonderful family friendly, open air museum. Located in County Clare but only a short drive from the city of Limerick, Bunratty Castle and Folk Village allows visitors to walk through time with the incredibly preserved castle and the recreated folk village, containing buildings and farmhouses from Ireland’s last century.

The version of Bunratty Castle that stands today was built around 1425 by the powerful MacNamara family but by 1475 it had become the stronghold of the O’Briens, the largest clan in North Munster.

The castle was abandoned from 1804 to 1954 when it was then restored and opened to the public as a National Monument. Today, visitors are able to tour through the restored rooms of the castle and climb to the top of the towers.

Sprawling out from the castle grounds is the 26 acres of countyside that make up the Bunratty Folk Park. At the far end is Bunratty Manor, home to the Studdart family who abandoned the castle in 1804, in favour of living in the more comfortable Georgian manor house. The house has also been preserved and is open for visitors to wander through, including the lovely walled gardens.

The folk park contains examples of traditional Irish farmhouses from throughout the last century, from single room stone dwellings to the multiple room cottages, complete with whitewashed walls and thatched roofs. Many have been relocated and reconstruction from various parts of the County Clare and the Shannon region.

There is also the village street with relocated buildings including a school house, doctors house, shops and a pub, a church and a mill house. All of them are open and furnished with authentic pieces from that time so it really does feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

There are also staff that wander around in character or are stationed at particular building, answering any questions and doing short talks throughout the day. We made a point to say hello to Eoin, the carpenter in the castle courtyard, who, our friend Tina told us, has a huge following on TikTok, sharing his traditional skills live from Bunratty Castle.

The kids particularly loved the train ride, the playground with flying fox / zip line and spotting the various animals like pigs, baby goats, Irish Wolfhound Dogs and geese. Overall, it’s a great family day out where you can learn a lot about Ireland’s history and experience historic Irish architecture all in one location. Bunratty Castle is a popular tourist destination but I’d say its worth the visit, especially with kids.

COUNTY CLARE - Day Trip Through The Burren, A Unique Landscape Filled with History

The Burren located in County Clare, Ireland, is a unique and rugged landscape renowned for its limestone pavements and remarkable geological features. This barren yet beautiful region is steeped in history, with ancient monoliths, Neolithic tombs, and captivating Celtic sites dotting the landscape, offering a glimpse into Ireland's rich heritage

We were able to take in some of the main sites via a scenic drive through The Burren and into County Galway, which wasn’t far from where we were staying in Lahinch.

The first site was the Poulnabrone Dolman, one of Ireland’s most iconic archaeological monuments. This portal tomb dates back to between 5,200 and 5,800 years ago. It was excavated in 1980 by archaeologist Anne Lynch who revealed the remains of 33 people.

Next we visited Caherconnell Fort which is a ruins of an ancient settlement that dates back one thousand years. (Click here to see what it looks life from above, a far more impressive view). Also there is a sheep dog demonstration at the Caherconnell property but we just stopped by for a coffee and snacks at the cafe and a quick look around the fort.

We then continued north to the town of Kinvara (which is technically in County Galway) and walked along the shoreline to Dunguaire Castle. This restored 16th century tower house was built in 1520 by the O’Hynes clan and sits on a rocky outcrop on the shores of Galway Bay. The castle is temporarily closed to tours however visitors can still walk around the outside perimeter of the castle and enjoy the view out over the bay back to Kinvara. The girls loved walking through the narrow, bushy track that hugged the castle walls but at this point Braino had to run back into town, in urgent search of a toilet.

The last stop of the day was at Kilmacduagh Monastery and Round Tower near the town of Gort. (also in County Galway). The site was founded by St Colman in the 7th Century and has a number of ruined churches, a graveyard and one of the most well-preserved Round Towers in Ireland.

We’ve visited a number of round towers in Ireland, including Glendalough, The Rock of Cashel, and Clonmacnoise. The girls, especially Hallie, get quite excited about round towers. I guess they do look like something straight out of a fairy tale. Round Towers were used by the ancient monks as a lookout tower and as a safe haven during times of attacks and raids. The doors are set about 8 feet up, the monks used a ladder to climb up and then they hoisted the ladder into the tower, so the attackers could not enter.

The round tower at Kilmacduagh, while on a slight lend, is the tallest of its kind in the world! Which is why I would have to say that the Kilmacduagh monastic ruins are incredibly underrated. It was totally free of charge to enter and there was hardly anyone else there while we visited.

COUNTY CLARE - The Cliffs of Moher, A Breathtaking Natural Wonder

The Cliffs of Moher, towering majestically along the southwestern coast of Ireland, offer a breathtaking blend of natural beauty and rich history. Stretching over 5 miles and reaching heights of up to 702 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, these dramatic cliffs provide stunning panoramic views.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, with scenic walking paths, visitor center, and a touch of Irish folklore, the Cliffs of Moher are an unforgettable destination that captures the wild spirit of Ireland.

The Cliffs of Moher were only a short distance from where we were staying in Lahinch, in County Clare and we visited them one sunny, clear afternoon from 4pm - 6pm. I’m incredibly grateful that we had the option to wait for ideal weather to see them; there was only a mild breeze, blue skies and warm afternoon sunshine. The weather in Ireland is so unpredictable and extreme, many tourist with tight itineraries would have no choice but to visit the cliffs in rain and gale force wind. If you have the choice, I would recommended going later in the afternoon as it’s less crowded and slightly cheaper.

If you’re looking at a map of Ireland, the cliffs stretch from Lisconner in the south all the way to Doolin in the north and it has been possible to hike from one end to the other and it is free to do so. In the middle, near O’Briens Tower, is the visitors centre which includes a large designated carpark, a museum with informative displays, cafe and giftshops. It’s $12 Euro per adult to visit via the visitor centre (kids under 12 are free) and this area has paved pathways and stone barriers in place.

For us, with kids, the visiter centre was the most straighforward and safest way to visit. With the stone barriers, there was no way the girls could go close to the edge. Being close to the edge of cliffs this high does give you an intense feeling of anxiety and unfortunately people have ventured to close to the edge and fallen to their deaths.

The tracks that extend 1km both north and south of the visiter centre have stone barriers set along the paths but beyond that to Lisconnor and Doolin, the paths have no barrier and are fairly close to the edge.

Just recently, while we were staying in Lahinch, authorities have close off portions of the cliff walks that extend to Lisconnor and Doolin to set up more barriers and warning signs. As beautiful and awe inspiring as the cliffs are, it visitor centre felt like the safest and most practical way to visit them.

COUNTY KERRY - Skellig Michael, Journey to the Sacred Island

Visiting the Skellig Islands off the coast of the Ring of Kerry was one of the most exhilarating experiences. It was an incredible day trip however, due to the dangerous terrain on the island, it isn’t suitable for kids under the age of 12 so it was a solo mission for me. Braino and the girls spent the morning at the nearby town of Waterville enjoying the beach.

The Skellig Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage site with an ancient monastery at the top of the big island - Skellig Michael. I once heard it described as Irelands answer to Machu Picchu, so it was instantly added to my bucket list.

I was very lucky in terms of booking the trip late ( it can sell out months in advance ) and then having favourable weather on the day of the trip ( many landing tours have to be cancelled on the day of due to rough weather ).

The group of boats left the harbour of Portmagee around 8:30am and it took roughly an hour to travel over to the big island, Skelling Michael. We travelled past Little Skellig, the smaller island that is home to a colony of gannets (sea birds). Little Skellig is sheer rock and its not possible to dock there and climb the rocks, it’s strictly a protected sanctuary for the birds.

There were 12 people aboard the boat I was on and there were approximately 3 other boats that departed at the same time as us. Once we arrived on Skellig Michael, we were given a safety induction by one of the guides that live and work on the island throughout the summer months.

Skelling Michael is also the annual home to a colony of puffins, who arrive on the island every year to breed. As we hiked up the steep stone steps, the hillside was swarming with the incredibly cute little birds, who make their nests in burrows amongst the rocks. I visited on the 23rd of July and the guides were predicting that the puffins were due to migrate soon. They are usually all gone by the second week of August, so again, I was very lucky to have seen all the puffins. I can’t say I’ve ever been much of a birdwatcher but I’m kind of obsessed with puffins now.

After continuing on the steep path up the side of the island, we reached the ancient monastery at the top. The collection of beehive huts that overlook Little Skellig and back across to the Kerry and Dingle Peninsulas, date back to 7th century and where inhabited by up to 12 monks at a time.

The monks came to the island in search of solitude and a simple life were they could live a deeply spiritual existence, spending their days in mediation and at harmony with nature. They caught fish and collected birds eggs and had small vegetable plots. At one point they had a cow living on the island that they bought over from the mainland. The monks collected fire wood on the mainland and brought it back in row boats. Simply rowing a boat over from the mainland would have been a feat in and of itself, not to mention constructing the walls and huts of the monastery out of stone.

There were two guides stationed at the monastery who gave a talk every 20 minutes or so. I found it so interested that the three guides who live on the island for 2 weeks at a time on a rotating roster were all women, older the 45 years old. What an interesting job and lifestyle that would be.

Skellig Michael features heavily as a location in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. I was fascinated to learn how the production team were able to coordinate a whole film crew to come out to the island. Apparently it only took 4 days and the crew were blessed with very good weather. Here are a few behind the scenes videos to give you some more insight into the filming.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Exclusive Behind the Scenes in Ireland

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Behind the Scenes in Ireland

All up, visiting Skellig Michael was such a humbling, awe-inspiring experience, I feel so blessed to have been able to witness such a wild, otherworldly location.

A few tips for visiting Skelling Michael:

• I booked through a company called Skellig Rocks and I would highly recommend them. But here are some other options that leave from Portmagee as I had to try a few before I found availability. Skellig Island Tours, Skellig Michael Cruises, Skellig Coast Adventures.

• I booked a week or two in advance and got very lucky in securing a spot on a day that was convenient for our travels. However, if you were only in Ireland for a short time with a fixed itinerary, I would suggest booking well in advance but allow some flexibility in our itinerary if the weather is unsuitable. You may be able to try again the following day.

• The landing tours run from May to September however, if you do want to see the puffins, you should plan to go before the end of July.

• All up the tour was 130 euros, I paid 65 euro online to secure the booking and then 65 in cash to Derek the boat guide at the end of the trip. Make sure you have cash as it’s the most convenient way to pay the balance.

• If your trip is cancelled your deposit will be refunded. You’ll be notified via email the morning of the trip, maybe as early as 6am - 7am.

• I stayed in Killarney the night before and it took roughly 90 minutes to reach Portmagee, however I would recommended staying in Portmagee or other close towns like Waterville, Cahersiveen.

• If you have hiking boots, these will be the most appropriate shoes, however runners or walking shoes will be fine. No sandals, slip-on shoes or heels.

• Wear layers, including a raincoat or waterproof outer layer. I had a raincoat, jumper and tshirt and was rather hot by the time I reached the top but was warn enough on the boat on the way over.

• Suncream and hat is recommended and obviously your own water too.

• Bring a packed lunch or snacks as there aren’t any cafes or food stalls on the island. However, it’s advised not to have large breakfast or coffee in the morning to avoid any seasickness. If you are prone to seasickness, it’s best to come equipped with any mediation you may want to use. A few people on my trip were seasick.

• There is a toilet on the island at the bottom near where the boats dock, so I would suggest going when you have the opportunity as you won’t want to be climbing up and down the steep steps just to use the bathroom.

• A moderate level of fitness is required. It’s advised not to climb the stone step pathway if you suffer from vertigo or balance issues. It takes around 45 minutes to climb to the top at the slowish pace, there is no rush, you can take your time.

• We arrived on the island by 9:30am and we departed at at 12:15pm. I felt like that was plenty of time to reach the top and enjoy the views.

COUNTY KERRY - Inch Beach and the Dingle Peninsula

Once we left County Carlow on the east coast of Ireland, we stayed for two nights in Killarney, on our way to Lahinch in County Clare. County Kerry is a very popular area of Ireland and the Dingle Peninsula is mentioned a lot on Irish travel itineraries.

It’s a stunning, windswept corner of Ireland that is rich in history and jaw dropping scenery. However, on the day that we had planned to drive down to the Slea Head Loop of the Dingle Peninsula, is was very rainy and misty.

Our first stop was at Inch Beach, a beautiful stretch of sand with the mountains of Dingle to the right and the mountains of the Ring of Kerry to the left. We saw a number of people taking their surfboards out to try their luck on the waves and Braino and I had a lovely chat with the local lifeguard about the surf culture of this area while the kids climbed on the rocks.

After taking in the views, we were back on the road, headed for Dingle Town. We arrived in to the rather crowded little port of Dingle, surrounded by misty low clouds and very poor visibilty. From the town of Dingle, many people continue on down to the Slea Head Loop, with views out over the jagged shoreline and cliffs, across to the Blasket Island and ancient structures and monastic beehive huts along the hillsides

However, we decided to forgo the Slea Head Loop and escape the rain by settling to a coffee shop in Dingle where we meet an older couple from Adelaide who were traveling with their walking club. We actually ran into them a few days later in Lahinch, their tour group was staying overnight at the big hotel next to our accommodation.

We departed the town of Dingle and drove back over The Connor Pass, a high mountain road that provides a stunning view over the peninsula. But we unfortunately drove through the cloud cover and were surrounded by mist. It was actually the first time we found driving on the narrow windy roads to be very nerve wracking!

While in Killarney we stayed at the Hotel Killarney and were really happy with the family friendly amenities - great indoor pool, playground, restaurant and bar, breakfast buffet and family size rooms.

COUNTY KILKENNY - Kilkenny Castle, At The Centre of a Vibrant Medieval City

Kilkenny is quite a popular town on Irish travel itineraries and it became one of our favourite places to visit. It always felt lively even on a rainy, grey day and we visited the brand new library on a few occasions. It was the first library we went to and it was there that we discovered that we were able to sign up and borrow out books. It was newly build, literally having opened earlier this year and it has an amazing selections of books.

But the main focus of this blog post is our visit to Kilkenny Castle, the huge 800 year old castle that sits in the centre of town. It has been home to the powerful Butler family, who held the title of Earl of Ormonde throughout history. The castle has been kept in fine condition and we were able to take a tour through many of the rooms that still contain furnishings, tapestries and paintings. It was quite amazing.

The tour inside was at a small cost (the kids were free) but anyone can come into the vast castle grounds to enjoy the fields, walking trails, playground and rose garden. There is even a parkrun though the grounds on a Saturday morning.

Around the time of this visit, the girls revealed that they actually do enjoy visiting castles, and this one is especially impressive, it even had a child’s bedroom with some old and some ‘what creepy looking dolls on display. It’s been really interesting seeing castles in various states of preservation. There are so many you could visit across Ireland.

Also in Kilkenny is St Cannice Cathedral and Round Tower. Halie had said how much she wanted to climb a Round Tower -Hallie out of all the girls has been very interested in the few Round Towers we have seen at Glendalough and The Rock of Cashel. I had read that you can climb the round tower at St Cannice Cathedral but when I looked closer, it turned out that Hallie wouldn’t have made the minimal height requirement. So we never actually made plans to go and visit the Catherdral while we were in Kilkenny. But it seems like it would be a great place to visit in addition to Kilkenny Castle.

COUNTY WEXFORD - Kia Ora Mini Farm

Kia Ora Mini Farm is a family run open farm in Gorey, County Wexford. Its a wonderful day out for the whole family, with farm animals, fire engine rides, peddle carts, and plenty of outdoor play equipment. The girls had an amazing time and the weather was exceptionally sunny and warm.

The highlight for me (and probably the girls too ) was being able to pat rabbits. The rabbits had to sit in little baskets but we were able to stroke them while we had the baskets on our laps. The rabbits didn’t seem to mind and they were so soft. There were so many rabbits and guinea pigs, we even saw nest of new born rabbits.

The farm had so many other animals to look at like cows, ponies, deer, llamas, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and roosters. (I didn’t take many photos of them though.)

But the thing that made the farm so good for young kids was all the toys and play equipment. I’ll list a few below:

• There were mini peddle tractors that Hallie and Rooney loved riding around on.

• There were real mini excavators that kids could operate.

• Peddle Go-Karts that parents and kids could ride together.

• A soccer game that was kind of like putt putt golf but with soccer balls (this was surprisingly fun for Braino and I)

• A maze made out of netting with a slide at the end that the kids loved running around in.

• A custom made fire truck that the farmer took people for a ride in. (As an adult, this was kind of boring but a 3 year old kid whose obsessed with trucks would totally love it)

• Plenty of balls and soccer nets in the central grassy area, plus a sandpit.

Our girls had a great time but I could see how it would be a whole lot of fun for families with toddlers. All the activities were included in the admission price which was great and we were allowed to bring in our own picnics, although they did have a small cafe selling drinks, ice creams and basic stuff like chips.

COUNTY WEXFORD - Irish National Heritage Park

The Irish National Heritage Park is another exceptional interactive experience. Located just outside the town of Wexford, it is an open air museum where you can journey back in time and discover how people lived throughout history, from the Stone Age right up until the Medieval period of Ireland.

The park is divided into three sections; Pre-Historic Ireland, Early Christian Ireland and The Age of Invasions. Each section contains reconstructed dwellings that exhibit how people lived during these time periods. Visitors are able to go inside each structure, making it a really immersive learning experience for kids.

We were able to join the guided tours of the Early Christian and the Age of Invasions, but arrived a little to late for the Pre Historic Tour. The tours are included in the admission fee and we’d highly recommend joining the them, the guides were so informative and we find it’s the best way to learn and absorb the information. Braino admitted that he was surprised at how interesting Irish history is, particularly during the Age of Invasion, which covers the Vikings and Anglo - Normans. The girls were also great during the guide tours, even though we were in a rather large group.

There are also many hands on activities for kids to do throughout the park, like pan for gold, learn how to weave the walls of the ancient structures and carve markings into a rock. You can imagine that the Heritage Park is a very popular school excursion destination.

There is an obstacle course style playground at the end of the Age of Invasions section, next to the castle and round tower. In the castle there is a falconry centre where you can learn about and interact with birds of prey. We didn’t partake in this section as it was a rather substantial additional cost and we were planning to head to the Wexford Races afterwards to check out the last race of the day. We did make it in time to see that last race, Braino even collected a small win. Arriving late in the afternoon meant we also didn’t need to pay the admission fee so it a big win all round.

Overall, I’d say the Irish National Heritage Park is a beautiful open air museum where kids (and adults too) can really immerse themselves in the ancient history of Ireland. Facilities like this are such a great way for kids to learn, more preferable in some ways to a standard indoor museum. We also visited a similar folk park in Takayama, Japan - Hida No Sato.

COUNTY WEXFORD - Courtown Seal Rescue Centre

The Courtown Seal Rescue Centre, located in County Wexford was something the girls were really keen to see and it turned out to be a fantastic educational experience. An dit felt good to know our money was going to a good cause. The Seal Rescue Centre is the only charity of it’s kind in the Republic of Ireland that is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured, sick and orphaned seals. The centre runs daily tours of the facilities, which consists of the seal hospital, the recovery kennels and the four rehabilitation pools.

The first part of the tour was a talk that ran for approx 15 minutes where we learned about the dangers that face wild seals, including pollution, disease, starvation, injuries and orphaning. We heard about all the ways volunteers across Ireland work together to rescue and transport injured and sick seals to the centre in Courtown and then what is involved in the rehabilitation and release of the seals back into the wild.

It was really interesting and the girls were very attentive during the talk. We heard success stories of seals that have been rescued and released back into the wild and got to know some of the seals that were currently recovering at the rescue centre.

Afterwards, we were led outside into the yard area of the rescue centre and were able to look through the window of the hospital room where we could watch some of the volunteers preparing food for the seals.

We were also able to observe some of the baby seals in the kennel areas where they recuperate from their injuries or sickness. Most of them were babies and are such cute little creatures in a weird looking sort of way, big eyes but a body like a slug.

The rescue centre aimed to minimised the ammount of time the seals interact with humans, to ensure they can be released back int o the wild without an reliance on humans. So this meant that we could not feed or touch the seals, however it was interesting enough to watch them and ask our guide questions.

Once the seals are stronger and ready for release, they are moved to the four difference pools in the rescue centre. The last pool they stay in before their release is completely sectioned off from visitors, to reduce their interaction with humans and prepare them for reentering the wild. We were able to see two different seals swimming in the pools.

While it wasn’t a particularly long tour, we were in and out within an hour, and while it wasn’t the most action packed experience, it was still a wonderful way for the girls to learn about seals and the things that threaten their natural environments. They love anything animal related and it’s great to be able to see and learn about animals that are not common to Australia.

If anyone is reading this and planning a trip of your own, there is an aquatic centre and adventure park with highropes course right next to the Seal Rescue Centre which could be an option to fill our your day in the area.

COUNTY WEXFORD - Dunbrody Famine Ship, exploring Irish emmigration history

In the lead up to our trip, I did some research into my family lineage. I have been told that my ancestry was made up of English and Irish heritage, but I was interested to know specifics before coming to Ireland. So I signed up to Ancestory.com.au and did some hunting around. 

If you haven’t ever used ancestory.com.au before, I’d highly recommend it. It was so intriguing to be able to trace all the generations back until around the end of the 1700’s. Ancestory.com.au draws on data from Australian Births Deaths and Marriages, as well as immigration data and gravestone registries. It’s also able to tap into English and Irish census and baptism data. All you need to provide to get started is the full names and rough years of birth of your grandparents, and then Ancestory.com.au will start to populate all your great grandparents through out the previous generations. (I’m also just trusting the accuracy of ancestry.com.au at this point, I haven’t gone any deeper and crosschecked any other data at this point.)

I had to go back sometimes 5 or 6 generations until I found a grandparent that emigrated from Ireland to Australia. I even discovered at lest three great (x4 ) grandfathers who were convicts! (I’m not sure if that’s really something to be proud of and I’m sure most Australians can make this claim)  But many of my Irish ancestors left in the mid 1800’s around the time of the Great Hunger, which brings me to the topic of this blog post, our visit to the Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross. 

The Dunbrody that sits in the harbour of New Ross is a 1:1 replica of the actual Dunbrody, a merchant ship that was converted into a passenger ship and transported Irish emigrants to North America during the 19th Century. Many Irish people chose to, or were perhaps given no choice but to, emigrate to ‘the new world’ at this time because they faced such hardship and injustice.

Irish history is incredibly complex and marred with much conflict and turmoil. While I’ve been here in Ireland, I’ve been able to learn about Irish history from the Irish perspective, rather than the British perspective that many Australian would have been taught, so I will try my best to honour the experience of the Irish while retelling it. 

During the 19th Century, Ireland was under the oppression of British who had sort to incorporate Ireland into the British Empire. The Irish fought against this from 1919 - 1921 during the Irish War of Independence but afterward the English still took over vast quantities of land and forced the native Irish to pay rent for small farming plots. 

The Irish farmers relied heavily on potatoes as their main source of food, however, year after year from 1845 - 1849, a blight infected all the potato crops, leading to poverty, evictions and starvation for the poor class of Irish farmers. However during this time, Ireland was still exporting a surplus of food (meats, grains etc ) to Britain. So it does pose the question as to weather it this period of history can be referred to as a famine or something more deliberate or sinister like a genocide. Or perhaps the British just saw it as an opportunity to discriminate against and weaken the native Irish population. Th result was that over a 1 million people died of starvation or disease and another million emigrated to the USA, Canada or Australia. Nowadays, the term The Great Hunger seems like a more appropriate way to describe this period of history.

 I was able to trace my ancestors to areas of County Carlow (like the towns of Borris and Tullow, not far from where we were staying ) and County Wexford. (The town of New Ross were the Dunbrody is locations in on the boarder of County Wexford and County Carlow.) as well as County Wicklow, Tipperary, Cork and Galway, Antrim and Armagh. Whilst The Dunbrody focuses on the journey to the America’s, not Australia, it does provide a bit of insight into what the conditions of anyone emigrated from Ireland around that time would have had to endure. The journey to Australia was much longer, with probably more treacherous  seas. 

The Dunbrody experiences take you on a journey of what it would have been like for passengers embarking on a passage to Savannah, Georgia in the USA. It starts with a video detailing the conditions Irish people were facing and what lead them to take their chances on ships like the Dunbrody, which were often referred to as ‘coffin ships’. 

After the video, we were lead onto the ship and given a tour above and below deck. The guide spoke as if we are actually ‘steerage’ the lower class passengers, showing us our sleeping quarters and informing us about our rations and allocated time above deck each day (which was only 30 minutes). Two other guides acted in character of some of the other ‘passengers’ who were onboard. One girl played the part of a mother who had 5 children onboard and who’s husband tragically didn’t make it off the ship alive. 

The conditions passenger had to endure for the 6 - 9 week journey over to North America was so heart wrenching and disgusting! I can not even begin to imagine what it would the been like to live below deck on biscuit rations, surrounded by other people, no showers, no toilets other than a communal pot. In the photos above you can see the bunks below deck, there would have been 4 adults per square ‘cubicle’ 

It was a very eye opening experience. I can only assume that my Irish ancestors were on a similar ship in order to come to Australia. It’s very confronting to think about. 

After the tour on the ship finished, were are able to explore it on our own before leaving through the final exhibition that details some of the more famous Americans that have Irish ancestry, most notably, the Kennedy family. The Kennedy family actually have a historic homestead / museum not from New Ross and were a part of the project to create the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience. I was tempted to go to the Kennedy Homestead but I knew it would of been zero interest to the kids. The cafe in New Ross that we had breakfast in had all sorts of historic photos of JFK and the Kennedy Family. 

Overall, the girls and Braino really enjoyed visiting The Dunbrody. Hallie especially has enjoyed drawing pictures and creating her own stories about the Dunbrody. She asked to find a book about the Dunbrody at the library but all I could find was one about a family’s experience during the Great Hunge; having to go to a workhouse after getting evicted, which was equally as interesting. Braino and I have enjoyed piecing together our knowledge of Irish history and politics through museums and experience like The Dunbrody, and I think it was a great way for the girls to gain a bit of an understanding into Australia’s history and our own family history. 

COUNTY TIPPERARY - Cahir Castle, Ireland's Best Preserved Thirteenth Century Stronghold

Cahir Castle is located in the town of Cahir, along the River Suir. It’s one of Ireland largest and best preserved castles and has been used in many film and TV productions like Excalibur and The Tudors.

As I mentioned earlier, we decided to skip Blarney Castle while in Cork and visit Cahir Castle on the way home instead. It’s surprisingly overlooked, which means it’s less touristy and has cheaper admission prices. (Children under 12 are free)

We were able to have lunch at a cafe right across the road and we didn’t need to book tickets in advance.

The girls really enjoyed climbing up many of the narrow stone spiral stairways and taking in the view out over the river and town below. They particularly like the model of the castle (photograph below), which has an interactive light-up scene that depicted the timeline of events leading up to the castle being captured by Devereux, Earl of Essex, in 1599. Cahir Castle was the powerful stronghold of the Butler Family and was considered impenetrable, however this during this siege it had been battered for three days - the first time heavy artillery was used against it.

I would recommend Cahir Castle to anyone who is also making a stop at The Rock of Cashel, 2. - 3 hours is more than enough time to join the free tour, watch the audiovisual show about the castles history and wander through all the rooms. Plus it’s located in the centre of town which makes it great for a lunch stop, with parking very close by.

COUNTY TIPPERARY - Exploring The Subterranean Wonders of Mitchelstown Caves

On the way back from Cork, we stopped off at two different destinations; the Mitchelstown Caves and Cahir Castle. The two are quite close together and also quite close to The Rock of Cashel, you could do all three in a day of you really wanted to. But this post is just about the Mitchelstown Caves.

I really love visting caves, there is something so fascinating about them. Last year in September, we visited the Wellington Caves near Dubbo in New South Wales, with my extended family - it was such a good trip with all the cousins. The Wellington caves were the highlight of the trip for me. I think I also remember visiting a cave when I was really young while staying with relatives who lived near Ashford in Country New South Wales. But anyway, Ireland has a number of ‘showcaves’ as they call them, so we decided to stop off and see the Mitchelstown Caves on the way back.

The caves were discovered by a local farmer, Michael Condon in 1833. He found them when his crowbar fell down though a crack in the ground. The land that the caves are on have been owned by the same family ever since, and the original farm house still serves as the admin / ticket building. There isn’t any indication that the caves were used by humans throughout history, there hasn’t even been any animal fossils found in the limestone cave systems.

On arrival we entered through the hole pictured below and descended down some very steep steps that were construction with concrete in the 1970’s. We were in a decent sized group of about 12 people with two young ladies as our guides. They provided some fascinating facts about the caves as they led us through three large caverns. The sheer scale of the caves is simply breathtaking, it’s such an otherwordly feeling being deep below the surface of the earth and I always think of how intrepid the people who first explored the cave were, venturing deep into the unknown

At one point, the guides turned all the lights off to demonstrate how dark the caves really were and my gosh, it was pitch black! It was a very unsettling sensation but the girls were really brave. Electricity was run down in to the cave systems in the 1970’s, before that the explorers and visitors used candlelight and torches.

In recent years, the caves have been used for events, concerts, film premieres and as film locations. Visiting the caves was such a great experience for the girls, it challenges them a bit in terms of getting out of their comfort zone and building self confidence. They were so brave, having already experience what caves are like in Australia and so well behaved in terms of listening to the guides . It also gives them a bit of an intro into geology and earth science. I’d highly recommend a visit to a cave as a learning experience for kids.

If you are planning to visit the Mitchelstown Caves, do call ahead and make a booking. We called on the morning of our visit and had no trouble booking into one of the time slots that day. They have guided tours every hour or so between 10am - 4pm. From memory - the tickets were about 8 euro each.

COUNTY CORK - Kinsale, A Vibrant Seaside Village

On the way back to Cork from Clonakilty, after driving through stunning countryside and harbours, we stopped off in the small seaside town of Kinsale. Kinsale is set in a picturesque harbour itself and has become known for its colourful streets, vibrant culinary scene and rich history, which includes pirates! Whilst I was researching our trip, I listened to many podcasts from Rick Steves and I remember him mentioning multiple times how lovely Kinsale was, and it certainly lived up to the hype!

We stopped off for only a short wander around but we arrived to lovely blue skies and a warm afternoon. We found a playground along the waterfront to play in, then wandered further into the main streets where we enjoyed an icecream (the girls) and pint of Guinness ( Braino ) and a browse around the boutique shops (myself). And of course, we stopped off in a quaint little bookshop. Playgrounds, icreceams and bookshops are our winning combination to keep the girls happy. Although we have be fortunately enough to be able to sign up to the libraries here in Ireland and we’ve been borrowing plenty of books, which saves us having to negotiated the purchase of books at all the bookshops we pop in to.

If we had more time in Kinsale, I would have like to check out Charles Fort, which is the large star shaped ruins of a military fort that stands on the headland and overlooks the harbour. It was pretty fascinating to see the miniature version of it at the Model Rail Village, so it would have been cool to wander around the real site.

COUNTY CORK - West Cork Model Railway, Handcrafted History and Miniature Trains

We travelled down to Cork for two nights, to see more of the south coast of Ireland. After visiting The Rock of Cashel on the way, we stayed at Maldron Hotel in Cork City. It was a fantastic hotel; the room had three single beds and a double for Braino and I. It was a really spacious room with a nice modern bathroom. The hotel also had an indoor pool, which is such a hit with the girls. They really love swimming and are very confident in the water. We’ve had lots of comments from people saying how good at swimming they are. We have to explain that we are actually from Australia, and swimming is a huge part of our culture. In Ireland, many kids older than Farley are still using flotation devices. Swimming just isn’t as high a priority in Ireland as it is in Australia.

On the first afternoon that we arrived, we headed out to explore Cork City as the hotel was within walking distance. However, we were left a little disappointed. It was rainy and coldish and it was a Sunday evening, so I don’t think we really went at the optimal time, but it didn’t have the same sort of vibe as Dublin. It was a bit bleak with some questionable characters. So we decided to look further a field for things to do on the following day. However, one thing in the city that would been good was the Blackrock Castle Observatory which is a planetarium in an old castle, but it unfortunately wasn’t open on the days that we were there. Farley would have loved it.

Many people come to Cork for Blarney Castle, which is only about 20 minutes out of town. It’s one of the most iconic tourist sights in Ireland and it’s famous for the Blarney Stone, which you can lay on your back, lean over the edge of the castle, and kiss. It’s also known as the ‘Stone of Eloquence’ and is meant to give you the ‘gift of the gab’. I’ve actually kissed it already when I visited Ireland for 2 days back when I was 19 and Braino wasn’t at all keen to kiss the stone - he’s already got the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, haha! So we decided to give the Blarney Castle a miss. In terms of prices, it’s one of the more expensive castles to visit. I remember the gardens around the castle being lovely, but in terms of value for money and avoiding crowds, it didn’t seem like a good choice.

One thing we did decide to do, which we knew would be great value for money for the kids, was the West Cork Model Railway Village in Clonakilty.

The West Cork Railway Village contains miniature versions of four different West Cork towns, Kinsale, Clonakilty, Bandon and Dunmanway, based on how they were in the 1940’s when the towns were served by the West Cork Railway.

All the miniature buildings and tiny people have been lovingly handcrafted by local tradesmen, while there are miniature trains that connect each town. The Model Village was opened in 1994 and has proved to be a great, family friendly way to learn about the history of the area, in particular the West Cork Railway which was in operation from 1886 to 1961. The level of detail was incredible! I really appreciate the time, effort and skill that would gone into creating the buildings, all based on real locations. The tiny people and little scenes throughout the towns were extra impressive.

The kids absolutely loved the place, in particular Hallie, who has always had a fascination with trains. But Farley has also developed an appreciation for miniature models of towns and landscapes. The girls also loved steering the remote control boats and having a go of the mini diggers. Although our one gripe would be that you needed extra coins for the boats and the diggers; the website gave us the impression that they were all included in the admission prices.

But what was also included in the admission price was a little train ride into town and back. The train was a novelty train with wheels that could go on the public roads. We also saw a similar one in Kilkenny, designed to give tourists an overall view of the main streets. The girls love it, and Braino and I made the most of being the daggy tourist parents that wave to all the locals in the town.

Afterwards, we headed into the town and had lunch (although there was a cafe onsite at the Model Rail Village and it was picnic friendly too). I really liked the town of Clonakilty, it was very colourful and tidy and had a really nice medium size vibe to it. I’d probably recommended staying here or Kinsale, which is where we headed next…..