Ireland with Kids - Adare

Dublin city centre is a compact area, with all points of interest being easily accessible on foot. As a result you will find a large number of walking tours available, the most popular of which include the “Historical Walking Tour” and the “Literary Pub Crawl”. You may of course wish to visit many of the sights in your own time either on foot or with the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus service that stops at all of the major attractions including Dublin Castle, Trinity Castle & the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, the National Museum of Ireland and The Guinness Storehouse to name just a few. 

Continue your sightseeing in Dublin today visiting the many historical and modern attractions that this cosmopolitan city has to offer. Other attractions include Christ Church Cathedral which was founded in the year 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen, the James Joyce Centre & the Dublin Writers Museum. Of course, you may wish to take time out to shop in Grafton Street or any one of a number of narrow and quaint streets that the café strewn city centre has to offer. This evening, why not spend some time in the Temple Bar area.

This small area boasts a dazzling choice of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops to suit all tastes and pockets, all within easy walking distance of Temple Bar's many cultural centres and galleries. Its narrow cobbled streets are pedestrianised and are ideally suited to a leisurely stroll through the quarter. There is also the opportunity to experience an evening’s entertainment at The Abbey Tavern or the more intimate Irish House Party where good food combined with exception traditional music and dance is the order of the day

Use your personal sightseeing guide to discover the many touring options available to you today. You might choose to travel to Cork via what is commonly referred to as the ‘Garden of Ireland’ with its superbly beautiful Glendalough area and striking vale of Avoca or you may prefer to travel via the historic city of Kilkenny famous for its 13th century castle and black marble like stone buildings and cobbled stone streets. Either route will take you by Ireland’s most famous ruin, Blarney Castle! Here pick up ‘The Gift of the Gab’ if you are brave enough to climb to the top and kiss the renowned Blarney Stone. 

Cork city was founded in the 6th century and achieved an urban character in 922 when Norse settlers founded their fist trading port. St. Patrick's Street, the main street of the city which was remodelled in the mid-2000s, is known for the architecture of the buildings along its pedestrian-friendly route and is the main shopping thoroughfare. While you are here discover the rivalry between the cities of Dublin and Cork!

Corkonians generally view themselves as different to the rest of Ireland, and refer to themselves as "The Rebels"! This distinct view has in recent years manifested itself in humorous references to the region as ‘The People's Republic of Cork’ which you will find on postcards, t-shirts and signage throughout the city. Cork's most famous building is the church tower of Shandon, which dominates the North side of the city. The clock is affectionately known as a four faced liar, since the east and west facings tell slightly different times, and the panoramic view of the city from Shandon church is well worth the climb. 

Most notable stops on your route will be the picturesque town of Adare with its authentic thatched buildings and numerous historical ecclesiastical ruins, the Viking city of Limerick, the remarkably intact and furnished Bunratty Castle with its adjacent folk park and best of all, the magnificent Cliffs of Moher in Clare. On a clear day from the top of the Cliffs the Aran Islands and Galway Bay as well as the Maum Turk Mountains and the Twelve Pins in Galway can easily be seen. The cliffs offer views as far as Kerry and remarkable photography opportunities. O’Brien’s Tower stands close to the highest point and has served as a observation point for many a visitor for hundreds of years. This evening head to the Quays area in Galway city for some of the best traditional entertainment and Craic in the country!

Today, the hauntingly beautiful Connemara Region awaits you. Just west of Galway, Situated on the most western seaboard of Europe, this unspoilt region boasts breath-taking scenery. The characteristic features of Connemara include its rugged, unpolluted coastline, dramatic mountains, numerous lakes and rivers and woodlands and the renowned Connemara National Park.

Visit Kylemore Abbey and the Lough Inagh Valley as well as the spectacular Sky Road near the town of Clifden. You can also visit the fishing village of Roundstone and see how a ‘Bodhran’ (traditional Irish Drum) is made. Alternatively, you may prefer to take the ferry to the Aran Islands. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. Take a pony and trap, or a guided tour from the pier up the island to the stone fort of Dun Aengus. Dún Aengus is located on top of a 300ft high sea cliff and is one of the finest prehistoric monuments in Western Europe.