Family Adventure in Ireland

Trinity College’s Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition is a must see for all visitors to Dublin. The Book of Kells is Ireland’s national treasure, a 9th-century manuscript documenting the four Gospels of the life of Jesus Christ. The exhibition is on display inside the 18th-century Old Library building and includes access one of the world’s most beautiful libraries, the Long Room, which displays 250,000 of Trinity College’s oldest and rarest books.

The museum’s 10,000 exhibits provide a glimpse into the natural world and have been delighting generations of visitors since the doors opened in 1857. The building is a ‘cabinet-style’ museum designed to showcase a wide ranging and comprehensive zoological collection. The Irish Room on the ground floor is dedicated to animals native to Ireland, featuring a variety of mammals, birds, fish and insects. On the upper floor you will find an elephant, polar bear, lions, an array of monkeys, apes and lemurs which make up the mammals of the world collection.

Enjoy a private tour of the National Gallery highlights or a themed tour to gain a deeper insight into various works of art. Since 1854, the National Gallery of Ireland has always believed that the National Collection is public property, and as such is available almost all year round. The drop-in creative space and free art packs support independent creative activity while their scheduled workshops and events are designed to appeal to all ages.

The Irish National Stud and Gardens symbolises County Kildare, the beating heart of Ireland’s thoroughbred horse industry. Enjoy a tour to marvel at the grace and splendour of these horses. Within the grounds are the famous Japanese gardens, created between 1906 and 1910.

You’ll also visit the Rock of Dunamase. Spectacular views of the surrounding countryside made this a strategic place to build a fortress.

Enjoy a unique cultural sporting experience in Kilkenny, the home of the legendary Kilkenny Cats. Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years and is the world’s fastest field team game in terms of game play.

Visit Legend’s Hurling Bar Museum, Kilkenny’s only bar dedicated to the Legends that have played the game of hurling . Then it’s up to Nowlan Park home of the Kilkenny Cats where you will get one-to-one instructions on how to play the game on the pitch itself. The tour ends back in the bar where you’ll watch a game of hurling on the big screen to see the skills you have learned on the pitch while enjoying a bowl of Lanigan’s famous Irish lamb stew.

Enjoy an easy paced guided cycling tour visiting historical and cultural sites around Kilkenny . There are bikes suitable for all ages and the tour uses riverbank paths and backstreets to stay away from heavy traffic. Along the way you’ll find out about Kilkenny’s most famous characters like the Witch Dame Alice Kyteler and William Earl Marshal, the greatest knight that ever lived.

Explore one of the most recognisable buildings in Ireland. Kilkenny Castle has been an important site since Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, also known as Strongbow, constructed the first castle in the 12th century. The history is full of legends and stories involving earls, witches and visits from royalty. Marvel at the grand country house and wander among the beautifully manicured gardens and 50 acres of lush parklands. There’s also a tearoom and even orienteering trails to discover.

Explore the acclaimed 15th-century Bunratty Castle and the 19th-century Bunratty Folk Park. In the folk park enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and scents of this enchanting place as you stroll from house to house or around the charming village street complete with school, post office, doctor’s house, hardware shop, printers and of course, McNamara’s pub. Rural farmhouses, village shops and streets are recreated and furnished as they would have been of old. Costumed characters recreate the traditions and lifestyle of a bygone age and animate the Folk Park.

Historically archery has been used for hunting and combat. Nowadays, it’s mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. You will experience the exhilaration of shooting a modern style recurve bow with the option of testing your skills with a medieval-style longbow, exquisitely handmade to traditional standards. From introducing the core techniques to beginners, to honing the skills of even the most experienced archers, the session will be pitched to your ability. You’ll start with static archery to give you the opportunity to get your eye in, then challenge will be introduced with a variety of targets.

The Cliffs of Moher are a dramatic 14km (9 mile) length of Atlantic coastline at the southwestern edge of the Burren region. They run from their southern end at Hag’s Head up to a maximum height of of 214m (702 feet) close to O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien as an observation tower for the Victorian tourists, and the site remains one of the most popular sites in Ireland. From the tower, you can see out to the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north, and Loop Head lighthouse to the south.

The award-winning Doolin Cave and visitor centre is home to the Great Stalactite. At 7.3m (23ft) it is the longest free hanging stalactite in Europe. Extend the adventure from underground to overground following a charming farmland nature trail, home to indigenous species of flora along with rare and miniature breeds of animals.

Your walk takes place in the Burren National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty. You’ll learn lots about the geology, history, flora, wildlife and farming of the Burren region while enjoying the unique beauty of your surrounds.

Wild Kitchen is a unique food experience and involves guided walks on land and along the shore. You’ll discover and identify delicious and edible wild plants such as seaweed, dilisk and sea spirulina. A wild food walk is such a great way to engage with nature and offers the opportunity to learn about the exceptional nutritional value and unique taste of wild plants. You’ll learn how to identify them, what not to eat or touch, what’s in season, tasting as you go and all the while taking in the beautiful scenery of the Burren and the Wild Atlantic Way.

While it’s steeped in history, Galway buzzes with a contemporary vibe, thanks in part to students, who make up a quarter of the population. Its energy and creativity have seen it designated the European Capital of Culture in 2020. Explore Galways in all its glory on a city tour, which includes the famous Spanish Arch, located on the left bank of the Corrib, where Galway’s river meets the sea. The Spanish Arch was originally a 16th-century bastion, which was added to Galway’s town walls to protect merchant ships from looting.