Blarney Castle

Recently my husband and I took our four kids to see Blarney Castle. We like millions around the world wanted to be able to say we kissed the Blarney Stone and received the "gift of the gab". I don't know if that happened (my kids have had it all along!) but we did have a great time.

Blarney Castle is located in the Southwest part of Ireland. Since it's a bit of a drive from our house, we decided to stay for a couple of nights so we could also visit Cork City and Kinsale. We stayed at the Ramada just outside of Cork within a couple of miles from Blarney. It was a great option for traveling with kids because it was a large accommodation set up like a town house with two large bedrooms upstairs and a living room and kitchen downstairs. It has a large indoor swimming area and a beautiful golf course designed by John Daly.

Blarney Castle was built in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy. Its design is of a 15th century tower house. Next to the castle is Barney House, a Scottish baronial mansion and the residence of the Colthurst family since the 18th century. The grounds are beautifully landscaped.

Blarney also has a nice village green with plenty of Pubs and craft shops such as the Blarney Woolen Mills which sells quality woolen items and souvenirs.

The the next day we visited Kinsale. It is a beautiful small town on the coast. In 1601 the battle of Kinsale took place here. The defeat of the Irish forces and their Spanish allies signified the end of the old Gaelic order In the 17th and 18th century it was an important naval base. Today it is well know for its yachting center and its quality food. There is a gourmet food festival held there each year.

Saint Patricks Day/ Phoenix Park

Happy belated Saint Patrick's Day! This is a very busy time of the year here in Ireland. There are many parades and parties. We live in a small village in the country so our local parade consisted of all of the farmers driving their tractors and pulling floats fulls of kids from the village schools and sports clubs all dressed up in costume! All had a great time. Afterwards the pubs were packed with both adults and children.



The next day we took the kids to Phoenix Park. This is located just outside of Dublin City Center. It covers a huge amount of land. It is the largest enclosed park in Europe. Ringed by a wall 7 miles long which contains a very large herd of deer. The deer are normally easily viewed by one of the many roads or jogging paths that cut across the park. Phoenix Park also houses the Irish President's Residence and Deerfield the home of the US Ambassador.



There are several points of interest such as The Wellington Monument, Phoenix Column, The 90 ft Papal Cross and the Dublin Zoo. All of these are interesting to people of all ages. We took a picnic and played ball near the visitors center which also has a new playground that just opened this week. I would highly recommend visiting Phoenix Park.



More next time. Take care.

Glendalough

Glendalough is located in the Wicklow Mountains a short drive from Dublin. It is one of the first places we visited after moving to Dublin and have been there numerous times since taking family that have come to visit. It is a beautiful monastic site founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. It has a wonderful example of a round tower that stands 110 ft. in height. Also on the site are a number of buildings that date from the 12th century such as the Priest House and St. Kevin's Kitchen (named for its unusual belfry that resembles a chimney). The scenery at Glendalough is remarkable. You have the wild Wicklow mountains and the calm nearby lake. All of this can be accessed by walking trails. It ranks in my book as a top spot to bring children of all ages. We have also taken my parents as well and it was one of their favorite places. There is a very nice visitors center which houses some displays and shows a short movie about the site. You can also bring a picnic to enjoy in one of the nearby greens. The kids can get a good blend of education plus the chance to run and release some energy. My teenage sons also really enjoyed this spot and have gone back to camp nearby with friends. Also located in the Wicklow mountain area is Powerscourt Gardens and waterfall. I will post some pictures of these in a future post.

* Helpful Hint- if you and your family are going to be visiting a number of Heritage sites run by the Office of Public Works OPW it will save you a good bit of money to buy a family Heritage card instead of paying for each site individually. The family pass is appox. 50 Euro. It pays for itself very quickly. I have posted a link for the OPW.

Welcome

In 2006 I moved from America to Ireland with my husband and four children ranging in age from 3 to 17. We set out to see and experience Ireland while at the same time settling in to a schedule of work and school. We moved to an area about 30 miles outside of Dublin. On weekends and holidays we visit many different locations. At the time we first moved I wished there was more resources available to people with children either traveling to Ireland or like us moving to Ireland. Instead I have had to learn for myself what life is like here and what activities and attractions are good for young children as well as teenagers and which are not. I have also learned a great deal about the school system and many of the customs of Ireland. I have met some wonderful people along the way. Now after living here for quite some time and keeping record of our experiences I felt like it would be helpful to others, especially those with children, to hear first hand what it is like to live or visit Ireland . I plan on featuring different locations we have visited and giving my pro and cons. Also for those interested in moving here I will also try to give information about everyday life and ways to make the transition easier.