Ireland for Families

November and December can be an expensive months.  It’s hard to say no to some of the great Christmas stuff that is happening but there are plenty of free Christmas festivities to get you into the Christmas spirit without blowing the budget!!

Lots of our family traditions are low-cost of free.  We love staying at home cozy by the fire watching Christmas movies or baking cookies.   Sometimes though it seems if we leave the house during December we’re bound to spend lots of money we normally don’t spend other months of the year.

It certainly doesn’t have to be that way! There are many budget friendly festivities around but here are a few of our favourites.

Turning on the Lights

Just about every town / city has an annual event to turn on the Christmas lights.  Why not bundle up, fill a flask of hot cocoa and head to out.  Cork City will turn on the Christmas lights on Patrick Street 18 November 2017.

Christmas Parade

We love a good Christmas parade and Killarney pulls out all the stops for their Magic of Christmas Children’s Parade each season.  Check out the all this community run festival has to offer.

Christmas at the Library

From festive story times to colouring competition and family crafts Cork City libraries have a jam-packed schedule of holiday events that will keep the whole family entertained without breaking the bank. Check out the lineup for the month of December here.

Glow

It’s fast become a  Cork Christmas tradition and Glow seems to grow stronger every year.  Why not wander around the lights of Bishop Lucey Park,  post your letter to Santa and maybe take a spin on the big wheel.  Glow is open weekends in December.

Community Panto

The Christmas Panto is one of my favourite things about Christmas in Ireland, but taking the whole family can be expensive.  Why not head to the local community panto this year?  It’s a fraction of the cost, just as Christmasy and a great way to support your local community.

Surprise Christmas Lights Tour

One of the kids absolute favourite Christmas traditions is our FREE surprise Christmas lights tour each year.  You can read all about this special event here the kids will LOVE it!

We have two kids in the house who love to boogie!! ThisIrishBoy particularly can’t contain himself any time he hears a beat.  Naturally we can’t miss taking him to ‘The Jazz.’

In preparation of the 2017 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival we’ve got you covered for where is the best jazz the whole family can enjoy.

Jazz Parade

I mean really is there a kid who doesn’t like a parade?!?!  I have it on good authority this year’s parade is bigger and better than ever!!! Be sure to head in the city and get a good spot along the parade route .

Live @ the Library

As part of The Fringe the City Library, Grand Parade will host family friendly events Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Music and books in one place – our little ones will love it for sure!!!!

Jazz on the Plaza

Hopefully Mother Nature is getting all the bad weather out of her system ahead of Jazz Weekend.  When the weather is dry we think the best place for jazz is in front of the Opera House.   All weekend longs bands take to the outdoor stage to entertain.  It’s also the perfect place to listen to music and snack on some tasty treats at Jazz Food Fair at Emmet Place.

Festival Club

The Festival Club at the Metropole Hotel is the centre of the jazz and afternoon sessions are FREE all weekend long.  We love free.  We also love the family friendly atmosphere throughout the hotel.  Our top tip is to dress in layers though – the hotel gets warm with all that music and dancing!

Our Ninja Turtle enjoying the Festival Club 2016

Jazz weekend is a little different for us now that we have kids but it is still one of the very best weekends in Cork all year.

Happy jazzing!

Pizza is my absolute favourite food! Last time I was in Italy I actually ate myself sick because I ate so much pizza!!!  Thankfully the kids love it as much as I do. It doesn’t take much in this house to make an excuse for pizza night! We love to stay at home and make our own pizzas (Aldi and Lidl both do great bases so we always have some in the freezer). But of course nothing beats being served up a freshly made pie!

There are so many great restaurants in and around Cork serving up some great pizza!  Here are some of our faves (in no particular order)

Luigi Malones 

Emmett Place, Cork

Ok I am a little nostalgic about Luigi Malone’s since it was actually where ThisIrishDad took me on our very first date!  Its become a family favourite and while the menu is pretty diverse we almost always end up sharing a

pizza (and wings of course)!!!  It makes for a great value pizza night out with the kids!

Toons Bridge Dairy

Toons Bridge, Macroom, Co. Cork

This might be the best kept secret around Macroom!!  We first visited Toons Bridge when we went to the Toy Solider Factory.  The pizza is fantastic but to be honest everything in here is!!

Pizzeria San Marco

Main Street, Midleton, Co Cork

Tasty authentic pizza on Main Street in Midleton.  The bunny shaped pizzas are a real hit with the kids! The place is always packed and the service has always been great.  Sometimes its nice not search for parking in Cork City.  Middleton is a buzzing with plenty of great restaurants and Pizzeria San Marco can hold its own here. The Giro Pizza is a great way to enjoy unlimited pizza with a large group of friends!!

Uncle Pete’s Pizzeria

Paul Street, Cork

Uncle Pete’s has quickly become a family favourite.  Uncle Pete’s is they type of place you walk in and its like you’re being welcomed to a friends home.  Great hospitality topped only by great pizza.  The whole menu looks great and offers many gluten-free options.

Novecento Pizza

Mac Curtain Street, Cork 

The only downfall to Novecento is its far too close to work and I walk past it regularly. The struggle to keep on walking is real!!!  I don’t think I have every walked by without there being a smell of fresh pizza.

Fast Al’s

Cork 

Nothing beats Fast Al’s for a quick slice on the run.  Whether lunch time or before heading home after a night out in town sometimes eating a slice of hot pizza on the street is the best thing in the world.

There are so many other great places for pizza in Cork! Tell us your favourite so we can try it if we haven’t already!

At the start of summer we spent two nights in the magical Top of the Rock Pod Pairc in Drimoleague, Co Cork.  During our stay we spent a day exploring Glengarriff and the area.  Part of our day was spent visiting Molly Gallivan’s Cottage & Traditional Farm.  It was a spontaneous stop off and we weren’t expecting much – boy were we wrong!    A visit to Molly Gallivan’s ended up providing us with memories to last a life time!

Molly Gallivan’s is a cottage over 200 years old located outiside Kenmare, County Kerry.  As well as a cottage and farm there is also tea rooms and a gift shop.  Stepping into the shop you immediately feel as if your stepping back in time.  With low ceilings, exposed walls and the smell of turf in the fire Molly Gallivan’s is old world charm.

Before heading out to the farm visit the original cottage.  Have a look at Molly’s homestead. Visitors are welcome to wander around Molly’s traditional farm which remains much like it was from years gone by.  The farm is home to some animals and an impressive neolithic stone row.

Admission to the farm is simply a donation of your choosing that is paid after your visit.  Visitors get a map and a cup of animal feed at the til.  We spent just under an hour at Molly Gallivan’s learning about life in the past and being ‘chased’ by donkeys. The famine house & neolithic stone row were standouts for us. It was a spontaneous and memorable visit and well worth a stop!

This Irish Family Top Tips

• Less than 20 minutes from Glengarriff, Co Cork follow the mountain pass towards Kenmare.
• Plenty of parking across the road.
• The farm walk is about 500 metres.  The path is decent but leads up a hill and is not entirely buggy/wheelchair friendly.
• The two donkeys love bread and send This Irish Boy running up the hill,  but I think they were for most part friendly.

After our week exploring Co. Donegal last week we headed over to Northern Ireland and Belfast for a few days. For anyone who has never been to Belfast it is most definitely worth a visit. The city is buzzing! Belfast has something for everyone and PLENTY for families. With 72 hours we were spoiled for choice in how to fill our time.

Open Top Bus Tour

It may seem terribly touristy but one of the best ways to get a sense of a city is an open top tour bus.  There are two major tour operators in Belfast and we chose the Titanic and City bus tours. Both

Discovery Room in the Ulster Museu

bus tours do the same loop essentially.  This tour company just happened to be outside where we were eating breakfast and drove us around to the start of the tour.  We were also able to also negotiate on price!!

Aside from convenience and price, the tour operators were informative and went out of their way to make

the trip fun for the kids. Local tour guides oozed pride in their city. The tour stops at all the key points around the city and is valid for 3 days. It’s a great way to get your bearings in a new city with hop offs pretty much anywhere you would want to stop.

Ulster Museum

During our bus tour we hopped off at Queens University and visited the nearby Ulster Museum.    The Ulster Museum needs to be on your MUST SEE in Belfast list!! The museum has exhibits showing natural sciences, human history and art.  There is so much to see here you could easily spend hours.  Even though a lot of the exhibits have a lot of reading, there was plenty to occupy the kids. Each exhibit includes a hands on discovery room* where kids can learn through their own exploration. The natural sciences exhibit was a big hit with our family. The kids loved learning about the ice age and dinosaur extinction!

While we would have paid for our visit, the Ulster Museum is entirely FREE!!  *Discovery rooms close for an hour at lunch time.

W5

The W5  is a hands on kids exploration museum located in the Odyssey Pavilion. Spanning three floors kids have an opportunity to play and explore in a village that includes a cafe, shop, construction etc. They can get hands on and learn about health, hygiene, circuits, construction, robotics, technology and much more! Admission also includes a ticket to the live science demonstration. The demonstration was a dramatic science show that captivated young audiences while teaching science. The kids loved the chance to get hands on and played for several hours. We all enjoyed working together to figure out things on a number of the exhibits.

In July W5 was busy as expected.   Arrive early to beat the crowds. We arrived at opening and had much of our visit completed before it got over crowded.  Throughout our visit a number of staff  were cleaning and maintaining exhibits and play areas. However I did find some of the touch screen activities were broken or difficult to work. Although I found this a bit disappointing, the kids didn’t seem to mind.

Titanic Belfast & SS Nomadic

I have to be honest I was in two minds about going here.  I had heard the museum contains a lot of reading which is lost on young kids.  Our previous visit to the Titanic Experience Cobh  has really peaked an interest in the Titanic with both kids and they really pushed to go.  Titanic Belfast focuses on the famous shipyard that built the Titanic and employed much of the city at the time. Titanic Belfast takes visitors on a tour of the shipyard where you can walk the decks and learn what life was like working on the building of Titanic and other ships.  The focus of this exhibit is really on Boomtown Belfast and the building of the Titanic. As you can’t talk about Titanic without acknowledging the sinking the museum does touch on this but the main focus remains the building of Titanic and the city at the time.

The kids received their own treasure map and were challenged to find a number of characters throughout the museum.

It’s true there is a lot of reading throughout the exhibition. If we hadn’t had the kids in tow I agree that us grown-ups possibly would have read and learned more. However, the Titanic Belfast  has gone to lengths to make it accessible to children. This Irish Girl and This Irish Boy enjoyed seeking out staff members to ask specific questions to complete their scavenger hunt. Huge kudos to the staff who all interacted with the children and helped them learn more about Titanic.

Don’t miss  the SS Nomadic, Titanic’s “sister ship.”  This ship was built alongside Titanic and has been restored to great condition. Admission to the SS Nomadic comes with your ticket. The kids loved roaming around the ship and we all got a better sense of what life was like back in the early 1900s.

**If I had more time in Belfast I would have totally booked afternoon tea for myself and This Irish Girl at the bottom of a replica of Titanic’s grand staircase (the replica isn’t included in admission to the Titanic Belfast).

Gruffalo Trail

Before we hit the road home to Cork we wanted to burn some of the kids’ energy  and paid a visit to the Gruffalo!  The Colin Glen Forest Park is located just outside of the city centre and is home to the Gruffalo Trail.  A forest walk where visitors wander along the path and encounter sculptures from the beloved children’s story. Admission to the park is FREE.  The path is paved and accessible to all. There are just enough inclines that tired the kids for part of our trip home!

You can visit on your own or book into one of the special events which includes a story reading along the walk.  There is a tea room and gift shop as well as toilets at the entry to the park.

This Irish Family Top Tips:

Where we stayed:  We stayed in the Premier Inn on Alfred Street.  It was reliable and affordable.  The city centre location suited us and the walls were well insulated so our stay was quiet.  Parking and breakfast however were not included.

Where we ate: The city has plenty of restaurants to choose from.  We did enjoy Brooklyn Sq kid friendly, good prices and  HUGE portions.

Where we shopped: Victoria Square shopping centre is Belfast’s largest shopping centre. There are plenty of family friendly restaurants as well as fast food outlets if you’re hungry.  We didn’t get much shopping done beyond visiting Build-A-Bear which of course the kids loved!  It was our first time at Build-A-Bear and we spent way more than we thought we would.

It was a great few days in Belfast and there is plenty we didn’t get to see or do. This Irish Family will definitely be back again. It was great to see a booming city that has so much to offer. Although we were with the kids it was apparent that there is a great nightlife to Belfast.  With so much to do trips to Belfast can grow with our kids! We already can’t wait to take the kids back to all the museums when they are a bit older!

Belfast has clawed back from its challenges of the past to a vibrant and thriving city today that all families should visit!

Every family should visit Blarney Castle.

As an American expat living in Cork for nearly 13 years I have made multiple visits to Blarney Castle. Over the years there have been great additions to the castle grounds that make this a perfect day out for local families as well as tourist families.

Kids under 8 are FREE

Let’s be honest – we all took advantage for the ‘kids under 3 FREE’ policy that many places have,  but just as the kids are old enough to enjoy some of these places you have to start paying for them!  Not at Blarney Castle –  in Blarney Castle kids under 8 go FREE.  Ok, sure small children will have a tough time climbing the Castle stairs but with much more to explore on the grounds they won’t miss out.  During out last visit we split the party and one adult took the 4, 5 and 8 year olds up to the top while I stayed on firm ground with a cautious 3 year old.

“I don’t want to kiss a dirty stone”

Then don’t!!  You’ll never meet a bigger germaphobe than me. While I did kiss the stone on a visit to Ireland in my early 20’s the thought of doing it now totally grosses me out.

A visit to Blarney Castle & Gardens is about so much more than just the Blarney stone.  If I’m honest  Blarney Castle isn’t even the best persevered castle in Cork.  Visitors will be disappointed if they are expecting to find restored rooms with period furniture – Blarney Castle doesn’t have that.  What is does have is small staircases with ominous rooms in ruin where your imagination (and certainly a child’s imagination) can run wild.  The view from the top on a fine day is worth the climb even if you don’t kiss the stone.

With multiple gardens and at least 4 different walks available, families can take all day exploring.

Exploring the gardens will lead you through dungeons and caves, a poison garden, wishing steps, the witch’s kitchen and so much more!  Blarney is full of myths and enchanted stories that older children will enjoy.

Why not pack a picnic?

While the Stable Yard Café at the bottom of the castle service sandwiches and light snacks.  In our opinion Blarney is best enjoyed wandering the gardens and finding a sunny picnic spot.  Visitors who have the time to wander and explore the grounds will be rewarded.  Unfortunately you might need to get out of the way of those traveling on bus tours who have a limited amount of time to whip around the gardens.

There are even play areas.

In recent years two modest but enjoyable play areas for children have been added.  They are the perfect size to entertain the children in your family without being too large to cause an argument when you’re ready to move on.

For many locals who haven’t visited Blarney it’s well worth a trip with the family at any time of year.  We usually save our trips to the castle for when vistors are in town.  It still remains one of Cork’s best known attractions internationally so visitors are always keen to go.  We’ve been many times and each time we’ve discovered something new and the kids especially have had a ball!

This Irish Family Top Tips:

• The castle steps are steep, narrow and  made of stone.  Use caution and your best judgement with people who are likely to find this difficult.
• Book tickets online to avail of greater discounts.
• Don’t always trust the sign at the bottom of the castle indicating how long the wait is to kiss the stone.  Twice it has been an over estimate of how long it takes.
• The area around the Druids Circle, Witches Stone and Fairy Glade is our favourite part.
• The kids love the ice-cream outside Blarney Woolen Mills.
• Tourists not travelling by coach should stop in SuperValu in Blarney for picnic supplies.
• Locals should remember it’s Blarney Castle so there will be plenty of coaches and tourists…smile and go with it they are spending their money in Cork!!

Everyone from Cork knows Cobh (formerly Queenstown) was the last port of call for the Titanic in 1912.

The Titanic Experience Cobh is a part guided, interactive tour that takes visitors back in time to that fateful day in April 1912 when 123 passengers boarded the Titanic from Cobh.

Located in the historical building that is the original White Star Ticket Office, The Titanic Experience Cobh allows visitors to wander a building where thousands of Irish departed from in the early 19^th century.

The Experience starts with ‘passengers’ checking in and receiving their own boarding card outlining a real life passenger that boarded the Titanic from Queenstown, Ireland. A 30 minute guided tour takes you on board the Titanic with replicas of dining areas and cabins for various class members.

A poignant moment for anyone who has had family members emigrate from Ireland is the opportunity to stand outside and look upon ‘Heartbreak Pier.’  The remnants of the original structure where millions of people (including my own great great

Heartbreak, Pier

grandfather Daniel Looney) left Ireland from.  The tour ends with a harrowing film based experience of the sinking as experienced from those on lifeboats.

After the guided tour, hang out and interact with a number of exhibitions going into further detail from the ill-fated ship.  There are multi-media exhibits as well as fun game like activities. As passengers leave they learn of the fate of the passengers they were given as they embarked.

The Titanic Experience with Kids

We’ve visited The Titanic Experience Cobh twice and brought the kids both times.  The whole experience takes about 2 hours.  (although I think we could have spent more time if we didn’t have kids rushing us along)  Both times our guides were friendly and kind to the kids. Both tours were interesting and fact filled for the adults while remaining engaging for the kids. There are kid friendly interactive exhibits.

Although the whole ship sinking scenario can be a bit scary the kids were O. K.

Both visits all the kids we were with lived (women & children first right?) and we glossed over the fact that some of the grow-ups in our party didn’t make it.

Overall it’s an important piece of local history.

The older kids and young teens seemed to learn a lot. I can’t wait to take our kids again as they get older.

ThisIrishFamily Top Tip:

• It gets busy especially during peak season.  Book online to secure your spot on a tour and avoid disappointment.
• Free parking in Cobh up next to the Cathedral.
• Lunch at Titanic Bar is decent and reasonable, sit outside if the weather is fine.

June might be our favourite month to be in Cork! With so many family friendly festivals and events in can be hard to choose.  Don’t worry, we’ve got your covered!!  Here’s our list of ThisIrishFamily’s favourite things to do in Cork this June!!!

Cork Summershow, Curaheen Showgrounds

The Cork Summershow become a tradition for our family when we lived in Ballincollig. The event is well worth a visit even if you’re further afield. Over 200 years old, the Cork Sumershow has had plenty of time to perfect family summer fun!! For one weekend in June the Showgrounds at Curaheen are transformed into an agricultural fair complete with animals, stalls and traders, music & food, rides for the kids and much more!!! I might love it because it is the closest thing to a county fair back home….I also love that it is run with precision from parking to the lay out of the whole show. There is plenty of parking but also a  shuttle from Ballincollig so it is easy to make it by bus. Best of all….kids under 12 are FREE!

If you haven’t been to the Cork Summer Show it is an absolute must for your summer bucket list! For full details on schedule and line up visit the Cork Summer Show website. 

Cork City Marathon

Whether you’re an athlete or not you can’t beat the buzz around Cork City on marathon day! The kids love to head down to the race
course to cheer on the athletes who have trained for the race. In recent years the marathon has put runner’s names on their bibs which allows us to cheer for individual runners on a more personal level. Whether your near the finish line or on the outskirts of the city if you’re not running in the marathon pop down to the racecourse and give a boost to all those participating in the Cork City Marathon!

Cork Harbour Festival & Ocean to City- An Rás Mór

The Cork Harbour Festival is jam-packed with family friendly activities around the harbour. From free tours, open days to historical sites and family fun days there is plenty to do during the week-long festival. The flagship event of the Cork Harbour Festival the Ocean to City Race . The Ocean to City race is Cork’s own long-distance rowing race that attracts hundreds of participants each year. There are a range of boat types each year and spectators can play Spot the Boat from land. The race finishes in Lapp’s Quay in the city with free family friendly entertainment and food stalls.

Hillfest, Watergrasshill

Each June Bank Holiday weekend the community of Watergrasshill in North Cork puts on a village fair like no other. The 4 day Hillfest has a programme that includes a variety of activities the whole family will love.  From warring pubs (tug-o-war), mouse roulette, family fun days,orienteering, soccer tournaments, music
festival and perhaps the highlight of the festival popular PIG RACES!! The main road in Watergrasshill will be closed and lined with bales of hay and crowds to watch the pig races. With local punters putting odds on each race. Hillfest has that small town festival feel with good, wholesome family fun. All proceeds go to local community organisations- we love that!

Cork MidsummerFestival

It isn’t June in Cork without the Midsummer Festival. Since 2008 the Cork Midsummer Festival has brought 10 days of arts to the city each year. The festival grows from strength to strength with events to suit just about everyone! A ThisIrishFamily festival favourite is most definitely the Picnic in the Park at Fitzgerald’s Park. The picnic brings a day of free arts and entertainment to Cork’s finest park.

With all that our June will be jam-packed for sure but there is much much more! Don’t forget to check out Live at the Marquee, Festival Cork’s DessertFest and Shandon Street Festival.

June really is a great month to be in Cork so get out there!