In 1588, during the retreat of the Spanish Armada from its failed attempt to invade England, 170 survivors of a Spanish shipwreck were caught by the high sheriff of County Clare and were hanged at Doonagore Castle.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

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Don’t miss the postcards from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3,  Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6!

After all the driving hither and yon, today it was nice to stick close to our hotel and just have one place on our itinerary: the Foynes Flying Boat Museum.

Yankee Clipper Replica at Foynes Flying Boat Museum

Though the years of the Flying Boat were short, the amount of memorabilia of air travel’s “golden age” is impressive.  As are the interactive displays for the kids.  Even I- a nervous flier- had some of my fears put to rest by the educational “how planes fly” presentation. 

More legroom, tables, and even bunk beds! Inside a flying boat.

Located just above the Flying Boat Museum, as you enter the cafe, is the Foynes Maritime Museum.  A rich history was in place on the Shannon long before boats could fly- and this small museum is filled with decades of treasures and is well worth exploring.

Foynes Maritime Museum

Before you leave the museum, take time to sit in the cafe and enjoy an Irish Coffee.  It was invented here, you know.  

And if you don’t like coffee, Caelan says they make a fine hot chocolate

After our coffee and cocoa break, it was back to Fitzerald’s Woodlands House Hotel, where I had promised the girls they could (finally) swim.  The leisure club, attached to the hotel, is a members only facility, but hotel guests get use of the facilities- and the kids club- at no cost. So first the girls played in the fabulous pool…

Kids Pool … it has jacuzzi bubbles, too!

Panorama of the pool area

And then they did “kids gym”, where they rode exercise bikes, worked on the machines and even learned to use a punching bag.

Working out the energy at Kids Gym

And while the girls were working out all their energy….

Revas Spa

I went to the spa.  I didn’t have time for a long treatment, but completely enjoyed my pedicure (and a bit of quiet).

The girls worked up an appetite swimming and working out, so we decided to try a restaurant on property- Timmy Mac’s Irish Bistro.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it wasn’t the fabulous fare with a decidedly Irish twist.  Chicken breast stuffed with black pudding,  kids meals that put other restaurants to shame, delightful desserts and this- the starter with my set menu- black pudding wrapped in crisp bacon served with an apple chutney.  Oh My Good.

Now this is Irish food!

It was a fabulous way to spend our final day at this fabulous Adare hotel.

Ireland with Kids is thrilled to be working with IrishTourism.com during our trip.  Our hotels and car rental were booked by IrishTourism.com and our itinerary was planned using their very thorough suggested itinerary guide.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Postcard From Ireland : May 20, 2013 appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

Don’t miss the postcards from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3,  Day 4 and Day 5!

Waking up in our lovely suite at Fitzgrald’s Woodland’s House Hotel, I can honestly say that my first instinct was to lay in bed and hope someone would bring me breakfast (and from what I have experienced at this hotel, if I had only asked it likely would have happened).  As it was, we got ourselves prepared and made our way through the hotel to the restaurant where a large buffet was waiting.  Everything you need for the Full Irish- plus tea, coffee, juices and breads- prepare you for a day exploring what Western Ireland has on offer.

Today our schedule included something that has been on my “Ireland Bucket List” for a few years- a Cliffs of Moher cruise.

Cliffs of Moher and O’Brien’s Tower – viewed from the ocean!

The ocean was calm- which means the boat rocked to and fro as it sliced through the waves blowing inland, with only a few larger waves that sent you sliding across your seat.  We braved the wind and chill, sitting outside on the Doolin2Aran Ferry that took us from Doolin Harbour to the base of the cliffs.

Horcrux Cave from Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

We had the great fortune to be riding the ferry with Kathryn from the Cliffs Of Moher Visitor Center who pointed out fun sights – like the Harry Potter Cave- and interesting phenomena- like a wave that only appears in perfect meteorological conditions and draws surfers from around the world.  She even told a tale about a dinner party held by Cornelius O’Brien (who build O’Brien’s Tower at the top of the cliffs).  Apparently “Corny” would have dinner parties on the limestone ledge at the edge of the cliffs back in the late 1800′s.  With music and such, it was quite the event.  Until, at one evening, the fiddler had been sneaking a bit too much of the Irish…  and played himself right off the edge of the cliff.

Heading back to Doolin, I also caught a glimpse of one of my favorite Irish Castles, Doonagore.

Doonagore Castle, Doolin, viewed from the Atlantic

After stopping for lunch, we made our way inland to Craggaunowen, a “Living Past” experience that covers Irish history from the 4th century through 1550.  As you travel through time, you’ll find costumed interpreters along the way to help you understand Ireland’s rich history.

Carding Wool at Craggaunowen Castle

Spinning Wool at Craggaunowen Castle

As we wandered the wooded paths from site to site, the girls had a terrific time exploring.  Yes, I let my girls enter the souterrain (underground passage).  And no, I didn’t follow them.

Souterrain under the Ring Fort

Caelan, ever watchful of things below everyone else’s line of sight, delighted over finding this sweet mushroom growing under a tree.

We decided it was a faerie mushroom

And there may have been squealing over the feral piglets…

Wild Boar and piglets

After much cooing at the baby piglets and the sweet baby goats in a field near the parking lot, we left Craggaunowen at closing time.  We made a quick stop to visit friends in Limerick City, then it was back to the hotel…  Where we found our room had been broken in to…  

Faeries were in our hotel room!

 …  by faeries with lots of pixie dust!  Oh, what an exciting way to end the day!

Ireland with Kids is thrilled to be working with IrishTourism.com during our trip.  Our hotels and car rental were booked by IrishTourism.com and our itinerary was planned using their very thorough suggested itinerary guide.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Postcard from Ireland : May 19, 2013 appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

Don’t miss the postcards from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4!

Oh how I wish we had another day in Dingle!  While we saw all the “must see” attractions, I would have dearly loved another day to slowly wander the town and enjoy a pub or two.

But time was not on my side and we had reservations for the evening at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park. 

Before I continue, I want to make one thing clear…  The amount of driving I am doing between stops and attractions of this trip is not what I recommend for families traveling in Ireland.  Do as I say, not as I do: Spend more time doing and less time driving.

Because we came onto the Dingle Peninsula from Killarney, we missed the dramatic entrance the Connor Pass provides.  So we departed the peninsula by that route.

Dramatic view from Connor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula

We weren’t far down the mountain before I had to stop and get photos and video of the thick clouds as they moved over the mountain, forming and rolling as they reached the summit, completely blocking the highest points from view.

Thick clouds form over the mountains on the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

We drove straight through to Adare, often called the most charming village in Ireland.  Before finding our hotel, we stopped for tea at what may be the most charming tea shop in Ireland: the Olde World Tea Room at Adare’s Old Creamery.

Olde World Tea Room at Adare’s Old Creamery

Our tea and treats were divine.  But I’m going to keep in mind that, with 24 hour notice, you can reserve a complete afternoon tea.

Tea tray waiting for warmed scones

After a short stroll along Adare’s streets, we made our way to our hotel, Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel, just outside the village.  As we entered our room, I stopped in my tracks.  While I knew it would be nice, I was unprepared for the sheer size and “grand-ness” that waited inside the door.

Main bedroom/ sitting room

More of the main bedroom/ sitting room

Attached bedroom for the kids

Such a stunning room!  After a bit of relaxating, we were off for our evening activity- Traditional Irish Night at Bunratty Castle.  Filled with music, dance and storytelling, the evening was filled with fun and laughter- and traditional Irish food!

Dancers at Traditional Irish Night at Bunratty Castle

Our drive back to the hotel was filled with adventure.  I’m pretty sure the faeries were having a joke on me as the signs I was following weren’t leading where I thought they should.  Those charming Irish roads- narrow, winding and lined with hedgerows- take on an entirely different feeling in the dark!

Ireland with Kids is thrilled to be working with IrishTourism.com during our trip.  Our hotels and car rental were booked by IrishTourism.com and our itinerary was planned using their very thorough suggested itinerary guide.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Postcard from Ireland : May 18, 2013 appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

Enjoy our adventures from Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3 before reading the latest installment.

We arrived in Dingle last night tired from the long drive and later than I had planned, so we “hit the ground running” today.

The Dingle Skellig Hotel has a breakfast buffet with plenty of items on it- from the fixin’s for a “full Irish” to lighter fare like fruit & yogurt, everyone will find something they will enjoy.

Well fortified, we decided to walk into town.  Destination:  Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium.  (One of the best things about Dingle- everything within town is a 5 minute walk.) 

Colorful fish, sharks, a touch tank & penguins at the Dingle Aquarium

From the aquarium we went to visit Dingle’s most famous resident:  Fungi (fun-gee).  For 30 years Fungi has lived in Dingle Bay.  He loves to entertain visitors and seems to play with the boats, delighting visitors as he races alongside them, leaping from the waves, smiling with mischief.

Fungi the Dingle Dolphin

The girls loved Fungi- and so did I.  I know we were all smiles after our hour-long Dingle Dolphin Boat Tour.

If you can’t hug the real Fungi, this statue is the next best thing.

After leaving Fungi, we had just enough time to enjoy the very best ice cream in all of Ireland at Murphy’s.  I highly recommend the Brown Bread- the caramelize the bread.  Amazing… 

Brown Bread ice cream at Murphy’s in Dingle

Then we went back to the aquarium for the penguin feeding!

Penguin feeding at Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium

We finished our day with a drive along Slea Head Drive- circling the Dingle Peninsula.  It is one of my favorite drives in the southwest part of Ireland, and we had a beautiful, clear day for it.

Dingle Peninsula views

We made a few stops at beaches we found at the bottom of cliffs that could only be reached by narrow winding roads.  We climbed steep hills for amazing views out to the Blasket Islands.  And we visited the Gallarus Oratory, an 8th century Christian Church (that means it’s 1200 years old!) built of stone, but no mortar.  It’s completely watertight and one of Ireland’s most famous buildings.

Gallarus Oratory, Dingle

We’ve had a bad problem this trip of eating breakfast and not sitting down again to eat until dinner.  So we had a bit of a splurge and included dessert with dinner.  Mostly because the menu listed Sticky Toffee Pudding.  It was delish!

Sticky Toffee Pudding at Dingle Bay Hotel

Though we had done a fair bit of walking already, the girls and I set out to Hussey’s Folly, about 2km from the hotel.  We varied our walk between the beach and the path above, with a bit of rock climbing thrown in.

Hussey’s Folly, Dingle

As we walked back to the hotel, a storm was rolling onto the peninsula from the ocean.  After such a long, busy day, our beds at the Dingle Skellig welcomed us as the rain began to fall.

Dingle Skellig Hotel

Ireland with Kids is thrilled to be working with IrishTourism.com during our trip.  Our hotels and car rental were booked by IrishTourism.com and our itinerary was planned using their very thorough suggested itinerary guide.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Postcard from Ireland : May 17, 2013 appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

Enjoy the postcards from Day 1 and Day 2 before reading today’s installment.

We didn’t have anything officially planned for today, but we couldn’t leave Kilkenny without at least visiting Kilkenny Castle.  Tours within the castle seem to have changed since we last visited in 2008; we will have to return to view the beautiful rooms that only ticket holders can see.

As it was, we strolled the grounds, stopping at fun woodland spots- like this tree stump.

The rule was you could sit on top if you could get there yourself…

This is a view of the castle from across the rear garden.

Kilkenny Castle

Just across from the castle, housed in what were the stables, is the Kilkenny Design Centre.  Filled with shops and restaurants, it’s a perfect place to satisfy your need for souvenirs, gifts and sweets!

Beautiful pieces by the Irish Handmade Glass Company

Sweet treats at the Kilkenny Design Centre

I’m just going to say that it was a good thing we grabbed a snack before heading to Dingle, because the drive was longer than I thought it would be.  I really only thought it would take 2 1/2, maybe 3, hours.  It took us over 4 hours.  Poor planning on my part.  

We had some excitement along the narrow, winding N72 as the rain moved through in waves, some a bit heavy.  But the sun was out to greet us as we crossed onto the Dingle Peninsula.

We celebrated with a stop at Inch beach to search for shells before arriving at the lovely Dingle Skellig Hotel.  With a room overlooking Dingle Bay and a welcoming pub to nourish our hungry bodies, we settled into our room for the night.

Ireland with Kids is thrilled to be working with IrishTourism.com during our trip.  Our hotels and car rental were booked by IrishTourism.com and our itinerary was planned using their very thorough suggested itinerary guide.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Postcard from Ireland : May 16, 2013 appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

The beauty and serenity you see in this photo make it easy to understand why St. Kevin chose Glendalough for his monastic settlement.

Many thanks to Bob & Jean for this stunning photograph.  Be sure to read more about their visit to Glendalough and view more of their incredible images.  Bob and Jean are both award winning photographers, so I’m sure you’ll want to dig a bit deeper into their site!

Do you have a photo or story from Ireland?  I would love to share it!

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Serene, Beautiful Glendalough appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

You can read the postcard from Day 1 here.

Attempting to get us on “Ireland time”, I woke my sleepy girls at 9am for breakfast at the Hotel Kilkenny, which was included with our stay.  The cold buffet was enough for the girls, while my cousin & I enjoyed the Full Irish Breakfast, which kept us going until nearly 6pm!

After eating, we were off…  to visit the nearby Nicholas Mosse Pottery Studio.  I first took notice of Nicholas Mosse pottery during our stay last year and knew the studio & store would be on our itinerary as it is just south of Kilkenny.  While I did buy a little something for myself (and a gift or my Grandmother), I managed to keep myself from buying a couple of showstopping pieces- which I know my husband is very thankful for (at €550 each I would have had some explaining to do- but aren’t they amazing?)

Nicholas Mosse Rock of Cashel Hand painted serving dish

Nicholas Mosse Bridge Over River Nore Handpainted Plate

Then we headed down the road to a site that has only been open to the public for 2 years- Jerpoint Park; the lost town.  The story of the lost town of Newtown Jerpoint is amazing, but before you even get to the tour,  join Maeve and Joe  in their home for tea and scones- and some of the fascinating history of the house and land.

Scone with Jam and Cream

All tours of Jerpoint Park are lead by Joe- it is really the only way to really “see” the history of the town.  It’s an incredibly informative tour that takes you across acres of land and hundreds of years.  

Church of St. Nicholas, Jerpoint Park, Kilkenny

Of course, many come to “see” the burial place of St. Nicholas…  Which is a pretty amazing story in itself…

Final resting place of St. Nicholas of Myra at Jerpoint Park, Kilkenny

After spending more time than we planned at Jerpoint Park , we hopped onto the M9 to Waterford for a tour of the Medieval Museum and the Bishop’s House.

Enter the Medieval Museum through the tower. The museum was built around it. very cool.

It’s just not a medieval museum without a few heads on pikes….

We had to cut our museum viewing short so we could rush next door and catch the last tour at the Bishop’s Palace.  With the costumed actors (the housekeeper and butler) sharing stories- and a lovely ghost popping in every now and then- the tour kept the girls entertained and engaged.  Very fun!

You get the best tales of the great houses from the staff.

Of course, we couldn’t be so close to Waterford Crystal (right across the street) and not stop in for a few minutes.

Isn’t this stunning? It is carved all around the vase, giving a multi-dimensional quality.

Our busy day ended with a tour of some of the stunning vistas of County Kilkenny from Joe at Jerpoint Park.  I was especially taken by this cross at the 13th century Duiske Abbey (founded by William Marshall in 1204).  The words carved below are in Irish.

Celtic Cross at Duiske Abbey

Until tomorrow!

Ireland with Kids is thrilled to be working with IrishTourism.com during our trip.  Our hotels and car rental were booked by IrishTourism.com and our itinerary was planned using their very thorough suggested itinerary guide.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Postcard from Ireland: May 15, 2013 appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

Hello from Ireland!

We landed early this morning- about 6:30am!  After a quick clothing change and refresher in the bathroom at Dublin airport, we made our way through customs, grabbed our luggage and got our rental car.

Then we were off to Kildare- destination Irish National Stud and Japanese Garden.

After such a long flight it was lovely to just be out strolling the grounds.  The new foals were so much fun to see as they frolicked in the pastures.  And the girls LOVED the Japanese garden.  

Then we were off to County Wicklow and the Chocolate Garden.

We were lucky enough to visit on a day when the shop was hosting a hands-on workshop.  Not only did we learn about chocolate- and try loads of the tasty treat- but we also got to make our own chocolate bears to take home.  Bonus: we can re-use the molds at home!

The Chocolate Garden of Ireland also owns Tipperary Ice Cream and they hand-make their gourmet flavors on site.  I tried the Irish Cream and Brown Bread flavor.  So yummy!

Sugared up, we began our trek to Kilkenny and rest.  But a wrong turn- and it’s correction- took us past the Ring of Rath Hill Top Fort…  and we had to stop to explore.  I’m so glad we did- it was amazing!  An outer ring of raised earth was followed by a higher ring of earth and stone, followed by an inner ring of stone.  And, in the very center, a tiny ring, maybe a foot in circumference.  Amazing.  

And then, it was on to the Hotel Kilkenny.  After leaving the US approximately 18 hours before we were, as our server put it, wrecked.  We enjoyed dinner in the PURE Bar on property- a lovely Asian fusion- and now it’s time to collapse in bed (after showers to wash off the travel).

Slán!

Ireland with Kids is thrilled to be working with IrishTourism.com during our trip.  Our hotels and car rental were booked by IrishTourism.com and our itinerary was planned using their very thorough suggested itinerary guide.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Postcard from Ireland: May 14, 2013 appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.

Here’s a great way to learn some more about some familiar Irish legends and discover some new ones – and it’s absolutely free, no strings attached.

© 2013, Jody Halsted. All rights reserved.

The post Ireland: A Gathering of Stories Free eBook appeared first on Ireland With Kids - Tips to Help You Plan Your Ireland Family Vacation.