Family fun!

Our top five great western destinations for all the family to enjoy

 Playground in a forest

Not only known for its incredible landscape, spectacular views, and abundant wildlife, Lough Key Forest and Activity Park in Boyle, Co Roscommon also has an extensive range of activities for all age groups and interests.

Enjoy the scenic nature walks, hire a boat, and experience Lough Key, or go on a guided history tour. Or why not try the thrilling 900m zipline, hire bikes for the Lough Key to Boyle Cycleway, and enjoy the ‘Lough Key Experience’, which includes the Tree Canopy Walk with newly refurbished side tunnels? Fun for all the family! Admission prices vary depending on the activity and group. If €20 or more is spent on admissions for the attractions or restaurants, then parking is free.

Some experiences are not running due to Covid-19, so check with the Park beforehand. Visit loughkey.ie

 Going underground

The Aillwee Cave, in the mystical Burren area of Co Clare, is one of the most fascinating areas in all of Ireland. Your underground tour consists of a 35-minute guided walk through 1km of beautiful caverns, over bridged chasms, under unusual rock formations and ending beside the thunderous waterfall, which sometimes gently sprays visitors! Kids can marvel at the frozen waterfall and explore the now extinct brown bears bones in their hibernation chambers. Take a walk along the Aillwee Burren hillside, with panoramic views of Galway Bay and the Wild Atlantic Way. Afterwards, watch the flying demonstration of the largest display of eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, and vultures in the country at the Burren Birds of Prey Centre. Or book the separate hour-long Hawk Walk with an experienced falconer. This is a family day out with a difference!

Open seven days a week from 10am - 6pm. All visits must be pre-booked on aillweecave.ie  Go wild!

Spend some time with the animals at Fota Wildlife Park in Co Cork, one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions. One of the most progressive wildlife parks, it has over 90 species from five continents, with many of the species free to roam the park. With thousands of incredible animals including lions, cheetahs, lemurs, and even spider monkeys, every member of the family can enjoy seeing the animals roaming through their habitat. Especially the three young cheetah cubs who were born during the lockdown! But there are also fun play areas around the Park and Wild Experiences too. Find out what happens inside the giraffe house, or how the Cheetah Run works on a tour that offers a look at the Park’s conservation and breeding programmes. Tickets are €16.90 for an adult, €12.50 for students and seniors, €11.50 for children under 16, and under 3s are free. Parking is adjacent to the Park and costs €3 which goes towards the upkeep of Fota House and Gardens. See fotawildlife.ie

 Shiver me timbers

Have your own pirate adventure in the adventure park themed after the Pirate Queen of Connacht, Grace O’Malley! The Pirate Adventure Park in Westport, Co Mayo provides the full pirate experience without the need to travel the seas. Rides include the Cannonball Run slide, Pirate Queen Swinging Ship and Pirates Plunge Flume Ride. You can also explore the great outdoors in the beautiful parkland and lakeside setting: take a Swan Pedalo Boat out on the lake or take a ride on the Westport House

Compliments of the west

We look at the incredible attractions and things to do in the west for families that are completely free-of-charge!

Glencar Waterfall

Explore lovely Leitrim with a visit to Glencar Waterfall. The spectacular waterfall which inspired WB Yeats to write his famous poem, The Stolen Child, is awe-inspiring. Watch from one of the viewing platforms as a cascade of water rushes down the 50ft waterfall. This waterfall can create incredible photos so don’t forget to bring your camera!

Visit leitrimtourism.com

The Beara Way

Explore Cork and Kerry on the bracing 206km loop of the Beara Peninsula. Beginning and ending in Glengarriff, this nine-day walk takes you past stunning coastal scenery and rugged mountain

Express miniature railway. This is a treasure trove of family fun!

Westport House (the historic house itself) is currently closed to the public due to restoration works. You are encouraged to prebook to secure your preferred date and avoid disappointment as there is reduced capacity.

Visit westporthouse.ie

 A secret garden

Go on a magical journey into the heart of Celtic heritage and mythology, to the award-winning Brigit’s Garden.

Located close to Oughterard and approximately a 25-minute drive from Galway City, the 11 acres of native woodland and wildflower meadows are dedicated to the goddess Brigit. The gardens aim to preserve the natural environment. Visitors can enjoy the nature trail, thatched roundhouse and crannog, and the calendar sundial, the largest in Ireland. The kids can enjoy the discovery trail, a natural playground, an ancient ring fort (fairy fort), and lots of opportunities to explore the gardens. Working as a team, families can navigate the Garden solving science-based challenges on the ‘Earth Quest’ too! This will not only keep the kids happy, but also help them feel at one with nature.

Visit brigitsgarden.ie

The scent of lavender will fill your senses as you make your way through the twists and turns! Visit heritageireland.ie landscapes with village life dotted in-between. Dolphins and whales are regular visitors along the coast too. This can be a relatively strenuous trail and may not be suitable for younger children, but it is a walker’s dream!

Visit sportireland.ie

Portumna Castle and Gardens

Portumna Castle in Co Galway, built close to 400 years ago by the de Burgo (Burke) family, is one of the very few remaining semi-fortified Jacobean Manor Houses in Ireland. The castle and demesne sit on the shores of Lough Derg and are perfect for those interested in both Irish architecture and the site’s lengthy history. The Castle has formal, geometrically laid gardens to the north, and the grounds include the Willow Maze which incorporates several different willow varieties, with a central path lined with fruit trees.

The Model

Based in Rathquarter, Co Sligo, the Model is one of the leading contemporary arts centres in the west. This year, they are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ireland’s foremost artist Jack Butler Yeats with a special exhibition of neverbefore-seen works. The ‘Salt Water Ballads’ exhibition has 21 newly conserved, sea-themed watercolours, as well as Yeats’ own collection of model boats. One of the major highlights of this exhibition is the presentation of ‘Theodore, the Pirate’, which children will especially love. Visit themodel.ie

Images courtesy of Fáilte Ireland