Go With Kids.Com

Have kids will travel


Home

Europe
Fairytail Finland
Christmas Finland
Heart of Ireland
Czech Republic
Saxony
Prague
Greek Delights
Disneyland Paris
Budapest
Austria
Legoland - Denmark
Holland
Brittany
Italy

Uk
Heart of England
Shakespeare Country
County Fermangagh
Cornwall
Kent
Leicestershire
Wales

North America
Miami
Kansas
Oklahoma

North Africa
Morocco


The Undiscovered Heartland of Ireland


Freelander in IrelandWhat better way to discover Ireland than by cruising through the rich abundance of lakes, canals and rivers, including the Shannon, Barrow, Grand and Royal Canal and the Erne. This kind of holiday is suitable for everyone, young and old, and cruising offers something fun and different in beautiful surroundings. You can even hire bicycles to take aboard your cruiser, which gives you and the kids the option to stop and explore the many interesting towns, friendly villages and places of interest along the route.

The Shannon-Erne Waterway links the majestic expanse of Upper and Lower Lough Erne in Northern Ireland to the mighty Shannon River in the Republic of Ireland, creating Europe's longest navigable leisure waterway (750 km). There are many different types of craft available and all are fully equipped with central heating, hot and cold water supply, shower, gas cooker, electricity, flush toilet, refrigerator, all bedding, kitchen-ware etc. Even a rowing dinghy is provided at no extra cost if required, which is useful for exploring and picnicking on islands in shallow water.

Freelander with Charlie ChaplinWe divided our vacation between cruising on the Shannon through the county of Roscommon, and visiting many attractions in the western county of Mayo. These unspoiled counties are lavished with a mixture of natural beauty and family attractions, offering families with children of all ages many options. Most kids enjoy water (either being on it or in it!) and hiring a cruiser on the Shannon will keep them happy and content. They can fish, swim, navigate, assist with the locks, explore river banks and islands, or just wave at other cruisers passing by. Personally, I found the whole experience to be very relaxing, probably because everything involved in managing the cruiser is done at a slow pace. It seems the whole nature of cruising is geared towards having fun without the usual pressures of keeping the kids content. The cruisers are easily manageable, comfortable and clean. Everything is provided, including navigation maps and instruction on how to handle the boat, and there are plenty of villages and small towns along the waterway with excellent places to eat and shops to get provisions.

We began our cruise from the Shannon-Erne Waterways Holidays marina in Knockvicar and cruised south to Lough Ree. Our first overnight stop was in the beautiful town of Carrick on Shannon, where we found useful tourist information from the Tourist Office close to the moorings, good shops to get provisions and an excellent place to eat in the ‘Ferrari’ room at the Landmark Hotel. After a comfortable night on board we continued our journey south at a leisurely pace, the children successfully catching fish along the way and stopping occasionally to cycle and explore places of interest. We cruised to the village of Dromod and found another excellent place to eat at the Brandywell Inn, then on to Lanesborough at the head of Lough Ree. We spent some fun time exploring the lough and visiting the Hodson Bay Water Sports Centre where we were taught the intricate skills of boat handling, before turning back to head north to our start point. It is possible to cruise one way and arrange to be collected and returned to the start point if required.


After spending a relaxing week on our cruiser we then took to four wheels and set off to explore County Mayo, located on the spectacular Atlantic west coast. The county has three main towns, Castlebar, Westport and Ballina, each of which have plenty to offer for families. Smaller towns and little villages are scattered throughout the county and almost all have small hotels or the traditional B&Bs where visitors are welcomed into family homes.

Mayo has a wonderfully varied landscape. A long coastline features superb safe beaches and all the drama of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Romantic islands include Clare Island, long the home of Grace OMalley, the pirate queen, Inishturk and Achill, Irelands largest island, joined to the mainland by a bridge. Mayo’s 10 Blue Flag beaches are guaranteed clean, safe, sandy and easy to access. Water sports are widely available with particularly good surfing and diving conditions. In addition, dotted along the coastline are a number of adventure centres, all of which cater for families.

In Castlebar we visited the Mayo Leisure Point, Ireland’s largest indoor play complex and the nearby Museum of Country Life, which houses a broad range of objects drawn from the national folklife collection. They run a series of interesting kids programmes throughout the year. The coastal town of Westport has many family attractions, including Westport House, five leisure centres and the excellent Westport Woods Hotel that specialises in family holidays. Ballina is renowned for its fishing, but the town also has good family facilities such as: Waterpoint, an all-weather water leisure centre, and Tumble Jumble – Ireland’s largest indoor play centre. The Downhill Hotel is an ideal place to stay and has excellent family facilities.

The pretty village of Leenane, located in the north of County Galway in Connemara, is also worth visiting to take the kids on a 90 minute catamaran trip along Killary Fjord. The Connemara Lady is comfortable with good, safe viewing points and catering facilities. Nearby is the Killary Adventure Centre where the whole family can enjoy a good day of fun and activity.


USEFUL CONTACT INFORMATION

Further information about the areas, attractions and accommodation mentioned in this feature will be found on the following websites:

www.irelandwest.ie
www.visitroscommon.ie
www.visitmayo.com
www.ballina.ie

Shannon-Erne Waterways Holidays
Knockvicar, Boyle
Co. Roscommon
www.sew-holidays.com

Lough Key Boat Tours
Boyle
Co Roscommon
Web: www.loughkeyboats.com

Glendeer Pet Farm (with 4 star self catering accommodation)
Athlone
Co Roscommon
Web: www.glendeer.com

Tumble Jumble
Tumble Jungle is a state of the art indoor playcentre. At 13500 sq ft, it is the largest in the country. With a stylishly designed cafeteria adults can relax and take "time out" while their child is busy at play.
www.tumblejumble.ie

Mayo Leisure Point
www.mayoleisurepoint.ie

Lough Ree Power Boat School and Hodson Bay Watersports
www.hodsonbay.com

Connemary Lady catamaran – Killary Fjord
www.killarycruises.com

Killary Adventure Centre
www.killary.com


Recommended Accommodation and Places to Eat:

The Westport Woods Hotel and Leisure Centre
This hotel is part of the Brian McEniff group which has many family-friendly hotels in Ireland. McEniff Hotels take the needs of families very seriously and have designed a series of children’s programmes to keep the kids entertained. They cater for children of all ages from babies (supervised by a fully qualified nurse) to teenagers with their Kiddies Organisers at the K.O. Club. This hotel has spacious family rooms, excellent leisure facilities and children’s menus.
www.westportwoodshotel.com
www.mceniffhotels.com


Downhill House Hotel & Eagles Leisure Club
Excellent family run hotel that genuinely caters for families. They have good leisure facilities with 2 swimming pools, games room, family rooms and children’s menus.
www.downhillhotel.ie


Downhill Inn
Comfortable, 3 star hotel with good facilities for families. Guests can use the leisure facilities at Downhill House Hotel by arrangement.
www.downhillinn.com


Hodson Bay Hotel
Located on the shores of Lough Ree, this hotel is an ideal place for families to stay. Leisure Centre facilities include a swimming pool, supervised children’s playroom, and a well organised summer fun camp for kids.
www.hodsonbayhotel.com


Lough Lannagh Holiday Village
Located in its own private grounds on the shores of Lough Lannagh, the village has an excellent choice of family rooms and self-catering holiday houses. Facilities on the site include tennis, games room and organised children’s activities in July & August.
www.loughlannagh.ie


Abbey Hotel, Roscommon
The Abbey Hotel, is a charming 18th Century Manor House Hotel, set idyllically in it's own private grounds and gardens. It has a new leisure centre and good facilities for families.
www.abbeyhotel.ie


The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon
Overlooking the River Shannon and it’s Marinas, this hotel is an ideal place to stay and eat for families. It offers a modern blend of ambience with classic bars and restaurants, including the fascinating Ferrari Room.
www.thelandmarkhotel.com


The Brandywell Inn, Dromod
www.brandywell.com


Ferry Travel to Ireland

Stena Line
www.stenaline.co.uk

I would recommend the Stena Line High Speed Service (HSS), which is comfortable, fast and efficient. The on-board facilities for kids are excellent, with videos, play area and catering, this is an ideal way to travel to Ireland.

 

 

 

email: info@gowithkids.com