6 days in Ireland Father and Son
Replies: 14 - Last Post: Oct 30, 2012 7:34 AM Last Post By: IanAndDad
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6 days in Ireland Father and Son
Greetings.My 10 year old son and I will be in Ireland for 6 days in November. We have already booked a car and lodging. We will stay one night near Brú na Bóinne, one night in Limerick, 3 nights in Oranmore, near Galway, and 1 night in Dublin.
We would like to see places like Newgrange, Rock of Cashel, Dingle peninsula, Connemara, Kylemore abbey, Cliffs of Moher, and various other places that my son finds interesting.
Also, he would like to hit the links for a bit of pitch and putt near Galway.
He is interested in some good fish and chips and good desserts. I have an affinity for Irish stew and other typical bills of fare.
Does this sound too ambitious for this amount of time?
Any reccommendations on the fish and chips in the areas that we will be visiting.
Any recomendations on additional "must see" sites?
Thank you for your help.
1
Thank you very much.The Dingle peninsula is more of a Dad wish than the sons.
Limerick was just a convenient way-point after a long day of sight seeing (to include Cashel) on the way from Meath.
I can very easily abandon the Limerick portion of our trip.
This is kind of a scouting trip for our next, and much longer, family trip to Ireland. So, the South and the West will certainly be at least a week of that trip.
Our main concentration is basically the corridor between Dublin and Galway. This is the first time that my son and I have ever gone anywhere just the 2 of us. I'm pretty sure that if he gets to golf, sleep in a castle, and get a full belly every day that he will have a memorable trip.
Thank you again for your input, it is greatly appreciated.
2
One more question about Galway.I read that the Quays restaurant in Galway has a roast turkey meal available.
We will be in Galway on our Thanksgiving and my son would probably enjoy that meal.
Are you familiar with this restaurant? And, it is a good place to go to?
Thanks again
4
We will be in Galway on our Thanksgiving and my son would probably enjoy that meal.
I've never been there but from its advertising it looks like the kind of place I would avoid like the plague. I see that it advertises itself first as a premier drinking establishment, then as music hall, and only finally as a restaurant, and looks from the pictures to have a noisy crowd. The menu looks rather ordinary to me, though it might be the kind of thing that people used to nothing fancy might appreciate. I would expect large portions rather than subtlety. The terms of one of their menus ("numbers must be confirmed 2 weeks ahead, €10 deposit per person") suggests they are expecting to cater to large groups, though I'm sure they'd serve you if they had space, as they doubtless will midweek in November.Also 10-yr-olds often value familiarity. Being American, he might find an Irish interpretation of a roast turkey meal disappointing just because it was different, even if objectively it was nicely done.
9
Thank you everyone for your input. We have added an additional day in Dublin and have taken Limerick out of play. We will try to fit Cashel into one of our day trips.Connemara is a definite must. As is Kylemore Abbey.
Donnelly's of Barna looks promising. Thank you for that tip!!
We are aware of the early darkness and have planned to get an early start each day and finish it off with a nice meal soon after it gets dark.
Any tips on ice cream or other stops like that to help the boy pass the time a bit more enjoyably?
Are there any local goodies that are a must try?
Thank you all again.
11
Just to add to your lists of activities for a great holiday. Going to the Aran Island by Ferry from Galway and see Dun Angus is another fun thing to do. Ballynahinch or Ashford both in Connemara are great castle like places to stay for a night. The Atlantaquaria in Salthill is also a great place to see what kind of species inhabit the Ocean.Turkey dinner should not be a problem since we are a few weeks before Christmas and most restaurants will offer some kind of Christmas dinner with turkey. McDonagh is another great Fish and Chips place, they have a restaurant but also take away. Griffins on Shop street is an old fashioned bakery. Ice creams might be more difficult to find.
Close to Dublin there might be a place a 10yr old would love to go, Butlers Chocolate Experience, have a look at the website! And on your way from Dublin to Galway near Athlone there is Clonmacnoise this is a monastic site and interesting to visit. You can find lots of interesting things to visit on the heritage Ireland website where it also shows opening times etc.
12
If you choose Aran Islands at this time of year allow flexibility. As with any of the offshore islands off Ireland these are liable to serious disruption in bad weather and it is easy to be marooned for a day or so. Fine unless you have a tight timetable.R
13
The Aran Islands in the winter is not where I would choose!14
Is The Atlantaquaria in Salthill the aquarium that was featured in the movie "The Guard" with Brendan Gleeson? If so, is that yellow pier near there? I understand that the film was set in Connemara, but I don't know how much was filmed there.
