The South West of Ireland and Shannon region dramatic coastlines and beautiful lakes. There is so much to see and do with the family. This includes breathtaking walks, fun packed city breaks, gourmet delights, exhilarating water sports and popular festivals which will delight all of the family. For family events this week and things to see do with the kids in the Southwest and Shannon look at our what is on for kids this week page and have a look at our what to do for free.
Cork has the beauty of the Beara and Mizen Head, the world famous Blarney Stone, Cobh’s Titanic centre and the exotic wildlife and fauna in Fota Island.
In Kerry the family will find an entrancing panorama of deep blue lakes, rugged coastline, subtropical fauna and wild mountainous landscapes. Kids will love the resident dolphin Fungi who is resident in Dingle Harbour and all of the family will enjoy the beautiful national parks, lakes and mountains with superb adventure and water-based activities.
In the Shannon region in Clare you will find famous attractions like the Burren, the Allwee caves, the Bunratty Folk Park and the Cliffs of Moher. Clare also offers glorious golf and surfing and scuba-diving on the blue flag beaches.
Limerick has a superb shopping, festivals and pretty villages like Adare.
When
The southwest and Shannon region is great to visit all year round but is probably best between April and October when the weather is better. Ireland has a wealth of major festivals and events most of which have free activities suitable for families. Have a look at our Family Events section for forthcoming family friendly events and things to do with the kids.
Cork has the Jazz festival at the end of October which will entertain younger children even though this is generally perceived as an adult event. During August there are a number of Regattas in Cobh, Skull and Baltimore and Roscarberry also has a family festival also during the summer.
Kerry hosts the famous Rose of Tralee International Festival which is a five day party based around the personality-based event to choose the Rose of Tralee in July which is one of Ireland's premier family festivals. There are activities to appeal to all ages and tastes.
Claire hosts the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival which is probably more likely to be considered an adult event however there are other festivals in such as the Flea Nua in Ennis in May and the Willie Clancy Summer School in Milltown Malbay which is a series of concerts and workshops in traditional music and dance.
Limerick hosts the Riverfest in May which is a festival of music, arts, food and culture full of family events which is bound to entertain all of the family.
Saving money
Irelandvisitordiscounts is a fantastic free downloadable discount voucher for leading Irish cultural and heritage visitor attractions. You should download a form for each member of the family and bring this with you when you are travelling. Discounts include two for the price of one in leading tourist attractions, free admission at some attractions and between 10 and 20% off other attractions. This really could make a considerable saving for your family.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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