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This is the stuff that family photo albums are made of.
Remember all those rain-soaked day trips from your childhood? Can you still taste the sandy sandwiches, the salty chips and the melted ice-cream?
That’s because even very young children store memories of fun days gone by. Studies have shown that pre-schoolers are just beginning to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to what they recall and what they do not – so the stakes are high!
Here are five fun trips to enjoy as a family while they’re still young enough to take a nice long nap in the car on the way there…
1. The National Leprechaun Museum, Dublin
It’s not just for tourists you know. The National Leprechaun Museum is the first ever attraction dedicated entirely to Irish mythology, opening up a fun and magical world full of fascinating folklore and enchanting stories. Not only will these tall tales captivate the kids, they’ll also take you on a voyage back to your childhood.
The multi-story Jervis Street Car Park is seconds away.
2. Fota Wildlife Park, Cork
With a brand new Sumatran tiger cub named Dharma (born in May to proud parents Dourga and Denar) and four adorable new cheetah cubs to fawn over, there’s never been so much to see at Cork’s stunning Fota Wildlife Park. Check the website before you visit and make a note of the daily feeding times for each animal – and don’t forget the camera!
Parking is available adjacent to Fota Wildlife Park’s main entrance and costs €3, with funds raised helping to maintain the nearby Fota House & Gardens.
3. Gallurus Orratory, Dingle
Who doesn’t have a family photo of themselves as a kid, confusedly standing in front of this bee-hive hut? The incredible little building is Gallarus Oratory on the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry. Built between the sixth and ninth centuries, little is known about its original use but it’s believed to have been a private church or a shelter for pilgrims. Kids love to jump in and out of the little door and marvel at the vaulted roof inside. These days you’ll find loos and a picnic area at the Visitor’s Centre nearby.
4. Brigit’s Garden, Galway
With four seasonal gardens, a nature trail and a giant, working sundial, Brigit’s Garden is the ideal place to slow down and enjoy the little things with your pre-schooler. Spot a dragonfly by the lochán or a butterfly on a clump of knapweed; hunt for ripening hazelnuts and blackberries and see what’s growing in the polytunnel. Later you can hit The Garden Café for your caffeine fix and a big slice of delicious homemade cake.
Check out upcoming events here.
5. The National Museum of Ireland (of The Dead Zoo), Merrion St. Dublin
Not nearly as creepy as it sounds, the so-called Dead Zoo at the National Museum of Ireland offers a truly jaw-dropping chance to get up close and personal with a menagerie of amazing animals. The building is a ‘cabinet-style’ museum, where you can peer through the glass at the entire zoological collection and stand beneath giant Irish deer skeletons (one has an antler span of 3.5 metres!).
On the upper floor you’ll find an elephant, polar bear, lions, an array of monkeys, apes and lemurs as well as Spoticus the giraffe and a 20 metre-long whale skeleton suspended from the roof. Jaw-dropping.
Parking is available on nearby Dawson St., Dublin.
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