Do you have kids who love history, culture, and art, and who love immersing themselves in these topics while traveling? Well, if you’ve ever considered visiting the Emerald Isle, then you’ll love this article. Discover right here, the top things to do with kids in Ireland who love culture and art, and start planning your trip today!
If you are looking for fun things to do in Ireland with kids who enjoy culture and art, then this list of some of the best art and cultural family days out Ireland has to offer families is all you need to help entertain the whole family. From historical sites to castles, museums, and galleries, there is something on this list for families with kids of all ages. Let’s look at the top 7 things to do with kids in Ireland.
This post is contributed by Cath, author of Travel Around Ireland, a blog dedicated to helping people plan their perfect trip to Ireland. Cath is an Irish ex-pat who returns to Ireland annually to visit family and explore the country with her own family, including her young son.
Top Things to do with Kids in Ireland
For families whose children enjoy culture and art, it can sometimes be difficult to include things they like when visiting new countries and cities. And while some historical sites can help, they don’t always want to be visiting old castles. In Ireland, there is plenty to see and do for cultural families.
Brú na Bóinne Valley Monuments, Meath
If you are visiting the Irish capital and looking for great Dublin day trips, then adding a visit to the Brú na Bóinne Valley Monuments in County Meath is a must. They are located approximately 55km north of Dublin City Centre, a journey of around an hour.
At Brú na Bóinne, there are three main Neolithic Passage Tombs and examples of smaller ones, located on the banks of the Boyne River. They are Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth. The Brú na Bóinne Valley tombs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can only be visited via a guided tour that departs from the Visitor Centre.
The most famous of these prehistoric passage tombs is Newgrange. Built around 3200 BC, this is the largest of the passage tombs and is considered one of the most important.
On and around the day of the winter solstice, the passage in the tomb at Newgrange is illuminated for a few minutes at sunrise. During the rest of the year, it would normally remain in darkness were it not for the electrical lights within the passage. Visitors can join a guided tour to enter the passage and see a re-enactment of the winter solstice illumination as part of the tour.
Knowth is also a large passage tomb that contains important examples of Neolithic art which tour guides explain to those who join the tours. Note that there is no entry into the passages of Knowth, of which there are two.
What makes the tombs and other prehistoric monuments so important is the rich concentration of Megalithic Art present at the sites. Two-thirds of the Megalithic Art in Western Europe is located here, most of it at Knowth.
If you are looking for interesting day trips from Dublin with kids, then a visit to Brú na Bóinne is a must.
Top Tip: Pre-book your tickets in advance as this is one of Ireland’s most popular tourist sites and tickets sell out fast.
Kilkenny Castle
One of the best things to do in Ireland with kids who love art and history is to visit some of the many castles around the country. There are many to choose from but one of the best is Kilkenny Castle.
Located in the town of the same name, Kilkenny Castle is a medieval castle built on the banks of the River Nore. Standing on the site of an original 12th century, the first stone castle was built in the 13th century and what we see today is a Victorian remodeling of the thirteenth-century defensive castle.
Visitors to the castle can tour the castle on a guided tour or self-guide themselves through the rooms and halls. Whether on a guided tour or not, visitors can move from each period room and admire the artwork, furniture, and rich decorations of each room.
And for the art lovers among you, each room has pieces of artwork to inspire the Picasso in you. From examples of 17th and 18th-century wallpapers to tapestries, portraits, and other paintings, Kilkenny Castle is rich in pieces of art. Make sure to spend time enjoying the paintings and their explanations in the red-walled Picture Gallery.
If you are looking for art-inspired family things to do in Ireland, head to Kilkenny Castle.
Dublin Museums and Galleries
When planning days out in Ireland as a family, the museums and galleries of Dublin are a great place to start. Dublin has many museums to suit all interests and two of the best art galleries in the country.
There are no less than three of the National Museums of Ireland located in Dublin. They are:
– Natural History Museum
– Museum of Archaeology
– Museum of Decorative Arts & History
For younger kids, the Natural History Museum, known locally as the Dead Zoo, is a great place to explore the animals of Ireland and beyond. There are even specimens of the antlers of the Giant Deer. Now extinct, they once roamed the island of Ireland.
For older kids and teenagers, the Museum of Archaeology is a great place to explore Ireland’s history and culture. With displays and artifacts spanning much of Ireland’s history including the Cashel Man (the body of a man found in a bog near Cashel and dating to the Iron Age), this is a great museum to discover the different ages across the island’s history.
For art lovers, the National Gallery, beside the Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham is where you should go.
And not forgetting the Chester Beatty Library, a must in Dublin and one of the best free things to do with kids in Dublin. This museum, located on the grounds of Dublin Castle, is home to a world-class collection of artistic, religious, and secular works of art and manuscripts from around the world.
Top Tip: You can save a lot of time, money, and hassle, and visit most of the famous attractions in Dublin and most importantly, almost all the museums and galleries you like with the Dublin Pass by Go City.
Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin
If you are visiting Ireland with kids who are older than 10 years of age, then consider paying a visit to Kilmainham Gaol. Located in the Kilmainham area of Dublin, approximately 4km from O’Connell Bridge, this former prison is now a museum.
Kilmainham Gaol was opened in 1796 as a ‘new’ jail to separate it from the ‘old’ jail it was to replace. It was intended to be better than the prison it was replacing but it proved to be anything but an improvement.
During the 1800s, although cells were designed for a single prisoner, up to five were often found in each, and there was no segregation of men, women, and children. Their only source of heat and light was a candle that was supposed to last two weeks. And with open, glassless windows lining the hallways, winter was a bleak time in the prison.
During the 1860s, the East Wing of the prison was opened and was designed so that prison officers could see the doors of each cell in the wing. This wing is the most recognizable part of Kilmainham Gaol and has been featured in films such as In the Name of the Father, and Paddington 2.
Kilmainham Gaol is famous for housing political prisoners after the 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish Civil War. Some of its most famous inmates included Padraig Pierce (the man who read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic during the 1916 Easter Rising), Joseph Plunkett, and Eamon de Valera (who went on to become the first President of Ireland.)
It was finally decommissioned in 1924 and was not reopened to the public, as a museum, until 1966.
Today, visitors to Dublin can tour the former prison as part of a guided tour during which your guide will take you through the maze that is Kilmainham Gaol, visiting the older parts and East Wing of the prison before leaving you at the museum where you can enjoy displays and exhibitions about Irish Nationalism.
Kilmainham Gaol is a huge part of Irish history and culture and is a must-visit in Dublin for families with older kids.
This private walking tour lets you explore the famous attractions in Kilmainham along with Kilmainham Goal Museum.
Irish National Heritage Park, Wexford
If you are looking for the best family attractions Ireland has to offer that can help you immerse yourself in Irish history and culture, then pay a visit to the Irish National Heritage Park in County Wexford.
This open-air museum is located less than two hours from the center of Dublin and is one of the best places to visit in Ireland with kids of all ages.
The museum brings visitors on a journey through Ireland’s history and culture from prehistoric times to medieval Ireland through recreated buildings and monuments. 16 reconstructed sites allow visitors to experience the sights and smells of Ireland for over 9000 years.
From Stone Age settlements to a crannóg, a Viking settlement with a longship, and even an Anglo-Norman fortification, Ireland’s extensive history is brought to life through these buildings and sometimes knowledgeable character actors as well.
There are points along the way to allow families to try their hand at things such as stone carvings, and gold panning and there is also a bird of prey center in the Norman fortification where you can meet some of the birds.
For truly immersive things to do with kids in Ireland, head to the Irish National Heritage Park.
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Clare
If you are looking for fun places to go in Ireland for families that combine history and culture and you are heading west, visit Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare, just a 20-minute’ drive from Limerick City.
At the site, visitors can discover 19th-century village life in Ireland through an open-air museum that has village buildings including farmhouses (the smell of peat fires is amazing in them), a bakery, a school, a tannery, printworks, and a post office.
At certain times of the year, you will find character actors wandering the ‘village, who are more than happy to stop and answer any questions you may have. There is also a small farm, fairy trail, and walled gardens to visit.
And of course, not forgetting Bunratty Castle itself, a 16th-century medieval tower house in which you can see examples of medieval furniture and tapestries from the time the castle was the home of the McNamara and O’Brien chieftains.
And if you are staying locally, book your family a place at one of the daily Medieval Banquets held in the castle. You will dine on traditional medieval food and drink honey mead (the adults, not the kids) while being entertained by music, dancing, and laughter. It is a unique experience to enjoy in Ireland. Note it is not suitable for children under the age of 4.
If you are looking for memorable family attractions in Ireland, head to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.
Top Tip: Pre-book your admission ticket to skip the line at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park to save time and hassle!
Clonmacnoise and the Rock of Cashel, Offaly, and Tipperary
If you are wondering what to do in Ireland with kids that are interested in symbols of Ireland, then visiting places such as Clonmacnoise in County Offaly and the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary should be top of the list. At both sites, you will find excellent examples of High Crosses, important Gaelic Irish symbols where Christianity is concerned.
At Clonmacnoise, a 6th-century monastery on the banks of the River Shannon, not far from Athlone, you will find no less than three High Crosses with intricate carvings in the stone.
Originally the crosses were located outside the monastery grounds, but the OPW of Ireland decided to house them indoors in the Visitor Centre to protect them from damage, both human and weather. In their places outside stand replicas of them.
The site is an important religious and historical site in Ireland and was once the center for religious learning in Europe in the 9th century. Visitors can see the crosses and discover more about the carvings in the Visitor Centre before going out to the monastery grounds where there are two Round Towers, nine ruined chapels, and a castle.
The Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary is one of the most popular attractions in Ireland. Situated on a rocky hill at the site of the former traditional seat of the Kings of Munster, this ruined Abbey also has examples of High Crosses in the graveyard that surrounds the abbey.
The Abbey is a 13th-century cathedral that is roofless and a fascinating place to visit. At the site, you will also find a Round Tower, Cormac’s Chapel (which can only be visited by guided tour), and many examples of Celtic art and medieval architecture.
Most of the buildings at the Rock of Cashel date from the 12th and 13th centuries and the examples of High Crosses make it an important historical site in Ireland to visit.
Conclusion: Best Things to do with Kids in Ireland Who Love Art, Culture, & History
If you are looking for the best days out Ireland has to offer families with an interest in history, art, and culture, then this list of seven sites is sure to have you planning an amazing visit to the Emerald Isle.
From medieval castles to open-air museums and Neolithic monuments, there is something here for families with children of all ages.
Save the Guide to the Best Things to do in Ireland with Kids
The post 7 Top Things to Do With Kids in Ireland Who Love Culture and Art appeared first on Travel Melodies.
