Peace and tranquillity are synonymous with the Dingle Peninsula. Life moves at an unhurried pace in this Gaeltacht area full of culture and heritage.
Uncover North Kerry and feel at home amongst the people, as every visitor has a special role to play – all you have to do is cheer, laugh, whistle and tap your feet in keeping with the tune to the heart of rural Ireland’s beat.
For more information on Dingle and North Kerry, visit www.discoverireland.ie/kerry.
Dingle
The Blasket Centre
This is an interpretative museum looking at the unique community who once lived on the Great Blasket Island in Dingle until their evacuation in 1953. The museum details the fishermen and farmers, their traditional way of life and the extraordinary amount of literature they left behind. Their story is told using a variety of means – exhibitons, interactive displays, artefacts, audio visual presentations and artworks. View the flora and fauna of the islands and surrounding sea. The Great Blasket Centre is the perfect stop for the family at the halfway point of the Slea Head Drive.
Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium
A trip to Dingle would not be complete without a visit to Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium in Farrannakilla, Ireland’s largest aquarium. View the incredible Amazonian Display and come face to face with sand tiger sharks – the most feared creatures of the sea. Explore the Antarctic Gentoo Penguins and historic explorer, Tom Crean, at the new Polar Penguin Exhibition. Get hands-on in the Touch Tank as you hold starfish and stroke friendly rays. Ticket prices are discounted online.
Louis Mulcahy Pottery & Visitor Centre
In the extensive showroom at Louis Mulcahy’s studio in Clogher, find the full range along with eccentricities, prototypes and other experimental pieces peculiar to the workshop. Also, there is a dedicated area to experience the craft in workshops – perfect for the family. Their workshop in Clothar has an open room for you to tour the place or try your skill on the potter’s wheel. The shop is open every day, all year. Take a break from the workshop with some locally produced food in the café – all served on their handmade pottery!
Go Dolphin Watching
A great idea for a family day out in Dingle is to go on one of the boat trips that run from Dingle Harbour all year on a mission to see Dingle’s most famous resident – Fungie the dolphin! The friendly bottlenose dolphin enjoys swimming playfully alongside the boats in the harbour. During the summer months there are other ways to see Fungie, including swimming, kayaking, diving, SUP boarding and more.
Dingle Famine Cottages and Sheep Dog Trials
In Slea Head, these Famine Cottages are well worth a visit. Due to its remotenss and poverty West Kerry was one of the regions that suffered greatly during the Great Famine. The cottage has been really well preserved and stepping inside the house gives you the impression of stepping back in time, giving a true insight into how the local people had to live in during famine times. Today, the cottages house working sheepdog performances, by appointment only. The famine cottages are open from April 1st to October 31st.
North Kerry
Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre
The new Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre is a nature and activity attraction including the activity lake where pedal boats, canoes and rowing boats are available for hire. The diversity of the Tralee Bay ecosystem is explained through interactive displays, audio-visual and hands-on activities including a guided tour, 10-minute safari boat trip through the freshwater wetlands and with panoramic views of Tralee Bay through the 20-metre high viewing tower, providing a welcome break for the family.
Crag Cave
Located in Castleisland, Co. Kerry, Crag Cave is renowned as one of the finest examples of a limestone cave in Ireland with incredible examples of stalagmites, stalactites, and underground water channels to be seen. The cave was discovered in 1983 and is thought to be over 1 million years old! Crag Cave is also home to Crazy Cave, a three tiered indoor adventure centre suitable for children complete with a mega astra slide, cannon guns, a soccer pitch, spiral slides and separate areas for babies and under 5’s. The visitor centre also has the Garden Restaurant and a Gift Shop.
The Lartigue Monorail
The original steam-powered monorail was the world’s first true passenger monorail, transporting passengers, livestock and freight for nine miles between Listowel and Ballybunion from 1886 to 1924. Nowadays, you can take a journey on a full-scale replica of the original monorail and observe its unique features as well as models, displays, memorabilia and a film of the original Lartigue.
Kerry County Museum
Each object in Kerry County Museum, located in the Ashe Memorial Hall in Tralee, tells its own story of Kerry’s fascinating past. Their artefacts include a beautiful sunflower pin worn by the fashion conscious in the Bronze Age and duelling pistols used by the Liberator, Daniel O’Connell, in the early 19th Century. The award-winning Antarctica Exhibition depicts the many colourful characters including the heroic Annascaul man, Tom Crean’s Antarctic journey. Make sure to check out their Medieval Experience, where you can stroll through the streets of 1450 Tralee. There is an interactive trail throughout the museum for kids to follow and they run regular activities and events.
Tralee Aqua Dome
The Aqua Dome is the largest waterworld in the west of Ireland. A haven of tranquillity can be found in the adult-only health suite. Test your putting skills on the 18-hole miniature golf course and many other activities. In the summer season the Aqua Dome offers a home baking café, smoothies, hot chocolate and ice-cream, making it a great fun filled paradise for all the family.
For further information on things to do, where to stay and special offers in Dingle and North Kerry, visit www.discoverireland.ie/kerry.
If you have any other family fun ideas or events for Kerry please leave a comment below.
About the Author: Jill Holtz
