Another 6 Day-Trips Near Dublin

I made a list. I had to. Otherwise the summer would slip by in a blur of rain and groceries and the occasional overcast barbecue, and suddenly it would be September 1st. If we were going to do some day trips, I’d need a list. So I wrote down some of last year’s most successful outings, and some new ones to try this year, and stuck it on the calendar. And like last year, it worked – the list made us get out there and do it. Here’s how we got on:

(to see how we got on last year in Clara Lara, Kilruddery House and Gardens, Tayto Park, Glendalough, and Rathbeggan Lakes, click here: Five day trips near Dublin)

1. Wells House and Gardens

Wells House and Gardens is in Wexford, so not necessarily somewhere to go on a last minute whim, but it only took an hour and twenty minutes. What stood out first and foremost was the price – you pay by car and it’s just €8. So the pressure was off immediately – even if it rained (as it had done during the drive down) we’d get ourselves coffee and cake in the tea room and not feel too hard done by. As it turned out, the sun shone for the whole afternoon, and we got to do a lot more than cake. First up was the fairy-door dotted Lady Frances Walk – a wander through the forest, with stop-offs to check out wood carved animals, a wishing well and a Gruffalo. We saw real fairies too – we’re sure of it.

Wells House Office Mum

We had lunch on the terrace – the food was very good and very reasonable – then some time at the playground, then we tried archery. We didn’t leave ourselves enough time to check out the animals, but it’s an excuse to go back another time. We finished the day by picking  up some strawberries on the road home. When in Wexford…

Strawberries - Office Mum

First reaction from the kids: What do you mean Wexford is not in Dublin?

Final verdict from the kids: This is the best place ever – when can we come back? And can I do archery lessons?

Cost: €8 per car

What we loved: Everything! The Lady Frances Walk, the fairy doors, the Gruffalo, the wishing well, the playground, the archery, the food, the price, and the real fairies*.

(*may have been midges)

The bad bits: Nothing. It was a perfect day trip and we’ll definitely do it again.

 

2. Powerscourt Waterfall

We put Powerscourt Waterfall on the list because it’s not too far away and we hadn’t been in years, but it’s safe to say the kids were bemused when we said where we were going. “So, like, it’s a waterfall? And what else is there?” they asked. Undeterred, we packed a picnic and bundled them into the car on a warm but overcast Sunday afternoon in June.

Powerscourt Waterfall Office Mum

The waterfall is breathtaking to look at, and wonderful for climbing – the kids clambered over the rocks, exploring and jumping and being brave. There’s loads of space for picnics, and lots of people bring their own barbecues. Once the kids had eaten the treats and I’d had all I could take of the mosquitoes, we decamped to the very good playground for part two.

Powerscourt Waterfall - Office Mum

First reaction from the kids: So, is there anything except a waterfall there?

Final verdict from the kids: The waterfall was good but the playground was great!

Cost: We paid €16 for five of us

What we loved: Climbing on rocks, having adventures, being brave.

The bad bits: The mosquitos.

 

3. Djouce Woods

We attempted to go to Glendalough one sunny day in early summertime, as did so many hundreds of other people, that the police were turning cars back on the last leg of the journey. We didn’t want to go home, so put Djouce Woods into Sat Nav, and made our way there.

picnic Djouce woods office mum

 

We found a clearing for our picnic, then went exploring. It struck me that the kids are unused to being anywhere that’s completely natural – no ice cream vans, no playgrounds, no sweet shops. They climbed over logs, took in the views, and complained about mud. We may need to work on their outdoorsieness. The kids liked it, the grown-ups loved it.

Djouce woods Office Mum

First reaction from the kids: But what can you actually do here?

Final verdict from the kids: I liked it but it just has too many flies and too much mud.

Cost: Free

What we loved: Peace and quiet, that forest feeling.

The bad bits: The kids moaning…

 

4. Killiney Hill

I’m not sure travelling 5km earns the name “day trip” but this is one of our favourite spots, and it has everything, starting with a relatively easy walk that nevertheless makes the kids feel like they’re doing a proper trek:

walking up

a stop to look at the sea as you near the top

sea view killiney hill

and fantastic views of Dublin once you get there

view killiney hill

There’s also loads of parking, a playground, a coffee-shop, and loads of space for running and climbing. And an obelisk, perfect for kids who want to run around and around and around.

killiney obelsk

 

First reaction from the kids: Yay! Can we go to the playground after?

Final verdict from the kids: That was great, now can we go to the playground?

Cost: Free

What we loved: The exploring, the rock clambering, the undergrowth roaming, the running, and most of all, the view.

The bad bits: Nothing. This is truly one of my favourite spots in the world.

 

5. Howth

We’ve been promising the kids for a long time that we’d take them all the way over to the land that they can see from Dun Laoghaire – to them it’s like another country in the hazy distance, and the fact that it’s still Dublin was completely irrelevant when we set off on our journey one warm Sunday afternoon. When we got there, weren’t sure where we were going, so we wandered down the West Pier and let the kids explore on the rocks, looking out to sea. It was picture postcard pretty despite the hazy sky, and there was a sense of having landed in a fishing village in the middle of nowhere, as we gazed back at faraway Dun Laoghaire.

Howth - Office Mum

 

We walked back down from the sea, peeking in at each of the many seafood restaurants to see which might suit. All the outdoor seats were taken, so we decided to get Burdock’s Fish and Chips and eat sitting on a blanket. As we sat on the green, staring off the seagulls (seriously, there’s a Hitchcock movie in the current Seagull situation in Dublin) a train pulled up, and in true holiday spirit, we jumped on. It took us up to nearby Howth Castle, then back down to the town. It was a relatively short journey and it was difficult to hear the driver over the crackly speaker system but hey, kids and trains – it was worth it. We checked out a second-hand book-sale in the old court-house, then walked down to the market for a browse around stalls of jewellery, wood carvings, pastries and cup cakes. Fully in holiday mode now, we got ice-creams for the kids, coffees for ourselves, and finished the afternoon in the playground.

Howth Pier - Office Mum

First reaction from the kids: So, how far is this place – is it in a different country?

Final verdict from the kids: We love Howth and it has the best fish and chips ever!

Cost: Free, and then we opted to take the train which was €14 for five of us

What we loved: The views, the seaside fishing village feel, the fish and chip picnic.

The bad bits: The seagulls, but that’s not Howth’s fault – they are EVERYWHERE…

 

6. Kia Ora Mini-Farm

It was our last day-trip of the summer, so it needed to be good. And I’d heard Kia Ora Farm in Gorey was great. The sun was shining in Dublin, so we packed a picnic, and headed south. The rain started before we hit the Wexford border, and by the time we reached the farm, it was pelting down. My husband and I looked at each other – how could we salvage this disastrous trip? We looked at the kids, but they were gone – they had seen tractors and trikes, rabbits and parrots, go-karts and diggers, sand pits and hula hoops. The only thing they couldn’t see was the rain.

Kia Ora Mini Farm - Office Mum

There’s so much to do in Kia Ora, the weather didn’t matter at all – there’s an indoor play area, a barn full of rabbits to pet, and a sand pit that’s covered over too. There’s a fire engine that brings you on a tour of the farm – the kids sang along to the songs that were playing and seemed oblivious to the fact that we weren’t able to see anything because of the rain. And that was the theme of the day really – oblivion. All the stuff that makes grown-ups feel that the day is a washout doesn’t matter at all to the kids. They loved Kia Ora Farm.

Kia Ora - Office Mum

First reaction from the kids: What do you mean we’re going to a farm? To do farm work like?

Final verdict from the kids: What do you mean the day trip is over? We want to stay!

Cost: €35 for the five of us

What we loved: The trikes, tractors, go-karts, animals, sand-pit, fire engine.

The bad bits: Well, the rain – but that wasn’t Kia Ora Farm’s fault. I suspect we’ll have to go back in the sun.

A few extra mentions:

One for Airfield – we visited on a recent Sunday and had one of the best day trips of the summer – you can read about it here: Airfield Escape.

Chickens Airfield Office Mum

Clara Lara was the place the kids were most keen to revisit after last summer, and though it was a lot busier this year and queues were longer, it didn’t disappoint.

Clara Lara - Office Mum

And finally, Dun Laoghaire gets a mention again this year, because on a sunny evening, there’s nothing in the world like fish and chips on the pier.

Dun Laoghaire Pier

Some of this year’s trips were inspired by comments on last year’s post, so if you’ve got a suggestion, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter. Then we’re all set for next year – all we need is a little less rain.

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8 thoughts on “Another 6 Day-Trips Near Dublin”

  1. Great list Andrea.
    During our recent holidays we visited Malahide Castle, Newbridge House and Farm (near the airport, not in Kildare), Oldbridge House near Drogheda for the Battle of the Boyne musuem, Newgrange, Co. Meath and Slieve Gullion Forest Park in Armagh. All brilliant.
    Ardgillan Castle in Balbriggan is supposed to be great too although I haven’t been since I was a child.
    Fionnuala recently posted…Bedtimes and Backaches – A Nurofen Express Heat Patch GiveawayMy Profile

    1. Thanks Fionnuala – they are great suggestions! We were actually planning to go to Newbridge farm two weeks ago, but after a last minute conversation with a neighbour, we went for Ka Ora instead. So Newbridge definitely on next year’s list, and Ardgillan too – always gets lots of great mentions.

  2. Great lis! We really did very few day trips this summer, between the weather and other bits and pieces I don’t think we went anywhere new at all. I’ve never been up Killiney Hill so that’s definitely one on the list and Clara Lara isn’t far at all but we’ve never managed to make it there. It’s on the Indian summer list now !

    1. I think your gang would love Clara Lara. For Killiney Hill, it’d be a long journey just to climb a hill, so maybe tie it in with a time you’ll be in Dublin for something else too
      *panics about having over-sold Killiney Hill to Sinéad*

    1. Cheers April, hope it’s of use if the sun ever comes out!
      And hey, maybe bump into you at the zoo again some time 🙂

  3. Great list, we thought Kia Ora was great too. Didn’t know about killiney hill
    Would highly recommend Lough Boora in Offally between Tullamore and Birr.
    It’s an out of use bog with sculptures, walks and cycle tracks and you can hire bikes. Bring a picnic and is beautiful. http://Www.loughboora.ie

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