The Ailwee Caves
The Ailwee Caves are very big caves. They are situated in Co. Clare, in an area called the Burren. The Burren is a very famous place. It is made from limestone, which is a grey stone. Water wears away limestone over thousands of years. You should go there because they are very rare caves. You can also see stalagmites and stalagtites there. It's a very good place to see them. You can go underground, down into the caves. It is very dark down there, but don't worry, they have some lights to guide you.
You can see bear bones inside the caves. These bones are from long, long ago. Don't worry.....there are no bears in Ireland anymore:)
There is a restaurant at the entrance to the caves, where you can get food and drinks. There is a gift shop too.
Salthill
Salthill is a little village on the edge of Galway city. There is a beach there and a place with a swimming pool called Leisureland. You can play on the beach in Salthill if the weather is fine. If it is raining, you can go to Leisureland for a swim.
You can also go to Seapoint, which is a large, indoor amusement arcade. There are often boats on the beach in Salthill. Salthilll is a very good place to visit with your family. There is a lovely playground in Salthill. You will find plenty of nice restaurants and coffee shops too.
The Céide Fields
The Céide Fields are situated in County Mayo.
The Céide Fields are the oldest fields in the whole of Ireland. A very, very long time ago, people lived and farmed there. We think they lived and farmed there about 5,000 years ago. The fields were covered over with bog and forgotten about. A hundred years ago, nobody knew that the fields were there. They were burried, deep under the ground. In the 1930s a local man called Patrick Caulfield noticed piles of stone when he was cutting turf from the bog for the fire.
There is a visitor centre there with a very old tree inside it. The tree was in the bog for a long time and the bog preserved it. Inside the visitor centre you can learn about what life was like for those early farmers, 5,000 years ago.
Connemara & Clifden
The Connemara pony is a small horse and it is quite famous too.
People go to Connemara to have a nice holiday. You can look at the lovely scenery, you can walk on the lovely beaches and you can climb on the hills and mountains.
Clifden...
Clifden Castle has been virtually gutted but it's achitecture is beautiful.
If you drive along Sky Road you can see beautiful scenes of Clifden.
Athenry Castle
Athenry Castle is a Norman Castle situated in Athenry, County Galway. The Normans came to Ireland in 1169. They built many castles. In 1235 Athenry Castle was built. Lots of Norman castles fell down, but Athenry castle is still standing.
Athenry castle is open to tourists. You can go inside and look at some of the things the Normans would have used long ago. You can dress up in old Norman clothes and pretend to fight each other with swords. It is a very interesting place to visit because you can learn about life long ago. There is a park right beside the castle, with a playground and a river.
The Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher are in County Clare. There is one big cliff and it is very high. It's also very long. It is 7km long. That is 7000m long!!! You can see little towers of rocks along the path.
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands are situated 15 miles off the Galway coast. The three largest islands are named Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer. The language that people speak there is Irish. On the west coast of Inishmore is Dún Aonghusa - one of the oldest forts in all of Europe! The people rely on fishing and knitting aran sweaters for a living. They have a great tourist trade during the summer.
Galway City
Galway is the biggest city in the west of Ireland. There are about 72000 people living in Galway. There are lots of thing to do and see in Galway.
You can see the Irish culture in Galway with its Irish music and dancing. There are lots of nice restaurants and bars for eating and entertainment.
There is a river in Galway called the Corrib. You can go fishing there. Two of the best places to see in Galway are the Cathedral and Eyre Square. There is a lovely place called the Spanish Arch.
Westport & Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick is a mountain near the town of Westport in Co. Mayo. Croagh Patrick is 2560 feet tall. Many many years ago Saint Patrick climbed Croagh Patrick. It is also called the Reek. It is tradition to climb Croagh Patrick on the last Sunday in July every year - Reek Sunday. Some people climb Croagh Patrick barefoot on Reek Sunday. Croagh Patrick's Irish name is Cruach Phádraig.
Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle is in Co. Clare. One of Ireland's best attractions Bunratty Castle and folk Park shows us Ireland's history from life in a 19th century Irish village. Admission costs around 15 euro for an adult and 9 euro for children. This castle has a couple of murder holes which were used for protecting the castle. The place where Bunratty stands was a Viking trading camp in the past. The castle is a tower house
Lough Key Forest Park
Lough Key is a forest and activity park. Lough Key is really fun! There are activities like: boat rides and a playground. The forest was built in 1972 and it is still going today. You can have boat tours around the park. You can hire boats and go fishing. Lough Key comes from the name De Danann tribe.Lough Key Park is home to many species of wildlife. It is a nice place to visit in Boyle, Co. Roscommon. The estate was taken over by the Irish state in the 1950's. An Irish name for Lough Key is Loch Cé. Lough Key lake is a wonderful lake. It is several kilometres in length. Lough Key Park is an 800 acre park in total.
Enjoy your stay!!
