Keep your children entertained this summer without breaking the bank by taking advantage of all the free activities, writes SHEILA WAYMAN
THERE IS rarely such a thing as a totally free day out because unless you can walk or cycle to a venue, there will be transport costs. What’s more, children have a knack of parting you from your money the moment you step out the door.
However, by packing picnics and strengthening your resolve against all pester power, you can enjoy days out at minimal cost with our selective guide to finding places to go this summer where there is no admission fee and activities organised for children free of charge.
Free Wednesdays: Put August 3rd in your diary as on the first Wednesday of every month until the end of the year, there is free admission into all the normally fee-paying heritage sites run by the Office of Public Works (OPW). These include the State rooms in Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, Castletown House in Celbridge, Co Kildare, the Battle of the Boyne site in Co Meath, Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny, Adare Castle in Co Limerick and Clonmacnoise in Co Offaly.
For full listing of OPW sites around the country, see heritage ireland.ie
Free Friday: Blackrock Castle Observatory in Blackrock, Co Cork, hosts free open evenings on the first Friday of every month – so the next one is August 5th. It will start at 6pm, with family-friendly workshops followed by a talk at 8pm on Nasa’s mission to Jupiter – the Juno spacecraft is due to have blasted off on its five-year journey from Cape Canaveral earlier that day. The interactive astronomy exhibit, Cosmos at the Castle, is open until 9pm.
See bco.ie or tel: 021-4357917.
Enniscorthy Castle, Co Wexford: There is free admission for adults and children until September at the renovated and refurbished 800-year-old castle. As well as learning about the history of the town through its castle, visitors can also see what life was like in the keep. If you take a guided tour (on the hour noon-4pm weekdays, 1pm-4pm weekends) you will have access to the roof where you can enjoy fine views of the town and surrounding countryside.
See enniscorthycastle.ie or tel: 053-9234699.
Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, Kenagh, Co Longford: An 18m stretch of bog road, constructed out of oak by our Iron Age ancestors in 148BC, is the central attraction at this visitor centre. If the archaeological exhibits wear thin with your children, the conserved bog outside has plenty of its own attractions, such as insect-eating plants and pond bugs. A walkway into the raised bog gives you access without getting your feet wet, so there is no need to bring the wellies.
See heritageireland.ie or tel 043-3322386.
Botanic Gardens, Dublin and Wicklow: Trails designed for children to follow feature at both the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and its lesser-known country cousin, the Kilmacurragh Botanic Gardens, in Kilbride, Co Wicklow. In Dublin, children who complete the trail are rewarded with free seeds, which they can cultivate at home for a lasting souvenir of their visit. An extra reason to visit the Glasnevin gardens this month is that the Irish Patchwork Society is running free workshops in quilting and patchwork for children each Thursday, 11am to 1pm, in conjunction with a 30th anniversary exhibition. Free guided tours run daily at the Co Wicklow venue, at noon and 3pm.
See botanicgardens.ie, tel: 01-8570909 or 0404-48844.
Áras an Uachtaráin: Free guided tours, lasting about an hour, run every hour on Saturday, 10.30am and 3.30pm during the summer. Tickets are issued at the nearby Phoenix Park Visitor Centre on a first come, first served basis (but no groups) and visitors are taken from there to the Áras. No booking is allowed, so turn up early and, as visits can be subject to late cancellations, check ahead and handle your children’s expectations with care. See heritageireland.ie or tel: 01-6770095.
Farmleigh: The Farmleigh Estate, on the other side of the Phoenix Park from the Áras, is open every day, but guided tours of the house are only possible Thursday to Sunday. The summer programme of events includes art workshops for children aged five to seven and eight-plus on July 16th, 23rd and August 27th.
See farmleigh.ie or tel: 01-8155900.
Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare: Children aged five to 12 can get their nose inside Ireland’s largest Palladian-style country house free by attending Sunday workshops 11am-noon during the summer. Booking and parental supervision is essential. There are also music sessions for all to enjoy in the spectacular double-height hallway each Sunday from 2pm to 4pm. See castletownhouse.ie or tel: 01-6288252.
National Parks: There are six national parks, one in Co Wicklow, the other five down the western side of the country – in counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Clare and Kerry – and all are splendid settings for a day out. A number of them have children’s events during the summer, as well as guided walks, all free.
For more information about facilities and activities at each park, see npws.ie.
Forest parks: Another State body, Coillte, manages an extensive network of forest parks covering more than one million acres. Whether it’s walking trails, family cycling trails, mountain bike trails, barbecue sites, fishing platforms or playgrounds you’re after, the recreation site search on the excellent Coillte website will help you locate facilities by feature/activity/county. However, there is a car-parking charge at many of them.
See coillteoutdoors.ie.
Wexford Wildfowl Reserve: The 500 acres of flat, open land, just outside Wexford town, is home to a great variety of birds, mammals, plants and insects. The visitor’s centre includes an observation tower and display area. There are also bird-watching hides. A summer programme of family events on most Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons this month and into the first half of August, suitable for children aged six and up, includes pond dipping, bug hunting and a sand dune walk.
See wexfordwildfowl reserve.ie or tel: 053-9123406.
Exploring Nature: A nature walk along the River Dodder tomorrow at 7pm, butterfly-catching on Killiney Hill on August 7th, 2pm-4pm, and a seashore workshop at Sandycove beach on August 21st, 11am-12.30pm, are some of the biodiversity events being organised by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in association with wildlife organisations, over the summer. There’s also seabird watching at Coliemore Harbour, Dalkey, every Tuesday evening in July, 6.30pm-7.30pm.
See dlrevents.ie or tel 01-2047974.
Bat Walks: These are more of an evening out – but being “after bedtime” adds to the sense of occasion. A Bat Walk on July 20th at 9.15pm and a Family Bat Day on August 11th, starting at 7.30pm, are being run from the Information Office and Education Centre at Glendalough, Co Wicklow. No booking required.
Observe bats flying and feeding in Marlay Park Dublin, on a guided evening walk on August 25th at 8pm (booking required, tel: 086-4049468). Other bat walks will take place over the summer in Co Clare and Co Galway. See batconservationireland.org
Festivals: There are festivals galore during the summer, with many free events for families. Here is a sample:
Galway Arts Festival: The “Arcane” show staged by French acrobats in Eyre Square at 2pm and 6pm on July 13th and 14th should be quite a spectacle, featuring giant moving wheels. Another free show for children is the interactive Erth Dinosaur Petting Zoo from Australia, which promises to take spectators on an incredible pre-historic journey and allow them get up close and personal with life-like creatures. In Galway Shopping Centre on July 19th and 20th at 4pm; in Eyre Square at 1pm on July 19th, 20th and at 1pm and 4pm on July 21st. The Macnas parade, which takes place on July 17th, is always the highlight of the festival’s street theatre. It starts from Spanish Arch at 8.45pm.
See galwayartsfestival.com or tel: 091-562655.
Kilkenny Arts Festival: The madcap Fanzini Brothers and their “Cannonball Circus” can be enjoyed free on the opening weekend, August 6th and 7th, of the Kilkenny Arts Festival, at 2.30pm and 4pm on Canal Walk. A treasure hunt style festival trail is a great way to explore the mediaeval city. There is also a range of children’s workshops, including ones on birdsong, being held in the National Craft Gallery each day from August 6th to 14th.
See kilkennyarts.ie or tel: 056-7763663.
Spraoi, Waterford: Enjoy street theatre, music and interactive workshops at Spraoi, July 29th to 31st, where the vast majority of events are free. The big parade, “An Bosca Beo”, on the Sunday, will feature 300 performers and giant floats as it wends its way around the People’s Park, starting from the Waterpark School at 4.30pm.
See spraoi.com or tel 051-841808.
Made in Temple Bar: Culture Club for Kids, featuring workshops on dancing, drumming and balloon-making, to name a few, a picture book picnic (all teddies welcome) and a show by French high-wire walker Didier Pasquette are just some of the free events in Dublin’s Temple Bar as the cultural quarter celebrates 20 years of regeneration, from July 15th-24th. Booking is necessary for many events.
See the full programme on temple bar.ie or tel: 01-6772255.
Monasterevin Venice of Ireland Festival, Co Kildare: An historical re-enactment depicting all sides that fought in the War of Independence, to be staged on the town’s Main Street at 5pm on Saturday, July 23rd, is one of the highlights of this festival, which also includes a family picnic, carnival and other street entertainment.
See veniceofireland.ie or tel: 087-1623700.
Galleries galore: Three art galleries in Dublin featured in last year’s top 10 of the country’s most visited free attractions and they are lovely places to wander around. The National Gallery of Ireland on Merrion Square topped the list with 736,855 visits recorded. There are free family workshops there each Sunday afternoon, from July 31st to August 28th, 3pm-4pm, no booking required.
Although the summer programme for children is at Dublin City Gallery, the Hugh Lane features low-cost art camps and artist Martina Galvin will lead a free “Abstract Shapes” drop-in workshop on Sunday, August 27th, 3pm-4pm.
At the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham, there is not only a drop-in family programme every Sunday afternoon, 2pm-4pm, but also a TeenCreate programme (ages 12-15) on August 13th, 2.30pm-5pm, and gallery/ studio sessions for 15-18-year-olds on August 6th, 11am-2pm. Booking requested.
See imma.ie or tel 01-6129919.
National treasures: No apologies for a reminder of the obvious – the National Museum – because there is so much to see and do at its various branches and they deserve frequent visits. If you are anywhere near Co Mayo, don’t forget the Country Life section in Castlebar, where a varied summer programme gives children a chance to try their hand at knitting, traditional games and road bowling.
At the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle, the Silk Worm Summer Club for six to 11-year-olds runs daily next week, July 18th-22nd, from 11.30am-12.30pm. Booking is essential. The activities will be based on The Art Books of Henri Matisse exhibition. On the weekend of August 6th and 7th, family packs, with new activities specially prepared for the Matisse exhibition, will be available 1pm-4.30pm.
See museum.ie; cbl.ie.
National Heritage Week: You will find a heritage event happening near you between August 20th and 28th and most of them are free. From medieval fairs to traditional skills workshops and storytelling to archaeological digs, there are activities for all ages, to celebrate our natural, cultural and built heritage. It is also a week when you can visit places not usually open to the public, or enjoy free admission to various paying sites. An event guide will be available in libraries, tourist offices, heritage and OPW sites towards the end of July.
See heritageweek.ie
Every effort has been made to ensure that these listings are accurate at the time of going to print, but you are advised to check with a venue before making a journey.
Useful websites: mykids time.ie devotes a section to free places and events; see also fun days .ie and familyfun.ie
