Visit Ireland for the Best Family Holidays

Ireland - the Visitors'  Favourite

Over 7.5 million people visited Ireland in 2009 and between them they stayed for nearly 60 million nights! They came from all over the world – the UK, Germany, Spain, France, USA even from places as far flung as New Zealand.  So what is it about Ireland that attracts all these people? More than a third of visitors are coming back for more, so what do they find best about Ireland?

The Ireland Tourism 2009 survey found that the most popular things to do on an Irish holiday were to experience the culture and history or Ireland and visit stunning gardens and parks.  Many visitors travelled to Ireland to attend the many festivals and events throughout the year. For the active visitor walking, golf and fishing were top of the list.

Family holidays are usually the most memorable and the best holidays are made up of a mix of experiences – the sights and sounds, the food and drink, the places and people. If you’re thinking about your next holiday, whether it’s a family affair or a couple’s romantic get away, why not sample what’s best about Ireland.  To get you thinking here’s what we at Imagine Ireland think are the best bits about holidaying in Ireland.

The Best of Ireland

The craic. Synonymous with Ireland, the craic means having fun, enjoying friends and conversation, a relaxing evening in the pub. Wherever you stay in Ireland – from Antrim to Cork, Mayo to Wexford you’ll find the craic.

The best stout. Guinness is reputed to taste better when supped in Ireland and the only way to really know is to try it.  Visit the local pub or for the full experience take a tour of the Guinness Brewery in Dublin.

The best sport.  Never mind football or rugby, Ireland has some amazing national sports. Shinty, the ancient game played with caman and ball. Fast, furious and fantastic to watch. Or hurling, thought to be the world's fastest field team sport in terms of game play. And for the football fans, Gaelic Football, played by teams of 15 trying to score goals by kicking or striking the ball with the hand.

The best coast. Ireland boasts some stunning coastlines.  The Cliffs of Moher on the coast of County Clare are one of the Ireland’s best known landmarks. The sandy beaches of Ballyholme Bay or Dugort, Achill Island are as good as any in the rest of Europe. The famous Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim is an intriguing natural creation of polygonal shaped rocks that runs into the sea.  The Irish coast is perfect for the family beach days or cliff top walks with friends.

The best scenery. Ireland has a diverse and beautiful landscape, from sandy beaches to dramatic mountains, rolling hills to blue lakes. Take a walk through the Burren in County Clare with miles of ancient limestone pavement.  Visit the Lakes of Killarney in County Kerry where three beautiful lakes, Lough Leane,  Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake, are surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. Hike in the Mountains of Mourne or around Rathlin Island.

The best of unusual attractions. When in Ireland a visit to the Blarney Stone is a must for holidaymakers. Climb to the top of Blarney castle and kiss the Blarney Stone to be charmed with a silver tongue. But kissing the stone is no mean feat, visitors have to suspend themselves upside down over an open chasm!.  For a more mystical experience visit Newgrange in County Meath where an ancient tomb that is older the Pyramids of Egypt is situated. This magnificent tomb only allows light in one day a year, the winter solstice. Or, go wild, see some wonderful wildlife and visit the seals in Howth Harbour.

The best places to stay. Visitors to Ireland stay, on average, just over 7 days which means that Ireland must be providing some of the best accommodation.  There are lots of unique and unusual places to stay in Ireland like eco houses, light keepers cottages, Celtic castles or working farms.  To make your holiday in Ireland the best ever family holiday where you stay is important. It needs to be comfortable, safe and a home from home. It needs to give you the freedom to do what you want, when you want. And your holiday cottage needs to be in a wonderful location whether that’s a town, rolling countryside or overlooking the sea.

Going self catering is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to get what you want and take advantage of some of the best accommodation in Ireland.  There are 1000s of properties to choose from, many are set in beautiful locations and have that unique Irish look and feel. Imagine Ireland is one of the leading self catering holiday companies who specialise in offering high quality holiday cottages across Ireland. Their properties range from rural cottages to large family farmhouses, but all are individually checked and vetted to ensure that their customers only get the best. Why not start on the road to discovering the best Ireland has to offer by visiting www.imagineireland.com or take a look at our visit Ireland video.