Kilkenny Castle is a fantastic 12th century castle right middle of mediaeval Kilkenny. Children will enjoy the well preserved interior and running around the grounds of parkland. There's a cafe in summer, a children's play area and a shop. If possible try to take a tour as the guides can bring the history of the castle to life for kids. After you've finished visiting the castle can stroll around the old centre of Kilkenny with its cobbled streets.

At Castlecomer Discovery Park families can discover a world where prehistoric amphibians swim and walk through enormous swamp forests, where giant insects fly through the treetops and giant millipedes crawl through ferns and mosses. Discover the coal formed from those forests and the skeletons of those early amphibians preserved for 300 million years. Discover the men who worked the coal seams and those who brought the fossils to light. Castlecomer Discovery Park is a wonderful forest multi-activity park which is very family friendly with lots to see and do with the kids. It occupies 80 acres of mixed woodland and boasts 6km of walking trails, two rainbow trout Angling lakes, a children's adventure playground, picnic areas and a 'craft yard' exhibition centre and the 'Footprints in Coal' focuses on two distinct but interlinked eras of Castlecomer's History - the formation of coal during the Carboniferous period about 300 million years ago and the coal mining industry that came much later.

Nore Valley Park Open Farm in Bennettsbridge is family friendly and has a wide variety of animals to see in a specially designed area with an American style fort in the centre as a viewing point. Families can help feed lambs or kids in season and handle chicks and rabbits. A children’s playground sandpit and straw bounce, picnic area and two mile river walk are available.

The Reptile Village, The Demense in Gowran is a dedicated reptile zoo, providing an educating and entertaining view of various reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The family can see over 100 animals on display with more than 50 species, ranging from crocodiles to cobras, geckos to giant spiders.

At St Canices Cathedral in Irish town families can see the stained glass and the largest collection of ancient monuments and also view Kilkenny and the surrounding area. Facilities include a Gift shop, toilets and wheelchair access. Information leaflets are available in 15 languages.

Woodstock Gardens offer the family a relaxing and beautiful environment in which to spend their day. The gardens are home to a mix of formal and informal gardens with an arboretum, walled garden, terraced garden, yew walk and rose garden providing the main interest. Also of significance are two stunning avenues, the Monkey Puzzle Avenue and Noble Fir Avenue.

Dunmore Cave is known in Old Irish literature as one of the darkest places in Ireland. It consists of a series of chambers formed over millions of years and some of the finest calcite formations found in any Irish cave. The cave is well lit and spacious. After a steep descent are caverns full of stalactites, stalagmites and columns, including the 7m Market Cross, Europe’s largest free standing stalagmite. There is also an interactive Virtual Museum consisting of several treasures found in the cave including one of the most significant Viking finds in the county.

Kilfane Glen & Waterfall is a family friendly site that enthrals every visitor, young and old, and puts a smile on the face of even he most jaded wanderer. It is a picturesque paradise with a waterfall tumbling its way to a rushing stream and woodland paths leading to a cottage orné.

Jerpoint Abbey is significant religious remains in Ireland. It offers guided tours available at the visitor’s centre that chronicle the history of the buildings and points out an interesting array of medieval artistic treasures.

Ireland visitor discounts is a fantastic free downloadable discount voucher for leading Irish cultural and heritage visitor attractions. You should download a form for each member of the family and bring this with you when you are travelling. Discounts include two for the price of one in leading tourist attractions, free admission at some attractions and between 10 and 20% off other attractions. This really could make a considerable saving for your family.

You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday. 

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