Travel Tips
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Dublin at Christmas with kids: how to plan a magical family Christmas trip to Dublin
Visiting Dublin at Christmas with kids: an essential guide for visitors. Festive events, weather, and what you need to know to spend Christmas in Dublin. Dublin is great at celebrating Christmas. Winters in Dublin tend to be cold and dark, but Christmas here truly is a triumph of light over darkness. The city centre streets shine under the sparkle of twinkling decorations, shop windows shimmer in gold hues, and Dublin’s interiors envelop you in the warmth of cracking fires and the perfume of mulled wine. For me, this is by far one of the best times to visit Dublin. At Christmas, you can enjoy all the city’s top attractions and…
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The best time to visit Dublin: a month by month overview of the weather in the city
An insider guide to the best time to visit Dublin and what to expect in each season (no, it is not just rain, rain and more rain!) Dublin is a great destination for a city break all year round, however, different seasons make for a very different experience. In spring and summer, Dublin often shimmer under the most amazing sun and blue sky and truly blossoms in its identity as a coastal city. While never proper hot, you can even swim in the (cold) sea at this time! In winter, the situation is not quite as dreamy… November, January, February, March tend to be hard months of grey, dull sky and low…
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Visiting Ireland in March: all you need know to plan the perfect trip
Ireland in March: what’s it really like? First-hand info on the weather in March in Ireland, tips on what to pack, the best places to see and what you need to know about St Patrick’s day celebrations. March is a tempting month for traveling to Ireland. Spring starts in the Emerald Isle on the first of the month and the biggest National celebration of all, St Patrick’s Day, happens on the 17th of the month too, with its promise of cheer and fun for all involved. If you are planning on visiting Ireland in March, however, you are likely to have some questions. Sure, spring officially starts now. But what is the…
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Irish Christmas Coloring pages for kids (free)
Free, printable Irish Christmas coloring pages for kids you can print at home for them and bring with you on your Christmas vacation in Ireland! Christmas is a big holiday in Italy. For the month of November, cities sparkle in Christmas lights, shop windows for the seasons, and families and friends come together to celebrate the festivities. These peak on Christmas Day, the 25th of December, when a massive family lunch is traditional. If you are visiting Ireland with kids this Christmas or you want to add a touch of Irish Christmas to your kids’ festive experience, I hope you like these coloring pages. They are a simple but fun…
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10 days in Ireland with kids: the Irish Road Trip Itinerary You’ll love on your first visit
Enjoy ten days in Ireland with kids following our tried-and-tested 10-day itinerary for families. My family itinerary covers the best places to see in Ireland on a first visit and special stops just for kids. Ireland is very kid-friendly and a road trip with kids in Ireland is easily a wonderful family vacation all family members will hold as a cherished memory. I have been living in Ireland for over 19 years and I have two children who called Ireland home. With them, we have travelled extensively in Ireland: we have seen touristy places, local places, hidden gems; we have stayed in hotels, castles, and campsites; and of course, we…
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9 Fantastic Castles in Ireland you’ll love
In this article, we share our favorite castles to visit in Ireland, what to expect in each and how to plan your visit. Ireland has a staggering amount of castles. Sources about how many there actually are vary, but as the saying goes, you can’t throw a stone in Ireland without hitting a street sign directing you to one castle or another, especially once in the countryside! However, not all castles are created equal. Some Irish castles are absolutely breathtaking: their grey walls dominate the surrounsing countryside and evokew tales of ancient battles, dramatic events and ghost stories. Others are a little more than a pile of rubble in a…
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Ireland in July: all you need to know to plan the perfect trip
All you need to know to plan a trip to Ireland in July. The best places to visit in July in Ireland, what to pack, what to book when and what to expect if planning a trip to Ireland in summer. July is the heart of summer in Ireland and a lovely time for visiting the Emerald Isle. The weather that had started improving in May is now at its best and summer is in full swing: this is a time for ice creams, days in the parks, hikes and even drinks in outdoor terraces! I know that this surprises many: Ireland is indeed more famous for bad weather and…
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How to say Happy New Year in Irish
Learn how to say happy new year in Irish and other festive greetings in Gaelic to impress your family and friends! In our previous lesson, we learned how to wish someone a happy Christmas in Irish. Today, we add another holiday greeting to our Irish vocabulary and we learn how to wish someone a happy new year. Need to know! Irish has three dialects: Munster, Connacht and Ulster Irish. The pronunciation of words differs widely between one and the other: in this post, I am using the form my kids are learning in school here in Dublin. What you hear in other parts of Ireland may be different: all forms…
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Ireland in January: all you need to know to plan a perfect trip
All you need to know to plan a trip to Ireland in January: what to expect from the weather, what to pack, the best things to do in January in Ireland. January is the heart of winter in Ireland. It is a dark and wet month, more suited to sitting in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate than sightseeing: however, this doesn’t mean visiting Ireland in January is a bad idea! While you will need to wrap up well and come to terms with rather short hours of daylight, January in Ireland also has some perks, ranging from smaller crowds to lower prices and pretty spectacular…
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Ireland in September: all you need to know to plan a trip
Essential travel guide to help you plan a trip to Ireland in September: weather, best things to see, need to know. September is a lovely month to visit Ireland. It is the month when the summer starts coming to an end and fall makes an appearance and I often feel it is the time when you get the best of both seasons. On a good day, September can still be bright, mild and even warm, especially at the beginning of the month and on a colder day, it often brings bright, crisp days great for walks and outdoor activities. The photo at the top of this post was taken in…