Things to Do in Hook Head Peninsula with Kids

Things to Do In Hook Head Peninsula with Kids

Hook Head Peninsula in Ireland is a wonderful home base for a family vacation.  It’s full of beautiful landscapes, ancient buildings, and friendly locals.  We stumbled upon this wonderful area after falling in love with an adorable Airbnb in Ballyhack.  Turns out Hook Head Peninsula makes a great home base and there’s a lot to do.

Hook Head Lighthouse

The Hook Head Lighthouse it the oldest operating lighthouse in the world.  It’s been protecting the Hook Head Shores for over 800 years.  The landscaping around the lighthouse is breathtaking.  Think cliffs, green fields, stone walls, sea spray and ancient ruins.  There are guided tours available.  We just enjoyed the grounds and the scenery.  We also enjoyed making crafts at the on site cafe.

taking a break to make crafts

Loftus Hall

Just down the road from the lighthouse is Loftus Hall.  It’s definitely a spooky place.  As you would expect with most haunted mansions, the previous owners of Loftus Hall have a checkered past and were not always loved by the neighbors.  The house was also used as a convent and later a hotel.  It was abandoned when the owner aged and went in to disrepair.  The house has some beautiful features including some amazing tile work and a staircase made by the same builders as the one on the titanic.  We did the haunted tour and it was a unique and fun experience.

Slade Ireland

After your stop at the Lighthouse, take a small detour down to Slade.  It’s a small town with a photogenic waterfront.  The fishing boats are cute and the castle makes a good backdrop for photos (but is not open to the public).

Duncannon, Ireland

This is a cute little waterfront town.  It has a beach that is fun to explore and a Fort that is open in the Summer.

Ballyhack, Ireland

A little more North you’ll find Ballyhack.  We stayed at the former schoolhouse that is located just below the castle.  It was a wonderful home base.  The castle is oped for tours in the summer but was not open when we stayed in March.  We did enjoy the local pub and watching the ferry.  The ferry was $8 for a round trip, makes frequent crossings and was super simple.  There is also a great playground on the other side that is walking distance from the ferry.

If you have the time I highly recommend taking the ferry across and going southeast to explore Tramore and Copper Coast.  It’s really a beautiful area (if you’re in to beaches, small towns and dramatic coasts kind of things).

Waterford is also a really fun day trip (so we went there twice).  Waterford is full of kid friendly activities and is a great way to work some city atmosphere to your Irish vacation.

Tintern Abbey

Tintern Abbey’s history starts around 1200.  It became a family residence in the 1500’s and was passed through the family until the 1970’s when it was donated to Ireland then underwent restoration. This Abbey is partially restored and has some very pretty features.  It’s fun to check out all of the nooks and crannies.

There is a great walking path following a lovely stream through the forest.  Look out for fairies!

Dunbroddy Abbey

If you enjoy walking through ruins – this is your place.  It’s old, it’s beautiful and very photogenic.

New Ross and the Famine Ship

The town of New Ross is on the northern section of Hook Head Peninsula.  It’s a great town.  We just loved the Dunbrody Emigrant Ship and Museum.  The tour is nice and we really enjoyed the ship and the actors.

If you’re looking for a way to let the kids stretch their legs consider Ross Adventure Indoor Playspac.  It’s an indoor playground and a wonderful place to let the kids run.

Irish National Heritage Park

Just outside the City of Wexford this large outdoor park recreates 9000 years of Irish History.  The month we were in Hook Head was a little chilly so we didn’t make it to this park but it looks great.

Kennedy Homestead

Also another must do that we skipped due to time and weather but it still belongs on the list.

Johnstown Castle

This castle and grounds are just outside of Wexford.  We went for Easter and did the egg scavenger hunt.  It was a lot of fun.  The castle is not open for tour but the grounds are beautiful.  There’s also a little cafe and a museum with some yummy treats.

Kilkenney City and Castle

A little farther inland (about 45 minutes north of New Ross) you’ll find the adorable town of Kilkenney.  This city has all the features of a great Irish town.  It’s very cute and the downtown is full of colorful shops.  It’s pedestrian friendly and easy to explore and it has an amazing castle with lovely grounds.  When I asked my then 3-year-old daughter what she wanted to do for her birthday she was determined to have a castle picnic lunch – so we did.  The castle grounds are full of people enjoying themselves and strolling.  We spend a lot of time playing on the playground and playing soccer with other families that we met.   We didn’t take the time to explore the interior but that is an option as well. Besides the castle there are several other family friendly activities when spending a day in Kilkenney.

Some of the best parts about this area of Ireland are the access to playgrounds and play spaces.   Generally each town had a good playground if not more.  Restaurants were also very laid back and kid friendly.