It was a wet and windy Friday afternoon when we arrived at the four star Delphi Adventure Resort in Leenane, Connemara. We left our eldest teen at home and were looking forward to some adventures with our two sixteen year olds. We received an invite to come and stay for a few days and considering how much we love this part of Ireland, we were delighted to have the chance to return to Connemara. For anyone who hasn’t been to Delphi before, it’s hard to describe just how majestic the mountains are that surround this luxury 300 acre resort. I’d recommend driving the extra 15 minutes through Dool ..read more

Like many other Irish families, we’ve explored many parts of Ireland over the last few years however Boyne Valley is one we’ve never spent any real time in. We were delighted to travel to Meath and South Louth recently when Discover Boyne Valley invited us to spend a couple of days in the area to see how teen-friendly the Boyne Valley is. Boyne Valley has something to suit everyone and every family. Adventures awaits at ancient monuments and medieval castles, or the thrills of family adventures centres and theme parks. The region is also home to many tracks, trails and greenways and other outd ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) We arrived at Decoy Country Cottages wet and weary after battling the inclement weather during our last day visiting the Boyne Valley with the kids. We couldn’t have asked for nicer accommodation for our last night. Just 30 minutes from Dublin, Decoy County Cottages are in Lismullin near Navan in Co. Meath and are the perfect place to stay if you like self-catering, which we do. We met Paula, the owner of Decoy Country Cottages, who proudly told us all about their eco-friendly credentials and how she restored the ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) Going to a gig in Slane Castle seems to have been a rite of passage for some people growing up in Ireland. It’s amazing to think that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the first Slane gig with Thin Lizzy in 1981. I was never lucky enough to get to Slane until now. It wasn’t an actual concert but at least it was a chance for my family and I to finally see this historical landmark castle. After parking the car in the free car park, we strolled around the new Summer Walking Trail that is due to open fully soon ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) We woke up to a very wet and windy morning in Boyne Valley and we were due to go karting with White River Park in Collon, Co. Louth, Ireland’s premier outdoor karting facility. A quick call to them confirmed that it could still go ahead and that there were no issues around safety even in the rain. When we got there, the girls and I chickened out however that didn’t stop the boys who practically ran into White River when we arrived. First things first, paperwork, as James was karting with a minor, he had to fi ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) We arrived into the historic village of Slane, weary after a fun day exploring Boyne Valley with the kids. We were booked into the Conyngham Arms Hotel which is located right in the centre of the village, in fact if you didn’t know it was there you could drive straight past it. It’s in an excellent location, 30 minutes from Dublin Airport and the World Heritage Site, Newgrange and the Battle of the Boyne Site are just minutes away. After parking in the free car park behind the hotel, we checked in. We were l ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) The family run and family oriented Glenside Hotel is located only 2km from the busy town of Drogheda. As it’s only 20 minutes away from Dublin Airport, it’s a handy base for exploring the Boyne Valley. It’s a lovely small 3-star hotel with only 17 bedrooms. You can check in from 2pm which is earlier than most hotels which is so handy if you and your family are tired from sightseeing. There’s plenty of parking so when we arrived in the rain, we didn’t have far to run with our bags. When we checked in, I admire ..read more

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) What better way to experience the history of the Boyne Valley than from a hand-crafted Irish traditional currach on the canal. On our first afternoon, we had the privilege of meeting Ross Kenny who proudly runs Boyne Boats which has won the Best Boyne Valley Tourism Experience. Ross told us in advance of our visit to park at The Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre and walk the 10-15 mins to meet him at the lock house for the Boyne Boats paddling tour. Before even getting in the boat, Ross spent a few minutes t ..read more

If you’re interested in getting away from it all and exploring part of Ireland’s Ancient East with your teenagers, then Co. Louth is the perfect base. When iNUA Collection invited us to spend a few days in their 4-star Fairways Hotel, we jumped at the chance as we hadn’t spent any real time in this part of Ireland before. We’ve paid ourselves in the past to stay in other hotels in the iNUA Collection and were impressed with the hotels so we had high expectations for our stay at Fairways Hotel. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) This popular family ..read more

iNua Collection invited us to spend a few days at their 4-star Fairways Hotel near Dundalk and arranged some activities for us to enjoy during our stay. As Carlingford is so close, we spent the day at this popular town. Here are the activities that we really enjoyed with our three teenagers. Carlingford Skypark View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debbie Woodward (@saucepankids) After breakfast at Fairways Hotel, we headed to nearby Carlingford Skypark. A twenty-five minute drive away, this is the perfect family-friendly activity centre as it caters for children of all ages ..read more