I got lost @ Dunbrody Abbey :)

Hey everyone,
So last Summer, I decided to take a spin down to Dunbrody Abbey in Co.Wexford. The ruins of the Abbey which you an go in and look around are supposedly haunted. Apparently if you walk by it at certain times of the night, you can here the Monks praying. Spooky or what? Knowing this story, I was a bit nervous being in and looking around the ruins, especially  going up the extremely narrow, dark stairs of one of the tower parts. The Abbey was founded in 1170 and completed in 1220 and it was built for some Cistercian Monks. It was really interesting getting to go in and explore the Abbey and it was nice to visit something that is of great historical and cultural importance.


Across the road from Dunbrody Abbey, is the ruins of The Dunbrody Castle. On this site their is tea rooms, a craft shop, a small museum and a  9 hole pitch and putt course. This makes the visit suitable for all the family. My favourite part has to be the yew hedge maze, which is one of only two full size mazes in Ireland. You are given a small map to help you to find your way through but I found it much more fun to try and race my friends to the centre without using the map. We had such a laugh trying to beat each other and eventually all of us found our way in. There are plenty of walks to go on and there is a picnic area.

The visitor centre is open 10am to 6pm from the beginning of  May to mid-September and is very reasonably priced. Admission to the Abbey is: Adults €2 , Children €1 and Family €5.  Entry to the Maze/Castle/Pitch and Putt : Adults €4, Children €2 and families cost €10.
This can make a lovely ay out for families on a budget, as the admission is cheap and you can bring your own picnic and they have free parking.
For more info see; http://www.dunbrodyabbey.com/

So go, take the chance, get lost at Dunbrody Abbey :)

MS

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to Kerry we go....

Hey..
So this weekend we drove to the lovely county of Kerry. As our time was short we just visited the little town of Killarney. It has so much to offer and so much to see. It took us almost 4 hours to get there and on Friday we hit the hay pretty early as we were time after the journey but not before eating in the fantastic O'Donoghues Pub. The atmosphere and food was so good..We stayed in the Towers Hotel which is located just above O'Donoghue's.  Very handy!
Saturday morning we headed off the Mucross House on a Horse and Cart. What a fantastic way to travel. We enjoy a jaunt around the grounds and then headed back into town. After lunch we went for a drive around the lakes of Killarney. The view was spectacular. That night we headed back to O'Donoghue's and enjoyed the fantastic food again along with some live music.

LB

Pirates Ahoy!!!...

Since the sun was out yesterday I decided to go to Courtown, Co. Wexford for the day.  As it was a little breezy on the beach we decided to visit Pirates Cove.  Pirates Cove has everything needed for a fun day out for the real kids and the "big kids". They have crazy golf, ten pin bowling, kids karting, bungee trampoline, bumper boats, fun caves, games arcade and when you get hungry you can snack in the Lagoon Cafe.  I personal favourite of mine was the crazy golf. Its a really fun course and ideal on a nice sunny day. It wasn't too expensive in comparison to some other places I have been. We ended a lovely day with a walk by the beach with a big 99...

LB

Wax On......Wax Off :)

Hey guys,

So this week, I decided to tell you all about The National Wax Museum Plus, Dublin. To tell the truth, it has been around 18 months since I visited it, but I will never forget it!

The wax museum has every type of character from historical Irish figures, film stars, musicians, writers, scientists, to kids tv characters and it even boasts its own "chamber of horrors" (my favourite part) . In the chamber of horrors section (which you can choose to skip if you're a wee bit scared) you'll meet infamous characters such as Hannibal Lector and Buffulo Bill, this creepy part is located in the basement of the museum which really adds to the fear factor. Oh and be careful down there, everything may not be as it seems!

On a lighter note, a really fun feature at the wax museum is the "Wax Factor Studio" . this is basically a green screen room, where you and your friends can go in, choose a music video and dance/sing or do some party tricks and then upload it to YouTube where it seems like you are in the video! Here is a link to the "Wax Factor" YouTube Channel.....watch, cringe, laugh, enjoy :) http://www.youtube.com/thewaxmuseumplus#p/u/0/A5LFB1ojq18

Especially for the tiny humans (a.k.a children), there is a whole section featuring some of their much loved cartoon characters like Bob the Builder,  and Harry Potter. It also has a room with a padded floor where the tiny humans can chill out, watch a movie or a puppet show.

I loved getting to "meet" some of our most prominent historical figures like Michael Collins, Eamon De Valera,  Bertie Ahern and Jack Charlton.

The National Wax Museum Plus is open from 10am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday and trust me, it is worth the visit.

For more information, or to book tickets online visit www.waxmuseumplus.ie

Here are some pix from my visit..Enjoy! :)
MS

Under The Sea in Bray, Co.Wicklow!

Hey Guys,
Sorry for the delay in posting again, we got swamped with assignments for a few weeks, and of course RAG Week had some part to play in the lack of blogging :)
Anyway, for out next adventure we decided to take a dive under the sea (not literally but it caught your attention). We visited The National Sea Life Centre in Bray, Co.Wicklow. I had already been here when I was younger and loved every minute of it, so I was hoping to get the same reaction on my second visit.

There is so much to see here at the Sea Life Centre in Bray, from starfish to crabs, and Giant Pacific Octopus to the Common Stingray. It is so much fun getting to see these creatures up close and at the interactive rock pool you can even touch a starfish and learn all about a sea anemone.

It is feeding time on the hour, every hour and visitors can check online what times/days their favourite creature gets fed so they can experience it in person. Some slightly scarier creatures that live here are the sharks, piranhas and stingrays but trust me, they are amazing to see up so close.

Opening times are 11am to 5pm mon -fri and 10am to 6pm sat, sun and school holidays.
For prices and more info see http://www.visitsealife.com/Bray/

I'll finish up today with some pix from my visit, enjoy :)
MS

Beach Time Continued - Photos to go with the last blog post :)

Here are some pix from one of my many visits to Hook Lighthouse in Co.Wexford :)

Beach Time - "One Visit and You're Hooked.." :)

This week, I've decided to tell you about my favourite place in the whole world...the beach! Now I know, you're probably thinking there is thousands of beaches around the world so I can't really say it's my one favourite place.

But I can. Do you ever get stressed and you have that place that you always go to, just for a few hours, to get away from something, or just to get some fresh air? For some people, they simply go for a walk, others just take a nice long bath or shower, but for me, it's the beach. I absolutely adore the beach.It is so relaxing, and it is a great place to go, take a few pictures (I love taking pictures and like to think of myself as some what of an amateur photographer), or just go for a walk and clear your mind. 

You guys are probably thinking, yes the beach is great on a nice day and because we live in Ireland, we don't get too many of those. However, have you ever been to the beach on a rainy day, or even better, on a windy day? You should, it's amazing. Seeing the waves crash onto the sand and the cliffs, and this makes for some great photo opportunities :) I owe this knowledge to my Dad who insisted on taking us to the beach and to Hook Head in Co.Wexford almost every Sunday when we were little. So when I want to get away from the stresses of everyday life, this is where you're sure to find me :)

Hook Head is absolutely gorgeous (I'm in college at the minute but as soon as I get home this evening, I'll put up some pictures I took at Hook Head, and Duncannon Beach. As they say..a picture speaks a thousand words,and when you see these, you'll get what this whole post is about) .

There has also been some whale sightings around Hook Head in the last month or so, and there is a lighthouse there that you can take a look around.

Their websites are; http://www.hookheritage.ie and www.hooktourism.com.

As their slogan goes: "One visit and You're Hooked...." Perfect saying to end my post with and I promise, the pictures will be up later today :)

Talk Soon,

MS