Those were the days.
The Celtic Tiger might be dead and buried, but there are still children in Irish families who’ll get a fortnight in Disneyland or three weeks in their rich uncle’s villa in the Cote d’Azur and think nothing of it.
To them, names like Trabolgan or Mosney are towns they stopped off in to use the toilet on the way to the airport but for a generation of Irish children, they formed the high point of every summer.
Those two feature prominently in our list of places in Ireland that includes at least one destination that practically all of you will have spent time in at one stage during your childhood and adolescence.
Trabolgan, Cork
Who needs one of your fancy European water parks when you had all sorts of super slides on your doorstep in east Cork?
Pic via Facebook/Trabolgan Holiday Village
Something of a novelty in Ireland when it opened in 1985, packed cars full of excitable kids and parents on the brink of a breakdown descended on Midleton from all over the country in the early years.
It’s still going strong 30 years on.
Mosney, Meath
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, the word ‘Butlin’s’ was the source of as much excitement in young people as we imagine the words ‘One’ and ‘Direction’ are today.
The Meath venue was affiliated with the famous chain of holiday camps and virtually everyone of a certain age in Ireland passed through its doors at some point in their youth.
Pic via Wikicommons
If you were there, it was either from a free pass due to athletic ability (1997 Mayo pitch and putt team, thank you very much*) or on holiday with the folks.
*The 1997 Mayo pitch and putt team finished 7th out of 12 participating teams
Peter Pan World, Galway
Granted, you wouldn’t get a full holiday out of a building in an industrial estate but if you were in Galway, a visit to Peter Pan World was a must.
The Ball Pond and the Snake Slide were good, but in reality, a good trip to Peter Pan World was defined by how many times you went down the amazing Coca Cola slide.
Your elbows would be feeling it for weeks afterwards, mind; the burn you’d get off those yokes is 1,000 times worse than any grizzly carpet could dish out.
Bundoran, Donegal
Any town in Ireland with a waterpark provided parents with an excuse to drop the kids off for the day and Bundoran’s seaside location only increased its appeal further.
Pic via Facebook/Waterworld Bundoran
Like Trabolgan, Waterworld in Bundoran is still going strong and thanks to some world-class surfing and the arrival of Sea Sessions, Bundoran is as popular now as it’s ever been.
Lough Key Forest Park, Roscommon
Chris O’Dowd and Moone Boy are credited with putting Boyle on the map, but Irish people were visiting it regularly even before the time O’Dowd played minor for his county.
Pic via Facebook/Lough Key Forest & Activity Park
Lough Key Forest Park offered and still offers a world full of adventure for youngsters in need of stimulation and provides wonderful scenery that you don’t appreciate properly until you get older.
Tramore, Waterford
It might be just our imagination but summers also seemed to be a lot sunnier when we were kids than they are now and the first sight of sunshine was a cue to get into a car and spend a few days somewhere where there was a beach, usually down in the south-east.
Pic via Facebook/Tramore Amusement and Leisure Park
Tramore had a beach and it also had Tramore Amusement Park, which is celebrating its 21st birthday with a big bash later this month.
Dingle, Kerry
The west coast of Kerry was always a nice place to bring the kids even before a visitor named Funghi the Dolphin arrived sometime in the early 80s.
Not Funghi, just a regular dolphin
Now, Dingle has an Oceanworld Aquarium to go with Funghi and the rugged beauty of the Atlantic coastline.
We also insist that no place else in the country sounds more like a holiday destination than one of the most idyllic places in Ireland.
Bray, Wicklow
The Dubs needed somewhere outside of their own county to take a spin to when summer came around and Bray often ticked a load of boxes for the city slickers.
A beach? Check. Somewhere that serves 99s? Check and check again. Activities like crazy golf or bowling that could keep the young ‘uns entertained for a few hours? You betcha.
That’s right, Bray had it all.
Westport House, Mayo
Westport House has been a feature of one of Ireland’s nicest towns for centuries, but we cared little for its rich and storied history on trips there in our youth.
Meeting Pinkie the Easter Bunny and going down the Slippery Dip were top of the list of priorities.
Pic via Facebook/Westport House
Westport House is still positively spoiling kids to this very day, with Pirate Playgrounds, Dungeons and Go-Karting amongst the activities on offer on the 480-acre site.
Lahinch, Clare
Lahinch might be small, but what it lacks in size it makes for in an abundance of activities for kids of all ages.
Pic via Facebook/Lahinch Surf Experiencé
Learning how to surf, pony trekking, pitch and putt, there’s loads of things to do.
As well as that, it’s only a short spin from the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin and the Aran Islands, meaning it was and it still is an incredibly popular spot for Irish family outings.
Main image via Facebook/Memories of mosney
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