Photo Credit – Shutterstock
By Ann Cronin
Aquatic adventures
Cavan’s loughs and rivers are well worth exploring during your stay, and there are a variety of options available. Belturbet Day Boat Hire are a company which allows you and your family to rent a boat for sight-seeing, fishing or just exploring the River Erne. Cavan Canoe Centre offer guided canoeing, kayaking and other boat trips around Lough Oughter, as well as land activities such as bike tours and horse trekking.
For more information contact [email protected].
Erica’s Fairy Forest
Located at Halton’s Amenity in Cootehill, Erica’s Fairy Forest was opened in memory of a young girl who adored fairies. Here families can enjoy a relaxing stroll among the scenery, while little ones explore the fairies’ natural habitats. You can see all the different houses of each fairy resident, learn about who they are and what their role in the forest is. In Cupid’s Corner, visitors can even write a letter to the fairies. You may even receive one back!
For more information see ericasfairyforest.com.
Nature walks
A relaxing stroll among the scenic delight of Cavan will always make for a successful family day out. Cavan has plenty to offer in terms of forests and woodland parks for little ones to explore. Run amuck in Dun A Ri Forest Park is home to a great variety of wildlife, as well as beautiful flora. The park also has a number of impressive sculptures worth discovering during your visit too. Green Lough Eco Park is found just outside of Cavan town and has picnic benches, level paths and interesting features for children to explore. Killykeen Forest Park features four signposted walks and a family cycle trail, so there’s no doubt that this area is accessible for kids.
For information on Dun A Ri and Killykeen, see coillte.ie.
Killinkere Visitor & Pet Farm
Llamas, horses, chin chulas and deer are among some of the residents of Killinkere Visitor & Pet Farm. Located in Lisnagirl, this open farm allows kids to get up close to dozens of species of animals and learn about a real working farm. Little children will enjoy the smaller creatures such as kittens and rabbits, while indoor and outdoor play areas, pony rides, tractor and trailer rides and animal feeding sessions will ensure there’s something for everyone to enjoy here.
Adult admission is €5.00pp while children’s is €7.00pp. See killinkerevisitorfarm.ie for more information.
Indoor adventure
For rainy days, Cavan has plenty of indoor activity centres to avail of. Kool Kids Activity Centre include and indoor play zone, climbing walls, a baby zone, air guns, a soccer pitch and much more to ensure an afternoon of entertainment. The Play Centre in Kingscourt has a main play zone area for children over four, as well as toddler and baby areas. Slightly older kids will love the football stadium area, while the on site café is a great place for you to sit back and relax in while your kids have the time of their lives.
For more information see koolkids.ie and theplaycentre.ie
ODD Motorsports and Mayhem
For teenagers, this adrenaline pumping location is ideal. With activities such as dirt buggy driving, paintballing, hover drifting and archery, there’s tons of thrilling entertainment to be enjoyed here. Bear in mind that there are many age restrictions on each activity, so this may suitable for teenagers 14 and over.
For more information see odd.ie.
Cavan County Museum
Museums may not always be a popular choice among kids, but we guarantee that the Cavan County Museum has something to please everyone. Exhibitions include G.A.A History, The Great Famine and the World War I trench experience which is the largest outdoor trench replica in Ireland and the UK. The museum itself have a very child friendly approach, with playgrounds, gardens and interactive aspects on offer to keep children interested.
For more information see cavanmuseum.ie.
