Things to do in Castlebar

martyeds

My wife and i will be spending next weekend in Castlebar with our 3 year old son.
Can anyone recommend things to do over the weekend. I hear the weather is meant to be good next weekend (fingers crossed).
We are staying in the Breaffy Woods hotel and i see the have kiddies activities.
Also, can anyone recommend a good place to eat out for us.

Thanks in Advance

Daisy M

Take a trip to wesport house and gardens about 7miles away. Take a look here www.westporthouse.ie .

Samhain

Turlough House Museum and gardens is nice for a family day out, just 3 miles outside Castlebar. http://www.museum.ie/en/intro/country-life.aspx

The Blues festival is also on, theres music on the Market Square in the daytime, should be nice and chilled if you have kids with you.http://www.castlebarblues.com/images/castlebar.blues.beyond.bro.pdf

Samhain

An Carraig on Chapel St and Portofino Italian on Linenhall St. are nice for food.

Slightly Bunkers

Agree with above. If you go to the museum Horkans garden centre (just past the Museum) is worth a stop. They have loads of rabbits, hamsters, parrots etc and it is a good place to eat. Best daytime dining in castlebar without a doubt is Cafe Rua. They have 2 in the town and are child friendly. If you are looking for child friendly pub grub Bar 1 or Bosh are good food at reasonable prices. Westport or Mulranny are worth a visit if the sun is shining. There is a lakeside walk in castlebar that is nice. (bring bread for the swans!). There is a Blues Festival on in the town this weekend so there should be plenty happening during the day. Loads of shopping too!

www.castlebar.ie might get some hints on there!

Enjoy your visit!

Greg

yop

Westport would be closer to 11 miles. Westport house been a decent spot to visit.

Loads of beaches out towards Louisburgh

Samhain

Take a trip to wesport house and gardens about 7miles away. Take a look here www.westporthouse.ie .

Westport would be closer to 11 miles. Westport house been a decent spot to visit.

Loads of beaches out towards Louisburgh

I always find it amusing on this board, whenever anyone asks about things to do in Castlebar, they are always pointed in the direction of Westport. :rolleyes:
I realise there isnt as much to do in Castlebar as Westport but how is Castlebar going to improve if everyone keeps spending their few quid 11 miles away? Just sayin.....

detoxkid

There are some nice walks around Lough Lannagh village and I think there's a nice playground near there too.

You could check out the Royal Theatre, they often have child friendly gigs on there, Peppa Pig visited not so long ago

saralou2011

theres the bowling alley beside the cinema, great fun for the kids they also have lots of arcades in the bowling alley.

al muretio and cox's also does good food,

finisklin

Foxford Woolen Mills and Ceide Fields are further North and may be worth a peek if you have time. Ceide is a good 45 minutes trip if not an hour in the car.

Watch the salmon jumping and the fishermen trying to catch them in the Ridge Pool in Ballina.

Samhain

http://www.funster.ie/

Also, seeing as your child is quite young, Funster playcentre would be a good choice too....

Daisy M

Samhain wrote: »

I always find it amusing on this board, whenever anyone asks about things to do in Castlebar, they are always pointed in the direction of Westport. :rolleyes:
I realise there isnt as much to do in Castlebar as Westport but how is Castlebar going to improve if everyone keeps spending their few quid 11 miles away? Just sayin.....

You point is kind of silly, Nobody was advising the op to go and spend there money in a different country just westport, in the same county and vicinity. I was more interested in pointing out a good day out for the family than worrying about where he spends his money. I was thinking about the op and their family when I pointed out westport, I am from Mayo but from neither castlebar or westport and in my opinion westport house is the best day out in Mayo for a family. I am not saying there arent great things to do in castlebar too but it would be a real shame for someone to come to castlebar and not take a trip to the beautiful litttle town of westport even if they never went to the house and adventure park.

Samhain

Astra: I wasnt having a dig at you personally, i was merely pointing out that in my opinion, there seems to be a gereral slant on this board towards Westport. I have seen numerous posts over the years on this board from people looking for information about Castlebar and getting replies which go something like this - "Castlebar is a dive, come to Westport instead".

The OP said they were staying in Castlebar (Breaffy House to be exact) so as a result, i would have thought they were looking for recommendations of things to do in Castlebar.

Many people come to visit Westport without visiting Castlebar, so why not the other way around?

nuac

Re Castlebar/Westport.

There has always been friendly and sometimes not so friiendly rivalry between these two towns. They complement each other in various respects.

Stronger tourist tradition in Westport, going back to Sea Angling Festivals in the 50's, development of Westport House in late 50's and very significant investment in tourism infrastructure by state and private capital over the years. Thus Westport offers more to visitors

finisklin

nuac wrote: »

Re Castlebar/Westport.

There has always been friendly and sometimes not so friiendly rivalry between these two towns. They complement each other in various respects.

Stronger tourist tradition in Westport, going back to Sea Angling Festivals in the 50's, development of Westport House in late 50's and very significant investment in tourism infrastructure by state and private capital over the years. Thus Westport offers more to visitors

Crikey....I better not throw Ballina into this hat as it may split the Boards.ie/mayo forum into three! :cool:

nuac

Yes Finiskiln - Ballina is a fine town, Moy is a great asset. It's tourism development has been practically a single handed effort by John Walkin.

Pity about the road from N5 - bloody whooper swans and environmentalists

Slightly Bunkers

is mise astra wrote: »

westport house is the best day out in Mayo for a family. .

Expensive day out for a family too!

Slightly Bunkers

My mate Matt is completing his 365 Croagh Patrick Challenge this Saturday so Murrisk at 3.30-4pm will be a hopping spot! www.croaghpatrick365.com

(thats the far side of Westport!!!):cool:

irishgeo

Achill will be brilliant this weekend with the good weather. loads of blue flag beaches.

Paddy De Plasterer

I would say the museum visit is a must, just above three miles from Castlebar, and it's free ! Westport, Achill well worth a trip also.

detoxkid

There are some nice walks around Breaffy house and the pool and gym are really great

Speaking as a blow in Mayo is a fantastic county, you could spend ages here and not get it all done! Achill is STUNNING but very far.

Daisy M

Slightly Bunkers wrote: »

Expensive day out for a family too!

You really need to go early and spend the day there to get your moneys worth. We usually bring a picnic as there is a nice picnic area there, can do the same at the turlough museum too.
Also just to add when we go its usually a few families quiet a lot of kids and if you ask for the group rate it makes it quiet a bit cheaper, I know this does not apply to the op but could be useful info for other people.