Laois is not the first county that comes to mind when people are planning a family trip to Ireland. That’s partly a marketing problem and partly just the absence of a coastline. But for families coming from Dublin or the midlands, it has a lot going for it: short driving distances between places, no queues at most of the main attractions, and a mix of outdoor and indoor options that holds up across a couple of days regardless of the weather.
We runRoundwood House in Mountrath, a family home that takes in guests, and we have children ourselves. What follows is an honest guide to what works well with kids in Laois, based on what we know from living here and from what our guests come back and tell us.
Start at the House
If you’restaying at Roundwood, the grounds are a good starting point for younger children. There are hens and ducks roaming freely around the yard, which tends to go down well with small people. The 18 acres include woodland, a wildflower meadow, and an old flax mill, and the perimeter walk around the property takes about 20 to 30 minutes at an adult pace and considerably longer if children are involved in stopping to investigate things along the way.
The house itself hasFrank’s Library, with over 2,000 books, and a drawing room with board games. On a rainy afternoon, both rooms earn their keep. Children who are readers tend to be very happy here. Younger children may need something more structured after a while, which is where the rest of this article comes in.
We have rooms in the main house and two self catering cottages in the grounds.The Forge is suitable for families with children aged 5 and over and is often a good option for families who want a kitchen and a bit more space to spread out.Get in touch and we can help you work out what suits best.
Castleview Open Farm, Cullohill
Castleview Open Farm in Cullohill, about 25 minutes from Mountrath, is one of those places that works reliably well with children across a wide age range. The farm has over 100 animals on 14 acres, including giant rabbits, baby goats, water buffalo, and two resident micro pigs named Declan and Ian, which tells you something about the tone of the place. There’s also an indoor play area and a café, which makes it a solid option for a day when the weather is uncertain.
It’s not a polished tourist attraction with a slick entrance and overpriced gift shop. It’s a working farm that opens to the public, and that makes it more interesting rather than less. Children who have mostly seen animals in picture books tend to find the scale of the real thing genuinely surprising.
Glenbarrow Waterfall Loop
Glenbarrow, about 15 minutes from Roundwood House, is the best short walk in the Slieve Bloom Mountains for families. The trail is about 5 kilometres and takes around two hours at an easy pace, following the River Barrow through mature woodland and past a series of waterfalls, including the Clamp Hole, which is the largest on the river. The path is mostly well maintained but can be wet underfoot in places, so boots are worth wearing.
It works well with children who are comfortable walking for a couple of hours. For very small children it is manageable in a carrier but would be hard in a buggy. In late April and May the woodland floor is covered in bluebells, which makes it particularly worth the trip. Go early in the morning if you want it quieter, particularly at weekends in summer.
The Rock of Dunamase
The Rock of Dunamase, about 20 minutes east of Mountrath, is a ruined castle sitting on top of a dramatic limestone outcrop. The climb to the top takes about ten minutes and the ruins are open to walk around freely. There’s no entry fee and no on-site café, which keeps it simple.
What makes it good for children is the combination of a short physical challenge, a proper ruin with walls and ramparts to explore, and a view across a large stretch of Laois once you get to the top. Children who are interested in castles and the people who lived in them tend to engage with it well. The history here runs from the early Celts through the Vikings and Normans to the Cromwellian destruction in 1650, so there’s a lot to work with if you want to tell the story as you go.
Lough Boora Discovery Park, Co. Offaly
Lough Boora is technically in Offaly, about 40 minutes from Roundwood, but it’s too good to leave off a list for families in the area. It’s a former industrial peat bog that has been transformed into a nature reserve and sculpture park, with kilometres of flat walking and cycling trails across open bogland landscape. Bikes are available to hire on site.
The sculptures, which are large scale and placed throughout the landscape rather than gathered in one spot, are interesting enough to give children a reason to keep moving along the trails. The terrain is flat and easy, which makes it more accessible than the Slieve Bloom walks for younger children or families with buggies. No entry fee for the park.
Birr Castle, Co. Offaly
Birr Castle, about 30 minutes from Roundwood, is worth a full half day with children. The castle grounds are 120 acres and include formal gardens, woodland walks, a lake, and an adventure playground with Ireland’s largest treehouse alongside climbing frames, slides, and sandpits. The science centre built around the Great Telescope, which was the world’s largest for 72 years after it was built here in the 1840s, adds an interesting dimension for older children who might otherwise be less interested in a garden visit.
There is an entry fee for the grounds. It’s worth paying. Birr town itself has a good café and some nice food options for lunch, and the town square is pleasant to walk around. Allow at least three hours if you’re going with children.
Barrowline Cruisers, Vicarstown
Barrowline Cruisers in Vicarstown, about 30 minutes from Roundwood, hires out narrowboats and wide beam barges for trips along the Grand Canal and the River Barrow. No previous experience is needed: the boats are straightforward to operate and come fully equipped with a kitchen, shower, separate sleeping cabins, and central heating.
This is more of an overnight or weekend activity than a half day trip, but for families who like the idea of a slow journey through the countryside at their own pace, it’s one of the more original things to do in the county. Children who find sitting still difficult often do surprisingly well on a canal boat because there is always something moving past the window and always something to do with ropes and locks.
The Maize Maze at Dealgrove Farm, Shanahoe
The Maize Maze at Dealgrove Farm near Shanahoe, a few kilometres from Abbeyleix, opens each summer and is one of those activities that is genuinely fun for children and genuinely baffling for adults, which is the right balance. The maze is cut fresh each year into a maize crop, which means it’s different every time. It runs from late summer through the autumn.
It’s not a big ticket attraction but it doesn’t cost much and it works well as part of a day that also takes in Abbeyleix itself, which is worth walking around for its Georgian streetscape and the free bog walk on the edge of town.
Timahoe Round Tower
Timahoe Round Tower, in the village of Timahoe in east Laois, is a 12th century tower with an unusually fine Romanesque doorway decorated with carved human faces. It’s free to visit, it’s in good condition, and it’s in a quiet village setting with a small playground nearby, which is a useful combination when you have children who have been walking for long enough.
Round towers were built as bell towers and places of refuge, and explaining that to children while they look up at something that has been standing for 900 years tends to land better than the same information in a book. It’s a 30 minute drive from Roundwood, which makes it easy to pair with the Rock of Dunamase or Emo Court into a day out.
Emo Court Gardens
Emo Court, about 25 minutes from Roundwood, has 35 hectares of gardens and parkland around a fine 18th century house. The grounds are open year round and there’s no entry fee for the gardens, though the house tours are ticketed when they run in season. There’s a lake that is good for a picnic, a long yew walk, and enough open space that children can run around without getting in anyone’s way.
It’s not a dedicated children’s attraction and there’s no playground, but as part of a day that combines a bit of heritage with outdoor time, it works well. The parkland around the lake in particular gives younger children a lot of room. Go in the morning when the light is good on the house.
Forest Fest, Emo (July)
Forest Fest is a small music and arts festival that takes place in Emo village each July, about 30 minutes from Roundwood. It describes itself as a community and family festival, which in this case is accurate rather than just marketing language. There’s a strong programme for children alongside the music stages, and the atmosphere is relaxed enough that families with young children are comfortable there.
It’s a good option if you’re visiting Laois in July and want to include something that feels like an event. It’s very different from Electric Picnic in terms of scale and atmosphere, which for most families is an advantage rather than a drawback.
A Few Practical Notes for Families
Most of what’s listed here requires a car. Laois is a rural county and you won’t get far without one. Distances are generally short, with most of these places within 30 to 40 minutes of Mountrath, so it’s possible to do two things in a day without a lot of driving.
The Slieve Bloom walks and Glenbarrow in particular can be wet underfoot even in dry weather, so decent footwear matters. For children under about four, the terrain at Glenbarrow is manageable in a carrier but not a buggy. Birr and Lough Boora are both much more accessible for smaller children.
If you’restaying at Roundwood House, we’re happy to help with route planning and to give you a steer on what’s worth doing based on the ages of your children and what the weather is doing.Dinner is available most evenings and is a good way to end a day out, particularly once the children are settled.Get in touch if you have questions about any of this before you book.
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