Rainy days happen, which may drive people indoors for a while, but there are still plenty of options to keep children entertained across West Cork on wet days.
Here are just five suggestions.
Screen time, Bantry and Clonakilty
A family trip to the cinema on a rainy afternoon can be a very pleasant outing and West Cork has two cinemas which both offer the latest releases - the Park Cinema in Clonakilty and Cinemax in Bantry.
Both cinemas cater for group bookings and also have a variety of on-site snacks and drinks available.
For more information on the Park Cinema see
www.clonakiltyparkcinema.ie and for Bantry Cinemax see
www.cinemaxbantry.ie
Skibbereen Heritage Centre
The Skibbereen Heritage Centre is situated in the Old Gasworks building, P81 WK06, and houses two permanent exhibitions – one on the Great Famine and one on Lough Hyne (a saltwater lake situated 5km out of Skibbereen).
2025 marks its 25th anniversary.
The Famine Exhibition portrays the Great Famine through the primary source accounts of the time, giving an overview of government policies and how they impacted on the ground.
The story unfolds in an interactive way through the dramatisation by actors, including Jeremy Irons, of actual events and people of the time.
The Lough Hyne exhibition explains the uniqueness of the small marine lake which was designated as Europe’s first Marine Nature Reserve in 1981 and has now become one of the most studied marine site in the world
Contact 028-40900 or visit www.skibbheritage.com.
Toy Soldier Factory, Macroom
The Toy Soldier Factory in Kilnamartyra near Macroom, P12 FN79, is a delight to visit and has become popular with all ages as everyone is a big kid at heart when it comes to making toy soldiers, fairies and chess set pieces.
For the summer workshops, simply pick the miniature of your choice and it will be cast for you as you watch and then you get to paint it and bring it home.
Booking for tables of up to eight is available but online pre-booking is required.
The Toy Soldier Factory also produces a variety of starter kits that contain moulds that can be used at home.
Visit www.toysoldierfactory.ie.
The Treehouse, Skibbereen
The Treehouse is an indoor playground in Skibbereen that offers a safe, adventure-filled soft play area for children and also a relaxing space where the grown-ups can relax with a cup of coffee.
The Treehouse Café offers serves a range of food options and snacks including kiddie friendly meals such as egg soldiers and pasta bowls.
The Treehouse is based at Curragh Commercial Park, Marsh Road, P81 XA40.
For group bookings for further information visit their social media pages or contact them via WhatsApp on 087-0026719 or email [email protected].
Into the water, Dunmanway
When all else fails, simply get into the water to get out of the rain!
The Dunmanway Municipal Pool situated on the Bantry Road, Tonafora, P47 VH56, is a state of the art 25m pool that includes a steam room, sauna, hydrotherapy pool and a kiddies pool.
There are spacious changing rooms as well as disability-friendly changing rooms.
For further information contact
023-8845349 or email [email protected]
