↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Off to Wicklow tomorrow
Post Reply  Down to end
Page 1 of 2 12>
Print this entire topic · 
rossy



Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Co. Roscommon
Posts: 1296

Ireland 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Stornoway Grey
Off to Wicklow tomorrow
well the kids school hols are here so we're off to this lovely caravan site in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow tomorrow for a week

http://www.irelandholidaypark.com/


Its affiliated with the CC and has great stuff for the little ones to do so hopefully the weather holds....
Post #152757 29th Jun 2012 5:35pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10355

United Kingdom 
Have fun, looks great Thumbs Up
Post #152764 29th Jun 2012 6:14pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Nidge



Member Since: 27 Jan 2008
Location: Kildare Ireland
Posts: 809

Ireland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 HCPU Cairns Blue
Rossy there is a nice walk/cylce along the river to Laragh and swim in the pools along the way.. if your into that sort of thing.!! providing the river is not too high from all the rain..

Also spend an afternoon in the gardens /woods of Avondale House.

And if you fancy a bit of off road driving - http://www.brooklodge.com/activities/offroaddriving.asp

N.
Post #152782 29th Jun 2012 7:12pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Nidge



Member Since: 27 Jan 2008
Location: Kildare Ireland
Posts: 809

Ireland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 HCPU Cairns Blue
Rossy there is a nice walk/cylce along the river to Laragh and swim in the pools along the way.. if your into that sort of thing.!! providing the river is not too high from all the rain..

Also spend an afternoon in the gardens /woods of Avondale House.

And if you fancy a bit of off road driving - http://www.brooklodge.com/activities/offroaddriving.asp

N.
Post #152783 29th Jun 2012 7:12pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
rossy



Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Co. Roscommon
Posts: 1296

Ireland 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Stornoway Grey

Click image to enlarge



Been here a few days now and what a campsite ! The kids are in heaven as it has the best play area we have ever seen. The above picture captures just a small part of it. Our pitch backs on to the Avonmore river which has a sandy bank and a shallow area for swimming so kids paradise.

Thanks Nidge for the tip. We went to Avondale house yesterday and walked the Centenary forest trail. Lovely place.
The only problem so far has been the weather. Monday and Tuesday it bucketed all day but we went to Wicklow's Historic Gaol where actors in period dress brought you round. Scared the kids but they loved it plus all the usual wet day stuff ( cinema, Eddie Rocketts ) Other than that they've just been outside all day.

Hidden Valley Caravan site is as good as the website suggests. Great mix of people. I find its the rule of threes here as in most Irish campsites ie 1/3 of the campers are from Ireland, 1/3 from the UK and 1/3 from Germany and Holland. It all makes for a great atmosphere especially in the evenings where people have BBQs on the river shore.

So if any of you UK happy campers want to come across the Irish sea I don't think you'll find a nicer site anywhere. Oh and every pitch has its own waste and water too ! Cool
Post #153755 5th Jul 2012 1:02pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
strang



Member Since: 16 May 2012
Location: Happy Valley
Posts: 1362

United Kingdom 2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Galway Green
I love Ireland and have been a few times, last year we took the Series One over to Galway and Connemara - the latter of which is stunningly beautiful! However, some old Irish chap told me that " if you can see the mountains, its going to rain, and if you can't see the mountains, then it is raining! " - it was quite true at times..... Very Happy Euro-Leafing to infinity and beyond.....
Post #153756 5th Jul 2012 1:10pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Merlin



Member Since: 30 Oct 2010
Location: Newmarket
Posts: 980

United Kingdom 
I hope you have a great time, we did when we went to Ireland a few years ago. Beaches and countryside fantastic.

However you must let me know if you felt as unsafe as we did, driving around with a UK number plate. For example, once when a funeral was taking place, we were told to make ourselves disappear while the funeral cortège was passing. It seemed that a life long IRA member had died and they were firing over his grave as a sign of respect. They said as they had been drinking, the sight of an English number plate might provoke a response. That and the guns…..

Elsewhere we felt distinctly ‘watched’ and had to leave a pub once when it was pointed out that we were sitting under the memorial to another IRA sole.

We would love to go back but only if escorted.

Merlin
Post #153766 5th Jul 2012 3:40pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
CR



Member Since: 28 Jan 2010
Location: Ireland
Posts: 947

Ireland 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Santorini Black
Give me a pm and I will come and see you and show you a couple of great drives,
I only live 15min from your campsite

Cheers

CR
Post #153771 5th Jul 2012 3:58pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
strang



Member Since: 16 May 2012
Location: Happy Valley
Posts: 1362

United Kingdom 2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Galway Green
Well I took a green, rag top, series one over last year, (foolishly with stick on bullet holes on the drivers door!), it attracted lots of attention, and I was often asked if it was 'ex Army' (which is wasn't actually - although I am) and that was it. I never felt threatened at all, all I found was friendliness.

Me and the missus would go back tomorrow if we could - its a great place! Euro-Leafing to infinity and beyond.....
Post #153807 5th Jul 2012 6:35pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
Last time I went to Ireland I was working putting up a fancy timber barn with stables inside not far from Naas, west of Dublin. I had taken 3 other lads with me in a crew cab Transit and we'd gone over on a Sunday found our lodgings and started on the Monday morning. We had found a pub on the Sunday night for some food and it came as a bit of a shock at the time as the Irish Government had llready implemented the smoking ban way before us in England! When we were introduced to the customer it turned out he'd seen us in the pub the night before, "Well lads, how you finding it? This no smoking in the pub? Did you notice the smell of the farts? We reckon the smell of the smoke used to mask them!"

What a week we had, allright we had a shed load of work to do, we had a great time. When it came to the Saturday when our ferry was booked we got caught up in a load of traffic in Dublin, it soon became clear we were oing to miss the boat! Especially as we were following the French Rugby Team coach who were about to play Ireland in that years Rugby World Cup! As we were being paid overtime, it was my decision to find somewhere to eat, more importantly, a place with a big screen so we could watch the match! Totally lost but not too bothered I found a likely looking place, a big city pub that did food and had a big screen, only problem was it was in a bit of a dodgy area! Still I parked up, we all trooped in and the place went deathly quiet........bit like some of the pubs in North Wales out in the sticks! It soon picked up again and went back to normal, I think we missed the next 2 sailings and just made the last ferry arriving back in Hollyhead at midnight. The only time I felt awkward was when 3 hard looking chaps came over to us and after establishing quickly that we were from over the water started asking us about what we thought of that Witch Maggie Thatcher, plus where we came from. I cottoned on very quick to agree with his views on politics especially as he was telling us how much money they'd raised in that pub to send to the miners when the strikes were on, and hadn't got the heart to tell them that we came from Hereford Shocked , just told them we came from the Welsh borders Whistle

Now the boys are a bit older and my eldest is a bit easier to cope with when out and about(he's way up on the Autistic Spectrum) I must get myself into gear and get over there again.
Post #153840 5th Jul 2012 9:11pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Grockle



Member Since: 24 Nov 2008
Location: Peak District National Park
Posts: 2266

United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Tonga Green
Rossy, have a look at the ancient monument known as Browns Dolman near Carlow town,hope you have a good time mate, been a while since we were in Wicklow ,we stay in Shillelagh,if you go there you need to visit a pub called the 'Dying Cow' ! 2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up.
Post #153876 6th Jul 2012 8:21am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10355

United Kingdom 
I love Ireland, friendly people.. I drove my red 90 there on 36" Simex tyres Shocked

Took my bike and stayed in Castle Blaney, really beautiful with lots of lakes, I think it's a haven for fishing.

I'll be going see more of ireland for sure.
Post more pics Thumbs Up
Post #153889 6th Jul 2012 8:53am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
rossy



Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Co. Roscommon
Posts: 1296

Ireland 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Stornoway Grey
Merlin wrote:


However you must let me know if you felt as unsafe as we did, driving around with a UK number plate.

Merlin


OMG sorry to hear that Merlin. I can only imagine that it was a long time ago or a very isolated incident.
We are from the UK originally (Maldon, Essex) and have lived in Ireland for over six years now. I can honestly say that never once have I encountered anything that remotely relates to the kind of scenario you describe.

The fact is that there are loads of UK numberplates here - either English people on hols, relatives of locals back on hols or (especially where I live !) people who import UK cars and then drive around on UK plates for as long as they can get away with before the revenue guys catch up with them! All that IRA stuff seems to belong to a different universe as far as my experience is concerned and I consider myself to be fairly well read on Irish history as I have always found it fascinating.
In fact the only time I'd feel nervous is driving around certain parts of Northern Ireland with my Irish plates but then again maybe thats unfounded and exsists in my head only !

Now that we live here I still like to drag the caravan back to England every couple of years. In fact we're off to Malvern in August but for many many reasons Ireland is a wonderful country to live in. I hope you give it another go Merlin. I'm sure you'll love it !
Post #153893 6th Jul 2012 9:38am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
BigRuss



Member Since: 15 May 2010
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 2785

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
I keep seeing this thread come up and always wonder if tomorrow will ever come Whistle



Rolling with laughter Rolling with laughter Rolling with laughter Russell
2011MY 110 XS USW Black
Post #153894 6th Jul 2012 9:44am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Send e-mail Reply with quote
Grockle



Member Since: 24 Nov 2008
Location: Peak District National Park
Posts: 2266

United Kingdom 2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Tonga Green
in all the years we've been going to Ireland in UK reg cars and L/R's never had anything but friendlyness shown towards us. 2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up.
Post #153901 6th Jul 2012 10:05am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Post Reply  Back to top
Page 1 of 2 12>
All times are GMT

Jump to  
Previous Topic | Next Topic >
Posting Rules
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
DEFENDER2.NET RSS Feed - All Forums