Visitor Centres in Ireland that are worth a detour

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Some would say that visitor centres are like a virulent rash on the face of Ireland, popping up often with little reason other than to part tourists from their cash.

This can be the case - we have made our position clear on the one tragically located beside the Cliffs of Moher - but there are others which are interesting, unusual, well-thought out or informative enough to be more than worth a visit. Those are the ones we list here.

They are a very varied bunch, with no unifying theme, but all the ones we list are worth going out of your way to see. Many have activities or exhibits especially aimed at kids, and they are a very good option to have in reserve when you visit an area, in case the weather forces you to cancel outdoor plans.

Ailwee Cave

Visitor Centres Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare

The overwhelming impression left after a visit to Ailwee is of how insignificant a century or even a millenium is in terms of the life of our planet. Ailwee is part of a cave system created by the action of melt waters from a prehistoric ice age on the...
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Bear Essentials

Visitor Centres Bawnboy, Cavan

If you love teddy bears (and who doesn't?) this charming workshop making hand-crafted mohair bears is a must. The workshop is owned and run by Anke Morgenroth, whose collection of bears are sought after all over the world. They are very beautifully made,...
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Hook Head Lighthouse

Visitor Centres Near Ballyhack, Co Wexford

For almost 800 years the lighthouse at Hook Head has shone a beacon for sailors off Ireland's South-East coast, making it one of the oldest working lighthouses in the world. In fact the first light here may have been lit centuries earlier. Sometime...
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St Patrick's Trian

Visitor Centres Armagh City

Kids love this place, which in three separate and highly interactive exhibitions tells the history of Armagh, the story of St Patrick and recounts the tale of Gulliver's Travels. The name Trian [say: Tree-an] is taken from the three old divisions of...
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