- Ireland, the Emerald Isle, (upbeat Celtic music begins) the perfect place for your family to experience a new culture full of wonder and magic.

From beautiful farms to real life castles, Ireland has everything to offer for a fun and enlightening family vacation.

Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of Europe.

It consists of two separate countries, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Known for its abundance of lakes, mountains and coastal vistas, this is a country to breathe in beauty and history.

There are 32 counties in Ireland, 6 of these counties in Northern Ireland, and the whole island has a population of over 5 million people.

I'm Colleen Kelly and this is Family Travel.

Welcome to Ireland.

In this episode of Family Travel, we explore and discover all the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland has to offer.

First stop, a bit of Gaelic mythology and legend that created an expansive rock formation off the coast of Northern Ireland.

Moving down the coast, we travel to Dunluce Castle ruins and explore its rich and storied history.

Next we'll visit a family farm that is moving forward with sustainable farming techniques that will be certain to show you how fun life down on the farm can be.

And we're going from farm to table.

Experience your farm-made cheese at Belfast's favorite cheese shop.

And into the city we'll go, finding all the treasures that Belfast has in store for us.

Did you know that even though it pushed off from Southampton, England on its maiden voyage to New York City, the Titanic was actually built in Ireland?

We dive deep into the history of this famous vessel.

We'll also cheer for the Irish, as culture and tradition are exemplified through sports for all ages at the Gaelic Games.

And castles, castles, castles... From ruins to the lap of luxury, of course, Ireland has a castle for all types of family travelers.

And this trip wouldn't be complete without an unforgettable tune from our friends at Castle Leslie.

Irish eyes are smiling, so come with me and we'll explore the magic of Ireland.

(upbeat music begins) (air whooshing) My name is Colleen Kelly, and when I was single I lived abroad and traveled the world.

Then I became a parent and wondered, how would I ever travel again?

(baby crying) So I set out to find a new way to travel and get back to exploring the world, family style.

(glasses clinking) I'm here to guide you on how to get the most out of your family vacation.

Pack your bags and join me, Colleen Kelly.

We're going on vacation.

Family travel with Colleen Kelly is sponsored by... (symphonic music begins) (symphonic music continues) - [Announcer] Family Travel (theme music) brought to you in part by Ted Tetzlaff, attorneys for your personal and business needs.

- Ireland is known (upbeat music begins) for its wide expanses of lush green fields.

That is why it's often called, the "Emerald Isle," but there are also large areas of rugged rocky landscape too.

The Giant's Causeway in Bushmills in Northern Ireland, is an area over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

But many legends tell a different tale of this mystical place.

Ireland has many places born from legends of long ago and the Giant's Causeway is no exception.

I'm Colleen Kelly and this is the Giant's Causeway.

The Giant's Causeway is between 50 to 60 million years old, but legend has it, it was built by giants from Scotland and Ireland.

We're gonna find out though who won this fight.

I'm guessing, the Irish.

- I spoke with James, who was a Visitor Experience Officer, here at the Giant's Causeway.

And his main job is to provide people with tours down to the stones to explain why they're here, sprinkling in little bits of mythology and stories about the causeway, as well as the conservation work that is done behind the scenes every day.

So James... Tell me a little bit about how these formations happened.

- Well, this is the result of volcanic activity that happened in the earth nearly 60 million years ago.

And as the lava explodes out of these cracks and if you cool it really, really slowly, it'll look exactly like Giant's Causeway stones.

- It's incredible.

- Really, it's a very special place.

- It's very special.

And it's a UNESCO heritage site, correct?

- Yeah.

We get UNESCO status in 1986, and it ties into the geological, historical, and the conservation work we do on the site on a daily basis.

So if you cool lava slowly enough under certain conditions, Mother Nature will step in and crack it very specifically.

So as you explore the site and look across the stones, always look between three causeway stones.

- Okay.

- And you'll see cracks in the shape of the letter 'Y' in the alphabet.

These Y-shaped cracks will join up together to give us this hexagonal pattern.

Because geometrically and geologically, a hexagon is classified as one of the most perfect shapes in the world.

- It's beautiful, and there's a lot of 'em.

- Oh, there's a lot of them all right.

We have over 40,000 interlocking stones down here.

- Oh my gosh and how old is this site?

- They suspect it was made about 60 million years ago.

- 60 million years ago.

- That's a long time ago.

- Oh very.

Very long.

- But I heard also, that it was made possibly from some giants.

- Yeah, well, a lot Irish people you might meet while you're here, Colleen, will tell you that our giant, Finn McCool, would build the Giant's Causeway out across the sea to go and fight a giant in Scotland.

- And who won?

- Well, of course the Irish giant won, (Colleen laughing) the biggest and strongest man to ever set foot on earth.

- Of course, the Irish won.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- We wIn all our fights.

- Yeah.

I'm sure you do.

(laughing) (upbeat music begins) There are over 30,000 castles and castle ruins in Ireland.

Today, we're at Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland, so let's go check it out.

- Located in the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland, Dunluce Castle remains one of the best castles to tour in Ireland.

Built on a cliff overlooking the sea, and surrounded by sheer drop-offs, the iconic ruins bear witness to a long and turbulent history.

Fun for adults and children alike, there are hidden historical secrets awaiting you throughout the castle.

Knowledgeable guides and interactive displays tell the haunting story of this castle's deep history.

This highly recognizable castle has been featured in many movies and television shows, one of the most popular, Game of Thrones.

We are on a farm in Ireland (Irish fiddle music begins) and I'm with the Cole family, and they're gonna teach us all about living on a farm.

The Irish have always had a great affection for nature and rural life, and for most of its history, Ireland's economy has been based on farming and agriculture.

Broughgammon is an award-winning, forward-thinking family farm, artisan butchery, shop and cafe near Ballycastle in Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Focusing on eco-friendly farming practices, they specialize in Cabrito (kid goat meat), free-range rose veal, seasonal wild game, and homegrown vegetables.

Packed with kid-friendly activities and lush green landscapes, your family is sure to enjoy their time down on the farm.

I am so excited to be here at your farm.

It's run by the two of you and your in-laws, and it's a family farm, right?

So tell me a little bit about your farm.

- I suppose Mom and dad bought it sort of way back when to live out the good life.

And I came home after uni to set up a business here, and then dragged Becky with me shortly after.

- Yeah.

- And we do everything a little bit differently, I suppose.

So we've got those sort of ethical and sustainable background with the good life.

But we really, we specialize in kid goat and rose veal, and wild game as well.

- Yeah, we sort of started off with a sustainable slant.

We wanted something different that was gonna give back to the environment.

We got pigs, the cows and the goats.

We've got donkeys, chickens, and every year we're pretty much adding on something else.

We always are coming up with new ideas.

- I'm just amazed you do this with two young kids.

That, to me, is shocking as a mom.

- We have a veg plot, and they absolutely love coming out and picking the kale and just eating it, so that's where they get all their greens.

They won't eat them when they're in the kitchen, but outside they just feast on all their veg.

- They'll walk through the kale just picking it and eating it.

- Oh yeah, - Yeah.

- I should have thought of that years ago with my kids.

Well, and that's what I think is so cool.

So people can come here to your farm, they'll see you as a family, and they can experience all these amazing things that you're doing.

Could you tell us a little bit about what you're doing for Autumn?

I noticed you've got a kids club and all these fun things.

- Foraging walks, we do the nature kids club, natural skin care, herbalism, butchery, any artisan classes, cheese making, fermenting.

Really like, when we started the farm, we always knew we wanted it to be community-focused as well, and get people onto the farm.

So every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we open up this little farm shop that we made.

- So cute.

- And the whole farm is open, so people can explore any part of the farm they want and then they can see where their food comes from.

And also enjoy the beautiful North Coast, which is really important to us as well.

- Well, you were talking about the animals earlier.

Do you wanna come and feed some?

- Yeah, I'm a city girl.

I'd love to.

- Fantastic.

We need to (indistinct) your help, so... - Okay.

This way?

- Absolutely.

- All right, let's go.

- Are you ready to feed them now?

(goat bleating) - Oh!

Yeah!

I'm having so much fun.

Oh, it's, I'm doing this?

- Oh, you're in charge.

Yeah.

I'm getting a day off.

- Okay.

(laughing) Now what do I do here?

- So hold that with one hand.

- Okay.

- And then pick up the back of it and just walk along, - Okay.

pouring it out evenly for all of them.

- There's a lotta hungry customers here.

- Oh, they are getting hungry.

- Okay.

- That's it.

- So just keep walking and pouring at the same time.

- My God.

(chuckling) - And then I'll run forwards.

- Okay.

(goats bleating) There's so many!

I don't think I've ever done this before.

- You're doing a good job.

That's fantastic.

- Am I doing okay as a mom?

- I'm trying to feed the... - Keep going.

- The feeding the kids, that's what I'm doing, right?

All right, everybody, here you go.

Mama's here.

- Tuck your thumb behind.

- Tuck my thumb behind.

Okay.

- Yeah.

- Thumb behind.

Here boys.

Wooh!

Oh!

Oops!

Wooh!

Okay!

This is amazing!

Oh my God, thank you so much.

I was quite experience.

- You're welcome.

- Thank you.

- Look at, I've got a happy group of kids there.

- I get the afternoon off now.

- And truly from farm to table, (upbeat music begins) we visit Mike's Fancy Cheese, located in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, to sample cheese from the Broughgammon Farm, as well as their award-winning blue cheese, Young Buck.

All right, Caroline, I heard you're the person to talk to about local foods, and I'm excited to meet you.

(clapping hands once) - It's lovely to meet you.

- Yeah.

Well I thought I would bring you here to one of my favorite places.

This is Mike's Fancy Cheese.

The clue's in the name, it's got the best cheese.

It's full of Irish cheeses, but Mike makes the best cheese in Ireland, which is called, "Young Buck."

And I thought we could try some.

- Yeah, for sure.

That'd be great.

It's beautiful!

Look at this!

- Are you into blue cheese?

- I'm into any cheese, actually.

- Yeah.

- I love blue cheese.

We're good.

- It works!

- And then I heard you were at Broughgammon.

- Yes, we were.

- And I thought you'd maybe like to try some of their rose veal.

- Is this their veal?

- Yes.

- Oh, wow!

- So the shop here sells it and a couple of other bits that they have.

So we thought, I just thought, we'd have a wee bite and we'll have a little drink.

- We'd love to have a wee bite.

- Yeah, I know.

- Or maybe several bites.

That would be great.

- Okay, well, that's good.

That works.

- I always think that variety is the spice of life, so let's get stuck into my favorite, which is Young Buck.

- Oh my gosh, I love blue cheese.

- Okay.

- So I don't know if you like a slab of blue cheese, but who wants these little, tiny taster bits?

Exactly.

- Can I have the whole thing?

So I'm gonna lift it up here, so you can actually really have a proper look at it.

- Okay.

- So the way this cheese works is, the guys who work here, they have to pierce the cheese, so the bacteria works from the inside out.

Whereas this cheese, - Okay.

which is another local cheese, the bacteria works from the outside in and that's how it's aged.

So I'm gonna give you this bit and you're... - It's beautiful.

- You're gonna have a go.

- I'm gonna try this.

Oh!

- I know.

- Oh, cheese is my heaven.

- I know, me too.

- I just think, - Oh, that is so good.

this is the cheese though, for people who love blue cheese and for people who don't love blue cheese.

I promise you, you're gonna love it.

And what goes nicer?

- Oh!

- Cheers.

- Cheers.

- Thank you for coming to Belfast.

(glasses clinking) - No, thank you.

- I love it.

- This is a great treat.

- I love the local aspect of this and I kind of wanna keep it a secret though.

- I know it's a bit of a problem, but really, (laughing) it's a good thing to tell people about, and I just think it's the people here, same with the cheese.

It's all just quite addictive and I know you'll be back.

- It's a great example of Belfast and the people too.

- I think so.

- All right.

- Cheers.

- Sláinte, right?

- Sláinte!

Right!

- Sláinte!

- Cheers, cheers, cheers.

(glasses clinking) - [Colleen Voice Over] Now we go deep to discover more about the spirit of the Titanic, built right here in Belfast.

(gentle Celtic music begins) It's not just about learning about the Titanic.

Here, they want you to experience it.

Rides and interactive displays give you the sensation of what it was like to be on the ship.

The Titanic Experience is the world's most authentic retelling of the iconic story.

You'll discover the sites, sounds and stories of the ship, as well as the people and city that made her.

- We have welcomed over 6 million visitors from 145 different countries.

It's fantastic to see all the nationalities coming to see us here at Titanic Belfast, the home of the Titanic.

(gentle Celtic music begins) Titanic Belfast is fantastic for families.

It's very interactive.

We have the shipyard ride.

It's a cable car ride.

It flies you through the shipyard.

It tells you about Titantic being built.

We have a kids trail.

Children find the characters on the way around.

We have a quiz for children to do in the galleries.

We also have the SS Nomadic, which was the tender ship that took passengers on board the Titanic.

Families can visit the nine interactive galleries at Titanic Belfast, and also the SS Nomadic.

(gentle Celtic music continues) - If you and your family (upbeat Celtic music begins) really want to get to know the culture of Ireland, then there is no better way than to play like the Irish.

Experience Gaelic Games, in Dublin, is where you can learn all you need to know about the people by watching them play their hearts out.

A fun mix of culture, history, sport and activity that is sure to be a win-win with your fam.

- For the vast majority of international visitors who come to visit our island and our small culture, they generally tend to be unaware of the existence of this cultural concept we call here, Gaelic Games.

Gaelic Games means so much, much more than just games or sports or physical activity.

For us, they're very passionate, and very unique and a very inspirational expression of the uniqueness and separateness of our ancient Gaelic culture and our modern Irish identity.

There are over 2,200 local Gaelic community clubs.

That means that one Gaelic Club sits at the heart at the very center of every single modern Irish or Gaelic community.

- So the first thing we're doing is a roll lift challenge.

How we pick up the ball is like this.

So approach the ball, hurl in the ready position, put your right foot beside it, bend down over the ball, roll up and catch.

Now what you're gonna do, is we're gonna make this a competition.

Okay?

The first girl to get 10 pickups puts a hurl in the air, gives us a shout, they're the champion, they're the winner.

Okay?

Are you ready to go?

Ready, set, go!

(balls slapping ground) Yes.

Jump over here.

Well done.

- For us, as a family, Gaelic Games has played a huge part in our lives.

Our kids have grown up here on the island playing sports from when they were three and four years old.

And our club is very much part of our day-to-day lives.

You play for the love of the games.

You play to be part of something.

You play to belong to something.

We say, "It's of a Cree, it's of the heart," more than anything else.

- My team means everything to me.

I started playing with them when I was really young and they're like family to me at this point.

- We take lots of American families, they come and visit us here, and we teach them all about Gaelic Games.

And they actually get to play, so they learn how to play some hurling, some Gaelic football and some Gaelic handball.

- Hello from Na Fianna!

(hitting balls) (all laughing) (upbeat Celtic music begins) - Dublin is perfect for families.

- My name is Andrea Leron.

I'm living in Dublin and I have twins.

One of my kid's favorite thing to do in Ireland is play football in the park.

(dog barking) So we just come here nearly every day and play football.

And my two boys play, and they always find someone to play with.

That's like they're guaranteed a match because all the kids see them and they join them and it's good fun.

So I just relax and watch them.

That's my day, all day, every day.

- Our family's favorite thing to do in Ireland is probably hiking.

We go to so many different places every week.

There's County Wicklow and loads of stuff to do there, County Kerry.

In fact, all over the country there's loads of stuff to do.

- And Ireland has so much more to make your family vacation special.

Make sure you hit these don't-miss destinations.

Jeanie Johnston tall ship and the iconic Trinity College Long Room at the old library.

(upbeat Celtic music continues) Hey, I'm Colleen Kelly and today we're at Castle Leslie, and we're horseback riding.

This is amazing.

All right, let's go!

(upbeat Celtic music continues) From ruins to luxury, Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan has 1000 acres of lush Irish countryside.

It is one of the last great Irish castle estates still in the hands of its founding family.

They have welcomed everyone from politicians to poets, to ambassadors and world-renowned celebrities.

Also, this is the perfect place for your family to relax and relish in the beauty of this majestic place.

We talked to Sammy Leslie, whose family has owned the castle since the 16 hundreds, about her family's legacy.

- My name is Sammy Leslie and this is Castle Leslie, my family home.

We've been here since the 1600s, but the Leslies go back in Scotland to the 1000's.

Like everybody, we've got long history.

They just kind of wrote ours down.

Castle Leslie was built to entertain, and have fun and very multi-generational, whether you want to sort of be grown up and do the Downtown Abbey bit and have afternoon tea and read by the fire, or whether you want to go fishing or boats on the lake, or go clay pigeon shooting or falconry, or rally school driving or take electric bikes out.

Just go for long walks.

Sit in the bar, enjoy the spa.

Go for a horse ride.

Take out a horse and carriage.

There's so much to do here for all generations.

People often ask, "Is Castle Leslie haunted?"

And of course it is.

All good castles are.

But this was people who really fell in love with the place, and had a deep connection with the place, who just pop 'round every now and again to make sure I'm doing a good job.

One of my favorite things about Castle Leslie and the estate is there's so much to do, but there's also a lot of just doing very little and spending time with each other as a family, walking and talking and bonding and sharing, and laughing and giggling and just enjoying the sheer magic and beauty that Mother Nature created here.

- On my last night in Ireland, I sat down with local performers who met me at Castle Leslie to share Ireland's most wonderful gift, the traditional Irish song.

Hi!

- Hi Colleen.

- Great to see you!

- Great to see you.

How are you?

- I'm doing great.

- Do you wanna learn about some Irish music?

- Oh, eh, yeah.

This is such a treat.

I'm so excited.

Yes.

Well, Irish music, of course, is part of my culture.

But tell me a little bit about why Irish music is different from other music in the world.

- We like to think it's probably a little bit better and it has evolved naturally in a sense.

A lot of influences, European from England, and Scotland especially.

- And what makes Irish music different though?

- It seems that there's always a tune or a song for any occasion, be it a wedding or a funeral, a tragedy, a battle, a war.

It's eh, it always... You'll always find the right the right tune for the right for the setting.

- Okay.

You say, "Tune," I know, "Song."

What's the difference between tune and song?

- Tune is the melody.

Song would be, would have lyrics and would have a vocalist singing.

So quite often people do get confused, but tunes don't have any singing, any words in it.

- Well now that you learned about it, do you wanna hear a song?

- I would love to hear a song.

That would be lovely.

(gentle Celtic music begins) (gentle Celtic music continues) (gentle Celtic music continues) (gentle Celtic music continues) (gentle Celtic music continues) (gentle Celtic music continues) (gentle Celtic music continues) (gentle Celtic music continues) (gentle Celtic music continues) - Okay, I can't talk.

(Colleen clapping) That was amazing.

(crying) - Thank you.

- Oh my gosh, I can't stop crying.

That was just beautiful.

Wow.

It just shows you, the soul that goes into all these songs.

- That's important.

- Very thankful to be here.

All right, let's play something else before I cry more.

(all laughing) - Get up on that table.

- We have a little festive... - Could play a few reels.

- Couple reels.

- Reels, yeah.

Okay.

I won't cry at this one, right?

- We'll play a couple of reels.

- Oh, reels.

Okay.

Good Irish reels.

Good Irish... - 3 each?

- 2 each.

- 2 each.

Okay.

(playing Irish reel) - Oh my gosh.

Thank you so much.

This is amazing.

Again, I'm gonna cry.

(all laughing) - You're very welcome.

- Thank you so much.

- This is a gift that you all are doing this, and Irish music that you're keeping it alive, is incredible.

Why is it important for you to keep Irish music like this alive?

- Because of its connections with our, I suppose our past, and very much, we hope, our future.

- Thank you so much.

This was the best way to end my trip with traditional Irish music.

I'm so excited.

(clapping hands once) How do you say goodbye though 'cause I've gotta go pack my bags?

- Slán.

- Slán.

All right, Slán.

Thank you.

Slán.

(upbeat Celtic music begins) - Well, that rounds out our trip to Ireland.

The vast green countryside and the rich history and culture have had a profound effect on me.

I can't wait to come back.

Our uniquely Irish experience gave us a true insight on the people and their culture, from family farms to castles that house royalty.

We have had a wonderful adventure, and with a wee bit of luck from the Irish, that I'll carry all the way home.

Thanks for watching Family Travel.

I'm Colleen Kelly.

Enjoy making memories on your next family vacation.

- I think I'm gonna trade in my car for a horse, and maybe my house for a castle.

(upbeat music begins) It's a good day in Ireland.

All right, let's go, Bumble.

- That was amazing.

- I know.

- And it's wonderful on steak.

- Yes.

- Do you know that blue cheese sauce that you really want?

- Yes.

- I just stick that on the top - on a cheeseburger.

- Oh, stop it.

(Colleen laughing) - You have the funniest bucket poise, I think, ever.

But it's good.

It's good.

- This is Ireland.

Oh, I forgot I was supposed to be walking.

I think we're just gonna have fun.

I'm Colleen Kelly and this is...

Wait, can we try it again?

- [Crew Member] Three, two... - Hey, I'm Colleen Kelly.

Stick around while we hear traditional Irish music in Ireland.

- [Crew Member] And that's a wrap.

- [Colleen] Family travel with Colleen Kelly is sponsored by... (symphonic music begins) (symphonic music continues) - [Announcer] Ted Tetzlaff, (theme music) attorneys for your personal and business needs.

- [Colleen] For more information on upcoming destinations and projects, visit FamilyTravelCK.com.

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