Traveling to Ireland with 5 kids

Susie, sounds like fun! After getting your copy of a RS Guide to Ireland, I'd recommend contacting Auto Europe (a broker here in Portland, ME) get there assistance in selecting a vehicle for your families needs; I've used them a dozen times (twice last month) as well as I've rented directly with car rental companies when Auto Europe did not have access to a rental I was looking for. Since this sounds like your first trip use a agency to help you - they offer excellent pricing and are VERY customer service focused.
Get an International Drivers License for each driver (explained in RS Guide).
Most US credit cards do NOT offer additional insurance coverage in Ireland so you will need to purchase CDW, theft, etc. for your rental. I use an AMEX card AND I've signed up with AMEX to auto cover every car rental that I make using my AMEX card; for $24.95 (USD) the entire rental period is covered (I believe up to 30 days). Perfect!
You've asked for advice on kid friendly things to do but we could use a bit more info from you on when you will be visiting, the ages of your kids, what everyone likes to do, etc. You should find the web sites of the towns that you will be visiting will be loaded with good advise for families with kids. IMO many "everyday" activities can be lot's of fun for kids - out door markets, little shops can be quite different than driving to the Safeway. Many pubs offer music early in the evening and lot's of families bring their kids to enjoy live performers. If I can offer any further assistance you are welcome to send me a PM. Buen viaje!

Personally, I would never trust credit card insurance coverage again, after having been burned by Mastercard's insurance years ago. If I am driving in Ireland, I always take the zero deductible "super CDW". Then if something happens, you just turn it in and walk away. Credit card insurance involves paying first, and getting reimbursed (maybe) later IF you have all of the required documentation done to their satisfaction. In my case, the documentation was there, they just changed the coverage after the fact (told me in writing that I was covered, then said I wasn't after the accident).

With five kids, you are going to need something large enough to not only hold all of you, but all of your luggage, too, and that won't be easy. No one wants to drive around with bags in their laps or around their feet (and it's not safe). How old are your kids? What kind of things do they enjoy? Are you going to be moving from place to place, or do you want to do daytrips around Co Clare? How long will you have for the rest of your trip? Keep in mind that pubs do not welcome children after 8:00 or 9:00, which is when most of the music starts. Also, in the shoulder and off season, they may have live music only on the weekends. We can give better answers with more information from you.

Agree with Nancy about the insurance. Also, if your drivers license is in English, none of the drivers need the international drivers permit. This is only for trips to countries such as France, Italy, etc. where English is not the first language.

Thank you all for replying! I've been doing a lot of reading on this forum and discovering all the different options to weigh regarding insurance. With inexperienced drivers like my husband and me, it sounds like a no brainer that we should buy the insurance from the rental and not rely on credit card coverage.

Our kids will be 13, 10, 8, 5, and 2 at the time of our trip. With such a spread in ages we try to balance our trips with lots of outdoor time and things that each one can find interesting on his or her own level. Museums are very difficult for the younger ones, but my older ones could spend hours! So we try to mix things up. It sounds like the folk park at Bunratty castle would be something that would be a good fit. Beaches, hikes, exploring castles...we want things that are unique to Ireland, but casual enough that we can take at our own pace.
We fly in and out of Dublin, but will have a home base near Ennis for 5 days. Ideally we'd have one other home base to launch day trips from before heading to Dublin for our flight. We want the kids to really soak up as much of traditional Ireland as they can! Thank you again for your advice!

They might enjoy watching one of the sheepdog demonstrations.
If you plan to head toward the Connemera region (just north of Galway) and a doable drive from Ennis, the kids (and you both) might enjoy the Hawk Walk through the Falconry School at Ashford Castle. The younger kids might just enjoy watching mom/dad participating. You can check it out thru links on Ashford Castle's web site, or also search the same for YouTube videos. Dromoland Castle, which is closer to where you plan to stay, also offers hawk walks, but Ashford Castle itself would be lovely to see (you likely know it is a hotel that was named one of the Top 5 hotels in the world....lovely place). Dromoland is beautiful, too, but Ashford is much more castle-like and has much larger grounds.

Bunratty Folk Park, which you already are considering, would be perfect for the kids. Lots to see there. Loved the Irish Wolfhounds :)

If you get down near Dingle, seems I recall reading about Fergie the dolphin (maybe someone else can give a thumbs up or down on that).

Be sure to see Connor's Pass in the Dingle area..........absolutely lovely.

If you decide you don't want to drive afterall, we can recommend a driver (with a large van that seats 8). We hired him a few years ago, then recommended him to friends who also loved him. Reasonable by time you compare the cost of renting a large vehicle, the extra insurance, petrol, tolls, and figuring out how to drive and find your way around. It's nice to have a local doing all the driving and telling you a bit about what you are seeing along the way.

Just to clarify, the AMEX Rental Car insurance is NOT coverage included at no additional cost when using "platinum" or other premium credit cards; it is a separate rental car insurance available only to AMEX card holders. @ Nancy, I agree with your post, however, the rental car companies offer a CDW or Super CDW daily fee that often approaches $25 PER DAY. IMO, their pricing is outrageous; the profit margins have become so thin due to competitive price, the companies have to make back margin buy selling more high margin products (insurance, GPS, fuel). Rick's guide books discuss 3rd party insurers (i.e., Travel Guard and many others) that offer a fair price for coverage). It was from fellow TF posters I came to learn about AMEX Rental Car insurance and now I always use it whether I am renting in the States or abroad. For me, the flat fee of $24.95 and the autocharge for me is "peace of mind" at a very affordable price. And, my AMEX card is $0 annual fee.
Safe travels to all.

It's not peace of mind if they refuse to cover an accident abroad, and you won't know that until it's too late. To use credit card insurance you must decline the rental counter insurance, which leaves you completely vulnerable if they decide not to cover something. Been there, not going to risk it again.