I should stress that this is VERY Early trip planning. I'm looking to finish my dissertation (fingers crossed!) by May, and want to take a family trip after to celebrate. Again, this is all very preliminary, and right now going to Ireland is mainly a motivating factor to get this thing done. That being said, ideally we (me, husband and two sons, who will be 5 and 3 by next summer) would look to go between June and August for a little over a week. Two main questions:
1) What are your thoughts on Dublin, in general and with little ones? I know there is a zoo (which they'll love), and they do fairly well in museums - but I wonder if that is worth the days? I fear the things I would be most interested in (historical walking tours, Kilmainham Gaol) are not going to work so well with them. In addition, the rest of the trip would be spent in western Ireland - so maybe it's better to skip Dublin and fly directly into Shannon, and assume that we'll be back to do Dublin?
2) What has your experience been with the Aran Islands? Is it worth it to spend the night (which I would love, even if it is a one-night stay)? Is a day-trip too much, or just enough time?
Any other thoughts about Ireland, in general or with young kids, would be very much appreciated! I've traveled quite a bit in Central and Eastern Europe, but have never really been to Ireland, so I'm excited to learn from those who have been. Thanks!