KINSALE (a 50-minute drive)

Spend a day in this medieval harbor village, with Charles Fort towering above on the cliffside. Park your car in town and take the mile-long waterfront walk to the fort. Historians in the family will like the guided tour (and don't worry: There's plenty of space for nonhistorians to run around in). Grab lunch at the Bulman Pub, along with a creamy pint of Murphy's stout, or try for a table at the popular seafood restaurant Fishy Fishy (get there early). Afterward, walk through the mazelike streets and pick up a woolly sweater to bring back.

LISMORE (a 25-minute drive)

This is one of the most beautiful villages in the country, with the castle of all Irish castles: the turreted 1753 home to the dukes of Devonshire. Check out the estate's garden and the playground by the entrance of the castle, then walk across the river through the woodlands and ruins. The Summer House serves a nice lunch and dense chocolate cake.

BALLYCOTTON BEACH (a 40-minute drive)

This is a lovely sandy beach, if it isn't raining! Just around the corner is Ballymaloe House, which is run by one of Ireland's most famous chefs, Darina Allen. Stop for lunch at the kid-friendly café, pick up some obscure and inspiring cookbooks in the shop, and tour the vegetable gardens. You can sit in on cooking demonstrations in the afternoons.

Fota Island and Cork City (a 28-minute drive)

Start in the Fota Wildlife Park, where 70 species of animals, including ostriches, giraffes, kangaroos, zebras, and cheetahs, roam through 500 acres of (fenced-in) grassland. Check out the massive 70-room estate and the exotic plants in the arboretum. For lunch, head to Cork City (10 minutes away) and visit the English Market on Patrick Street, the biggest and the best indoor permanent food market in the country. The Farm Gate upstairs is a traditional Irish eatery and uses only ingredients from the market stalls below. You can order local delicacies, such as oysters, tripe, and drisheen, while the kids dig into Irish stew.

Blarney (a 47-minute drive)

Every visitor to Ireland should kiss the famous Blarney Stone, and get the gift of gab. The medieval castle is fun for children. (They'll especially love all of the caves beneath the building. The gardens and parkland around the castle is also perfect for burning off steam. Afterwards, head to the Blarney Woollen Mills, a 30,000-square-foot store housed in an old woollen mill to pick up some crystal, jewelry, or knitwear and grab lunch at the carvery style restaurant on site.