Mayo Woman's Diary: Family holidays – home or abroad?

by Barbara Daly

FOUR years ago we went on our last family holiday to Australia.

Gary is from Australia so it was more of a visit to see family than a holiday.

At the time we only had two-year-old Callum. Now we also have three-year-old Beth. We decided lately that it was time for another holiday.

We considered Australia again but we knew we were looking at a spend of between €13-15,000, so we decided against it this time.

A few of Callum’s friends are heading to Spain with their families and he is all talk about it.

Gary has not seen much of Europe and he liked the idea of getting to the sun and seeing a new country.

I was caught between the desire to show Gary and the kids more of Ireland while supporting domestic tourism and keeping the carbon footprint down, and the idea of a whole new experience abroad in the sunshine.

I wanted them to see the beauty of Kerry and Cork or the southeast, neither of which they have ever visited.

Then I thought of the reality of driving over five hours on questionable roads with two children who do not travel well; of booking a week in Ireland and it raining from start to finish; of the high cost of renting a house or staying in hotels and eating out for a family of four in this country.

Spain won out and we booked a week on the Costa Brava.

I am excited but I am also a bit sad. Do my children really need to be going to Spain on a package holiday at three and six years of age?

Am I raising their expectations and their sense of entitlement at such an early age?

I was never on a plane until I was in college. I went abroad to work for a summer.

We only ever went to Galway and Tramore on family holidays and I can still remember the excitement and how fabulous I thought those places to have been in the '80s and '90s. Different times I suppose.

I am also sad that though we have a magnificent country to holiday in, the costs involved are off-putting and our transport systems do not make moving around easy.

I will bring my family around Ireland someday, but this year, right or wrong, we are heading abroad.