If you are in the Kenmare or Kilarney area of County Kerry, you are only a few miles from one of the most entertaining and historically interesting places in Ireland. On Tuesday nights there is a delicious three-course traditional Irish meal followed by award-winning story telling mixed with live Irish music. All five in our family rated this as the best part of a very active 12-day vacation in Ireland. We laughed, sang along, danced, and were surprised that four hours could pass so quickly (even our 11 year-old son was engaged the entire time). The story-telling is so entertaining, the venue is so intimate (there is room for only about 35 guests), and the owners are very hospitable. The next day we went back and did the self-guided walk around the restored working farm and learned more about life in the early 1800s. This is a class act that is warm, intimate, and not at all "touristy".

We certainly enjoyed our visit to Molly Gallivans home and farm. The history was most enjoyable. A great place for kids and adults.

Molly's was a wonderful experience! The video should not be skipped! If we'd missed that, we would've missed the "Rolls of Butter," which we wouldn't have found without the aid of a kind Irishman named Pat. After we viewed the very informative video, we toured the farm, with its mama duck and babies, a very vocal pig, plenty of chickens, a cow or two, and a pony. There was also a peat mound, a cottage ruin, and old farm plows, etc. What really made the event memorable was the host, Stephen. He was so kind, generous, and informative. If he offers you a sample of poteen, be sure to take it! If he doesn't, just ask him for one--he'll gladly oblige! He has a vast array of items in his gift rooms and cottages representative of various areas in Ireland. I was so happy to see that he had pottery from a place on the Sheep's Head Peninsula that I ran out of time to visit! My daughter and I bought over 50% of our souvenirs there--at reasonable prices, I'd like to add! If you get hungry after the tour (the fee of the tour is up to you--it's a donation) and the shopping, you can get a piece of pie and a cup of coffee or tea, and relax before you resume your journey. When you visit Ireland, don't miss the many adventures to be had in county Kerry, especially Molly Gallivan's!

We visited Molly Gallivan's on a Tuesday and had reserved ahead for the American Homecoming. We all loved every minute, even my two teenagers who at first were not that enthusiastic about attending. This is a small, intimate event. There were probably about 12 people attending, and the owners and the people that participate in the reenactment were absolutely wonderful. The food was fantastic, and the traditional musicians and the little girl that danced for us were great too. It was my oldest son's birthday, and they all sang Happy Birthday to him, which he liked. We even got up and danced, which was fun - thinking especially that the cottage had been a site for dancing and parties for over 200 years. I was nervous about driving back to Kenmare in the dark, but it was very easy. The setting is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen ,and don't miss the walk behind the cottage. The cottage was apparently in major disrepair when the owners bought it and they have done a wonderful job of restoration. It is truly one of Ireland's treasures. The drive to Glengariffe is amazing, and well worth the time it takes to do it. We stopped briefly at Molly Gallivan's in the afternoon, drove to Glengariffe, then backtracked and went back for the Homecoming event which starts at 7:30. It was one of the best days of our two week trip.