Wandering Wicklow with friendly donkeys
There is something special about donkeys! How could you not love those long fluffy ears, gentle eyes, shaggy coat and cheeky character? Come and enjoy an unforgettable donkey experience in the peaceful setting of our family farm in Wicklow.
What you’ll do
You will be warmly greeted when you arrive. We will show you around our yard and tack room and briefly talk you through the experience to make sure you feel confident and comfortable with our long eared pals. We will share some insider tips and tricks about how to look after, halter, feed and groom donkeys and then you get to try it all for yourself when we catch the donkeys from their paddock. During the time spent grooming and brushing your donkey, you will get to know each other a little and slowly build trust and a friendly bond. They are very social animals who love cuddles and a good massage with a brush.
Then off we go for our tour! The walk is fairly easy with a mixture of road and forest path and we take our time and never rush anyone. There is lots of time for hugs, kisses, selfies and photos with the donkeys and some beautiful views to enjoy too.
When we return it’s time to enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate and yummy biscuits and we will share some entertaining stories about our donkeys’ unique and quirky personalities and why Ireland has a particularly strong traditional link with donkeys.
Where you’ll be
You’ll visit our family farm and glampsite at Cronybyrne. Nestled close to the Wicklow Mountains National Park and Glendalough Valley and just 1hr from Dublin. It’s the perfect place to explore the Irish countryside with lots of green fields, rolling hills and fairy-tale forests.
Our rural location is best suited to guests travelling by car but we can happily help arrange transport from the local train station at Rathdrum or bus stop at Ashford. If your preferred date or start time isn’t shown, please do get in touch to see whether we can customize a time for you.
Our donkeys are naturally curious so they will want to get to know you. Nothing is compulsory, you can be involved in as much or as little of the experience as you would like. An encounter with animals should make us feel that we all are part of nature and that we all share the planet together. It is very important to us that our donkeys are content and free to express their natural behaviour.
They live in a very natural environment as a group in open green fields surrounded by woodland. Physical and mental stimulation are very important for their well-being and they are really affectionate companions who enjoy walks and meeting new people.
Hear from some previous holidaymakers
“Such a great day!”
Ringo, Neasa and her partner really made us feel so welcome. It started snowing part way through our walk and it was so magical. They were so genuine and shared such fun stories about past donkey experiences on the farm. Real highlight was being able to walk back alone to the donkey pen with Ringo and meet all the other donkeys. They’re such friendly creatures and seems like they love their life on the farm!
Agnes, December 2019
“absolutely fantastic”
Neasa and Alan were wonderful guides, and Ringo the Donkey melted our hearts. This experience was absolutely fantastic, and we were so thrilled to have been able to do it. We were lucky to get such great weather, and it was such a mindful 2 hours. I honestly can’t recommend Neasa and Alan (and Ringo) enough.
Barry, December 2019
“This was a wonderful experience”
What a magical farm with wonderful people and beautiful animals that are really loved and taken care of. Would really recommend this experience if you like a nice walk in one of the nicest places in Ireland, want to meet great people that love their business, and if you like being around (really gentle) animals.
Aydin & Aurelie, January 2020
