A family fun day at Tayto Park

Colette Keane spent a day at Tayto Park and came back to the office raving that it was a ‘must do’ this summer. With its new wooden rollercoaster due to open this week, she tells us why...

THERE’S a scene in a Peppa Pig cartoon where the family all head to Potato Park. In the park is a section with dinosaurs and the tour guide is asked why are there dinosaurs in the park? “Because dinosaurs ate potatoes,” he chances. Promptly told off by one of the children that his answer is rubbish, he then answers more honestly: “Because children love dinosaurs.”

And that answer sums up all that is good about our own version of the cartoon theme park. I’m not sure why that particular scene in a seemingly endless sea of a Peppas should stick in my head, but it certainly hasn’t helped that my four-year-old daughter constantly asked on the three hour journey from Cork to Meath ‘are we nearly at Potato Park’, or kept referring to one of our national icons as ‘Mr Potato’.

Tayto Park is an active and interactive day out that is fast becoming one of the country’s top attractions. This week sees the opening of its latest addition, a wooden rollercoaster, but there was already a host of things for children of all ages to enjoy.

The thing that struck me about the park was its top grade facilities, and nod to professionally run theme parks in American. This is not some half-baked money-spinner attached to the Tayto factory, this is top grade theme park with friendly, professional staff and not an empty Tayto packet to be seen on its immaculately kept grounds. There are simply loads of things to do. Unhelpfully, when asked what was their favourite, my three children all chimed ‘everything’. But perhaps it was the Zip Line Extreme, described as one of the longest and fastest zip lines in the country, that was one of the standout activities.

READ MORE: Here’s what being on Tayto Park’s record-setting rollercoaster will look like

The first step is the hardest as you step off a 40ft podium and fly across the park. They were still finishing off a Jurassic Park style section near the zip wires when we were there. A lot of the more dangerous rides or activities seem to have the magic height level of 1.3m and thankfully both my seven- and nine-year-old hit the requirement. I can’t imagine their disappointment if they had missed out on the climbing wall or the sky walk where you are harnessed and asked to walk along planks of wood that go storeys high.

They all loved the Crispy Creek Mining Company where kids are given a bag of sand and shown how to pan for gold, coming away with crystals of all sorts for their efforts. There were a number of playgrounds dotted around the grounds and a mechanical pony ride that the four-year old was able to do while the others two did more advanced activities. There’s a tour of the Tayto factory, an old-fashioned train ride, a maze and a host of funfair rides.

Dinosaurs Alive at #TaytoPark! pic.twitter.com/ER7j6jYayi

— Emerald Park (@emeraldparkirl) May 31, 2015

The entrance lodge and restaurant lodge resemble US-style ranch houses with bison heads and antler chandeliers but they are warm and welcoming and the food was good value and actually quite tasty.

It's #LoveYourZooWeek the 23rd-30th of May! Come celebrate in #TaytoPark w/ lots of exciting animal activities!#BIAZA pic.twitter.com/voN9MoDvDM

— Emerald Park (@emeraldparkirl) May 20, 2015

And then there are the animals: Two Amur tigers, Amur leopards, bison, mountain lions, meerkats, racoons, a pack of Corsac foxes are among the more exotic animals on site, but there is also a farmyard friends section with potbellied pigs, highland cows and even some owls and more domestic fowl for the kids to enjoy.

Great morning here at #TaytoPark. Did you know we've just had a litter of 8 Corsac Fox Cubs! pic.twitter.com/MO7ehSumF8

— Emerald Park (@emeraldparkirl) May 31, 2015

The range of merchandise available of things you never knew you wanted is astounding — from Tayto sized pencil cases to t-shirts, and of course the inimitable crisp which really does taste nicer ‘at its home’ than anywhere else you might buy it. There is even a range of Mr Tayto dolls . Our little one would not leave without a ‘Mr Potato’ and he now travels everywhere with us.

The day we went, the weather was bad in the morning, but cleared up in the afternoon. Hence there were few queues, and I can’t imagine how long they could be when the sun is shining. We got there at 10.30am and left at 5.30pm and needed every minute.

We are constantly asked ‘when are we going to go back to ‘Potato Park’? Threats of ‘when you learn to pronounce it’ fall on deaf ears. We have already vowed to make it an annual visit. Although we may have to go back again this year to try out the rollercoaster. And the dinosaurs. Let’s just hope we get the weather.

Entry to the park costs €14 for all visitors, while children under three go free. Wristbands can then be bought at €15 per person, which is an all day, multi-ride pass. This is optional, but otherwise all the rides cost money or tokens. €1 is equal to one token, with the average activity or ride costing two tokens. Our bigger girls went on the zip line twice (four tokens a time), the Sky Walk twice (three tokens a time), the Extreme Climbing Wall (three tokens each), The Air Jumper four times (two tokens each a time) and the pony ride twice (three tokens each). That would have cost €62 so the all day wrist band was a no brainer.

The four year old went on the pony ride three times (three tokens a time) and the junior roundabout twice (two tokens a time) which would have cost €13. So it might be a call on the day to see whether it is worth it? Likewise for the adults – how many rides are you likely to complete? However, I had to go on the pony ride with Fia and would have needed a wristband or tokens to get on it.

Crispy Creek Mining Company is not included in the wristband and costs four tokens per person.

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Facts about Tayto — an iconic Irish brand

In 1954, Joe ‘Spud’ Murphy began what is today, Ireland’s largest snackfood company, with just two rented rooms off Moore Street, Dublin.

At the time Tayto crisps sold for four pence per bag. They were sold in tin boxes that contained 18 bags of crisps and sold to shops for four shillings. The crisps bags were hand-glued with a tiny paintbrush to guarantee freshness.

Joe Spud Murphy actually invented the cheese & onion flavour.

#TBT Vintage #Tayto. pic.twitter.com/sAOZe7OkKB

— Mr.Tayto Ireland (@MrTaytoIreland) May 28, 2015

When it started, Tayto sold 347 packs per day. Today, Tayto sells more than 525 packs a minute.

The facility in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, produces potato-based products and sources close to 30,000 tonnes of potatoes from Irish farmers annually, equating to approximately 10% of the nation’s annual potato crop.

In the 2007 Irish General Election, Mr Tayto ran as a fake election candidate.

In 2009, The Man Inside the Jacket, was published, a fictional autobiography of Mr Tayto written by Maia Dunphy, Ciaran Morrison and Mick O’Hara.

Tayto Park opened in November 2010 on 55 acres.

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