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Whilst summer is the season for all manner of family and grown up holidays and festivals, nationally and internationally it is often the focus for some of the sporting calendars main events. Over the past few weeks we have been treated to some world class international sporting talent and competitions with the recent World Cup having temporarily stopped and engulfed the hearts and minds of the worlds population for the whole month of June and early July and providing many an office water cooler conversation. The flat horse racing season, the continuing GAA hurling and football season, the finals in Wimbledon and the Irish Open which was held here on our celebrated Cork golf club and championship golf course at our own Fota Island hotel in Cork have also been just some of the many sporting highlights that have engulfed our consciousness of late.

The many sporting events and activities particularly that of the world cup help to bring into focus the role that sport has on a persons and nations psyche and help stir the imagination. Sport is the ultimate test of physical strength, inner talent and mental willpower and is often the universal glue that binds people together whether through working as a team to get a winning result or through offering support as a spectator cheering ones team or sporting hero on to win. On a lesser note and on a smaller scale away from the world stage of international finals and tournaments, it is an activity that is accessible to all of us and can come with many positive benefits particularly for families as a day spent partaking in a sport or activity can really help to encourage group activity, not to mention providing a fun and memorable day out.

Indeed some of the best aspects of sports and adventure activities can form a key part of family hotel breaks and vacations. Family holidays that incorporate some form of sport or group activity often provide a great opportunity for family members to spend quality time together and learn key life lessons. Days spent taking part in group activities and sports, watching a sporting event as spectators or partaking in nearby sporting facilities can provide a fun and active day out and a chance for all members of a family to get together and bond. And a family holiday spent engaging in a variety of team sports and adventure activities can provide plenty of great holiday memories for all the family. Sports as well as leisure pursuits and activities often help to bring family members together whilst bringing the essential and educational qualities of team spirit and teamwork to the fore. They also provide the perfect opportunity for all family members to spend quality time together in a fun filled, adrenaline pumping and/or educational pursuit.

And after the success of hosting the 2014 Irish Open and welcoming all manner of golfing giants and legions of happy fans to our humble Cork golf club, we here at Fota Island Hotel and Resort realise how important both sporting activities and sporting occasions are to many people whether it be as a physical activity to take part in, as a spectator sport to witness or as a family activity. For not only do we hold big international sporting events such as the Irish Open or more local sporting events such as the duathlon we also use the vast expanse of our scenic surroundings on Fota Island to offer alternative activities and a series of summer camps that cater to families and children of different ages and interests. These different activity camps aim to encourage and teach youngsters to enjoy and get the most out of sport and their holiday in the fine weather of summer and in the scenic surrounds of Fota Island.

Amongst the many sporting and adventure family activities in Cork and kids camps available at Fota Island include the following:

  • Under 4 years: We provide a special hotel play room filled with high quality pre-school toys for hotel guests plus our swimming pool gives ample opportunity for parents to enjoy quality swim-time with their little ones during the dedicated children’s swim times.
  • Fota Island Tennis Club: Get some practice and coaching in on the hotels tennis courts.
  • Golf Academy family tuition and Junior Golf Camps: You and your young brood can practice and train to be the next Tiger Woods or Rory McIllroy on our world class golf course and facilities.
  • Camp Fota (4 – 12 years): An expansive range of activities which take place around the resort, with a base at the Camp lodge.
  • Fota Teen Excursions (11 years +): Taking place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons during the summer, and running in partnership with local businesses it offers teens many adventure sports and outdoor pursuits including kayaking, land-based survival skills and indoor rock climbing.
  • Children’s Summer swim: Take advantage of our indoor swimming pool

 

 

Whatever your idea of a great family activity and sporting occasion may be, whether it be a family day out viewing top sportsmen in action at a major golfing event or a duathlon, a memorable day spent as a family unit playing a thrilling game of golf or tennis etc; or letting the youngsters have fun in an activity camp whilst you relax with an award-winning spa break in one of the leading spa hotels in Ireland, a family holiday at Fota Island Resort has many opportunities for sports mad and active family members. And you never know what the future may hold and what a summer spent at one of our camps could bring. Perhaps an entertaining and memorable family stay at any of Fota Island summer camps may inspire your little one to be the next Rory McIllroy or a future star of Wimbledon. At the very least it may help to nurture an interest in sport and most importantly allow for much needed family fun and a lifetime of good memories for all.