How old should children be to join the tour?

The farm recommends a minimum age of 10 due to uneven ground and practical farm operations; some parts can be accessed by vehicle if mobility is limited.

Where is the meeting point and how do I get there?

Specific meeting-point details are provided at booking; the farm is about 15 minutes from Dublin Airport and 30 minutes from Dublin city centre—car or taxi is the simplest option.

Are tours wheelchair accessible?

The tour covers uneven ground and polytunnels; certain areas can be driven to by prior arrangement, but the full walking tour may be challenging for wheelchair users.

Can I buy produce on the day?

Yes — the on-site farm shop and café sell McNally produce alongside Irish artisan goods for visitors to purchase.

Are refreshments included?

Homemade refreshments are served at the end of the tour in the private Potting Tunnel; dietary requirements can be accommodated with 48 hours’ notice.

Dogs are not recommended inside polytunnels or near produce areas for biosecurity; contact the farm ahead if you need to make special arrangements.

McNally Family Farm Tour: Organic Horticulture Walk Near Dublin

On a quiet hill in Balrickard, County Dublin, McNally Family Farm offers a slow, sensory counterpoint to the city’s rush. For 1.5 to 2 hours you walk the contours of a working, 99‑acre organic horticulture operation with Jenny McNally as your guide, moving from polytunnels heavy with salad leaves to open fields, willow beds and a rainwater-irrigation pond that keeps thirsty crops alive through dry spells. This is not a showroom farm; it is a living system. Certified organic since 2000 and run by Pat and Jenny McNally with their five adult children, the place demonstrates regenerative approaches—cover crops, agroforestry lines and 100‑year‑old hedgerows that stitch fields together and host songbirds and pollinators. Along the route you sample produce plucked from the plant: crunchy carrots, snap peas, tender leaves that taste of the soil they were raised in. Tasting becomes a classroom; Jenny explains crop rotation, soil health and the small engineering of harvesting tunnels that extend the season. The tour moves at a relaxed, practical pace. You get behind-the-scenes access to polytunnels, see willow cropping and rain capture ponds, and climb to a hilltop that frames the patchwork of North County Dublin and hints of the nearby coast. The private Potting Tunnel is where the group finishes with homemade refreshments and conversations about seed saving, seasonal cookery and what it means to farm organically near a growing city. There’s also a farm shop and café on site selling McNally produce alongside Irish artisan goods, a tangible way to buy back into the system. Logistics are straightforward: the farm sits about 15 minutes from Dublin Airport and roughly 30 minutes from Dublin city centre, making it an easy half‑day add-on for travelers with limited time. Wear sturdy walking shoes—ground can be uneven and muddy—and dress in layers. Tours are delivered in English and not recommended for children under 10; certain parts can be driven to for accessibility. What makes McNally Family Farm special is the combination of scale and care: nearly 100 acres operated with organic certification, hands-on regenerative practices you can see and taste, and a multigenerational family voice that links food on your plate to the land that produced it. For visitors curious about sustainable farming, local food systems, or a practical outdoor walk with frequent stops to sample freshly harvested vegetables, this Balrickard farm tour is a clear, flavorful window into Ireland’s living countryside. Depending on the season you may catch spring brassicas in full flush, summer salad tunnels heavy with lettuce, autumn root harvests, and winter cover-crop restoration; the guide adapts the narration to the rhythms of the farm so repeat visits reveal different lessons. Bring a notebook and questions for a richer visit today.

McNally Family Farm Tour: Organic Horticulture Walk Near Dublin

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