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family · Sunday 16 August 2026 · 11:00am 
Fota Wildlife Park - Bug Bonanza Weekend 2026
At Fota Wildlife Park - Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) · Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
At Fota Wildlife Park - Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) · Fota Island, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
Fota Wildlife Park turns the spotlight on the smallest residents of the animal kingdom for one weekend each August. Bug Bonanza is the third and final themed educational weekend of the summer at Fota, and it is a proper hands-on affair - not a passive display but a chance for children and curious adults to get nose-to-mandible with insects, spiders, and invertebrates, talk directly to zoologists, and come away genuinely knowing more about the minibeasts that keep Ireland’s ecosystems running. It suits families with primary-school-age children especially well, though teenagers who are into biology or the natural world will find plenty here too.
Activities run from 11am to 4pm at the Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) - Fota’s purpose-built facility opened in 2024, fitted with classrooms, an auditorium, and a native plant garden outside. Inside, you can peer at insect anatomy under a microscope, work through a “guess the bug” quiz testing your knowledge of common Irish invertebrates, and see a preserved invertebrate collection on loan from University College Cork - including the Atlas moth, which holds the record for the largest wingspan of any moth in the world. Live insects resident at the park are brought out by zoologists who field questions about how they eat, how they see, and why invertebrates matter to biodiversity. It is relaxed and walk-in - no timed slot to rush for - so you can linger as long as the children’s attention holds.
All of this is included with standard park entry, so you still have the full wildlife park to explore before or after the ECRC activities.
Fota Wildlife Park sits on Fota Island, about 15 km east of Cork City. It is one of the most accessible wildlife attractions in Ireland by train - Irish Rail runs services from Cork Kent station on the Cork to Cobh line, and Fota station drops you directly at the park gate. The journey from Cork City takes around 20 minutes and trains run regularly throughout the day. By car, take the N25 eastbound and exit for Carrigtwohill; follow signs for Fota Island. There is a car park at the park entrance.
Fota Island itself is worth an unhurried visit - the grounds extend beyond the wildlife park, and Fota House and Arboretum are a short walk away for those who want to carry the day further. There is more to see in Carrigtwohill and across Co. Cork.
Heading to Fota Wildlife Park - Education, Conservation and Research Centre (ECRC) in Carrigtwohill? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Carrigtwohill area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.