Remember the days when you'd pile into the car with the family and head off on a good old Irish summer holiday? For the Celtic Tiger cubs those staycations became a thing of the past, but what with that rare bit of sunshine we've had at home of late, we've been thinking back to the glory days of Irish summer holidays.

Whether we were spending our last 2p in the slot machines,or freezing our backsides off on the seafront with a half melted 99, we firmly believe that we had just as much fun on the Costa del Dollymount as we did on the Costa Del Sol. So, in honor of all those holidays past, present, and future, here are 10 Old School Irish Holiday Havens that growing up on the Emerald Isle just wouldn't have been the same without.

And the best thing is, you can still check 'em out if you've got time to spare this summer...

1. Bray, Wicklow
A particular favorite of Dubliners (some of whom fail to grasp the concept that it's actually in another county), Bray was, is, and ever shall be an Irish holiday haven. If you weren't blowing your pocket money in Dawson's Family Fun, you were trying to convince mammy to take you on the train that went up Bray head and back. And then, if you were really brave, you'd even attempt to walk around the side of the mountain to Greystones, on that old path that loomed above the train tracks. And didn't you feel like a boss when you made it to the top of that hill, eh?

2. Tramore, Waterford
Whether you loved to surf or just wanted to play the day away at the slots, Tramore had (and still does have) it all. A particular favorite of Waterford natives, the seaside town flourished as a tourist destination back in the day. Sure couldn't you spend the day at the beach, walk the promenade, waste all your money trying to get the better of the slot machines, and then have a good stare at the metal man who watched from afar? Those things always seemed so much more ominous when we were little...

3. Courtown, Wexford
Between Curracloe and Rosslare, we spent many a day on the beaches in Wexford, but if there was one town we headed for during the summer holidays it was most definitely Courtown. Way back when, it was known as Ballinatray, but when they built the Gorey railway line the holiday makers started to flock to the sandy beaches, and Courtown was only booming so it was. You could shack up in your caravan, dance the night away with the lads and lasses at The Marquee, and enjoy a decent bag of fish and chips on the way home in the early hours. Sorted.

4. Ballybunion, Kerry
If you fancied a decent seaweed bath then Ballybunion was, and still is, the place to be. Sure what better way to fill your belly after a long day at the beach than with a tasty bag of salted periwinkles? Intrepid explorers could head for the cliffs and check out some awesome rock formations: Stay with us now lads. There was The Devil's Castle, the Nine Daughter's Hole, and that awesome Virgin's Rock down on the Nun's Beach. Sure you'd only hear the likes of it in Ireland eh? Plus, the town even has it's own Bill Clinton statue. Ding dong.

5. Salthill, Galway
Sure didn't they sing songs about the sun going down over Galway Bay? The city may have been the place to be during the summer racing season, but it was Galway's little suburban sister that offered up many a sunny summer staycation. In modern times it's been hosting some high fliers (The Volvo Ocean Race was anchored around the area back in 2009), but the Salthill of old was haven for show bands and a bit of dancing. You could spend your day at the beach, your evening at the fun fair, and your night on the good old promenade. And sure weren't you always just a stone's throw from the city centre? As Miley Cyrus said in her err, more innocent days, t'was the best of both worlds.

6. Lahinch, Clare
Before it was a surfer's paradise, Lahinch was a golfer's haven. This Clare town's golf club made quite the name for itself, and is still sometimes referred to as the St Andrew's of Ireland. Of course, we all know Lahinch as one of the best places to surf in Ireland these days, so most of our memories involve making absolute idiots of ourselves in the water. If we weren't falling off the old surfboard we were struggling to stand up on it in the first place... But sure couldn't you forget your worries with a decent session of an evening in the town?

7. Skibbereen, Cork
 We're heading to the Peoples' Republic for our next holiday pick: Skibbereen was, is, and ever shall be a southern holiday haven. This quiet little Cork town would spring to life during the summer, and it was always the ideal place to stay when heading south in the car with mammy and daddy. You could take a day trip down to Schull, check out the lighthouse at Mizen Head, and eat a whole lot of tasty seafood in the sun with the foreign tourists who seemed to always be cycling past of a sunny afternoon. And if you were really really really good, you might even get to head to Fota Wildlife Park on the way home. Take that Dublin Zoo.

8. Skerries, Dublin
A favorite with the Dubs, Skerries beach was one of the best to spend a summer's afternoon on, until those pesky jellyfish took over in the late 1990s. You could take a leisurely walk around the harbour and spot a seal if you were lucky, scratch the knees off yourself while swimming at The Captains, or play a few games of pool down at the amusements. And sure couldn't you even catch a bus back to town at the end of the day, with your bag of fish and chips to keep you company on the way home. They did say you'd be shot if you dared cross the field from the railway station, but we're pretty sure nobody ever was... right?

9. Brittas Bay, Wicklow
There's only one place to be on the August Bank Holiday weekend, and that's Brittas Bay. Many a summer scorcher was spent on the dunes of Wicklow's answer to Venice Beach, with the wind blowing sand into your tea and 'hang sangidge'. If you were feeling brave, you could camp out overnight, but now you'd run the risk of being kicked out by the County Council. And sure wasn't there always the option of popping into Arklow for a few sweets while you were at it?

10. Dingle, Kerry
Forget Tralee and her roses, it wouldn't be an Irish summer without a trip down to Dingle to see good old Fungi. We'd say they're on Fungi 3.0 at this stage, bt sure we won't complain: That dolphin's done as much for Kerry Tourism as Daithi O'Se. Whether you called it Dingle or An Daingean, there was something for all the family in the seaside town, and now it's gained cult status among the movers and shakers on the music scene as the home of Other Voices. We'd still head down for a decent session in the winter sure!

Honourable Mentions
Mosney, Meath/Louth
Growing up in Ireland, on the east coast at least, there was only one place to go during the summer and that was Mosney. Now best known as a refugee camp, or the former home of the Community Games (hon the parish!), this Irish holiday haven was once home to a full on fairground, holiday camp, and amazing indoor water park. When we say amazing, we mean it in the Irish sense, but those little mushroom yokes that sprouted water were pretty deadly in fairness. Let's face it: Mosney was in a league of its own.