Nine year-old Tyler pays special visit to Offaly hotel as part of nationwide travel mission

An adventurous 9 year-old recently ticked Offaly off his list of counties to visit, as part of his ambitious plans to travel to every corner of Ireland.

The County Arms revealed that they recently had the pleasure of hosting a very special guest, 9 year-old Tyler Larkin, who is on a mission to stay in every county in Ireland.

Tyler, a young boy with autism, has a profound passion for numbers, space, and geography. Three years ago at the age of six, he asked his parents if they could visit every county in Ireland, and with their enthusiastic support, they embarked on this unique journey together.

His mother Shauna Delaney, a Borris-in-Ossory native, told the lovely story to the Leinster Express/Laois Live.

“Tyler is a very bubbly nine year old. He goes to our local school in an ASD unit. He gets obsessed with numbers, space, countries, flags. He loves being outside, playing soccer and playing with his friends. He’s very intelligent, it's more his social and sensory issues,” she said.

Tyler received an early diagnosis of ASD in preschool meant he was able to receive special education supports.

“He has come on in leaps and bounds, his teacher said that he is a completely different child from the first time she met him. His confidence has grown. The school is brilliant,” she said.

The idea to visit every county began in 2021.

“Tyler started learning about the Irish counties in school. We had already visited a couple, and he said ‘can we go to every county?’. We looked at each other and said ‘that sounds great’,” Shauna said.

In the past three years, Tyler and his family have successfully visited 12 counties. However, Offaly remained unvisited until two weeks ago, when Tyler’s mother entered a Facebook competition to win an overnight stay at County Arms in Birr.

Tyler's mother revealed his ambitious goal and their journey so far, which captured the hearts of many, including the team at County Arms. Moved by Tyler's story, County Arms extended an invitation for an overnight stay to help the family tick Offaly off their list.

Last week, Tyler and his family were warmly welcomed to the hotel, where they enjoyed an unforgettable experience.
The family spent their time exploring the beautiful grounds and garden of the hotel, which Tyler described as "paradise".

The County Arms said that they were "thrilled" to have been part of Tyler’s inspiring journey, with the hotel's management and staff revealing they were "deeply touched by his enthusiasm and determination".

"It was an honour to host Tyler and his family and to be part of their remarkable journey across Ireland," said the hotel's manager, Barry Kennedy. "We hope their stay in Birr was as memorable for them as it was for us."

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