Toy Soldier Factory is an hour away from Cork city center. It had been established in Ireland since 1976 and this is Europe's only toy soldier factory. This is a very good find in the West Cork area. It is one of the best ways for families to spend a rainy afternoon away from gadgets. This can be a nice family fun activity where kids and adults get to cast their own metal toys and paint them too. The factory is in an informal setting. The visitor center is also a gift center with a variety of toy soldiers beautifully painted and meticulously arranged. One can walk in and browse the store to one's heart content. They sell chess sets which were adorable but very expensive for me.
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| Perfect Toy Chess Set |
The back story from Irish Examiner is that a newlywed couple named Lars and Gunilla Edman traveled thousands of miles from Sweden to a sleepy town in west Cork with their two die making machines and started toy soldier factory in 1976. Casting toy soldiers was a Swedish hobby for young boys aged 7-12 years old. But, today it has visitors, young and old, from all over the world and helps visitors make cherished memories.
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| Witch Fairy Face-Off |
At the start of our visit, the receptionist at the visitor center demonstrated the casting process and kids got to choose their figures to cast from the display board. She was very patient and helped kids through the casting process. It took around 90 seconds for the casting to set. Once the casting is set, she applied primer to the cast and we were ready to paint. I was very happy with the final product and we will be using them during Halloween and Christmas going forward.
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| The Battle of Waterloo |
The second part of our visit was the display of the Battle of Waterloo. A nominal fee of 3€ per adult is paid to visit the display. One of the rooms inside the toy soldier factory has a huge foam table on which the battle of Waterloo is displayed. A 15 min documentary gives an insight into the Battle of Waterloo. On Sunday 18 June 1815, the battle was fought between Anglo- Duch army and Prussian army against French forces. The French army was under the leadership of Napoleon. The defeat of the battle marked the end of Napoleon-era. This battle played an important role in European history and led Europe towards a peaceful path. The documentary was brief yet clear enough to understand the context and importance of this battle in European history.
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| A 500-Man Battalion Squares Formed By British Army |
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| Anglo-Duch & Prussian Army vs French Army |
