Family Friendly Dublin Attractions

When staying in Dublin there are so many visitor attractions that you can go see. We have put together our top 6 family friendly spots  that we think are ones for the list when visiting the capital city.

1. Dublinia

Right in the heart of Medieval Dublin, next to Christ Church Cathedral, there are 3 exhibitions to be experienced in Dublinia. Both “Viking Dublin” & “Medieval Dublin” will bring you back in time to how life was in Dublin in those historic days – walk down a Viking street and visit a Viking house  as well as seeing what life on board a Viking ship would have been like. “Historic Hunters” is the third exhibition which brings you into the world of Archaeology. See excavation sites and a lab which will give you an insight into Dublin City and allow you to see it in a whole new light.

(Inside Dublinia)

2. Viking Splash Tour
A favourite amongst many visitors, both young and old, the Viking Splash Tour allows you to see the city from land and water in the reconditioned World War II military vehicles known as “Ducks”. The tour will bring you around the city to the many attractions it has to offer while also teaching you about the history of the city; from the Vikings who settled here over a 1,000 years ago right through to the Dublin becoming a cosmopolitan European city.

(View Dublin by land and water with the Viking Splash Tour)

3. National Wax Museum
The Wax Museum – a firm favourite for the list of attractions to visit on any city break. Everyone enjoys a good Wax Museum! At the National Wax Museum not only can you view the wax version of many well-known faces and get your picture taken with them but you can also visit the fully functioning recording studio and green screen video room, take a journey through Ireland cultural heritage and check out the tribute to Ireland’s top scientific inventors.

(The National Wax Museum Entrance)

4. GAA Museum
Interested in the history of the country’s National games? Well then go behind the scene of Gaelic Football and Hurling with this interactive touch-screen technology and test your own skills in the interactive zone. Test your passing skills and how quick you can react along with the many other skills required for these two fantastic national games. You can also do the Croke Park Stadium Tour while you are there.  Take the opportunity to walk through the players tunnel and visit their lounge as well as the corporate boxes with the best seats in the house and then top it all off with a birds eye views of this 82,300 capacity iconic stadium.

(GAA Museum Croke Park)

5. Science Gallery
Located at Trinity College, this public gallery has various exhibitions, lectures and workshops. There are no permanent collections but instead a series of 4-6 temporary exhibitions each year so there is always something new to see for those who wish to visit on a number of occasions.

(The Science Gallery at Trinity College)

6. Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo, located in Pheonix Park (one of the largest city parks in Europe), is one of Dublin's biggest attractions. It is home to over 400 animals and has been open since 1830. There is so much to see at Dublin Zoo. There are lions, tigers, hippos, seals, elephants, gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, red pandas and penguins to name just a few of the many fascinating animals that can be seen at Dublin Zoo.  

(Gorillas at Dublin Zoo)

Book your stay at Grand Canal Hotel by calling 01-6461000 or visit our website.

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10 TEN THINGS TO DO IN DUBLIN THIS SUMMER

Summer has finally arrived and the numbers are coming back to the beautiful city of Dublin in there droves.

Theatre, gigs, museums, festivals, comedy and attractions...there is no shortage of things to do in Dublin. With so many things to do I've decided to put together a top 10 things that you can't miss this summer.

1. Failte Dublin Horse Show at the RDS - the country's premier horse event takes place in the RDS from the 3rd to the 7th of August. A celebration of Ireland's affinity with the horse, from the best show horses to the best international show jumpers. It is one of Ireland's largest events, a highlight of the summer, each year welcoming tens of thousands of people from Ireland and all over the world. Special discounted offers are available, with up to 20% discount on longer stays.

2. Riverdance - one of Ireland's greatest exports, Riverdance, kicks off its annual residency at the Gaiety Theatre on the 28th of June and runs till the 28th of August. This show has evolved over the years so even if you've seen it years ago it is probably very different. The hotel are offering theatre packages to include pre-show meal, ticket to show, night's accommodation and full Irish breakfast from just €109ppps.

3. Bloomsday - a celebration of one of world's greatest writers, James Joyce, Bloomsday, runs from June 16th - 19th in various part of Dublin city. June 16th is BLOOMSDAY, the day in 1904 on which all the action of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses takes place. It is celebrated every year on 16th June by Joyceans all over the world. In Dublin, where the novel is set, Bloomsday celebrations go on for a week from the 16th to the 19th June, with most of the attention on the day itself. It is traditional to dress up and go out for the day, visiting the locations of the book and taking part in readings, walks and convivial activities of all sorts which in some way connect with Ulysses, its author and its world.

4. The Script - Ireland's golden boy's of pop-rock RnB return to their home town for the biggest show of their impressive career. The Dubliners are set to grace Aviva Stadium on the 2nd of July for a once off show. The "Breakeven" stars have had a remarkable career thus far but this will surely be the highlight.

5. Rugby Internationals - After a very mixed autumn series and start to the Six Nations Irish rugby finally found its voice with a stunning victory over England at the Aviva Stadium. The provinces maintained the momentum with Leinsters' amazing Heinekin Cup victory in Cardiff and then Munster's Magners League triumph in Thomond Park. Now we are all excited about our prospects in September's World Cup in New Zealand...the dream is still alive. Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell and the lads have two warm up games in August with France (27th) and England (20th) both visiting the Aviva Stadium.

6. Dublin Super Cup - Without meaning to offend any of our Portuguese friends out there we were all a little dissapointed with the finalists of the Europa Cup Final in May...or at least all the Manchester City and Liverpool fans were. But there is light at the end of the tunnel with a new two day international club tourmanent taking place at the Lansdowne Road venue at the end of July. Inter Milan, Manchester City, Celtic and an Airtricity League Selection will all battle it out for the Dublin Super Cup on July 30/31.

7. Dublin Zoo - It is one of the oldest and most visited Zoos in Europe and for good reason. Located in the largest city centre park in Europe this zoo is a stunning site. Every kind of animal imaginable, bar the dinosaurs, are in here and there is plenty of picnic areas and things to keep the children, and adults, busy. Well worth the visit.

8. Grease - Dust off your leather jackets, pull on your bobby-socks and take a trip to a simpler time as "bad boy" Danny and "the girl next door" Sandy fall in love all over again. It’s the original High-School musical, featuring all the unforgettable songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Sandy, Greased Lightnin’ and many more. So throw your mittens around your kittens and Hand Jive the night away with the show that’ll make you want to stand up and shout, “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop A-wop-bam-boom!” Package includes pre-show meal, ticket in teh Upper Circle, night's accommodation at the Grand Canal Hotel and Full Irish Breakfast from just €119pps. The show runs from August 9th - 27th in the Grand Canal Theatre.

9. Cricket International August 25th - Ireland v England. After the heroics of the world cup the star studded English cricket team come to Dublin to play their Irish counterparts. Cricket is not exactly a major sport in this country but if we were to put Ireland's victory over the English into context it would be like Andorra beating Ireland in Gaelic football. Interest in the sport is on the rise and over 2000 people attended the recent clash with Pakistan. The game takes place in Clontarf. If the weather holds up this could be a very enjoyable occasion.

10. All Ireland Hurling Final Croke Park, September 4th - Concluding on another sporting theme this really should be the first thing on the list to do this summer. Having attended the 2010 final between Kilkenny and Tipperary I can attest to the awe inspiring site of 30 amateur sports men slamming a tennis ball sized sliotar around the hallowed turf of Croke Park in front of 82,000 people. There are not too many places in the world where you would see such an event. The Hurling Final really epitomises what it is to be Irish...and you don't have to be Irish to appreciate it.

Feel free to let me know what I've left out.

Enjoy the sun.

Cheers,

Ollie (OMG).