East & Dublin

Hugely popular bowling complex with six bowling lanes, championship pool tables, video games and jukebox.

A must for all teddy bear lovers, you can browse for bear accessories, bear-making kits and cuddly bears, and take part in teddy bear making classes or watch a bear being created.

Be a native for a day at the Causey Farm with a host of traditional Irish activities, including turf cutting, bodhrán classes, céilí dancing, sheepdog demonstrations, cow milking and brown bread baking.

Take a 9km rail trip through Blackwater Bog on a 3ft narrow gauge railway.

An award-winning exhibition that recreates the sights and sounds of medieval Dublin.

With over 700 animals and birds from around the world, Dublin Zoo is set in a beautiful landscape of 66 acres

Get up close to a wide selection of farm animals and fowl with horses, deer, goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, donkeys, ducks, geese, doves, peacocks and hens.

These tranquil formal gardens boast over 400 different roses, but the real draw for the kids is the raucous tropical bird garden and the mini zoo with camels, monkeys and racoons.

Older children will relish the chance to drive a four-wheeled All Terrain vehicle around the muddy Monaghan countryside. The trail includes an underground tunnel with splash, overhead bridges, a water splash drive, bumpy ground, and muddy ditches.

Set amid 958 acres of land, the National Stud includes the Irish Horse Museum, and the beautiful Japanese Gardens.

Haunting yet compelling, Kilmainham Gaol is one of the largest unoccupied gaols in the world and was at the centre of some of Ireland’s most heroic and tragic events from the 1780s to the 1920s.

Founded by master ventriloquist Eugene Lambert, this theatre presents puppet shows designed to delight.

A small mineral island that rises gently out of the Bog of Allen, Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park provides a unique and fascinating insight into the development of the Irish people over 9,500 years.

This is a large 6ft-high hedge grown on Ballinafagh Farm to mark the Millennium. The Millennium Maze comes in the shape of St Brigid’s Cross and has over one-and-a-half miles of paths to lose yourself amongst.

Pack in all of Dublin’s attractions with a bus tour that takes in the Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Dublin Zoo, the Irish Whiskey Trail at the Old Jameson Distillery, Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick’s Cathedral and more.

Boat hire, barge trips, bicycle hire, barbecue hire, fishing rod hire and a coffee shop are just some of the facilities on offer here.

The Dublin-born author of Dracula lived very near to this new hi-tech centre, which is devoted to his life and works.

The magnificent Dublin Horse Show is Ireland’s largest equestrian event featuring riders from across the globe.

Explore the magical world of the ocean without having to get your toes wet. This excellent centre has over a hundred different marine species including the fearsome red-bellied piranha and leopard sharks.

For a particularly peculiar view of the city, take to the water in a reconditioned World War II amphibious “Duck” vehicle and explore Dublin’s historic sights on land. Plus, you can also enjoy scaring unsuspecting passers-by with the rather boisterous Viking Splash Tour “roar”!

At the Guinness Steam Museum you can visit marvel at “live steam” engines, explore the walled garden, and enjoy a multi-media information channel and a hands-on area.