What to do as a family - weekend in Dublin?

[teathyme]

Thinking to book a weekend in Dublin over Christmas time. Got 3 teenage dc. We don't celebrate Christmas, so not looking at specific Christmassy things. We don't drink either so the typical Irish pub suggestions are no use either 😅.
Any other recommendations welcome.

Bump

What dates are you thinking?

The week between Christmas and New Years is a bit of a dead zone in Dublin.

I’d recommend.

chesterbeatty.ie

www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Natural-History

Epic

Trinity University - book of Kells

take a walking tour (very walkable city)

book some restaurants (you won’t be able to turn up and get a seat)

Phoenix park

it’s a very beautiful city - hope you have a great trip.

Check out the Viking Splash, also Dublin Zoo is very good too, there is an annual light show that's very enjoyable, not sure it will be on when you are there though!

Dublin zoo is great
Tayto Park isn't too far away if you can arrange transport and is also great fun (book tickets online)

What age teenagers and what are you all into? Or is it sightseeing?

Saw the Viking splash thing and thought it looked good so glad to hear it's great. Will try to do that. Tayto isn't open the dates we are going. Haven't checked out the zoo, but will do. Dc like a bit of sightseeing, nice coffee shops, a bit of shopping. Are there any nice bookshops you can go into and have a coffee? Also suggestions for coffee shops with nice tray bakes would be very welcome.

Is there any particular street that has nice independent shops and is a bit traditional? Not really interested to go to high street shops that we have in our own city.

As mentioned the zoo has christmas theme wild nights event on but tickets sell quickly. I like Kilmainham jail and Guinness tour might be of interest. Grafton street area is nice. Just check opening dates of stuff case week after Christmas things might not be opened.

Yes the temple bar area will have lots of quirky shops. The dead museum/ natural history museum is great to visit. V Victorian in character. There are lots of coffee shops and lots of little museums and tours. Take the open bus tour. The national art gallery is lovely too. Enjoy your trip. Dress warmly and bring a rain coat.

George's Street Arcade - independent shops
Lighthouse cinema or Stella cinema
Yamamori for food
Tenement museum - 14 Henrietta Street

The area around Drury St, George's St, Powerscourt townhouse has nice independent shops and lots of cafes.

Avoca on Suffolk St is lovely and has a good cafe, traybakes etc

Trinity is nice to walk through, book of Kells etc

Not many bookshops left, Hidges Figgis is the biggest, nice cafes nearby.

Collins Barracks museum is on the red Luas (tram line) has the decorative arts, the Kildare St museum has more archeology and artifacts. Natural history museum is very charming and next door the National Gallery is world class.

Be careful about opening hours that week though, a lot of places are closed for the week between Christmas and new year.

You could take the DART ( local train) out to Greystones, the scenery along the coast is lovely and the village is cute. If you like walking there's a scenic walk to the next town Bray which is very popular. Then get the train back into town, you could stop off in Monkstown which is full of restaurants and cafes.

Funderland is a funfair that's only on after Christmas, very popular although I haven't been for a long time but your girls might enjoy it.

Im in Dublin a lot. Im going to have a lot of pushback here but its currently a very unsafe, dirty city. Huge homeless and drugs problem. Very expensive to eat out. We are going to Paris instead as its much better everything. Dunno if you want to change but recently been to Pau and Porto and both superb. Or Ecinburgh. Sorry Dublin. (Im Irish btw)
Also think Viking Splash is gone bust?

Viking Splash went bust in 2020 but back now.

Definitely Funderland in RDS, very popular
with teens.

Fun to hire bikes in the Phoenix Park.

The Ghostbus is really good, professional actors, pricey but a fun night out.

Bewley's Cafe.

A show at the Abbey Theatre.

Neon on Camden St for Asian food.

Gosh I struggle with Dublin. DS lives there and does too.
So I'm watching this thread with interest to see if we're missing anything!

I agree that Dublin is a bit dull. Grafton Street, Bewleys, Phoenix Park and Trinity College: worth the trip? My relatives would giggle at bit about Greystones as a destination. Every city has to hype and sell itself nowadays, but not all live up to the billing. Dublin is one of those cities.

Cafe en Seine in Dawson Street is lovely.
The National Library in Kildare Street often has amazing exhibitions on, such as the Yeats exhibition, interactive with lots of personal items from the family, so well worth checking the website to see what's on.

If you are Joyce fans you could do a bit of the trail.

Books Upstairs, D'Olier St - books plus cafe
The Gutter Bookshop, Temple Bar
The Winding Stair, Lower Ormond Quay
Dubrey Books - off Grafton St, books plus cafe
Forbidden Planet - comic and superhero specialty, Crampton Quay, Temple Bar
Ulysses Rare Books - old/ antiquarian plus a map room, Duke St
Temple Bar Book Market - second hand, plus records and other interesting stuff; Saturday and Sunday only

I'm Irish and honestly, I wouldn't bother. It's not a great city and very dirty with a huge drug problem. Galway is far nicer if you are going to Ireland but I'd pick a different European city if it was me.

Thank you all. In the 'worst cities you've been to' threads Dublin comes up frequently, so was expecting some people to say don't bother 😅. Flights are cheap so that's what tempted me, but I'll keep my eyes opened for any other destinations too.