Where to visit in Dublin with teenage kids?

happy_gardener

Taking family to Dublin for 2 nights/3 days. Never been Staying in Dublin centre before. Apart from Dublin zoo and the Guniness factory, can you recommend anywhere else to go close to the city centre worth a visit. Not sure if there is a science museum like W5 in Dublin. Need to have rainy/day day suggestions. We would be there on a Monday and Tuesday and have a few kids including teenagers. Any rec for family friendly places to eat. What about best irish pub so they can see the trad music?
Want to make the trip fun

Helpful suggestions only please

jellynose

We went to see The Human Body Exhibition at the Ambassador Theater. It took about an hour and a half. It's very good and it ends mid August. It kept my curious 15 year old amused. Don't buy the tickets on line as there is a service charge, buy them at the box office at the theater. Good if any of the kids in your party are doing science/biology.

http://www.thehumanbody.ie/

This bus tour is REALLY good:

http://www.dublinsightseeing.ie/citytour.aspx

You get 2 children free on the bus with every fare paying adult. Tickets last 48 hours. If you buy a ticket on line before you go it costs about £12. The tour lasts an hour and a half and goes around all the usual tourist spots including the Dublin zoo and the Guniness factory, So for £12 an adult and 2 kids can hop on and off at the various different tourist spots for 2 days. Yes you can walk to all of the places (probably) but this is no fun in the rain and the tour takes you to places that you didn't know existed. The buses come every 15 minutes during the day so if you hop off the bus somewhere and the place is not up to much you can just hop on the bus again to take you somewhere different. If you go on the bus, try and get one with live commentary, the commentary is very funny and informative. And £12 for unlimited travel for 48 hours in Dublin for 1 adult and 2 kids is great value.

If you book the bus tour there is a discount voucher for a few pounds off on the map they give you for the Human Body Exhibition.

I love going to the Elephant and Castle in Temple bar for Chicken Wings, they are the best chicken wings in the world.

http://www.elephantandcastle.ie/

Hope this helps, the above is what we did on a one day visit to Dublin,

Enjoy

absoluteutopia

Playing avoid the beggars always kills a few hours

joylikes2shop

I took my kids to various museums in Dublin when they were younger ( they're 18 & 19 now) but we're not really a 'museum' family, so I second Jellynoses recommendation of

http://www.thehumanbody.ie/ ...I'm quite squeemish, but even I was amazed by the exhibition.

I've never done the Dublin BUS sight seeing tour....however because I like quirky things,I think the following tour looks like great fun... I've never actually been on this tour either because I hadnt booked it in advance ...so be warned..it's obviously popular ( despite the cost !!)

http://www.vikingsplash.com/

I've just asked my kids what they'd recommend, and apart from the Zoo ( which they both still seem to like ??) the only other comment they made was to ''avoid the really bad/sad wax works museum''

I've just spotted this museum which sounds more like my kind of thing

http://www.leprechaunmuseum.ie/

We've eaten in both the following restaurants and would recommend both...however they might be a bit pricey ( and wasted) on younger teenagers..

http://www.harbourmaster.ie/intl/en/index.php ( out the back of Connolly Station)

http://www.thechurch.ie/ ( at the opposite end of Henry street from the Spire...near Primark/Pennys if my memory serves me right)

If shopping is on the agenda, my kids love Forever21 when we're in America ...and there's a branch in The Jervis Shopping Centre ...
http://www.forever21.com/EU/Product/Main.aspx?br=f21

Aother option for shopping is to take the Luas out to the shopping centre in Dundrum....I dont like this centre for shopping because I think most of the shops are a bit pricey...but it's huge,clean and bright and somewhere different to go for the day ...especially if its wet.

http://www.dundrum.ie/

I was going to mention taking the dart to Malahide to visit Malahide Castle if you like that sort of thing, but I've just checked the website and it's closed for refurbishment till September...Malahide is a seaside town a bit like Hollywood Co.Down...and I can recomend both Gibneys pub (traditional old Irish pub...with tv's :rotfl: and a beer garden,and Smyths pub across the road which has a more child friendly menu.

Pretani

Temple bar pub is the best....not really traditional irish music, its always good atmosphere with all nationalities in it. Traditional irish music pubs are dingy places.

there's a boat trip you can get up the liffey, http://www.liffeyrivercruises.com/

Good fish and chip shop in Dubin, Leo Burdock Fish & Chips.....best about.

Best fry in Dublin is at the side of the Liffey, called The Italian Corner.....no greese whatsoever in it.

Good wee chinese buffet open around 12pm near the national leprechaun museum.

The National Museum of Ireland, is free...good visit, upstairs there's Egyptian mummies, etc.

Avoid going out at night, its a dodgy place for adults, never mind children....and do avoid the beggars and !!!!!! asking for money, its a bloomin headache.

........also you can pick up red, white and blue leprechauns from the Union Jack shop beside Mcdonalds on O'Connol st....LOL

BOBS

Pretani wrote: »

........also you can pick up red, white and blue leprechauns from the Union Jack shop beside Mcdonalds on O'Connol st....LOL

:rotfl::T:rotfl:

belfastgirl23

There is the science gallery attached to Trinity http://sciencegallery.com/ well worth a visit....

gildius

Temple Bar is the main pub to visit. You could also go to Trinity College and see the Book of Kells (I had a colouring book of this when I was a kid - loved it).

I can personally recommend the zoo

Mistral001

What about the old favorites like Trinity College book of Kells and Phoenix Park. The city centre these days is a bit like any Euro city centre these days.

At least it is just about affordable to holiday in Dublin these days with low value of Euro and more sensible prices for accommodation.

laughingsheep

I'm not an authority on what kids like, but I found the crypts at St Michans very interesting:

http://www.stmichans.com/index.php/the-crypts/about

I've also heard that Kilmainham Jail is worth a visit - it's on my to-do list next time I'm down.

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/dublin/kilmainhamgaol/

harpo1

The mongolian barbecue beside Blooms hotel Anglesea Street is a total bargain & great fun http://www.mongolianbbq.ie/location/. Lunch for 5 euros or all you eat for 10. They cook it in front of you, our kids loved it