Best Outdoor Activities in Ashbourne

"Dublin Zoo is an amazing 60 acres of park in the city transports families to the Arctic, the plains of Africa and Indian Rainforests before kids visit Pets’ Corner and the City Farm. Visit the website for details of opening hours, admission prices and family packages."

"Dublin Zoo is such a fun-filled, stimulating day out for all the family. It’s a place to learn about wild animals, especially those which are endangered. Located in the Phoenix Park in the heart of Dublin city, Dublin Zoo is Ireland’s most popular family attraction."

"9 times out of 10 when asking about where’s the best place to bring kids in Dublin the answer will be the zoo. A safe bet the zoo is always a favourite with the kids. Located in the Phoenix Park just outside the city centre the zoo is ideal for a fun family day out."

"A little trip away from Dublin City Centre, it’s the perfect romantic location for beach strolls or some sunset portraits. It has the tall grass, sea air and the iconic Poolbeg Towers as the quintessentially-Dublin backdrop!. A great spot for an engagement session, an elopement or a lovely portrait spot on a wedding day if you’re driving in from the south side."

"This is the perfect place to go to if you want to capture water and nature. Moreover, going to this beach is a very fun thing to do when you're in Dublin. So it's not only great for photography, but you'll also have an amazing day if you go here."

"Located in temple bar, right in the centre of Dublin, The Ark is a space dedicated to teaching art to children. A good address especially on a wet day, their programme involves workshops for kids to familiarise and experience theater, literature, art and creative endeavours of all types. A wonderful creative space just for kids with amazing facilitators."

"The Ark is a fantastic creative hub and dedicated cultural centre for children, located in Temple Bar. It hosts performances of music, theatre and dance, including workshops and exhibitions for kids. Go there, and create opportunities for children, families and friends to discover and love art."

"The LAB Gallery supports emerging art practices and focuses on fresh ways to develop engaged audiences for visual arts. The LAB is open Monday to Friday 10:00-18:00 and Saturday 10:00-17:00 and admission is free."

"The small but influent Molesworth Gallery is located in the city centre too, next to Leinster House. The Molesworth Gallery has a splendid and diversified exhibition programme, where you can see solo shows but also group exhibitions. The gallery produces up-and-coming Irish artists but also established artists, it works also with other art centres and museum to promote their artists."

"Much like the Kerlin Gallery, the Molesworth Gallery is a very exciting space. It is constantly challenging visitors to rethink how they look at art and interact with it, as recent exhibitions by Michael Beirne, Martin Redmond and Helen Blake can attest to. There are eight solo and two curated group exhibitions here annually."

"This historic shopping centre occupies a beautiful Georgian building just off Grafton Street, the south side’s major shopping street. Formerly a townhouse belonging to the 3rd Viscount Powerscourt and his wife – for when they visited the city from their estate in Enniskerry, County Wicklow – it now holds more than 40 shops and restaurants. A proud supporter of Irish design, The Powerscourt Centre has several boutiques by Irish fashion designers, as well as offering the best of Irish craft."

"About seven minutes from the hotel is the gorgeous Powerscourt Centre. It’s a haven of small artisan boutiques and galleries, eateries and designer stores in what was once a family home. But don’t be deceived: It’s actually quite big, immediately impressive and well worth a visit even if you’re not actually planning to buy anything."

"Go in for the shopping, stay for the cafe and beautiful view!. This shopping centre is set in a renovated Georgian House along trendy South William Street. It’s full of design and antique jewellery shops, as well as cafes and a few clothing stores."

"This is the city centre's oldest shopping centre with entrances on Henry St, Parnell St and Moore St. Named after its builders, Irish Life Assurance …"

"The Ilac Centre is a shopping centre, located in central Dublin, north of the River Liffey. It has entrances opening onto Henry Street, Parnell…"

"One of my all time favourite memories as a child was visiting the Gaiety Theatre with my grandmother. She use to take us once a year and I absolutely loved it. Things haven’t changed too much at The Gaiety but it remains a prominent influence on Irish arts and theatre."

"The last item on our list is undoubtedly one of the finest examples of modern architecture in the city. The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre was designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind in 2010, and its contemporary, angular style ties in perfectly with its home in the ultra modern Grand Canal area. The design ties into its theatrical theme with a striking composition of a ‘red carpet’ with bright resin-glass paving extending from the theatre, covered with distinctive red glowing angled light sticks."

"Designed by Studio Libeskind in 2010, the Grand Canal Square formed an important milestone for the redevelopment of the Dublin Docklands area. The 2000-seat theater is based on the concept of stages: the stage of the theater, the stage of the piazza, the stage of the multiple lever lobby above the piazza."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Kanakari used under CC BY-SA 3.0. Bord Gais Energy Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the Docklands. It is the city’s biggest fixed-seat theater and was designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind for the Dublin Docklands Development Authority."

"This Arts Centre in Dundrum has a range of events and programmes, but in particular they have a great programme for children. In July they also run performance summer camps."