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Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Things for teens to do in Dublin city centre during the holidays
We're past the halfway point of the school summer holidays and boredom is setting in. The annual sun getaway abroad is behind many of us and most parents have to work full-time. Kids can do summer camps, but teens can be tricky - and costly - to keep entertained. These spirited youngsters want to do stuff on their own, which is handy; but it's also nice to join them occasionally, when time allows. Surprisingly, one of the best places for family activities to suit teens is Dublin city centre. With a number of new attractions, it's become a teen-friendly capital. It's now home to some brand-new top entertainment options. These attractions - all opened this year - have positioned Dublin as a great city for family fun. I went out with my son Luc, 15, and his pals, to try them out. Here's what we thought of them. (L-R Sarah Clancy, CEO Little Museum of Dublin, Mary Stack of Fáilte Ireland, Emma Blain, Lord Mayor and First Citizen of Dublin) Little Museum of Dublin The capital's quirkiest museum has just re-opened after a €4million renovation that took a year to complete. It's a new-look, modernised refit that brings the museum - located in a Georgian mansion on iconic St Stephen's Green - into the 21st century. However it has retained its ethos as a 'hospitable, historic and humorous welcome to Dublin.' Visitors are first brought into a special screening room for a fully immersive introduction video, which features a cheeky Molly Malone. The tour is a crash course in Dublin history, carried out with wit, wisdom, eccentricity and charm. It's an educational and entertaining activity for teens - a bit wacky and never boring. The tour is less than an hour, moves at pace and is easy to grasp, and explanations like how Dublin went from "Irish village, to Viking Town, to English city, to proud European capital." There's plenty of humour, and the teens were delighted by effervescent young guide Saul, a world-famous Irish dancer who treated us to a jig around the room. It's highly cultural, with plenty of mentions of some of the city's most impressive figures such as Brendan Behan, Oscar Wilde, Maureen O'Hara and Bono. It also reveals lesser-known tales of the city, such as how both the British and Irish sides in the 1916 Rising agreed to a ceasefire every day to allow the ducks to be fed in Stephen's Green. This one will amuse young culture vultures. I enjoyed the nostalgia of artefacts from the recent past, such as Callcards and Dublin Millennium milk bottles. Family tickets are €45; student entry is €16. Lane7 Stepping into Lane7 on Dublin's Clarendon Row is like stepping back into the 1980s. This is a bowling and gaming venue with a retro vibe, which the younger gang seem to find amusing. For me, it's nostalgia - for them, it's 'Leisureplex, but 80s' as they deemed it. Lane7 is far more swish than Leisureplex and is definitely set up for a night out, or a place to bring a date, or just a cool hangout. It's all graffiti walls and neon lights and funky bar areas. All the old-skool games are here, and many have an American flavour. There's a slick bowling lane, a photo booth called the Kissing Booth, and beer pong. There's also darts, which was the biggest hit with this competitive bunch, and it's interactive, so the board does the 'math' for you. Classic arcade games include Space Invaders and you can also shoot hoops in a basketball toss game or play ice hockey on a board. The bar serves food and drink - with a large cocktail menu - but has a very strict age policy for alcohol, so no worries there for younger visitors. The Dundrum venue is bigger and has more games such as pool and shuffleboard, but to have a place like this to go in the city centre is special. A great, budget-friendly place for young people to meet friends and have fun and more social teens in particular will love it. World of Illusion Dublin World of Illusion This is a place for young scientists, or those with curious minds. A trip to the World of Illusion at Dublin's Central Plaza will leave you fascinated by how our perceptions of the world can be changed by our environment - light, colour, patterns and movement. Up to 70 visual illusions and interactive exhibitions are here to experience, and some of them are mind-blowing. We all loved the Vortex Tunnel, which is simply a static bridge in a dark room. However, add swirling lights and it creates the illusion of movement. So those crossing it feel like they're being thrown about, even though nothing is moving. The infinity mirrors in the Infinity Room is mesmerising: you're in a room the size of a large cupboard, but it feels like it goes on forever. The large kaleidoscope allows you to see your face as a kaleidoscopic pattern, while in the Ames room, you appear to change size, depending on what position you're standing in. The gravity-defying exhibition makes it appear as though you're being blown vertically in the wind, while the head-on-a-platter installation makes it appear as though you're about to be eaten for dinner. The entire visit to the World of Illusion takes no more than an hour and a half, and there is plenty of wonder to discuss afterwards. Student entry is €18.70, while a family ticket is €63.75. For more information, see Sandbox VR It's amazing that a VR venue of such a size is in the city centre. Usually they're far out in the suburbs, involving a hike through traffic, so it's really convenient for it to be so accessible. But Sandbox is another level. It's not just some warehouse where you go to shoot up zombies, this is a social day out in the world's most advanced virtual reality experience. We played Red Light Green Light, based on the Netflix hit Squid Game, and it's all so hyper-real, it feels like you're inside the game. Teens who love tech and gaming adore this place. We were kitted out with the most high-tech VR headsets, 3-D precision body trackers, custom hardware, sensors and haptic vests. All you could hear from the room was the screams and shouts of six teenagers having the time of their lives. They hadn't even left the building when they were planning their next trip back. One of the big draws is Toni, Ireland's first robotic bartender. After the game, players can head for the comfortable bar area for a few cocktails and mocktails. As we drank them, we got to watch footage of our game, showing us both in the real world and the VR alternative universe. With a total capacity of 150 people, Sandbox occupies 11,000 square feet of the new development, Grafton Place, at 39 Nassau Street, just steps away from Grafton Street. Prices vary from €30 to €50 per person, depending on whether the visit is peak or off-peak. Sandbox VR opens from 10am until 11pm to 12pm, seven days a week. For more of the latest breaking news from the Irish Mirror check out our homepage by clicking here.
Irish Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dublin's best new entertainment hotspots - from VR to "mind-blowing" illusions
We're past the halfway point of the school summer holidays and boredom is setting in. The annual sun getaway abroad is behind many of us and most parents have to work full-time. Kids can do summer camps, but teens can be tricky – and costly – to keep entertained. These spirited youngsters want to do stuff on their own, which is handy; but it's also nice to join them occasionally, when time allows. Surprisingly, one of the best places for family activities to suit teens is Dublin city centre. With a number of new attractions, it's become a teen-friendly capital. It's now home to some brand-new top entertainment options. These attractions – all opened this year – have positioned Dublin as a great city for family fun. I went out with my son Luc, 15, and his pals, to try them out. Here's what we thought of them. Little Museum of Dublin (L-R) Sarah Clancy, CEO Little Museum of Dublin, Mary Stack of Fáilte Ireland, Emma Blain, Lord Mayor and First Citizen of Dublin The capital's quirkiest museum has just re-opened after a €4 million renovation that took a year to complete. It's a new-look, modernised refit that brings the museum – located in a Georgian mansion on iconic St Stephen's Green – into the 21st century. However, it has retained its ethos as a 'hospitable, historic and humorous welcome to Dublin.' Visitors are first brought into a special screening room for a fully immersive introduction video, which features a cheeky Molly Malone. The tour is a crash course in Dublin history, carried out with wit, wisdom, eccentricity and charm. It's an educational and entertaining activity for teens - a bit wacky and never boring. The tour is less than an hour, moves at pace and is easy to grasp, with soundbytes like how Dublin went from 'Irish village, to Viking Town, to English city, to proud European capital'. The "Tara's Palace" dollhouse which is on display at the Little Museum of Dublin. It's a large, Georgian-style dollhouse, inspired by Irish houses, that took master craftsmen over 20 years to build and furnish. (Image: SAM BOAL/COLLINS) There's plenty of humour, and the teens were delighted by effervescent young guide Saul, a world-famous Irish dancer who treated us to a jig around the room. It's highly cultural, with plenty of mentions of some of the city's most impressive figures. These include Brendan Behan, Oscar Wilde, Maureen O'Hara and legendary U2 frontman Bono. It also reveals lesser-known tales of the city, such as how both the British and Irish sides in the 1916 Rising agreed to a ceasefire every day to allow the ducks to be fed in Stephen's Green. This one will amuse young culture vultures. I enjoyed the nostalgia of artefacts from the recent past, such as Callcards and Dublin Millennium milk bottles. Family tickets are €45; student entry is €16. Lane7 Lane 7 Dublin Stepping into Lane7 on Dublin's Clarendon Row is like stepping back into the 1980s. This is a bowling and gaming venue with a retro vibe, which the younger gang seem to find amusing. For me, it's nostalgia – for them, it's 'Leisureplex, but 80s' as they deemed it. Lane7 is far more swish than Leisureplex and is definitely set up for a night out, or a place to bring a date, or just a cool hangout. It's all graffiti walls and neon lights and funky bar areas. All the old-skool games are here, many with an American flavour. There's a bowling lane, a photo booth called the Kissing Booth, and beer pong. There's also darts, which was the biggest hit with this competitive bunch, and it's interactive, so the board does the 'math' for you. Lane 7 features state-of-the-art bowling lanes, immersive darts, retro arcade games, and a cocktail bar Classic arcade games include Space Invaders and you can also shoot hoops in a basketball toss game or play ice hockey on a board. The bar serves food and drink – with a large cocktail venue – but has a very strict age policy for alcohol, so no worries there for younger visitors. The Dundrum venue is bigger and has more games such as pool and shuffleboard, but to have a place like this to go in the city centre is special. A great, budget-friendly place for young people to meet friends and have fun and more social teens in particular will love it. World of Illusion World of Illusion Dublin This is a place for young scientists, or those with curious minds. A trip to the World of Illusion at Dublin's Central Plaza will leave you fascinated by how our perceptions of the world can be changed by our environment – light, colour, patterns and movement. Up to 70 mind-blowing visual illusions and interactive exhibitions are here to experience. We all loved the Vortex Tunnel, which is simply a static bridge in a dark room. However, add swirling lights and it creates the illusion of movement. So those crossing it feel like they're being thrown about, even though nothing is moving. The infinity mirrors in the Infinity Room is mesmerising: you're in a room the size of a large cupboard, but it feels like it goes on forever. The large kaleidoscope allows you to see your face as a kaleidoscopic pattern, while in the Ames room, you appear to change size, depending on what position you're standing in. The gravity-defying exhibition makes it appear as though you're being blown in the wind, while the head-on-a-platter installation makes it appear as though you're about to be eaten for dinner. The entire visit to the World of Illusion takes no more than an hour and a half, and there is plenty of wonder to discuss afterwards. Student entry is €18.70, while a family ticket is €63.75. For more info, see Sandbox VR Sandbox VR is a socially immersive gaming experience combining full-body motion capture and high-quality haptic It's amazing that a VR venue of such a size is in the city centre. Usually they're far out in the suburbs, involving a hike through traffic, so it's really convenient for it to be so accessible. But Sandbox is another level. It's not just some warehouse where you go to shoot up zombies, this is a social day out in the world's most advanced virtual reality experience. We played Red Light Green Light, based on the Netflix hit Squid Games, and it's all so hyper-real, it feels like you're inside the game. Teens who love tech and gaming love this place. We were kitted out with the most high-tech VR headsets, 3-D precision body trackers, custom hardware, sensors and haptic vests. All you could hear from the room was the screams of six teenagers having the time of their lives. They hadn't even left the building when they were planning their next trip back. One of the big draws is Toni, Ireland's first robotic bartender. After the game, players can head for the comfortable bar area for a few cocktails and mocktails. As we drank them, we got to watch footage of our game, showing us both in the real world and the VR alternative universe. With a total capacity of 150 people, Sandbox occupies 11,000 square feet of the new development, Grafton Place, at 39 Nassau Street, just steps away from Grafton Street. Prices vary from €30 to €50 per person, depending on whether the visit is peak or off-peak. For more of the latest breaking news from the Irish Mirror check out our homepage by clicking here
Irish Independent
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
The Little Museum of Dublin reopens on St Stephen's Green after €4.3m refit
The museum had closed its temporary address on 33 Pembroke Street in May to move back into its original refurbished location. Today's official re-opening, attended by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, will allow visitors to enjoy an expanded and reimagined exhibition space and a new reception area. The museum will also welcome a new youth education space, an integrated lift to improve accessibility, a sun-trap patio and an enriched collection of artefacts donated by the people of Ireland. Since its first opening in 2011, the museum has welcomed over one million visitors and remains the titular placeholder for the top spot for Things To Do in Dublin, according to TripAdvisor. The reimagining of the Little Museum of Dublin was partly funded by Fáilte Ireland, along with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport & Media. Dublin City Council and private donations got renovations over the line. The museum will open seven days a week from 9.30am to 5pm and will continue to offer guided tours every forty minutes. A new walking tour, The Little Walking Tour of St Stephen's Green, will take place each afternoon at 2.15pm. The walking tours include The Official Walk of Shame, The Football Walking Tour, The Freedom of Dublin and more. Speaking at the launch, Sarah Clancy, CEO of the Little Museum of Dublin, said: 'Thanks to the generosity of the Irish people, the support of the state and the talent of our team, we have managed to reimagine the Little Museum of Dublin for generations to come. 'We are so proud to be reopening our doors and welcoming guests back into our newly renovated and accessible museum at 15 St Stephen's Green.' Lord Mayor Emma Blain added: 'I am delighted to see the Little Museum of Dublin on St Stephen's Green reopen its doors after two years. It is such a great addition to the city centre, bringing Dublin to life in a very real way.' Among the newest artefacts on display are everything from the first ever medal awarded to William Deans under the states Bravery Act 1947, to Mary McAleese's First Holy Communion Rosary beads donated by the [former] President herself. Mary Stack, Head of Product Development – Attractions at Fáilte Ireland said that projected visitor numbers are expected to rise to over 5,000 annually by 2035, with the redevelopment is set to generate an economic impact of €24.7m over the next decade.
