Events & What’s Happening
Ireland's largest gardening and food festival held in Phoenix Park, featuring show gardens, food producers, cooking demonstrations, and a dedicated children's discovery zone.
💡The kids' area has hands-on planting workshops — book in advance as slots fill quickly.
One of Europe's premier equestrian events held at the RDS Arena, featuring showjumping competitions including the Aga Khan Trophy, livestock exhibitions, and a large trade fair.
💡Kids love the funfair and petting areas — mid-week days are less crowded and cheaper than the weekend.
A two-week arts festival showcasing experimental theatre, dance, comedy, and street performance across venues citywide, with several family-friendly and children's shows programmed each year.
💡Check the programme for shows specifically tagged for children — many are free or very low cost.
A nationwide initiative where hundreds of cultural institutions, museums, galleries, and historic buildings open their doors for free after-hours events on one Friday evening in September.
💡Plan your route in advance using the online map — the National Museum and Chester Beatty Library are brilliant family stops.
Dublin's official Halloween festival honouring Dracula author Bram Stoker with outdoor spectacles, gothic tours, immersive theatre, and family daytime events celebrating the city's spooky heritage.
💡Daytime events on Saturday and Sunday are tailored for families with young children — costumes are encouraged.
A traditional European-style Christmas market on Smithfield Square and across the city centre featuring festive crafts, food stalls, a Ferris wheel, ice rink, and Santa's grotto.
💡Visit on a weekday evening to avoid weekend crowds and get shorter queues for the ice rink and Santa visit.
Ireland's national festival celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a massive parade through the city centre, live music, street performances, and family-friendly events across multiple venues.
💡Secure a spot along O'Connell Street early on parade day and bring layers — March weather is unpredictable.
A lively weekly food and artisan market in Meeting House Square in the heart of the Temple Bar cultural quarter, with fresh produce, street food, and local crafts.
💡Grab crepes or wood-fired pizza for a relaxed family lunch — the square has plenty of open space for kids to move around.
A free, weekly 2km timed run for children aged 4–14 in the world's largest enclosed city park. Part of the global Junior Parkrun initiative, it's friendly, volunteer-led, and encourages young runners of all abilities.
💡Register online for free before the first run — parents are welcome to run alongside younger children.
Weekly drop-in storytime sessions for young children held at the award-winning Dún Laoghaire LexIcon Library, featuring picture books, songs, and rhymes led by library staff.
💡Best suited for ages 2–6 — arrive a few minutes early as the children's area fills up on rainy Saturdays.
Free weekly sessions for babies and toddlers up to age 3 run across various Dublin City Library branches, including Pearse Street and Cabra, featuring nursery rhymes, sensory activities, and shared reading.
💡Sessions run term-time and can vary by branch — check the Dublin City Libraries website for your nearest location and schedule.
A popular Sunday market in the grounds of Marlay Park in Rathfarnham featuring artisan food producers, crafts, and local traders, with easy access to the park's playgrounds and nature trails.
💡Combine the market with a walk on the park's trails or a playground visit — the park itself is free and excellent for all ages.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street — which houses the Ardagh Chalice, Iron Age bog bodies, and Viking Dublin artefacts — is completely free and has no booking requirement, making it an ideal wet-afternoon fallback with children of all ages.
- 💡Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park charges significantly less if you book online in advance rather than at the gate — a family of 2 adults and 2 children saves roughly €8–10 by purchasing tickets on the zoo's website before your visit.
- 💡The Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College gets its worst queues between 10am and 1pm — booking a timed slot online for 8:30–9:00am gets you in before tour groups arrive, and the Long Library above is what most children find most spectacular regardless.
- 💡Croke Park stadium tours run most non-match days and include entry to the GAA Museum with interactive hurling and Gaelic football games — the experience costs around €14 for adults and €8 for children and lasts 90 minutes with self-guided sections kids can move through at their own pace.
- 💡Phoenix Park's herd of wild fallow deer are most reliably spotted near the Fifteen Acres area in the early morning or around dusk — the park is 1,750 acres so driving or cycling in rather than walking from the Parkgate Street entrance saves significant time and energy with young children.
- 💡The Luas tram requires that children under 16 travelling with a paying adult ride free on weekends — a useful saving if you're using public transit to reach Dundrum Town Centre (on the green line) for a rainy-day shopping or play session.
- 💡Beshoff Bros on O'Connell Street serves some of Dublin's most consistent fish and chips — ordering takeaway rather than sitting in cuts the bill considerably and the chip cones are manageable for children eating on the nearby O'Connell Street benches.
- 💡The free Dublinbikes scheme requires a €5 tourist card deposit from any terminal, and children's tagalong bikes and seats are not available — but the riverside paths along the North and South Quays between Heuston Station and the Samuel Beckett Bridge are flat enough for confident young cyclists on their own bikes rented from Cycle Ways on Bachelors Walk.