*collaborative post
Throughout Ireland and the UK, there are amazing cities and towns that bring character, opportunity, and adventure to its residents and visitors. I’ve been lucky to travel around to see some spectacular sites around Ireland. Family travel is something we thoroughly enjoy. Getting away to explore somewhere new is exhilarating and a lovely break from the day to day routine.
PCA Predict address verification has put together a beautiful new e-book called Pride in Your Postcode. They look at five different parts of the UK and Ireland and discuss what makes them so special and why they are loved. I’m delighted to take part in their lovely project and write about what makes Dublin special.
We live in the West of Ireland so Dublin is only a short drive away. We visit the capital city for many reasons, namely – culture, shopping, kids activities, and events. Dublin is also the home to the national children’s hospital. My daughter had hip dysplasia & we found ourselves taking many trips to Dublin to see the specialist. During our trips, we’d stop at some of the city’s fun places for kiddies to enjoy to make the trip more fun.
Culture
For Irish & tourists alike, it’s always interesting to learn the culture and history of a country. Coming from NY myself, I enjoy learning about Ireland throughout the years.
Dublin holds so much Irish history. It’s one of the first cities to be founded by the Vikings in the 10th century. There are beautiful museums, art galleries, antiques, castles & monuments around the city. It’s also the home to iconic Irish brands such as Jameson & Guinness. Both of which have factory tours available in Dublin.
A visit to Dublin wouldn’t be complete without some culture. Even if it’s simply walking the old sections of the city to admire the architecture and absorb the Irish culture.
Family Fun
With three kiddies in tow, the focus of many of our Dublin visits is family fun! I think our favorite place to visit so far has been Dublin Zoo. It’s close to Heuston Train Station which makes it easy to get to via the train. The Zoo is really well kept & set up in a natural way but also making it easy to see the animals.
There are so many other amazing kids activities to do in Dublin including children museums, bus tours, toy stores, castle tours, concerts and much more.
Events
Events are the other big draw for us to visit Dublin. It’s the hub for top concerts festivals and sporting events.
We are big GAA fans so we head off to Dublin’s Croke Park for football matches. Football matches in Croke Park are such a fun day out & I remember all of the ones I’ve attended fondly. The atmosphere is really amazing. The stadium is alive with excitement and nerves as 80,000 fans cheer their team on.
Fun blogger events are also held in Dublin like last year’s Boots Maternity & Infant Awards. I had such a fun night out with blogger friends. Dublin has some gorgeous hotels & lovely places to eat which makes trips there for events even more fun!
In Dublin with blogger buddy, One Yummy Mummy
Shopping
No trip to Dublin would be complete without a quick look in the shops, right?
Whether we visit for some family fun or for an event, there’s always a quick minute left to shop. There are amazing shopping centers within the city & just outside the city center. Dublin also has some beautiful streets filled with shops within the city.
The feature image at the top of this post is three Snapchat photos of a fun trip to Dublin this past spring, to visit friends and go shopping! It was a beautiful sunny day & we made the most of it.
Dublin has been the host to many days out for me & my family. I’ve been there for so many reasons – to spend time with friends, to shop, to bring the kiddies somewhere fun, to learn more about Irish culture, to visit the hospital and to enjoy events. No matter what the purpose of our visit is, we find a busy, vibrant city full of life!
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