Seven things to do for families in Dublin over the Easter holidays
Elsie Kirwan, Megan-Rose Power and Aimee Kirwan support Clean Coasts and Uisce Éireann in urging you to be a good egg in the kitchen this Easter and think before pouring fats, oils and greases down the sink. Pic: Naoise Culhane
With the two-week Easter break upon us, there are plenty of things for families to do in Dublin. From egg hunts to meeting the Easter bunny, here is a list of seven events and activities for you to enjoy.
Steam train ride
Young and old train enthusiasts can ride through Dublin’s suburbs on the steam locomotive No.85 Merlin on Easter Monday.
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is running their Easter Eggstravaganza on Easter Monday which will travel along the Royal Canal to Maynooth.
Each child ticket includes a small Easter Egg which will be distributed during the journey.
The steam train will travel from Connolly Station for two hours and tickets can be bought on the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s website.
Easter hunt at Rathfarnham Castle
A free Peter Rabbit themed Easter hunt will take place at Rathfarnham Castle on Monday, April 3.
Children can collect their clue sheet under the South Dublin Libraries gazebo near the castle and begin their puzzle across the castle grounds.
The hunt to find all of Peter’s friends will last about 20 minutes and children will receive a chocolate prize at the end.
Easter Trail at Malahide Castle
The Fairy Trail at Malahide Castle and Gardens will be transformed from April 1 - 10. Families can take a self-guided tour and worksheets will be given to children to find all the missing pieces of their jigsaw puzzle and crack the code.
Child tickets start at €6 and adults are €8.50, while a family ticket is €28 and babies are free.
Meet Peter Rabbit at The Square
Children can complete Peter Rabbit’s activity trail at The Square shopping centre in Tallaght on April 10.
Peter Rabbit will be taking photos and meeting families on Easter Monday with music and entertainment on the day.
The ticketed free event will run for four hours and tickets go on sale April 3.
Children’s history workshopÂ
A free children’s history workshop will take place at Richmond Barracks with Dublin’s historian in residence for children Dervilia Roche.
The workshop will run on Thursday, April 6, for children aged 9-12 years old and will include decorating egg shells and an Easter hunt in the garden.
Children will get the opportunity to learn about Easter traditions in Ireland and abroad and learn about the tradition of chocolate eggs.
Luggwoods Easter Eggstravaganza
An Easter egg hunt at Luggswoods petting farm in Saggart will run from March 31 to April 10.
The Easter spring trail is decorated with colourful eggs and Easter bunnies and a chocolate egg will be given to each child.
Families can wind their way through the natural forest with dressed-up characters on hand to help solve the puzzle.
Luggwoods Easter Experience is suitable for small children and for children up to the age of 12. Tickets for children are €18 and tickets for adults are €15.
Easter at Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo will be hosting its Easter Extravanganzoo on April 9 and April 10, with Easter games, a fun trail, face painting, and a special appearance by the Easter Bunny.
An adult ticket is €19 and a child’s ticket is €14, while children under three are free.
The zoo will also be hosting one day junior Easter workshops on April 12 and April 13 for children aged six to 12. Workshop tickets start from €32.
