Things to do... couples, friends, general

newtodub

So even after living here for 18 months I'm hitting a bit of a blank in terms of things to do that don't cost a fortune and don't involve getting mega drunk.

I was wondering what you general peeps do for a nice day out at the weekends?

Things I've done before which were enjoyable but looking for something new:

Greystones - Bray Cliff Walk
Howth Walk
City Walks
Mountain Biking

Seeing a girl at the moment, be nice to take her somewhere just a little different.

She's 21, I'm 25, I'm a party animal by nature so trying to stay away from the bars and spend sometime with her that would be nice just to do something a bit different.

Also have lots of friends here and we're all starting to think what else outside of drinking could we entertain ourselves with (We went surfing last weekend which was pretty cool but a 3 hr drive!)

chris85

newtodub wrote: »

So even after living here for 18 months I'm hitting a bit of a blank in terms of things to do that don't cost a fortune and don't involve getting mega drunk.

I was wondering what you general peeps do for a nice day out at the weekends?

Things I've done before which were enjoyable but looking for something new:

Greystones - Bray Cliff Walk
Howth Walk
City Walks
Mountain Biking

Seeing a girl at the moment, be nice to take her somewhere just a little different.

She's 21, I'm 25, I'm a party animal by nature so trying to stay away from the bars and spend sometime with her that would be nice just to do something a bit different.

Also have lots of friends here and we're all starting to think what else outside of drinking could we entertain ourselves with (We went surfing last weekend which was pretty cool but a 3 hr drive!)

I am looking at things lately that involve less alcohol. Live in Dublin so most things are focused here.

Science Museum @ Trinity college
Aviva stadium tour
Kayaking @ Grand canal dock or upstream on the Liffey somewhere
Guiness storehouse (may involve a pint of the black stuff but great tour)
Croke park skywalk tour (not great with heights so probably wont do this myself)
Bean bag cinema (went once before, was lots of fun)
Rock climbing out in dalkey
Fishing out in Dun Laoighaire (A place there can rent small motor boats and gear by the hour)

SebBerkovich

Science Museum +1

Also the Dead Zoo (Natural History Museum) is great fun and i always suggest it as a place where couples can hang out without booze or needing to spend money.

newtodub

Dead Zoo? Interesting... Science Museum - Both sound great, she's 21 and not so sure if she'd be into those types of things but will fly it by her and see!

Looked at the bean bag cinema, looks cool, just a very limited selection of films...

Some great idea's, keen for more!

chris85

newtodub wrote: »

Dead Zoo? Interesting... Science Museum - Both sound great, she's 21 and not so sure if she'd be into those types of things but will fly it by her and see!

Looked at the bean bag cinema, looks cool, just a very limited selection of films...

Some great idea's, keen for more!

Should have included the Dead Zoo in my list. Its brilliant.

quaalude

The High Lane gallery on Parnell Square is great - it's free in, the building is lovely, there's a nice cafe, and even if you aren't particularly into art it can be interesting to look at and talk about.

Dick Turnip

Keep meaning to go to the dead zoo since it reopened.

Anyway a few off the top of my head:

Chester Beatty Library
Dublin Castle
Jameson distillery Tour
Go to film in IFI then go to National Photography Museum across the square, if it's a Saturday get a bite to eat in the farmer's market too
Sunny day in Iveagh Gardens is always a favourite of mine or take a trip out to the Botanic Gardens.
Croke Park Museum
Walking tour of Trinity & visit to Book of Kells followed by few drinks at the Pav
Collins Barracks
Can't go wrong with a trip to the zoo!
Go to something in the National Concert Hall (www.nch.ie) - they do lunchtime performances there too.

Few I haven't been to but really want to:

As said above, the dead zoo
Kilmainham Gaol
Croke Park Skywalk
those walking tours that start opposite the olympia
Viking Splash tour
Opentop bus tour

SebBerkovich

Kilmainham Gaol is brilliant. Any time someone from way-away comes to visit me i use them as an excuse to go on the tour again.

Iveagh gardens on a good day - with a frisbee - is a lovely place to spend some time.

miamee

If you check out http://m.dublineventguide.com, there is a list of free things on in Dublin every week. The guy who runs is, Joerg, usually updates it every Friday afternoon/evening with the next week's stuff but there might be a few fun things coming up in the next few weeks as we are getting into festival season

catrionanic

Best non-alcoholic thing I've ever done in Dublin is Kilmainham Gaol. Moved me to tears. Don't know how much of that is to do with being from north belfast however!

try this OP, it's great fun!

www.geocaching.com

MissFlitworth

If you enjoyed surfing you might enjoy Kitesurfing & you can do it in Clontarf

http://puremagic.ie/dublin/

Head for heights - rock climbing in Inchicore http://www.gravityclimbing.ie/

Lovely Sunday - fleamarket in Newmarket Square (Last Sunday of the month) http://dublinflea.ie/

Cooking classes - http://www.flavourofitaly.net/, this is out at Kylemore Luas stop, I've been twice for a lunchtime class at the weekends and had a ball. You make your lunch & then eat it. The guys who run it are really nice and it's good messy fun followed by more food than you can shake a stick at & also you come out being able to make pizza and things which automatically makes you impressive. Keep an eye on their facebook page for offers, they sometimes sell classes off cheaply near to the weekend

I tend to, em, eat at the weekends. So long potentially boozy brunch in town sort of a thing Can be especially nice if you've just been for a walk along the seaside.

tfak85

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Little Museum of Dublin yet.

http://www.littlemuseum.ie/

We are heading here tomorrow for the first time, I'm really looking forward to it.

I really love the Science Gallery too, the coffee shop is lovely there also!

A friend told me about Gravity Climbing centre in Inchicore, said it was fantastic fun and a good work out! http://www.gravityclimbing.ie/ I'm looking forward to going soon!

Hermione*

tfak85 wrote: »

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Little Museum of Dublin yet.

http://www.littlemuseum.ie/

We are heading here tomorrow for the first time, I'm really looking forward to it

You beat me to it! I've yet to go, but am really looking forward to doing so. I've heard wonderful things about it.

MissFlitworth, I must look into those cooking classes!

My favourite cheapie places:
Botanic Gardens
Iveagh Gardens
Merrion Square
Dun Laoghaire pier
National Library (hours of entertainment at both the Yeats and the Know Your NLI exhibits)
National History Museum
IFI
Chester Beatty Library
Hugh Lane Gallery
Kilmainham Gaol
Collins Barracks

The National Concert Hall often has tickets for €10 -20 for performances and
matinee tickets for the theatres are often much cheaper than evening performances.

Grimebox

Any other places that have cooking classes? They're a bit far out

woodchuck

A lot of great suggestions here! Some of my favs are:
- Botanic gardens
- The zoo
- Modern art gallery
- http://www.hiddendublinwalks.com/ do some great tours (day and night). I love ghost tours

One thing I haven't done myself yet but plan to is 'funky seomra' (http://www.dancefree.ie/). It's an alternative night out that doesn't involve drink, but has music, board games, crafts etc. I think it sounds like a fun night out and definitely something different to the usual pub/club scene!

Tusky

LeCoolDublin is a great resource for alternative things to do. Includes everything from gigs, cinema, gallery, exhibitions and other bits and bobs that would otherwise pass you by.

http://dublin.lecool.com/dublin/en/current_issue

Also, like tea? The Tea Rooms on the quays are pretty lovely: http://www.yelp.ie/biz_photos/tea-garden-dublin?select=s7tcQmMMZY_EcLBYf7MaSQ#s7tcQmMMZY_EcLBYf7MaSQ

tfak85

Well, we went today and I can confirm that the Little Museum of Dublin is amazing! Great fun, we joined a tour and it was well worth it!

MissFlitworth

Hermione* wrote: »

MissFlitworth, I must look into those cooking classes!

They really are good fun, the guys who run it are lovely & funny and, didn't mention it because the OP mentioned wanting to avoid booze, you get wine with your class too. They do a bruschetta bar starting out with great bread and loads of different toppings & then you cook They're the same people behind Pinocchio in Ranelagh so the food is good.

Grimebox wrote: »

Any other places that have cooking classes? They're a bit far out

Heaps

Café Azteca on Lord Edward St (up beside Dublin Castle) does Mexican cooking classes,

http://www.azteca.ie/chef.php?pg=cooking

Saba does (expensive) Thai classes

http://www.sabadublin.com/cookery-classes.html

Camile Thai does more affordable sounding classes

http://www.camile.ie/vouchers-classes

Cooks Acadamy on South William St does classes & demos

http://www.cooksacademy.com/category.php?intCategoryID=12

If you're anywhere near Howth there's the Kitchen in the Castle

http://www.thekitcheninthecastle.com/

Decobake on the north Quays beside O'Connell Bridge do cake & cupcake decorating classes

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Decobake-Bachelors-Walk/125899204196619?id=125899204196619&sk=events

Kitchen Complements have a 'masterclasses' series

http://www.kitchencomplements.ie/kc/Main/Shop_Courses.asp

Makeshop, funnily enough, do cakepop decorating workshops from time to time. Should have mentioned them in my original post cos you can drop in any time and make stuff. Sciency stuff. Might even get to use solder!

https://www.facebook.com/WeAreMakeshop

I have a hunch that any of the sort of Yummy Mummy seaside towns/suburbs (Malahide, Sandymount etc.) will definitely have a cookery class or two running.

Not a cooking class but a beer tasting at L Mulligans is a superb way to while away a Saturday & they have them every second Saturday. You get a selection of beers & finger food (including incredible scotch eggs) for around 25/30 euro per person

Firehen

Another good place to go is Glasnevin Cemetery. Recently did the walking tour there and I highly recommend it. A little pricey at €12 per person, but it was worth it.

Right next to the Botanic Gardens, so you could easily combine the two on a nice day.