With prices rising, families are feeling the pinch, but there are plenty of fun things to keep all ages entertained over the summer months that don’t cost a thing.
Get Outdoors
1. Take a dip
Ireland is fortunate enough to be surrounded by — mostly — clean, if frequently chilly, water. It is one of our best resources and wonderfully and permanently free. Once you take the right precautions — never swim alone or in water with dangerous currents or waves or out of your depth if you are not a strong swimmer — a seawater splash is a glorious way to pass an afternoon. If you struggle with the chill, just keep telling yourself you will get used to it — eventually — and if you don’t, you can buy yourself a wetsuit; keep an eye on the fabled middle aisles for cheap ones (although, be warned, the best sizes found in Lidl and Aldi tend to sell out faster than you can say “Jaysus, but it’s brass monkeys in there”).
2. Carry on camping
We’re not talking about going to some gloriously sun-kissed campsite on the Med — although you can do that too if you’re lucky — but pitching a tent in your back garden for a night. It is surprisingly good fun to go all Bear Grylls while staying within spitting distance of your back door, and the kids will love it. Pitch a tent, light a barbecue and live the great outdoors life, safe in the knowledge that your bathroom and your fridge are steps away (and if it gets too uncomfortable, so is your bed).
3. Search for the stars
On a clear evening, pick a suitably picturesque spot within striking distance of your home and walk, cycle or drive there in time to watch the sun go down and the stars come up. If you are unsure of what glories the heavens above hold, download the Sky Guide app, point your phone at the sky, and it will highlight the constellations and planets.
With a little bit of time and effort, a decent treasure hunt can deliver hours of free fun for children
4. See the city from the sea
Most people who have lived in or visited Dublin will be familiar with the red and white chimney stacks that loom over the city. But have you ever seen them up close? A walk to the Poolbeg Lighthouse along the Great South Wall gives you an excellent view of the chimneys, and a different perspective of the city from the sea. It is particularly spectacular when the sun is setting on a clear day. There are two options, depending on how much time you have: starting on Pigeon House Road, you can finish the shorter route in under an hour, while starting on Sandymount Strand will take over two hours. Remember that the weather out at the lighthouse might be a whole lot different from the weather in the city — certainly much windier — so wear appropriate clothing.
5. Explore your locality
Pick a scenic spot near where you live that you don’t visit all that often. Then pick a shop or market or deli that you are similarly unfamiliar with. Buy the makings of a picnic from the latter and eat it in the former. It’ll be like you are in a different place only without the expense or hassle of getting there.
6. Stroll around a lavender farm
Who doesn’t love lavender? The scent is intoxicating and it looks beautiful. A Wexford lavender farm is heaven scent for a stroll at this time of year. There are multiple routes through soap-scented fields and forests, as well as fairy doors for kids to spot. wexfordlavenderfarm.com
7. Climb a mountain
Climb Croagh Patrick. It is a challenge that everyone should complete at least once, although repeat visits are recommended as the views over the bays of Mayo are breathtaking and the sense of accomplishment when you get to the top is hard to beat. While it obviously nicer to do it when the sun is shining, there is also something pleasing about doing it when the reek is shrouded in mist. If you are not near Croagh Patrick, resolve to scale the highest peak near you.
8. Get on your bike
You don’t have to go full Lycra or long distance; a leisurely cycle around your neighbourhood is a great way to explore the area you live in. If you don’t own a bike but live in a city, you can sign up to bike rental schemes such as City Bikes, Bleeper Bikes and Mobi for a small annual fee.
9. Seek new adventures
Up for getting out and about but stuck for ideas? Alltrails.com has almost 2,000 hiking trails, running trails and mountain biking trails, with maps, reviews and user photos, so you’re guaranteed to find a range of options wherever you are in the country. For outdoor activities in and around the capital, dublinsoutdoors.ie is a great resource, while fitfunadventures.com is packed with ideas aimed at getting families to try new things while supporting small businesses.
Make and Do
10. Learn the lingo
Smartphones and children aren’t necessarily a bad mix. Devices can be used to learn — or to pretend to learn — languages, thanks to the excellent Duolingo website and app. Whether you want to practice some simple Spanish before your holliers, or brush up on your cúpla focail, join millions of other learners of 30+ languages at duolingo.com.
Anyone who has driven down the main artery of Dublin’s Phoenix Park will be familiar with the regal site of Áras an Uachtaráin, but have you ever been inside?
11. Make movies
Smartphones can also be used for engaging and free family fun. Make no-budget movies in high definition by recording short clips of your days out and then stitching them together using very easy to use, often cheap and sometime free apps such as Magisto or MoShow. Older children can get more cinematic by writing scripts to direct, shoot and edit. Not only will moviemaking fill hours with free fun for now, you are also making memories to watch back in years to come.
12. Experiment with science
Egg shell crystals? Ice-cream made with a plastic bag? A hovercraft you can ride? Learn how to make these and many more weird and wonderful things thanks to the sciencebob.com website, which has videos and experiments to bring science to life for children of all ages.
13. Become a photographer for a day
Devote a day to taking photographs. You don’t need to have fancy camera equipment. Just set out for a day with the sole purpose of taking pictures on your smartphone, which you can then play with using an almost endless number of apps that will enhance your work. You might be surprised with what you come home with.
14. Rediscover albums
Streaming services offer a limitless choice of free music and videos, but they have led to the demise of the album. When was the last time you listened to one from beginning to end, in the song order the artist intended? As a fun task for the summer, resolve to listen to a whole album as it was made each day, or even just one a week. Choose old favourites or new releases, or albums you should have listened to but never got around to.
Even Dubliners will learn a lot of new things about the history of their own city on a three-hour walking tour
15. Join a library
What would you say if we told you of a place that offered free music, books, audiobooks, classes, readings, hotdesks, wifi and more? You’d probably say sign me up this instant, right? Well, there is a good chance there is such a place on your doorstep — or at least pretty close to where you are reading this now. If it is the place you are reading this now, then congratulations for discovering the many joys of a library. It is a great pity more of us don’t take advantage of what they have to offer. If you have not been in one for years, resolve to remedy that this summer.
Places to Visit
16. Tour the Áras
Anyone who has driven down the main artery of Dublin’s Phoenix Park will be familiar with the regal site of Áras an Uachtaráin, but have you ever been inside? The residence of the president opens up for several free guided tours almost every Saturday, all year round, organised by the Office of Public Works, which only recommenced last month after a two-year hiatus. There are free tours of the gardens too from the end of June until October. Remember, visitors must bring photo ID. See president.ie for details.
17. Take an audio tour
Almost two decades ago the esteemed Irish science writer — and once a columnist with this newspaper — Mary Mulvihill published Ingenious Ireland, a county by county guide to our scientific herit
age and natural wonders. The book has been recently republished, along with a website — ingeniousireland.ie — which has audio guides, walking tours and family activity trails to download for all around the country, from the Dublin Blood and Guts Tour, to the Barrow Way Guide, many of which are free.
18. Explore a heritage site
Ireland’s heritage is rich and most often, free to visit. Find the heritage sites in your county: the Céide Fields in Mayo, the National Botanic Gardens or the Phoenix Park in Dublin, the Hill of Tara in Meath, Emo Court in Laois or Fota Island in Cork, for example. Make a day of it, bring a picnic and explore.
19. Wander around a museum
The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the best “free-to-enter” attractions in Ireland, but there are many more free museums all around the country, from the Natural History Museum, Print Museum, National Library and Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, to the Museum of Country Life in Castlebar, or the Galway City Museum. Irelandonabudget.com has a handy list of free museums in Dublin.
20. Picnic in a posh garden
There are many gorgeous parks, gardens and grounds around the country that are free to enjoy too including Castletown House Parklands, Farmleigh and the grounds of the Chester Beatty Library. Bring a picnic and in nice weather you will have a full day out for virtually no cost. The trick is to approach the day like a tourist visiting Ireland for the first time, with the added benefit of knowing where all the best places are, and where to get the best value picnics in the aisles of your local Supervalu or Aldi.
21. Stroll around the city
Even Dubliners will learn a lot of new things about the history of their own city on a three-hour walking tour. Sandeman’s Tours operate free tours (for tips) in multiple cities, including our capital. Leaving from Barnardo Square near City Hall several times a day, the tour takes in Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, Temple Bar, Trinity College and more. See neweuropetours.eu.
22. Explore a cemetery
Graveyards aren’t just for the — well, you know — dead. They are also fascinating and often wonderfully serene places to explore, particularly when you happen upon the grave of a notable person. There are more people buried in Glasnevin cemetery than there are currently alive in Dublin; take a stroll around and see how many famous names you can spot on the gravestones, from Daniel O’Connell and Eamon de Valera, to Christy Brown, Luke Kelly and Dermot Morgan.
23. Invest in annual passes
Invest in annual passes and days out will soon start to seem free. An adult ticket for Dublin Zoo is €17.50 if bought online, and €13.50 for a child. A family ticket for two adults and four kids is €52. Compare that with the cost of an annual membership: an individual annual pass costs €140 while an annual family pass costs €200. The individual pass allows the pass-holder and an adult or two children to visit, while the family pass covers the pass-holder, two adults and two children, or the pass-holder and up to six children. The same holds true for places such as Airfield, Tayto Park, Fota Park and many other family attractions around the country. While the initial investment might be high, if you visit just four times over the course of a year you are saving money. The other benefit of regular visits is you can take a more leisurely pace, free from the pressure to see every square metre of the place before the doors shut for the day.
Community Fun
24. Set up a treasure hunt
With a little bit of time and effort, a decent treasure hunt can deliver hours of free fun for children. A good treasure hunt is all about the planning — fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Plan the route in advance and keep all the clues within a few minutes’ walk of each other. Don’t make them too easy or too hard to find or decipher. Put all clues in waterproof bags or plastic wallets in case it rains before they are found, and keep copies in case they are thieved or blown away in the wind. Hide treats with some of the clues, and make the ultimate prize something fun — it can be an experience rather than something that costs money.
25. Throw a street party
In Covid times there were socially distanced street parties organised up and down the land and while they were grand — even good sometimes — they tended to be tinged with sadness and strangeness. This summer, without any restrictions forcing your hand, consider organising another one for your neighbourhood. Pick a summer weekend day, print flyers, post them through the letterboxes of your neighbours and see what happens. Add a few balloons, maybe a Bluetooth speaker, bunting and a willingness to carry some chairs from your house on to the street, and you have a fun day out at hardly any cost, within stumbling distance of your front door.
26. Volunteer
Picking up other people’s rubbish is usually no fun, but connecting with your local Tidy Towns folk may help you feel better about yourself and your community, and you might make a few friends too. It’s not all about collecting litter either — you could be planting or painting or doing other things to help improve the place where you live. Find your local committee at tidytowns.ie.
27. Play games
Struggling to keep young children entertained? Cast your mind back to when you were their age and the world wasn’t over-run with technology, helicopter parenting, soft-play centres, streaming children’s television and cinemas that have kids’ films on offer every single day of the week. What games did you play? Play them again. Your kids will be grateful you taught them how to play kick the can or 10-1 statues or hopscotch when they are old and tired and looking for ways to entertain their own children.
Eating out doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Little beats a bag of hot chips from a great chipper
28. Race sticks in rivers
If you happen to find yourself beside a flowing body of water, find some sticks and chuck them in and watch them race downstream to a set end point. The person whose stick crosses that finish line first wins a prize. It’s simple, good craic and free. Add an element of risk or reward by awarding the winner of a set number of races a prize, it doesn’t have to be a monetary one, and could be as simple as an extra 30 minutes of playtime before bed, or control of the TV remote for an evening.
29. Go to a farmers’ market
Outdoor food markets aren’t all pestos and sun-dried tomatoes and olives and fancy-schmancy stuff like that; they can be great places to pick up locally-grown vegetables, home-made breads and jams, or even plants and crafts. Even if you don’t buy anything, wandering around a farmers’ market is a nice way for kids to learn about how produce is grown and made, and to meet people in your neighbourhood.
30. Hit the chipper
Eating out doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Little beats a bag of hot chips from a great chipper; we’re thinking of the Golden Fry in Cork, McDonagh’s in Galway or Beshoff’s in Howth for starters. A bag of chips is not quite free, but it’s certainly less than avo and toast in a fancy brunch place.
Festivals
31. Cruinniú na nÓg
Ireland is the only country in the world to have a national day of free creativity for children and young people under 18, with more than 450 events taking place up and down the country on June 11th, from graffiti art classes to coding and architecture workshops. Youth Theatre Ireland will host introductory theatre workshops, while 5,000 juggling balls will also be distributed all over the country with circus workshops taking place in Tipperary, Cork, Dublin and Galway. June 11th, cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie
32. The UCD Festival
The Belfield campus in Dublin will also be hopping on June 11th with 130 live performances, masterclasses, interactive science displays, creative workshops and a host of other family-friendly activities. There will also be a barbecue area with live DJs, and Commander Chris Hadfield will talk all things space travel with Dr Niamh Shaw. All events are free and open to all. June 11th, festival.ucd.ie
33. Bloomsday
The Paddy’s Day for literary types and folk who have read (or have pretended to read) James Joyce’s masterwork Ulysses takes place. As well as people in throwback threads cycling here and there around Dublin, there will be readings, shows and even events for children who — truth be told — won’t have a notion what the whole thing is about, but will love the fun anyway. June 16th, bloomsdayfestival.ie
34. Pride
It started life as a small march of defiance and while it rightly retains that sense of protest at its heart, it is also very much a LGBTQ+ celebration, which makes the cities and towns where parades happen better and brighter places. The Dublin Pride parade starts at midday at the GPO, with a family area in the Pride Village in Merrion Square, and more parades, festivals and parties taking place across Ireland. June 25, dublinpride.ie
35. Patrún Festival, Kilronan, Aran Islands
The Patrún Festival is an annual three-day summer party every June on Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, which celebrates its patron saint, St Enda. This family-fun event consists of all kinds of sport, including currach and hooker boat racing, tug-of-war, art and sandcastle competitions, and a road race on the island. June 24th — 26th, inismor.ie/festivals
36. Galway Arts Festival
There is nowhere quite like Galway during the arts festival. Even just walking from Eyre Square down Shop Street, Quay Street and on to the Spanish Arch can be a magical experience when the festival is in full swing, and you never know what you might stumble upon. A highlight this year will be folk from all walks of life performing Europe’s largest highwire spectacle over the river Corrib. July 11th — 24th, giaf.ie
37. Enniscorthy Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival
Expect an impressive schedule of chefs, producers and special guests in the Free Food Marquee, an artisan food market with over 50 of the best local and artisan vendors as well as outdoor gigs, food and drink workshops, events and classes for all ages. July 28th — August 1st, rockinfoodandfruitfestival.ie
38. Fleadh Cheoil
The world’s largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance is going “back to its roots” this year to be hosted by Mullingar, where the very first fleadh was held in 1951. Some 500,000 visitors are expected between July 31st and August 7th. fleadhcheoil.ie
39. National Heritage Week
The biggest event in the heritage calendar, the country will be buzzing with activities. This year expect an emphasis on sustainability and biodiversity. August 20th is Wild Child Day, when the Heritage Council encourages kids and families to make the most of the outdoors to explore the heritage in their locality and beyond. August 13th — 21st, heritageweek.ie
40. Ukulele Hooley
Dún Laoghaire will come alive to the sound of the ukulele over the last weekend of August, with performances, masterclasses, workshops and a whole lot more besides. August 27th — 28th, ukulelehooley.com
