Brimming with unforgettable ways to spend time as a family, Grand Canal Dock and Spencer Dock showcase captivating cultural attractions and awesome activities sure to excite all ages. From stories of global Irish achievements to inspiring future stage stars, not to mention a barge trip they’ll treasure forever; take your pick of these dockland delights.
Water wonders
Depart dry land with some thrilling watersports fun at Surfdock and Wakedock. Ideal for ages 8+ and any adult young at heart, you’ll admire Grand Canal Dock from the water as you take on one of Surfdock’s stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), windsurfing, kayaking or even SUP yoga sessions.
While at Ireland’s first cable wakeboard park, Wakedock, you’ll make a splash getting to grips with wild ramps and cables. Inspired by water skiing, surfing and snowboarding, ordinarily wakeboarding sees you fastened to a board as a motorboat tows you but at Wakedock, an overhead cable does the pulling instead. All the family need to bring is their sense of adventure!
Channel your inner Viking
Admire Dublin City and its canal-based corners on the one-of-a-kind Viking Splash Tour. Grab the family, board this amphibious bus, and with Viking helmets firmly on, you’ll enjoy the best of the city from a whole new perspective.
From this bright yellow vehicle you’ll spot Trinity College, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Oscar Wilde’s home and much more. While the Grand Canal leg of the journey includes a spin by the water, passing historic Mount Street Bridge and Huband Bridge. And now to get amphibious – this seven-tonne tour bus then heads for Grand Canal Basin where it splashes into the water! Complete with a little lap of honour around the waters of Grand Canal Dock, it’s the driest water activity you’ll ever experience and the most fun too.
A brain-teasing boat
If your brood love mental challenges and a healthy dose of competition, then Escape Boat is a must. Work in teams to crack codes, solve puzzles and gather clues, all in an attempt to break out of this unusual vessel. Suitable for all age groups, this nautical experience pits parents and siblings against each other in a good-natured game where only the sharpest wits prevail. Easy to get to on Grand Canal Quay, let boat battle commence!
A stunning stage
Give them a glimpse of the spotlight when they’re young and you might just inspire some future stars at a Bord Gáis Energy Theatre show. Incredibly eye-catching with its four-storey glass facade overlooking the waters of Grand Canal Dock, this renowned theatre regularly hosts the best of Broadway and the West End. From War Horse to The Sound of Music, The Snowman with live orchestra to The King and I, not to mention regular visits from lauded international ballet companies; performances here never fail to captivate and entertain all ages.
An epic day out
Wow your young ones with a very special museum that bursts with pride. Just an eight-minute stroll along the quays from Spencer Dock, at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum you’ll discover countless exceptional stories of Irish people’s global impact over the centuries. Voted Europe’s leading tourist attraction, at this fascinating fully-interactive museum you’ll discover why 10 million people left Ireland and just how their influence was felt worldwide.
Wonderfully immersive, you’ll even get mock passports to stamp as you pass through each section, and with interactive quizzes and games to test your knowledge, this is an afternoon well-spent. From politics to art, sport to literature, music, comedy, innovation, medicine and everything in between, you’ll all leave marvelling at the accomplishments of the many Irish abroad.
A voyage back in time
Give the kids another compelling Irish history lesson with a visit to the magnificent Jeanie Johnston. Six minutes from EPIC and 12 minutes from Spencer Dock, the impressive tall ship is a replica of the 19th-century famine ship that first set sail from Kerry in 1848 with starving emigrants bound for Canada. On board, you’ll all gain astounding insight into the horror of the Great Famine, the single greatest disaster in Irish history.
On the guided tour (suitable for all ages), you’ll follow in the footsteps of the millions who fled poverty and hunger in the hope of a better life in North America. You’ll hear the true stories of the ship’s former passengers, get a sense of what life was like on board, find out how gruelling the journey itself was and learn why so many emigrants tragically died before reaching their destination.
Just three minutes’ walk from the ship, you’ll also find the city’s Famine memorial. These emotive bronze sculptures commemorate the one million Irish people forced to emigrate during the Famine in the 1840s. Appropriately located along the quayside, the memorial depicts six Famine victims making their way towards Dublin Port in the hope of a better life.
Find more ways to explore Dublin Canals, check out our Highlights section.