Yup, it sure does rain a bunch here. That’s no reason not to get up and do, see and experience stuff though. We’ve found a bunch of things you can try across the country in the instance that it’s raining and you just don’t fancy getting wet today.
Dangerous Sports! INSIDE!
Does indoor archery sound like a bad idea? How about indoor axe-throwing? Yeah. Well, they’re a GREAT idea and you can ABSOLUTELY do them both in Ireland. Great news. There are plenty of archery clubs up and down the island that offer introductory courses for beginners - head over to Archery Ireland to find the one nearest you. And as for axe throwing… there’s a handful of locations and leagues throughout Ireland. Check out Tom O’Hawk’s in Galway or Axe Club in Dublin and Wicklow for starters!
Indoor Climbing!
Rock climbing and bouldering as it turns out, don’t have to involve actual rocks or boulders. Crazy. And most importantly, dry. So, if it’s raining where you are but you still wanna get to climbing, there’s a load of spots you can go. Check out The Wall or Gravity Climbing if you’re near Dublin; hit up Suas Climbing Centre if you’re near Limerick; or head to Awesome Walls if you find yourself in Cork!
Problem Solving!
Want to get annoyed with the people you are closest to? That’s what Christmas is for after all. Get you and the fam into GoQuest and try your hand at a series of challenges in themed rooms. And with names like Jungle Rescue, Street Games and Brain Freeze this is bound to be something that absolutely gets on everyone’s nerves and ultimately you will have an absolute blast. And just think how amazing it will be when you solve more challenges than your siblings… Happy Christmas y’all.
Museums!
They’re everywhere. And they are way cooler than your primary and high school trips made them out to be. Ireland is full of everything from Leprechaun Museums to emigration museums; whiskey museums to Medieval museums and tiny museums to Titanic ones (plus the National one too)! Get lost in (sometimes literally) a boatload of history and get to know the island!
Art Galleries!
Also everywhere. Also, way more fun than you thought they were when your mum used to drag you to them for ‘a bit of culture’. Pick and choose between expansive national galleries like the National Gallery of Ireland or Irish Museum of Modern Art, or go a little more high-street-local and head to a dealer gallery. There are mountains to pick from all across the country and you never know, you might even walk away with a little piece for your walls!
COFFFFEEEEEEEE!
Okay yeah, maybe this seems like a cop-out in the sense that we’ve already written about a bunch of the awesome places you can go to get coffee but hey. We love coffee. We love these places and if it’s raining outside and you’re sitting inside supping cup after cup of top-quality caffeine then really, we don’t see the problem. Go here for Cork; here for North Co. Dublin; here for Limerick; here for Dundrum; here for Dublin 1 and here if you want an adventure with your cuppa.
Swimming!
Don’t get wet outside, get fully submerged inside!!! From wave pools to water slides to just good ol’ fashioned swimming pools, Ireland is awash with great spots to have a swim and do it indoors! Check out the ‘Subtropical Swimming Paradise’ at Center Parcs Longford, or try AquaZone in Dublin. There’s a lazy river at Aqua Dome in Kerry or get on board a watery pirate ship at Waterworld in Donegal. Who says rain is the only way to get soaked in Ireland?
Ice-Skating!
Don’t want wet water? Go for frozen water instead! We might not be internationally known for our prowess on skates, but there are loads of ice rinks across the island where you can absolutely, 100% make a fool of yourself because you all of a sudden seem to have forgotten how to stand up like an adult human. This time of year is especially fun for ice skating because a bunch of Christmas markets have them outside and you can make a meal of it in front of even more strangers and a lot of judgmental children.
