With the presents opened and the Christmas dinner fully digested, get your post-Christmas activities off to a whirl by joining all the fun of the fair at Funderland in the RDS Simmonscourt. This now annual event takes place from Saint Stephen’s Day, December 26th, to January 15th and always proves to be a popular event - find out more about Funderland and the venue and if you’re planning on making a break of it, we’ve sussed out nearby Dublin hotels.
The RDS is located just south of Dublin City Centre in the suburb of Ballsbridge. It’s a nice walk from the centre of town, if you’re feeling up to it. If you start outside of Trinity College, walk along Nassau Street for about 150 metres. Turn right and follow signs for Mount Street and the R118. Continue along for about 2km or so and the road eventually becomes Merrion Road. You’ll see the RDS in front of you - it occupies an area of about 42 acres and is situated near to Herbert Park.
Public transport is probably a better option in early January, especially with the kids. Bus routes 7, 5, and 45 all stop at Nassau Street outside of Trinity College and will get you to the Merrion Road entrance of the RDS. The nearest DART stops are Lansdowne and Sandymount, both of which are just a few blocks away, while Ranelagh is the handiest Luas stop on the Green Line Luas.
Funderland, Ireland’s biggest funfair, is a great day out for all the family. It’s well worth soaking up the atmosphere here although you might need a strong stomach for some of the rides! Attractions at the funfair include the Jubilee Wheel, which is one of Europe’s largest travelling wheels at 150 feet. One of the most popular rides is the new Free Fall Tower from Germany and what would a funfair be without roller coasters and Funderland has 4 of them! These include the Speed Loop, Jungle River, Wild Mouse, and there’s also the Gold Mine Express, a special junior Rollercoaster.
This is the 33rd year that Funderland has come to Dublin. The fair will be in the RDS Simmonscourt from Saint Stephen’s Day, December 26th, until January 15th. The opening times are from 12 noon to 10 pm, although for the week of Monday 7th to Friday 11th there will be a later starting time of 2pm.
Since Funderland is on for two and a half weeks you will have your pick of dates to go. No matter what time you decide to go, there are a number of Dublin hotels that are located close to the RDS, if you decide to stay over for the night.
We have several Dublin hotels in the vicinity including a number of reasonably priced 3-Star hotels such as the Lansdowne Hotel, the Tara Towers Hotel, the Mount Herbert Hotel and the Roxford Lodge Hotel. In the neighbouring suburb of Donnybrook there’s the Montrose Hotel, which is also a 3-star hotel. Two 4-Star hotels near the RDS are the Herbert Park Hotel and the School House Hotel. And for some real 5-Star luxury there’s the Dylan Hotel.
If you’d like any assistance booking any of our Dublin hotels, just give us a shout. Drop us a line in the comment box below and we’ll get back to you.
