7Up Christmas on Ice

When you see experienced skaters gliding around nonchalantly it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that something that looks so easy must actually be easy. Naturally enough, all sense of romance is immediately abandoned upon stepping onto the ice in your fairly uncomfortable skates, and thoughts quickly turn to matters of a more survival-​based nature. It would be great not to fall. Still having ten fingers at the end of this would be a result.
And when you inevitably fall and release yourself to the rush of shame: it would be great not to have broken anything.
And even if you have broken something, you suspect that you won’t know till later as the sheer adrenaline-​rush fuelled will not to be seen to have broken anything may actually carry you still skating off the rink.
It’s a wonder all things considered we return year on year to put ourselves through it again.
I’m a survivor though and I still haven’t broken a bone. And every year shows a small but definite improvement such that I haven’t lost hope that one day, when I’m old, I’ll be able to do that backward glide thing. or that knee bent spin thing. That’s romance for you.
And somehow the fiction mixed with the reality all amount to plain good fun.
I’ve heard tell that the rink at the Point Depot (yeah I know it’s not called that still, but it keeps changing its name a la corporate every five minutes so I’m reverting and I encourage you to do the same) has special things adults can hold on to (and I’m not talking about the sides of the rink) — the RDS only provides these for small kids — which make the risk of falling a whole lot less, so this might be a better option for those new to it.
On the plus side, here you have outdoor rides, Funderland a few paces away (so rob a bank first), and all the junk food you can shake a pretzel at within easy reach.
Book online to save queueing, come early to get skates, and be first off the rink if you don’t want to wait 20 minutes to get your shoes at the end of the session.

Ice-​skating in the RDS, what a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. It’s only open from late November/​early December until January so it’s not a permanent ice rink. But for those two months every person in Dublin will try and make it to the RDS for this– or so it seems because it’s always packed. But that’s just part of the fun.
It took me a couple of steps on the ice to remember how to skate but most people seemed to have that problem and there was a lot of them clinging to the barrier for dear life. You skate round and round in circles to pop hits and try and avoid people in front of you, who’ve fallen down. But it makes for great stories afterwards.
The skating is seriously expensive though, between 10 – 14 EUR for an hour. And the skates you get here tend to be wet on the inside so they get uncomfortable pretty quickly. Still it’s great fun and nearly a tradition at this stage, so if you have a bit of time and want to feel like a child again– in a good way-​, head to the RDS.

It’s a bittersweet moment, walking into the RDS when it’s all dolled up for Christmas on Ice. I’ve got my own memories of learning to ice skate, and believe you me, none of them involved cafes, chocolate fountains or discos.
Of course with those additions ice skating transforms from a right of passage (who hasn’t compared skating bruises like fishing stories?) into a real event. Just the struggle to get a pair of those chunky hockey skates on is a great story. Toss in a mug of cocoa, Top 40 pop and REAL SNOW and that’s a tradition in the making.
Of course, financing a grand day out can be steep… prices for peak hours (all day Friday, weekends and holidays) start at € 14 per adult. Also, much to my disappointment, sessions last only an hour –barely enough time to get those ankles straight and triple lutzes polished.
Note: dress in layers. Sure it’s cold when you first walk in, but after a few circuits you’ll be sweating like Apollo Ohno.