Dundrum On Ice

Went there with some college friends on a Halloween trip home.
Now a traditional Winter event in Dundrum Town Centre but its still the best ice skating venue in Dublin.
We booked online a few days in advance to ensure we got the time slot we wanted.
The size of the rink is good, plenty of skates to choose from and the staff were friendly and helpful. New decorations give the rink a fairytale atmosphere on a clear, cold evening and there is great buzz about the place during the skating sessions.
The venue is easy to get to by car or Luas and there are all the attractions of the shopping centre before and afterwards — We went up to Rock Lobster in Harvey Nicks for dinner and cocktails. Great night out and ideal for a date or fun evening with friends!

So it turns out four year olds and ice skating do not mix. With visions of the most fun morning ever, with my mini Torvill & Deans in tow, I was super excited for our morning’s ice skating. It’s fair to say things pretty much went downhill from the minute we stepped inside.
The four year old completely freaked out upon approaching the ice. Mainly because she was put in ‘grown up’ skates which she wasn’t really able for. I noticed some kiddies had some kind of cramp-​ons added to their normal shoes instead, which would have worked a lot better. Then there was the amount of people on the rink — honestly it would have been scary for me, never mind a childer. Far, far too many people crammed into such a small space. They have these little training penguins for kiddies which would be great except there seemed to be only about six of them on the rink, vs at least 40 kids who could have done with them.
Queue hysterical child, stressed out parents trying to find a way to coax their petrified kids around the ice, and smug parents minding their penguins like their life depended on it.
All in all, a really stressful and not at all enjoyable experience! At 12.50 per adult, plus a euro to put your bag in, it’s not the cheapest. Less people on the rink, with more facilities for children, and a better system when disembarking from the rink (not total chaos) would mean a much more enjoyable day for all.