The Best of Dublin 2008 - Kids and Pets

Kids & Pets

Why put them in the same category? You may well wonder. We’re not quite sure... Maybe because they’re both so darn cute. Anyway, here are some tips for keeping your children busy and your animals pretty, or the other way around

Kids Club
Rattle & Roll
Bodega Club, the Pavilion,
Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin.
284 2982, www.rattleandrollclub.com

Every now and again someone somewhere has a really great idea and the Rattle and Roll Club upstairs in Bodega Dun Laoghaire is one of those. Brought to us by the Rock & Roll Rescue Squad – the people behind Songs of Praise at the Village, Sassy Sue’s GoGo Inevitable at the Sugar Club and Strictly Handbag at RíRá/Bodega – this is Ireland’s first dedicated disco for Tots (the only competition possibly coming from Wesley). You’ll have to suffer a soundtrack of 80s pop, soul and disco but in return you can peruse the Sunday papers and enjoy a drink in peace while the in-house dance leader entertains your kids. At some stage sample their delicious tapas menu. Little ones pay €7 and Mums and Dads are welcome as their guests. EF

Doggy Bakery
Mo Chara
List of Dublin stockists on www.mochara.ie. 457 7598

Mo Chara bakeries bring us Cornucopia for New Age doggies. They can enjoy these specialty biscuits in carrot cake, herb and garlic, and banana and molasses – in the canine culinary stakes it sure beats a pig’s ear.  The usual shtick applies: gluten-free cereals, no salt, no preservatives, no artificial colours. To be honest, dogs will eat anything; so force your health-kick upon them like the masterful owner you are. CH

Doggysitting
Ur Dog’s Best Friend
087 675 6865,
www.urdogsbestfriend.com

Hiring someone to take your dog for walkies once seemed ridiculous. Today it’s nearly as essential as childcare. In Sandymount you’ll see more Westies than kids on an amble around. After all, dogs are great for a weekend stroll, but leaving them in an apartment for the next five days is a no-no. Ur Dog’s Best Friend – yes, the clue is in the name – will come to your house and amuse your pooch. They may also stock your fridge and straighten things up around the place (well, within reason). But keeping it in perspective, it’s all about the pup. They come, they play, they feed. In other words, they’ll distract the mutt long enough to stop it tearing your house apart while you work or holiday. For those who really love their pet: buy a bespoke poem for him/her for €1 a line. No one has to know. CH

Summer Camp
Airfield Trust
Upper Kilmacud Road, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
298 4301, www.airfield.ie

“The long hot summer just passed me by,” crooned Paul Weller in 1983. He obviously wasn’t looking after small children. Though rarely hot, the summer holidays can really drag and once you’ve enjoyed the conventional fortnight in the sun you’ve still got six long arduous weeks to fill. Summer camps are a godsend. The best one takes place in the lovely grounds of  the Airfield Trust in Dundrum. This bucolic 40-acre estate in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains includes a farm, formal gardens, tearooms, craft centre and a vintage car museum. The camps run every five days from 10am-2pm all summer long and kids can choose between art or adventure. They’ll spend hours encountering animals, tackling obstacle courses and treasure hunts or completing their mini-masterpieces. EF

Back to Nature
glenroe open farm Kilcoole, County Wicklow.
287 2288, www.glenroefarm.com

‘Mummy, can we get peacock?’ If that stately home, complete with farmhands, is still eluding you and the answer to the above is a resounding ‘No’, take the kids to Glenroe Open Farm in Kilcoole. As well as an impressive selection of livestock, the farm has a petting area where children can get up close and personal with rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs; a farmhouse museum for reminding urbanites where food comes from and informing them about farm life in years gone by; and a picnic area for those who want to make a day of it. NH

Drama Queens
Dada
Dublin Academy of Dramatic Art.
414 8522, www.dadabase.ie

The Dublin Academy of Dramatic Art had a week-long run of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory at the Civic Theatre in May. Jolly good it was too. The school now has over 400 students and a citywide in-school teaching programme. Owner Hilary Cahill (a dead ringer for Penelope Cruz) has now trademarked her own teaching method, Act Your Age, for three- to six-year-olds – it uses drama, dance and movement to build a child’s social skills, develop self-confidence and teamwork, and help nourish and set free their imaginations. Good stuff. QF

For Tots
Gymboree Play and Music
Spawell, Templeogue, Dublin 6 and other locations. 493 8829,
www.playandmusic.ie

When Susan Gilmore arrived here from New York with her tiny daughter in tow, her friends wondered how she’d meet other mums. Astounded that her ready reply, “I’ll join Gymboree,” was greeted with blank looks, she bought the franchise. A cultural phenomenon for decades in the US, Gymboree is geared towards development through play for pre-schoolers. The customised brightly-coloured equipment and fun classes are a real hit with tiny tots. Mums love them too. Susan’s attitude is, “it’s away from the laundry that needs to be hung, it’s away from the phones that are ringing, it’s away from the dishes that need to be washed, and you get to come here and just spend quality time, one on one with your child.” Sounds pretty good to us. EF

Animal Healing
Thomas Janak
493 87 39,
www.holisticanimalhealing.net

Ever feel like there’s something your dog isn’t telling you? Or do you just think that Dog Whisperer guy on TV is a good laugh?  Let ye be healed by Thomas Janak. Yes, Dublin has a dog-whisperer. If ‘sit’ is as far as you can get, a bit of pet communication should strengthen that best friend relationship you’re supposed to have. Give your mutt a blast of energy healing or a customised Swedish massage to keep him chilled and pampered. Herbal and flower remedies, as well as the more ‘out-there’ Unicorn Healing are also specialties. CH

Sport for Kids
Playball
www.playball.ie, 086 1744923

The Playball programme doesn’t attempt to produce the sport stars of the future. It’s much more ambitious than that! The idea is to allow children to develop life skills through sport skills, and not sport skills through coaching. If that all sounds a bit aspirational, you’ll be convinced by the happy, smiling faces and the shouts of “Playball! Playball is our game!” It’s really great fun. Children love the lessons and whether they go on to play soccer, hockey or whatever, they’ll have acquired all sorts of useful skills. Finally, the same people organise brilliant summer camps and parties too. EF

Pet Shop
Paddy’s
134 Parnell Street, Dublin 1. 874 8472

Paddy’s Pet Shop is a rarity: a shop where looking, touching and even taking photos are welcomed, without any obligation to purchase. The star attractions, gregarious parrot duo Bobby and Percy, may only be part of the last ten years of the shop’s 80-year history, but they have firmly established themselves as two of the biggest personalities on Parnell Street – no mean feat! For those less keen on flappy and squawky, Paddy’s also boasts an impressive line in cute, cuddly, splashy and slithery, with a menagerie that includes rabbits, mice, exotic fish and snakes. NH

Designer Doggy
Molly’s
71 York Road, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. 280 5999, www.mollys.ie

Ireland has finally caught on to the designer pooch craze. With festive bandanas and Swarovski-encrusted collars, Molly’s is a bit like BT for the fluffier species.  And in case you haven’t realised, dogs need bathrobes too. ‘Snuggle’ pyjamas and a ‘Never The Bride’ slogan tank top (yes, a doggie tank top) are also a must.  They even do edible birthday cards. CH

Rainy Day Out
Imaginosity
The Plaza, Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, Dublin 18. 217 6130,
www.imaginosity.ie

Obscure location alert. Head for Dunnes Stores in the Beacon South Quarter and, with luck, eventually you’ll stumble upon Imaginosity. Last August this interactive wonderland opened its doors to hoards of excitable under-10s with mummies in tow. The little ones can navigate their way around four fun-packed floors by means of a cool climber, whilst adults can take the stairs or skive off in the café. On offer are cut-down versions of rather mundane places – the supermarket, the diner, the hospital, the construction site – but the little ‘uns love it and are too busy having fun to realise they’re learning. Booking essential at weekends and during school holidays. EF

Zoo Treat
Elephant Enclosure
Dublin Zoo, Phoenix Park, Dublin . 474 8900, www.dublinzoo.ie

Dublin Zoo has a chequered history with elephants. On June 17, 1903, Sita, an elephant captured in the wild, killed her keeper while he nursed her injured foot. She was put down by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Today a breeding herd of Asian elephants (Bernadhine and her calf Asha and Yasmin, and her two Anak and Budi) live on the Kaziranga Forest Trail. It’s supposedly reminiscent of Kaziranga National Park in India; not sure about that, but the elephants are desperately cute nonetheless. EF

Doggy Treatments
Mutt Ugly
39 Charlemont Street, Dublin 2. 475 9449, www.muttugly.com

Dogs come here for pedicures – and pink, semi-permanent nail varnish if they’re feeling whimsical. They could even have an anal gland treatment (don’t ask).  MuttUgly is a powerhouse that rivals anything LA has to offer, with a day crèche, fashion boutique and lots of unnecessary paraphernalia.  It seems novel, but it’s serious business – any special requirements are discussed, and regular grooming ‘customers’ can avail of the perks of overnight stays and mini-makeovers. Specialist breeds as well as the more vain feline critters aren’t left out either. P.S. Did you know that cologne for pets actually exists? CH

Online Clothes
Little Fashion Gallery
www.littlefashiongallery.com

Sit on your sofa in your pyjamas (covered in baby food of course) and browse some of the cutest designer baby gear available online or otherwise. Be warned! Not cheap. Be happy! Kid’s retail therapy is refreshingly guilt free. From newborns to eight-year-olds. Also some smart furniture and nicknacks to justify even more late-night spending. And where else would you find a guide to dressing your child like David Lynch? Damn fine. SOC

Hot Dogs
Accessorize
38 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. 671 7295,
www.accesorize.co.uk

Finding a dog coat in Dublin is really difficult. Pet shops sell them but more often than not they are just little canine anoraks. Accessorize has an unexpectedly good selection of dog accessories. Their availability tends to vary with the seasons but if you keep an eye out, there are some priceless canine finds to be had. Although the coats could make the more sober customer cringe, they do have a certain anthropomorphic appeal. Recent highlights were the sailor dog coat in navy and white with a gold embroidered anchor on the front, and a pink angel-inspired coat with lurex wings (detachable, incidentally). For those who like their pooch in something a little more avant-garde. CG

Playground 1
Phoenix Park
Near the Castleknock Gate, Dublin 8

The new playground in the Phoenix Park is well worth shouting about – this little gem ranks right up there with the really great ones (Cabinteely, Tymon Park), as it suits all ages and will keep the little ‘uns occupied for hours with its brightly coloured climby, slidey and swingy things. It’s open from 9.30am to 5pm and the entrance is on the western side of the walled garden at Ashtown Castle. If you can drag them away from the swings for long enough, check out the quirky little visitor centre (featuring the Pope’s chair) and sample the very acceptable lattes in the adjacent café. EF

Playground 2
Malahide Demesne
Malahide, County Dublin. 890 5629, www.fingalcoco.ie

Malahide Demesne covers an area of 270 acres, and is a fine example of an 18th-century landscaped park, with gentle woodland walks, picnic areas, a nine-hole golf course and 18-hole pitch and putt. The Talbot Botanical Gardens feature numerous species from the Southern Hemisphere. Anoraks may like the Fry Model Railway - one of the world’s largest exhibitions of miniature locomotives. Best of all, though, is the children’s playground, recently re-opened after extensive renovations. Kids will love the castle slide (which, at 11.85 meters, is the highest in Ireland), the ‘rip cord’, a huge space net, a mini-building site complete with diggers, and a range of basket swings, cradle rides and ramped walkways for disabled children. Outside the main playground, amongst the trees, are balance bars made from natural wood for kids to monkey around on. Should keep the little blighters amused for hours then. RA

Entertainer
mr balloonatic
087 660 1808,
mr.balloonatic@gmail.com
www.balloonatic.eu

Today’s under-tens are damn sophisticated. If balloons in the shape of sausage dogs were enough to enrapture the eldest child and friends, the same response can no longer be expected from younger siblings – and why should it be, in the age of the Wii and multifarious interactive computer games? Before lamenting loss of innocence, traditionalists should check out the work of Mr Balloonatic, whose dexterous balloon-twisting brings traditional birthday entertainment into the 21st Century. With creations ranging from Bart Simpson and Super Mario to full-size furniture, Mr B – his real name is Michael Abrahamson – will impress even the most cynical brats. Good nostalgia buzz for the folks too. NH