Days Out: EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum

I was surprised when the boys wanted to go visit EPIC Ireland, their interest was pique when were nearby going to a gig in the Three Arena (is that what it’s called these days, it’ll always be The Point to me!) They got fliers and decided that EPIC looked, well, epic and asked to go. We didn’t have time that day but they didn’t forget, and when we were planning a day out in Dublin last year they asked if it could be added to the itinerary. I was skeptical but they really liked the look of it so I reluctantly  agreed.

The Attraction

Epic Ireland charts the emigration of Irish people and their influence on the world. I’ll admit I expected it to be twee, but it wasn’t, it’s really well done and makes you proud to be Irish and to see what our countrymen and women have achieved. It’s in the vaults of the CHQ building in the IFSC.

What’s to See?

There are twenty interconnected rooms or galleries, all with different themes based on emigration or how Irish people have travelled the world. The exhibits are modern and digital, think holograms, animations, screens and lots of clever interactive exhibits.

The kids are given a passport to stamp in each room, the youngest (4) liked this the best and ran ahead stamping, but the boys really enjoyed interacting with the quizzes, touch screens etc. Our favourite rooms were the Sport one, the one with Riverdance, the music and books ones and the Rogues’ Gallery celebrating notorious Irish people.

What’s to Do?

Try out all the interactive exhibits, learn to do Riverdance, get your EPIC passport stamped, press all the screens.

Where is it?

In the IFSC, in the basement of the CHQ building. Get the Luas to Connolly, or park at Parkrite in the IFSC (They do an EPIC Ireland weekend rate of €6 for 3 hours or a weekday rate of €14 for the whole day.

How much?

Adults €15, Kids aged 6-15 €7.50, Aged 5 and under are free. There are family discounts available (And at time of writing this post in February 2019 there are offers on Groupon which have adult tickets for €10 and children’s for €5.50 so make sure to check before you go)

What if it’s raining?

It’s the perfect rainy day activity but book in advance as it might be busier.

Is it buggy/baby friendly?

Yes, although it might be a little loud in places. Under 5s are free.

Anything else we need to know?

Every staff member we met was incredibly helpful and friendly.

Do we recommend it?

Yes, I was really surprised how good it was and the kids loved it. My photos really don’t do it justice. For more information check out their website.

How long do we need?

We spent over an hour, you could spend longer. At the time of our visit my kids were 4, 7 and 9. Older kids would probably spend longer.

Where can we eat nearby?

There are plenty of cafe’s in the CHQ building, but we opted for our favourite  Milano for dinner afterwards, there’s one on Clarion.

*We paid full price for our tickets and EPIC Ireland weren’t aware that we were visiting or that we might review. We visited in February 2018.