Dublin Zoo

Lonely Planet review

Established in 1830, the 12-hectare Dublin Zoo just north of the Hollow is one of the oldest in the world, and as thrilling or depressing as any other old zoo trying to drag itself into the 21st century.

The zoo is well known for its lion-breeding programme, which dates back to 1857, and includes among its offspring the lion that roars at the start of MGM films. You'll see these tough cats, from a distance, on the African Plains, which was added a few years ago, doubling the size of the zoo and making it a much nicer place to stroll around in. The zoo has several hundred different species, ranging from owls to hippos, most of which are housed in the old-fashioned part of the complex, which includes a 'World of Primates' section and 'Fringes of the Arctic', where similar animals have been grouped together as part of the zoo's modern restructuring. The one thing they haven't managed to fix, however, is the depression that seemingly afflicts the polar bears, who seem rightly incapable of coming to terms with the narrow confines of their world, a far cry from the northern tundra.

Still, the zoo has gone to great lengths to make itself visitor-friendly, and the presence of new babies or animals on breeding loans from other zoos will surely generate a couple of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the kids. There are also plenty of children's activities, including a Meet the Keeper programme, which has events approximately every half-hour from 11:00 to 15:30 , where children get to feed the animals and participate in other activities. Our favourite section is the City Farm, which brings you within touching distance of chickens, cows, goats and pigs, the luckiest animals here. There's also a zoo train and a nursery for infants.

Although there are places to eat, they're not very good and you'd be much better off bringing a picnic but, for God's sake, don't feed the animals.