#1 JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE
The Irish Parachute CLub is the longest established Parachute club in Ireland with years of experience and thousands of successful jumps to their name. The club has its own designated drop zone, aircraft, clubhouse, as well as catering and camping facilities.
You can jump by tandem (secured to a professional instructor) from 10,000 feet and freefall for 30 seconds - the experience of a lifetime. Solo jumps are also available. The club is located in County Offaly, less than 1 hour's drive from
Dublin.
Visit http://www.skydive.ie/ for more information.
#2: TAKE PART IN IRELAND'S WOMEN'S MINI-MARATHON
The first Monday in June sees Dublin host the Women's Mini Marathon. The marathon is the biggest all-women's event of its kind in the world. Some forty thousand women participate and it is no less than a 'Festival of Women', a truly inspiring event.
Women of all ages, all sizes, all fitness abilities take part. All you need to do is be fit enough to walk, jog, run, crawl, hop, skip or jump the 10 kilometre - 6 mile course. There is a separate starting line for runners, joggers, walkers, wheelchair users and the blind. Once you finish the course you receive a commemorative medal and ribbon to mark your achievement.
The course itself begins in the city centre and stretches out to some of Dublin's oldest and finest suburbs.
The carnival atmosphere is friendly and fun as the city centre fills with women, each sporting the tee shirt of their chosen charity. Its also fun to see the many people who dress in costume and hilarious to see the few brave men who dress in the most outlandish women's costumes in order to take part. There are organised fun events on the different roads to keep the runners amused until the race start time of 3pm, but most of the time is spent chatting to everyone, and just enjoying the sights and sounds.
The real winners of the event are the charities. Since its debut in 1983 the event has raised over 80 million Euro for Irish charities.
Overseas entries can be downloaded on the official website http://www.womensminimarathon.ie/
These are generally available in March or April.
#3: GO SURFING
The Irish coastline is one of the best kept surfing secrets. The optimum time of the year to surf is from September to May when the ocean swells are at their best. Unfortunately these are also the times when the waters are at their coldest!
The main starting points for surfers keen to experience Ireland are Donegal Bay in the very north-west of the country. Lahinch is in County Clare while another popular spot is Easkey in County Sligo. A big advantage of surfing in Ireland is the sheer space - Irish waves are usually very uncrowded! Check out the Irish Surf Association at http://www.isasurf.ie/ for more information about surfing in Ireland.
#4: GO HORSE-RACING
The Irish horse-racing tradition is as strong as ever and with over 300 meetings held at 27 courses annually, you are never very far from the action.
Irish race courses have undergone amazing development in recent years. The larger courses offer the very best of facilities as well as some of the biggest races in Europe. The bigger courses are all located near to Dublin but there are lots of smaller courses around the country.
The Curragh, Punchestown, Fairyhouse and Leopardstown are perhaps the best known but don't forget Galway with its annual July racing festival that attracts huge numbers of visitors. Most Irish courses allow you to bet with a bookie or on the 'Tote'. Collecting your winnings is easy (so is losing our shirt!), but if all you want is a fun day out with a chance to meet some locals in their original habitat, then this is a way to do it.
There is an excellent free beginners guide available from the Horse Racing Ireland website here:
http://www.horseracingireland.ie/racing_info/default.asp
#5: GO ROCK-CLIMBING!
Rock-climbing in Ireland, like most adventure pursuits, has greatly increased in popularity in recent years. A hugely popular climbing destination can be found at Dalkey Quarry, along the south coast of the Dublin city, beyond Dun Laoghaire. More than 300 climbs have been developed in the quarry making it the most popular climbing destination in the country. The Irish Mountaineering Club holds Thursday evening sessions for beginners.Streaky Slab is another fine climbing destination located near Bray, County Wicklow, not far along the coast from Dalkey. Nearby Glendalough in Wicklow, home to the famous monastic settlements, also has 300-foot climbs, while a greater challenge can be found at the coastline off the Burren, near the Cliffs of Moher. Perhaps the ultimate challenge for climbers in Ireland can be found on Achill Island, which is home to some of Europe's tallest sea-cliffs.
For those who want to try some indoor climbing there are facilities at Dublin City University (Santry, North-City Dublin), UCD (Belfield, South-City, Dublin) and at the University of Limerick at Plassey (just outside the city at Castletroy on the Dublin Road).
Useful websites:
http://www.irishclimbing.com/
http://www.climbing.ie/
http://www.indoorclimbing.com/