Posted on April 19, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

“Knock knock, open wide, see what’s on the other side, knock knock any more, come with me through the Magic Door”.

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Anyone who grew up in Ireland in the late ‘70s or ‘80s, knows what I’m talking about. Yep, it’s RTE’s Bosco, that screechy wool headed glove puppet and his high-waisted presenter pals Jonathan, Marian, Grainne, Philip, Susie, Mary and Peter.
For me the best part of the show was always the bit with the Magic Door. After reeling off the aforementioned rhyme, the intrepid presenter (and viewers) would get all excited and delighted about stepping into the unknown through a red Georgian-type entrance. Where could we possibly end up? The Sahara? The Great Wall of China? Machu Picchu? Nah, it was never anywhere fancy like that. The Magic Door much preferred the ambience of Dublin Zoo. Like. Every. Single. Time. Incidentally, Bosco always seemed to find himself firing questions at the zookeeper responsible for feeding the seals. But, in fairness, they were probably the only animals he could be trusted around. I mean, the guy spent his life living in a yellow psychedelic box with a family of supermarket potatoes…
Anyway, if Bosco were to poke his wooden noggin into the Lion’s Den or Bat House these days, he’d be in for a pleasant surprise. Dublin Zoo is unrecognisable from the dank, shabby enclosures of the 70s and 80s. Visitors today can look for giraffe and Zebra on the Plains of Africa or check out Asian elephants in the specially constructed rainforest. The zoo is home to an impressive collection of animals. From gorillas and orangutans to chimpanzees and red pandas you can transport yourself to a whole other world while standing in the secure confines of Dublin’s leafy Phoenix Park. Oh and don’t forget to check out the tigers, hippos, bats and lions or indeed the eye-wateringly cute Pets’ Corner.
Dublin Zoo has come a long way from the 1830’s when the animals had to be shipped over from London Zoo. Today the zoo can hold its head up proud. It is now the third oldest zoo in the world (after London and Paris) and has a super central location, just 3km west of the city centre. Tourists will find plenty of convenient facilities at the zoo including parking and restaurants.

Parking:

Anyone who’s visited London Zoo with London car hire will realise that Dublin Zoo has a very similar set up when it comes to parking, ie. it’s available in the adjacent park. Those driving to Dublin Zoo will find parking spaces located to the left of the Parkgate Street Gate.

Restaurants:The zoo’s very own Meerkat restaurant offers a wide variety of snacks to keep visitors fed and watered during their visit.

Transport:

The zoo is served by the following Dublin Bus routes: 10, 10A, 26, 66/66A/66B, 67/67A 68/69 Luas: The Luas Red line is situated just a 15 minute walk from the Heuston Station stop.

Car Hire:

Dublin car hire from £10 (€12) per day*
*Cheapest Ireland car hire rates April 2010

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