Let's go to Dublin Zoo

Heading to Dublin for the day on the train are Marguerite, Riona, Adam, Ben and Emma.  They're all off to Dublin Zoo!

Lions and Tigers and Bears ..... oh my .... Lions and Tigers and Bears .....

Name that film?

Selfie time for Emma and Ben. 

Today was the day of the Belfast Marathon and after driving from Glenavy into Belfast to get the train Marguerite, Jude and Ben soon realized they had no chance of getting through some of the crowded streets ........ so to Portadown they drove to catch the train.







Ahhhh hahahaha ........ giggles all around as Emma and Ben check their pic.















Emma purchasing the tickets 2016 style ....... on her phone!















Ben taking a wee stroll in the park  It was a beautiful day today and Ben was making the most of it.

Then he got into the Zoo and the first place he went for was ........











........ the slide.












 



Marguerite, Adam and Emma enjoying the sunshine.

















Ben's only got as far as the farm animals but he loving it all the same.














Meanwhile Adam is trying to feed the farm animals.















Now that's one cool Crocodile ....... or is it an Alligator ......... never can tell.   This creature was about 10 feet long!!!













Back outdoors and it's onwards and upwards in a mad search for BIG animals.















Ben just loves climbing things these days ..... climbing this and climbing that ..... every time you turn around he's climbing up something! 
















Two weeks before Jude broke his hand in two places when playing his first Hurling match of the year for Loch Mor Dal gCais.  Just as well he's got two arms then so he can hold Ben up for a better view.  

Ben's eyes are wide open with excitement as he makes his way around the Zoo.













Now we're talking .......  a big fat Elephant!!!!  Well actually I don't know why folk say Elephants are fat because they're not really ..... they are just really big.  

Emma with Adam as he sits on top of the fence. 

Another slide!!!!!

Never stops!!

I must say....... the Down top does look cool, very cool indeed!

Wheeeeeeeeee!! 

Riona and her little cousin Adam having fun on the slide.

Adam's loving this one!











Marguerite and Ben are on the lookout for more big hairy animals!!!

Well is there a more spectacular sight than a Giraffe?  I'm not sure there is.

Don't mess with the ostriches.  Sure yer man had an ostrich remember ....... on the telly ....... and it used to bite the ears of folk ..... chase them and whatnot ......... nahhh always very frightening beasts those ones. 










Actually there is a more spectacular sight than a giraffe ....... it's a bunch of them standing beside a bunch of Zebras.  Brilliant!!! Now that's what I'm talking about.














Mesmerized! 

Yes ...... the gang hung around this enclosure the longest ..... but no matter how nice these animals were Ben wasn't parting with his crisps.

A wee shower and they're running for blankets ....... Riona and Emma are certainly not tough guys!!!!

'I'm a tough guy ...... yeah me ....... no blankets .....  no hats ... no sunglasses ..... just me .... and my pram!












Now that's what I'm talking about ........ a big Rhino ...... magic!!!

I dare you to run and jump on his back and then run away ..... go on .... dare ye!!









   
 
Ben checking out the Rhino.

Up Down! 

Ben after his first glimpse of a Rhino. 













There were three folk in this Zoo wrapped in a blanket ....... Riona and Emma ..... and yer man there.  Folk say we humans are evolved from these guys ....... but what happened to these lads then, and their ancestors?  Did they just not eat the right food or something?  I'm not sold on this one.   Maybe ...... maybe not.

Another spectacular sight though!

Pile in for a group pic.  Marguerite, Adam, Riona and Emma. 













Adam's just a wee ray of sunshine!! 

Now this animal takes the prize for being ...... well for being just class.  The great thing about going to the Zoo is that you are sure to see something you have never laid eyes on before ....... like this animal here.  So what's it called.









An Eastern Bongo of course.  And there are only 140 of them left in the wild.  That's the sad bit. 













'Lions and Tigers and bears .... oh my ...... Lions and Tigers and Bears .....'.

Well did you guess it?  Ehhh that line's from the Wizard of Oz of course.

I wouldn't even dare you to jump on his back ...... no it's not worth it .... it's just not going to end well!!














Ben was still loving it.

Sea lions just have the life of it ....... mouching around and laying in the sun all day.  Life of Riley if you ask me!

Ahhhh ...... Ben and Adam are just the best of buddies (that is until it time to share an toy and then that the end of that). 

There are hundreds ...... maybe thousands of cheesy bars around the world named after these punters right here ...... The Pink Flamingo!!! 













Ben hitching a ride on Adam's pram. 

Emma and Riona leaving the Zoo.















Ben and Adam following suit.

Walking in front of the Wellington Monument are Marguerite, Emma and Riona.

'Daddy ...... you can't catch me', laughed Ben as Jude had to chase him around the park.













Ben was having a right giggle. 

Pheonix Park is a beautiful place indeed.

Ben sitting on the Luas tram. 

Random encounter number 1: Now Dublin is a big city but on this very tram Jude bumped in his auld buddy Mark Fitzgerald who he worked with and hung around with in Boston.  Small world.











 Time for tea. 

'Ok I want some chippies, thank you', said Ben.

Adam and Jude waiting on dinner.

Emma checking to see she has enough pennies left for her tea.  Counting her coppers as they say!

Ahhh ...... after all that walking it time for some refreshment.

Marguerite and Adam enjoying a laugh.

Ben looking cool as usual. 















And Adam too!!

So Emma challenged Jude to a beer challenge. 

But Jude won!!

'Ok, let's go we've a train to catch'.

Random encounter number 2:  When walking from this pub to the train station Jude bumped into another auld mate, Caoltan Strain.  Caoltan was also in Boston and knocked about with Jude sometimes with going to the pub, going skiing and all sorts.  

 

It's been a hard day! 

On the train journey home Ben spent his time playing with his new Janke and the Pirates sticker book.
sitting on the table el
eh

Passing through Drogheda .........

...... and on home  ...... with a wee picnic for the road!!!