Dry January: 11 alcohol-free ways to spend the weekend


by Sarah Gill
11th Jan 2024

Whether you’re attempting Dry January or just want to find some alternative ways to spend the weekend that don’t involve pints, we’ve gathered up some ideas that will most definitely pique your interest.

As the second weekend of January approaches, the novelty of those New Year resolutions may already be wearing off. After a Christmas spent socialising, going to the pub feels like muscle memory at this point, and the actual literal blistering cold is making the old reliable endorphin rushes of coastal hikes and sea swimming seem borderline laughable.

Regardless, it turns out commitments made in your WhatsApp group when you were feeling a little more motivated are legally binding for the duration of January, so you’re going to want to find some better ways to spend your free time than catching up on television and scrolling on your phone.

All jokes aside, there is an extreme lack of alcohol-free third spaces here in Ireland, particularly outside of Dublin, so we wanted to shout about some venues, groups and businesses that are helping to bridge that gap in 2024. Without further ado, here are some booze-free ways to pass the time this Dry (or Damp) January…

Did someone say roller disco?

For those based in Limerick or willing to travel a little bit for some exceptional fun, RollerJam is Munster’s only roller disco, complete with a state of the art sound system, lights, and great music choices. The indoor rink is open to the public for some freestyle fun (which will likely include many tumbles on your first try), but they also offer skate classes, if it’s something you might want to master by the time summer rolls (pardon the pun) around.

Ireland’s first Rage Room

How about having an impartial third party organise your chaos for you for a little while? Basically, you book in for a 20-minute slot—all the gear is provided—and you just let all the anger, stress, and bad vibes existing inside of you out by quite literally trashing the room around you. Smash televisions, break dishes, there are zero consequences, and you’ll likely feel extremely relaxed after.