When companies think about team building in Dublin, the city centre normally comes first.
But Dún Laoghaire gives corporate groups something quite different: a walkable coastal town, harbour, parks, maritime history and plenty of places to build a meeting, activity and social programme within the same area.
For the right group, that combination can make Dún Laoghaire one of the most interesting locations for a company team day in Dublin.
Why Dún Laoghaire works for corporate groups
One of its biggest advantages is variety within a relatively compact area.
Teams can move between the harbour, East Pier area, People’s Park, George’s Street, Marine Road and the maritime quarter without spending the day travelling between separate venues.
That makes the town particularly suitable for a walking team challenge.
It also feels distinctly different from a normal day in a Dublin office—which is often exactly the point of taking a team offsite.
A Dún Laoghaire Treasure Hunt
Event Square has developed a dedicated Dún Laoghaire Code Breaker Treasure Hunt around the town and harbour.
Rather than using an app-led experience, the format is intentionally low-tech.
Teams receive their challenge materials and work together to navigate the route, spot details, solve clues and tackle local-history and problem-solving questions.
The experience is about getting people to look up, talk to one another and explore the place around them.
The route can include areas such as:
- dlr LexIcon and Moran Park — a natural starting area close to the harbour.
- East Pier and harbour — one of Dún Laoghaire’s most recognisable areas and an ideal setting for observational challenges.
- People’s Park — a change of pace and scenery within the route.
- George’s Street — bringing the challenge through the commercial centre of the town.
- Marine Road and the maritime quarter — a particularly useful area for local and maritime clues.
- Clarinda Park — another quieter town location that gives the route variety.
Why a treasure hunt works for team building
Treasure hunts create collaboration almost without participants noticing it.
Someone has to navigate. Someone notices details. Someone works out the puzzle. Someone keeps track of time. Someone makes the decision when the team disagrees.
That variety makes them useful for mixed groups because success is not based on one skill.
They also create natural conversation. People have something immediate to work on together rather than being told simply to “network”.
Ideal for company social committees
A Dún Laoghaire treasure hunt can work particularly well for Sports & Social committees looking for something that is organised but does not feel overly formal.
It can provide the main activity before food and drinks, or be one part of a larger company afternoon.
A typical format might be:
arrival and briefing → treasure hunt → finale/prize giving → food and drinks
That gives the event a clear structure while leaving plenty of social time afterwards.
Graduate and onboarding groups
The format also suits graduate programmes.
New starters often need opportunities to mix outside the small groups they naturally form during induction.
Putting participants into teams and giving them a shared objective can help create conversation without the awkwardness of a traditional networking exercise.
For programmes where stronger learning objectives are required, Event Square can also combine experiential challenges with facilitated team-development content.
International and incentive groups
Dún Laoghaire also provides something useful for DMCs and international groups: a genuine sense of place.
Participants are not simply completing a challenge inside a conference hotel.
They are experiencing a coastal Irish town, harbour and local landmarks at the same time.
For international programmes, that can be combined with other Irish experiences such as Celtic Games or music and cultural activities.
What happens if the weather is bad?
This is Ireland, so weather should be part of the planning rather than an unpleasant surprise.
For an outdoor event, sensible clothing advice should be sent in advance and the finish location should ideally provide shelter, food or refreshments.
For larger company days we can also look at indoor or alternative programme options depending on the venue and event structure.
Can the day include a meeting?
Yes.
One of the stronger company-day formats is to use the morning for business and the afternoon for something completely different.
A meeting followed by a harbour challenge can provide a natural break between business content and the more social part of the day.
The contrast is useful: delegates leave the meeting room and immediately have something active and collaborative to do together.
More than another Dublin activity
There are already plenty of corporate activities in central Dublin.
Dún Laoghaire gives companies another option: sea air, harbour views, town exploration and a team activity that can happen almost entirely on foot.
For businesses based in South Dublin it can also be particularly convenient.
And for visiting groups, it shows a side of Dublin that many conference itineraries never reach.
Planning a Dún Laoghaire company event?
Event Square can build a programme around your numbers, date, available time, team objectives and preferred start/finish point.
The Dún Laoghaire Code Breaker Treasure Hunt can be used as a standalone experience or integrated into a wider company team day.
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and we will build the event around the group.
Plan your Dún Laoghaire team event.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Dún Laoghaire Treasure Hunt take?
The route can be adjusted around the available event time and the programme agreed for the group.
Do teams need their phones?
The Event Square concept is deliberately low-tech and focuses on physical materials, observation, navigation and team communication rather than an app-led experience.
Can we finish at a hotel, restaurant or bar?
A suitable finish point can be incorporated into the event plan depending on the group and venue arrangements.
Is it suitable for international visitors?
Yes. The combination of harbour, maritime history and local landmarks makes Dún Laoghaire particularly interesting for visiting corporate and incentive groups.
Can you accommodate large groups?
The format can be scaled, but route design, team sizes, briefing arrangements and finish logistics should be planned around the actual numbers.
Featured illustration: Designed by Magnific.
