Pigs on Parade in Dublin

Who's up for a pig hunt?  I am!  Dubbed Pigs on Parade, The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation has distributed 100 artsy pigs around Dublin as a charitable fundraiser and follow-on to the successful Big Egg Hunt of 2013.  Where can you find these porcine fellows?  They are all over town with a concentration in city centre.  We spent the afternoon yesterday seeking them out as a fun excuse to take a walk around town and get some exercise.  You can find a booklet and map at any location with at least one pig to guide you to the rest.  Here are some places to start.

1. Musicmaker 

There are six pigs in Musicmaker on Exchequer St.  We'd never been inside this shop and welcomed the chance to admire row after row of electric guitars and drum sets.

2. The Central Hotel

I can't say that we got the warmest welcome at The Central when we asked at the reception desk about where we might find the resident pig.  However, we eventually found him on our own upstairs near the iconic Library Bar.

3. Fallon and Byrne 

If you go up the stairs from the supermarket to the restaurant you'll find this little piggy waiting for you near the maître d'.

4. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre

There are five pigs spread across all three stories of St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre.  This is a great spot to warm up for a spell before continuing your hunt.

5. St. Stephen's Green

Four pigs can be found along the north fence of St. Stephen's Green and their colors simply pop in the sun.  We really appreciated these lovely specimens.

6. O'Callaghan's Stephen's Green Hotel

O'Callaghan's Hotel on Stephen's Green features two pigs in the breakfast room that are also visible from the street.  I particularly liked 50 Shades of Love with 'I love you' painted in hearts on the pig in 50 different languages.

7.  Powerscourt Townhouse

Powerscourt Shopping Centre is another great spot to warm up after your search for outdoor pigs.  There are five #pigsonparade inside spanning all three floors.

8. Out and About in Temple Bar

There are a number of pigs to be found in Temple Bar.  We spotted two or three before getting distracted by dinner and a pint.

9. Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle features three gorgeous pigs in the garden.  We rounded a corner and came face to face with a pig's backside standing opposite the coach house.  We did a lap around the garden to check out the other two pigs sited here as well.

10. Trinity College

It was dark by the time we got to Trinity College which made pig spotting a bit difficult but we managed to spot two of the five on campus in the shadows.  Our absolute favorite was Storm Trotter.  May the force be with you.

11. O'Callaghan's Mont Clare Hotel

We finished our afternoon/evening of pig hunting around Dublin with Lord Muck.  This fellow definitely looks ready to put on a performance.

I love having a creative excuse to get out and about to explore our city.  We only saw a small fraction of the Pigs on Parade but hope to see many more before they are auctioned off for a good cause.