Galleries And Museums Of Dublin

Dublins-EPIC-Irish-Emmigration-Musuem-Credit-Warren-LeMay_Flickr

Dublin’s museum scene is nothing if not diverse.

More than 100 museums and galleries are spread across the capital, allowing visitors to delve deep into the Irish psyche – real or imagined – and learn about Irish culture and history.

A city of writers and revellers, artists and emigrants, Dublin’s curators have a rich archive to draw from. Alongside many of the country’s most notable collections – the National Museum (for archaeology, decorative arts, military history and natural history), the National Gallery (for art) and the National Library (for rare books), many of Dublin’s best museums draw from esoteric inspiration. 

Explore your Irish roots at EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum. Travel back to the Viking era in Dublinia. Relive the complexities of the Easter Rising at the GPO on O’Connell St. Revel in literary brilliance at MoLI, Museum of Literature Ireland or sample a dram of whiskey at The Irish Whiskey Museum. Dublin’s museums are filled with thrilling treasures from Bronze Age gold to priceless international art.

The Science Gallery

The Science Gallery is a public science centre at Trinity College, Dublin. Opened in 2008 and housed in Trinity’s Naughton Institute, the city’s newest Gallery offers a refreshingly lively and informative exploration of the relationship between science, art and the world we live in.

The Museum features regularly changing exhibitions that are entertaining and informative and strike a balance between outlining some really remarkable facts and figures in a casual, highly visual and easily digestible way.

The exhibitions are led by friendly and well-informed guides who take you through the interactive, hands-on tour as you explore a new type of scientific venue where today’s white-hot scientific issues are thrashed out. You can have your say in one of Dublin’s most unique and informative tourist attractions.

Contact Details:

Address: The Science Gallery, Naughton Institute, Pearse Street, Trinity College, Dublin 2

Tel: +353 1 896 4091

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 22 Dawson Street (see Route Map)

Archaeology Museum – The National Museum of Ireland

The National Museum of Ireland is dedicated to showcasing Irish Art, Culture and Natural History. The Archaeology Museum is the most impressive of the three branches of the Museum. It holds the best-known and most exciting exhibits featuring Ireland’s archaeological treasures.

The shows contain a mix of Europe’s finest collection of Bronze- and Iron-Age gold artefacts, the most complete collection of medieval Celtic metalwork in the world and vital and exciting items from Ireland’s fight for Independence.

The Treasury is the most prominent part of the collection. Its centrepieces are Ireland’s two most famous crafted artefacts, the Ardagh Chalice and the Tara Brooch. The 12th-century Ardagh Chalice is the finest example of Celtic art ever found.

At the same time, Tara Brooch is equally revered, having been crafted as a white bronze clasp around AD 700. Elsewhere in the Treasury is the exhibition Ór-Ireland’s Gold, which features stunning jewellery and decorative objects created by Celtic artisans in the Bronze and Iron Ages alongside a 15m log boat, which was abandoned and then pulled out almost perfectly preserved 4000 years later, from a peat bog.

On the same level is the fascinating Road to Independence exhibition, which features the army coat worn by Michael Collins on the day he was assassinated and the cap purportedly worn by Collins on that fateful day, complete with a bullet hole in its side. However, the authenticity of the hat is contested.

Suppose you can handle even more history upstairs. In that case, you will find Medieval Ireland 1150 – 1550 and Viking Age Ireland exhibits alongside the aptly named Clothes from Bogs in Ireland exhibit.

Fun Fact

The Ardagh Chalice was not discovered by archaeologists but by a farmer digging for spuds in his field. Once again, deepening the inherent love for potatoes in Ireland!

Contact Details:

Address: Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Tel: +353 (0)1 6777444

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 22 Dawson Street (see Route Map)

Collins Barracks

One of the most exciting and informative things to do in Dublin, the National Museum of Ireland is a must-see. Originally the oldest army barracks in Europe, the buildings were re-opened in 1997 with a new purpose as the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts and History.

The barracks and central square are named after Michael Collins, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Free State Army, who was killed at Béal na Bláth, Co. Cork, four months before the barracks were surrendered to the Free State Army. General Richard Mulcahy formally accepted the handover and immediately named the site after Collins.

At Collins Barracks, there are so many things to see and do. Irish haute couture garments, furniture, silver, jewellery, ceramics, and detailed exhibitions exploring Irish military history from 1550 to the 21st century, including an exciting and informative exhibition detailing the events leading up to, during and after the 1916 Easter Rising.

In the Museum, you will also find one of the largest collections of silver in the world (unfortunately, you can’t take any) as well as exhibitions showing the development of fashion in Ireland from the 1700s onward and Dublin’s very own Asian Art collection.

Contact Details:

Address: Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7

Tel: +353 1 6777444

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 5 Wolfe Tone Quay (see Route Map)

Admission:

Free

Richmond Barracks

The fallout of the Easter Rising didn’t all happen at Kilmainham Gaol. In the nearby neighbourhood of Inchicore, over 3,000 rebels—men and women—were held at Richmond Barracks, a British military base being used at the time as a training centre for Irish-born soldiers shipping off to fight in World War I.

In the crowded barracks, the Rising leaders—including the 14 later executed at Kilmainham—were separated from rank-and-file rebels, court-martialed, and sentenced on the spot.

Then, from Richmond Barracks, they were marched through the streets to Kilmainham Gaol, where crowds of angry locals jeered and spit at them—the Rising wasn’t initially popular, as more civilians were killed in the fighting than Irish rebels and British soldiers combined.

The barracks sat long unused and crumbling until community interest and funding came through during the 1916 Centenary celebrations.

In May 2016, it opened to the public as a museum remembering its days as a British base of operations, an impromptu processing centre for the men and women of the Rising, its handover from the British to the Irish armies after Independence, and its final chapter as government tenement housing and a Christian Brothers school.

The tour will include the 1916 exhibit in the gymnasium, where those arrested after the Rising were processed and sentenced; a re-creation of one of the classrooms from its time as a school (with a fine collection of original furniture found in storerooms and donated by families); and an example of the living quarters for the soldiers—and later, the families—who called the barracks home.

Those who go for the guided tour (recommended) rather than the self-guided tour will take a guided walk through Goldenbridge Cemetery nearby.

Many vandalised and weatherworn markers have been restored thanks to an extensive renovation alongside Richmond Barracks.

If time and budget allow, a tour of Richmond Barracks would pair well with a visit to Kilmainham Gaol; you could follow in the footsteps of the executed Rising leaders from the Barracks to the old Garrison Church—still a functioning Catholic church—to Kilmainham Gaol and then across the river to their burial site in Arbour Hill Cemetery. Look for more developments in future updates of this book and on their website 

Contact Details:

www.richmondbarracks.ie 

Admission:

Adult – €8.50

Children (under 12) – €2.50

Student/Senior citizen – €3.50

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 24 Lord Edward’s Street (see Route Map)

Dublin Castle

Originally built in the 13th century on a site previously settled by the Vikings, Dublin Castle had functioned as a military fortress, a prison, a Treasury, a court of law and the seat of English Administration in Ireland for 700 years until it was finally handed over to the new Government of the Irish Free State in 1922. Dublin Castle is now a major governmental complex used for critical State receptions and Presidential Inaugurations.

Dublin Castle was built in 1204 as a defensive fortification on the orders of King John of England sometime after the Norman Invasion of Ireland in 1169. It later evolved into a royal residence, resided in by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland or Viceroy of Ireland, the representative of the monarch and would serve as the seat of British rule in Ireland for over 700 years up until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.

Following the War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921, the rebel military commander Michael Collins arrived in the Upper Yard of Dublin Castle on 16th January 1922 and received the handover of the Castle, from the last Lord Lieutenant FitzAlan, on behalf of the new Irish Government.

The State Apartments, Undercroft, Chapel Royal, Craft Shop, Heritage Centre and Restaurant are open to visitors. Admission is by guided tour with a self-guiding option available.

Fun fact

Dublin Castle has appeared in numerous films, including Barry Lyndon, Michael Collins, Becoming Jane and The Medallion, and the television series The Tudors, where it doubles as the Vatican in the pilot.

Contact Details:

Address: Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin 2

Tel: +353 (0)1 645 8813

Admission:

Adult – €4.50

Children (under 12) – €2.00

Student/Senior citizen – €3.50

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 24 Lord Edward’s Street (see Route Map)

National History Museum – The National Museum of Ireland

One of the three branches of the National Museum of Ireland, the Natural History Museum is located between Government Buildings and the House of the Oireachtas on Merrion Street. First opened in 1857, the Museum has been virtually unchanged since its opening, bar some restoration work in 1909 and 2007 after the grand stone staircase was deemed unsafe.

The Victorian-style Museum is home to a fascinating collection of over 2 million species situated in a building full of old Victorian charm and scientific wonderment.

The ground floor is dedicated to Irish wildlife featuring the mammals, sea creatures, birds and some butterflies that could have been found in Ireland at some point, with the centrepiece being the skeleton of the now-extinct giant Irish elk.

The upper floors of the building feature the World Animals Collection, which is dedicated to animals found worldwide. There you will find an exhibition that jumps from continent to continent and includes outstanding examples of animals found throughout the history and far reaches of the world.

The Museum has no admission charge, and visitors are welcome to explore the collections by themselves at their own pace. The Museum of Natural History is one of the top things to do in Dublin for any history buffs or anyone looking to see Dublin on a budget.

Fun Fact

Some of the large exhibits face away from the entrance. This is due to a new entry being constructed at the east end of the building facing Merrion Street in 1909. This reversed the direction from which visitors approached the exhibitions and explained why some of the large exhibits still faced away from the entrance; it was too difficult to turn the whales and elephants around to meet the new entry.

Contact Details:

National History Museum, Merrion St Upper, Dublin 2

Tel: +353 (0) 1 677 7444

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 20 Merrion Street (see Route Map)

National Gallery of Ireland

The National Gallery of Ireland is a must-see for any visiting Dublin art lovers. Situated in Merrion Square near the National Museum at Kildare Street, the Gallery is an underrated attraction that is not to be missed. The Gallery boasts a collection of more than 2 500 paintings and over 10 000 other artworks, including watercolours, drawings, prints and sculptures.

Founded in 1854 by an Act of Parliament and opened to the public in 1864, the Gallery houses the nation’s collection of Irish and European fine art, spanning the period circa the 1400s to 1950s. The National Gallery is unique thanks to its collection of exhibitions which documents the story of Irish art from the seventeenth century to the present day with critical works by Nathaniel Hone, John Lavery, William Leech, Roderic O’Conor, Paul Henry, Sean Keating, Jack B. Yeats and Louis le Brocquy.

The Gallery is also home to several of Europe’s most renowned masterpieces, including works by Fra Angelico, Rembrandt, Poussin, Goya, Picasso, Bonnard, Van Gogh and a recently discovered Caravaggio.

Free permanent collection tours take place every Saturday at 12.30 pm and every Sunday at 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm. Guided tours of the collection may be booked for private groups, schools and university groups, special interest groups and individuals. A minimum of 2 weeks’ notice and a small fee are required.

Fun Fact

Caravaggio’s ‘The Taking of Christ, a painting recorded in contemporary biographies on the artist but long believed to be lost or destroyed, was discovered in a Jesuit house of studies in Dublin. The picture remains in the Gallery on indefinite loan from the Jesuit fathers.

Contact Details:

Address: Merrion Square West & Clare Street, Dublin 2

Tel: +353(0)16325133

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 19 Merrion Square West(see Route Map)

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol is one of the largest unoccupied jails in Europe. Now turned into a museum, the gaol has witnessed some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland’s emergence as a modern nation from the 1780s to the 1920s, with many of the leaders of Irish rebellions imprisoned within its walls.

Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol is in the heart of modern Irish history and has held some of the most famous political and military leaders in Irish history, such as Robert Emmet, Charles Stewart Parnell, the 1916 Rising leaders and Eamon de Valera. From when it opened in 1796 to when it closed in 1924, the leaders of 5 Irish rebellions between 1798 and 1916 were detained and, in some cases, executed in gaol.

Attractions include a major exhibition detailing the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration. The tour of the prison includes an audio-visual show which gives the visitor a dramatic and realistic insight into what it was like to have been confined in one of these forbidding bastions of punishment and correction.

For anyone visiting Dublin, this is one of the must-see attractions if you are either interested in learning about the infamous gaol, which has played a prominent role in Irish history or if you would like to experience what it was like to be put in an almost 300-year-old prison without the generally less pleasant experience of having to actually be incarcerated.

Fun Fact

Kilmainham Gaol has a history of being haunted, with several reported ghost sightings over the last century.

Contact Details:

Address: Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8.

Tel: +353 1 453 5984

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 28 Military Road (see Route Map)

Admission:

Adult – €6.00

Senior/ Group – €4.00

Child/ Student – €2.00

Family – €14.00

Irish Museum of Modern Art

The Irish Museum of Modern Art, or “IMMA”, is Ireland’s leading national institution for collecting and presenting modern and contemporary art. Attracting over 400,000 visitors a year, the Museum is Ireland’s most important collection of modern and contemporary Irish art. It is housed in the elegant Royal Hospital at Kilmainham, recognised as the finest 17th Century building in Ireland.

The Royal Hospital Kilmainham was designed by the talented William Robinson (who also designed Marsh’s Library) and was built between 1680 and 1687 as a home for retired soldiers. It continued in that use until 1928. The building was then left to languish for over 50 years. The Government eventually restored the building in 1984 and made it into the popular tourist attraction it was today in 1991.

The Museum presents a wonderfully wide-ranging combination of old and new exhibitions, which regularly include works from contemporary Irish artists such as Louis Le Brocquy, Sean Scully, Barry Flanagan, Kathy Pendergrass and Dorothy Cross, as well as paintings from artistic giants Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró.

Contact Details:

Address: Royal Hospital, Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8

Tel: +353-1-6129900

Tours:

Tue-Sun: 2.30 pm

Admission:

Tue & Thu-Sat: 10 am-5.30 pm

Wed: 10.30 am-5.30 pm

Sun: 12 pm – 5.30 pm

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 28 Military Road (see Route Map)

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is a state-of-the-art interactive experience located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands, the original departure point for many of Ireland’s emigrants. It will inspire and guide you on a journey to discover the stories of Irish emigration around the world, from early times to the modern day.

Over the centuries, some 10 million people have left the island of Ireland. At EPIC, you can step through 20 themed galleries to discover why people left, see how they influenced the world they found, and experience the connection between their descendants and Ireland today.

Immerse yourself in the stories of some of the most remarkable tales of sacrifice, endurance, adventure, and discovery the world has ever known. EPIC brings these amazing stories to life uniquely and spectacularly.

Contact Details:

Address: The CHQ Building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1

Tel: +353(0)1 906 0861

Web: epicirelandchq.com

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 11 Custom House Quay(see Route Map)

Dublinia

Dublinia is a heritage centre in the heart of Dublin City. Located at the crossroads of St Michael’s Hill, Patrick St, and High Street, Dublinia is fast becoming one of the top attractions in Dublin, with almost 125 000 visitors a year. There are three exciting and interactive exhibitions to be seen at Dublinia.

The first is ‘Viking Dublin’, which takes the visitor back to life in the city in Viking times. Here you will see what life was like on board a Viking warship. You will visit a Viking house, stroll down a Viking street and even try on Viking clothes!

The second exhibition is ‘Medieval Dublin’, where you learn about warfare, crime and punishment, death and disease and even medical remedies of 700 years ago. See the city as it would have looked then in a display featuring a busy medieval market, a wealthy merchant’s house and a noisy medieval street.

The third and final exhibition is the ‘History hunters’. In this exhibition, you will see genuine Viking and Medieval artefacts, including those of a medieval skeleton found in Dublin. The collection even includes an excavation site and a lab to discover more and test your newfound archaeology skills.

A visit to Dublinia is a must-see to learn all about Dublin’s long and colourful history and is a fun day out for visitors of all ages.

Contact Details:

Address: St Michael’s Hill, Christ Church, Dublin 8, Ireland

Tel: +353 (0)1 6794611

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at Stop 25 Christ Church Place (see Route Map)

Why Visit Ireland in April and May?

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Why Visit Ireland in April and May?

As naturalist John Muir says, “The mountains are calling…, and I must go.”

Enjoy images of some of the Wild Atlantic Way mountains and hills in this photoblog to whet your peak-bagging appetite.

Spring it!

Here’s why you should visit Ireland in spring. Have you thought about visiting Ireland in April or May? Check out why you should plan next year’s trip during the Irish spring season.

1. The Flowers are Blooming

Fresh flowers blooming in Adare, Co. Limerick

Ireland in Spring - Adare, Co. Limerick

In Ireland, Mother Nature creates her bouquets, and flowers are in vivid abundance. Bright, new leaves have sprouted, filling out Ireland’s impressive green forests and parks. If you choose to visit Ireland in spring, you’ll get the chance to experience Irish flowers at their very best during springtime!

Irish wildflowers and manicured gardens are newly-bloomed in April and May, blanketing the ground in vibrant yellows, pinks, blues and purples. The forest floors are covered in a layer of bright bluebells, old stone walls become home to wildflowers and weeds, and the gardens of Ireland’s grand manors explode in blooms.

One of the best places to see Irish wildflowers would be in the Burren National Park. This exposed limestone landscape erupts in a quilt of colour, growing and sprouting out of the cracks in the craggy landscape. The Burren is incredibly diverse for wildflowers, with flowers that typically sprout from the Arctic to the Mediterranean, blanketing the landscape.

2. Enjoy the Freshest Air in Europe

The Wellington Statue, Phoenix Park Dublin

The secret’s out – Ireland has some of Europe’s freshest air as it flows off the Atlantic Coast! And our lovely fresh Irish air is best enjoyed in springtime. Take a break from the stuffy city air, replacing the din and commotion of urban life instead of with the clear, fresh air of the Emerald Isle.

The combined odour of fresh flowers, soft rain, new grass and the last of this season’s chimney smoke is one of the best perfumes Mother Nature has created – and is a reason to hop over to the Emerald Island.

While all of our trips are perfect for getting fresh air, you might like Island Hopping in Cork & Kerry, as you’ll get the fresh island breeze while sailing to and hiking around each island.

Hiking by Killarney’s lakes during spring

3. Avoid the Summer Crowds

Bushmills Distillery Tours

For those who prefer to travel off the beaten path, you’d probably choose to visit in the off-peak season to avoid the crowds – which is why you should visit Ireland in spring. The silence of spring lets you best enjoy nature the way it was intended and makes it more enjoyable to hike and bike your way through Ireland. You’ll also be able to get the best prices – and you’ll have a better chance of meeting with the locals!

Visit famous tourist attractions in the pre-season for a new perspective.

4. New Life (and Lambs)

baby seal Ireland

Baby seals are just one of the wildlife you might find in Ireland!

Ireland is known as a rural and agricultural country. Indeed, most of Ireland’s most unique and sought-after destinations are in the countryside. It’s also a place known for its sheep and cows. Not quite as fluffy or white as cartoons and children’s books would have you believe, sheep are still quite cute. Spring is the best time to visit because it’s lambing season, and the fields will be full of bouncing fluffy bundles of joy! In other areas, you’ll find adorable calves.

Of course, lambs and calves aren’t the one baby animal in spring. The island is buzzing with life as all of the little critters come out of hiding. From baby seals to returning migrating birds, there’s no better time to explore Ireland’s natural beauty to meet the island’s wildlife than in April and May!

The best time to see puffins is also spring and early summer – April, May, and June are the best months to see puffins. Frequently, islands serve as bird havens. Find these fantastic birds in a place like the Skellig Islands in Kerry, Wexford’s Saltee Islands or Northern Ireland’s Rathlin Island.

Find some other Irish wildlife spots here

In spring, you might like to visit popular sites like:

5. Better Availability

Ashford Castle in spring

Ashford Castle in spring is simply magical!

As fewer fellow tourists travel in April and May, you’ll have more flexibility and choice. Have a specific accommodation in mind? You’ll have a better chance of getting that particular accommodation and type of room if you travel earlier in the year.

This goes for popular activities, such as boat trips in Killarney or especially out to the Skellig Islands, or more local activities like sheep demonstrations, foraging experiences or exclusive visits. Prices are often better as well!

Dublin Castle

Dublin-Castle-Looking-over-lavendar-plants-and-the-castle-gardens-Credit-Patrick-Franzis_Flickr

Dublin Castle

Originally built in the 13th century on a site previously settled by the Vikings, Dublin Castle had functioned as a military fortress, a prison, treasury, courts of law and the seat of English Administration in Ireland for 700 years until it was finally handed over to the new government of the Irish Free State in 1922. Dublin Castle is now a major governmental complex used for critical State receptions and Presidential Inaugurations.

Dublin Castle was built in 1204 as a defensive fortification on the orders of King John of England sometime after the Norman Invasion of Ireland in 1169. It later evolved into a royal residence, resided in by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland or Viceroy of Ireland, the representative of the monarch and would serve as the seat of British rule in Ireland for over 700 years up until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Following the War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921, the rebel military commander Michael Collins arrived in the Upper Yard of Dublin Castle on 16th January 1922 and received the handover of the Castle, from the last Lord Lieutenant FitzAlan, on behalf of the new Irish Government.

The State Apartments, Undercroft, Chapel Royal, Craft Shop, Heritage Centre and Restaurant are open to visitors. Admission is by guided tour with a self-guiding option available.

Fun fact

Dublin Castle has appeared in numerous films, including Barry Lyndon, Michael Collins, Becoming Jane and The Medallion, and the television series The Tudors, where it doubles as the Vatican in the pilot.

Contact Details:

Address: Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin 2

Tel: +353 (0)1 645 8813

Admission:

Adult – €4.50

Children (under 12) – €2.00

Student/Senior citizen – €3.50

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at: Stop 24 Lord Edward’s Street (see Route Map)

Aviva Stadium

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Aviva Stadium

The Aviva Stadium is a stunning and modern 51,700-capacity sports stadium located on Lansdowne Road in Dublin 4. The sports arena is Ireland’s first and only UEFA Elite stadium. The amphitheatre of today was built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road stadium’s oldest sports stadium in Europe. It has replaced it as the home to its former chief tenants, the Irish Rugby Union team and the Republic of Ireland football team.

The stadium currently hosts all Irish international Rugby Union and Football matches. It has also previously been the host stadium for the inaugural Nations Cup and the 2011 UEFA Europe League Final venue. On top of that, on 19 September 2014, UEFA announced that the Aviva Stadium would host four Euro 2020 finals fixtures.

In its short history, the Aviva Stadium has followed in the steps of its predecessor, Lansdowne Road, by being the venue for some of the biggest music acts in the world, including Rihanna, Michael Buble, The Script, Neil Diamond, Madonna and Lady Gaga.

There is something special about Irish sports fans, and we would strongly recommend catching a match in this unique sports arena if you can.

Don’t despair if you can’t get to a match! A stadium tour is on the checklist as one of the things to do for anyone visiting Dublin. You will have the chance to be given full access to a world-class sports stadium as you go on to see the press conference room, home dressing rooms, players’ tunnel, dugouts and more.

Contact Details:

Address: Aviva Stadium, 62 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4

Tel: (01) 238 2300

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at: Stop 14 Pembroke Road (see Route Map)

Tour Times:

One tour every hour from 10 am-4 pm (Shorter hours during the winter months)

The standard tour does not run on match or event days.

Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo is much more than a fun-filled, stimulating day out for all the family… it’s a place to learn about wild animals, especially those which are endangered. The Zoo is a registered charity – your visit will help maintain Dublin Zoo to a high standard, improve the Zoo and contribute to conservation programmes. Located in the Phoenix Park in the heart of Dublin city, Dublin Zoo is Ireland’s most popular family attraction, and welcomed over one million visitors last year. As one of the world’s oldest, yet popular zoos, the 28 hectare park in the heart of Dublin is home to some 400 animals in a safe and natural environment where education and conservation combine for an exciting and unforgettable experience and one of the best things to do in Dublin!

 Fun fact

Dublin Zoo was the birthplace of arguably the most famous lion in the world. Born at Dublin Zoo in 1927, a lion called Cairbre, named after Cú Chulain’s charioteer, was seen the world over for many years when he became the mascot for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio.

Contact Details:

Address: Phoenix Park, Dublin 8

Tel: +353 (0)1 4748900

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at: Stop 3 Phoenix Park (see Route Map)

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

Dublins-EPIC-Irish-Emmigration-Musuem-Credit-Warren-LeMay_Flickr

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is a state-of-the-art interactive experience located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands, the original departure point for so many of Ireland’s emigrants. It will inspire and guide you on a journey to discover the stories of Irish emigration around the world, from early times to the modern day.

Over the centuries, some 10 million people have left the island of Ireland. At EPIC you can step through 20 themed galleries to find out why people left, see how they influenced the world they found, and experience the connection between their descendants and Ireland today. Immerse yourself in the stories of some of the most remarkable tales of sacrifice, endurance, adventure, and discovery the world has ever known. EPIC brings these amazing stories to life in a unique and spectacular way.

Contact Details:

Address: The CHQ Building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1

Tel: +353(0)1 906 0861

Web: epicirelandchq.com

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at: Stop 11 Custom House Quay(see Route Map)

Farmleigh House and Estate

Farmleigh-House-and-Estate-Dublin-with-the-conservatory-in-the-frost-Credit-David-Ashford_Flickr-

Just outside the western border of Phoenix Park is the former Guinness family holiday home turned Irish state mansion, Farmleigh. The vast house and lavish surrounding gardens were the longtime weekend residence of several generations of Ireland’s real first family.

When the Guinness clan moved to even fancier digs in England, they offered to gift the whole estate to the Irish government, who politely turned them down. Years later, the same government would buy the complex for €29 million. In the words of one local, it was “a very Irish deal, indeed!”

Today, the house and gardens are used for official state and diplomatic functions. President Barack Obama was famously photographed playing Ireland’s national sport hurling with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on the front lawn.

When not hosting state functions, the house and grounds are free and open to the public. A walk around the gardens and a guided tour of the great place are worth the time if you can get there. House tours run through the day on a first-come, first-served basis. Inside, you’ll see the elegant dining room and the official state china (all made locally, including glasses by Waterford Crystal), the grand entryway and staircase built to match the one in the Guinness family’s workaday home on St. Stephen’s Green, the oak-panelled study with a book-activated secret door leading into a secure underground panic room, and an iron-and-glass greenhouse with the old-timey name, “conservatory”—like the potential murder scene in Clue. When you arrive, immediately pick up your ticket for the next forty-five-minute tour and take a stroll through the gardens while you wait.

Outside, take a look at the sunken Dutch garden (like those at the War Memorial Gardens, see below), get lost in the Victorian walled garden, and walk through the magnolias to a short loop trail around the small lake.

Enjoy a coffee at the lakeside boathouse or your pre-packed picnic lunch on one of the many benches throughout the estate until the house tour begins.

Entrance to the estate is from Phoenix Park, at the White’s Road Gate. The easiest way to get there is by Dublin Bus: catch the 37 bus on Aston Quay (near the south side of O’Connell Bridge, terminating at Blanchardstown Centre) and get off at Castleknock Rd (Park Gate).

Enter the park and take a right on the pedestrian path, then another right at White’s Road to the Farmleigh entrance (Free; gardens and estate open daily 10:00–18:00, house tours operate less frequently in the offseason—check website for current schedule and occasional closures for state functions; www.farmleigh.ie).

Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum

Glasnevin Cemetery Tour

Attached to the Botanic Gardens is Ireland’s most important national memorials, Glasnevin Cemetery.

The main entrance is west on Finglas Road, but there is a somewhat hidden entrance from the Botanic Gardens.

From just inside the main entrance, turn left and walk about a minute along the boundary to this “secret” gate.

This burial ground resulted from Daniel O’Connell’s cries in the British Parliament for fair treatment of Irish Catholics. Before O’Connell’s push, there were no cemeteries where priests could legally perform Catholic rites before burial.

O’Connell’s vision was for a genuinely public cemetery, one in which Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and people of any other religious belief could be buried—a revolutionary idea in its day.

For a long time after its founding, it was one of the only places in Dublin for Catholic burials and is currently home to the remains of more than 1.5 million people.

O’Connell’s Tower in Glasnevin Cemetery

As such, several prominent Irish heroes are buried here. The champion of Glasnevin O’Connell has the most impressive memorial; look for the tall round Celtic tower. You can’t miss it. Irish Civil War rivals Michael Collins and Éamon De Valera are both buried here.

People regularly visit to place flowers on the grave of the one supported by their family during the conflict. (According to cemetery staff, Collins gets more.)

Many other important Irish figures are buried here, including freedom fighters Countess Markievicz and Roger Casement, playwright and poet Brendan Behan (whose memorial you may have seen along the Royal Canal), and singer Luke Kelly.

The cemetery is still open for new burials, so if you are interested

The Glasnevin Museum is not free, but it provides more insight and history about the cemetery, burial practices, and cemetery founder Daniel O’Connell.

There is also a café in the museum lobby if you need refreshment (Cemetery: Free, Museum: €6.00, Museum and Guided Cemetery Tour: €12.00; daily 10:00–17:00; www.glasnevintrust.ie). Bus 140 or 40 both return to City Centre from outside the main entrance to Glasnevin.

Grafton Street

Grafton Street is the premier up-market shopping street in Dublin. Running from Stephen’s Green in the south to College Green in the north, Grafton Street is one of the busiest streets in Ireland and one of Dublin’s most prominent shopping districts. The street is named after Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Grafton, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, who owned land in the area.

Grafton Street is full of high street and up-market shops, department stores and nearby shopping centres. It is the perfect place to stroll along as you window shop or pause to watch one of the many buskers and street performers who make the bustling shopping district so alive and vibrant. Take a chance to stop by and enjoy a coffee in the flagship Bewley’s, built in the 1840s and a tourist attraction in itself, or if you feel like treating yourself this pedestrianized high street provides some of the best shops in Dublin. A visit to Grafton Street is one of the top things to do while in Dublin and is an essential stop for anyone who wants some retail therapy while in the city.

Fun Fact

Many of Ireland’s biggest music acts such as internationally renowned singer/ songwriter Damien Rice, Academy Award Winner Glen Hansard and popular Anglo-Irish band Keywest started out busking on Grafton Street. Christmas Eve on Grafton Street is fast becoming a major annual event with many of these artists including U2 frontman Bono returning to busk on the famous street.

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at: Stop 23 College Green (see Route Map)

Guinness Storehouse

The-Guinness-Store-House-and-Guinness-Factory-St-James-Gate-Dublin-Credit-Giuseppe-Milo_Flickr

Located in the heart of Dublin’s St James’s Gate Brewery, Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s number one tourist attraction.  Since opening in November 2000, Guinness Storehouse has attracted over 4 million visitors from every corner of the globe.

Housed in an old fermentation plant that was constructed in 1902 and recently restored, now the seven-storey visitor experience tells the story of this world famous drink. Immerse yourself in the story of Guinness that begins over 250 years ago as you learn of its founding by Arthur Guinness as well as discover the process it takes to brew the world renowned drink in the brewery that started an international brand.

A visit to the Guinness Storehouse is a must for any tourist and no trip would be complete without taking in the incredible 360 degree view of Dublin city from atop the Gravity bar as you enjoy a complimentary pint of the Black Stuff.

 Fun fact

The Guinness Brewery now brews over 3 million pints of Guinness a day.

Contact Details:

Address: St James’s Gate, Dublin 8

Tel: +353 1408 4800

Opening Hours:

Open 7 days a week from 9.30am-5pm (Last admission at 5pm).

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at: Stop 27 Market Street South (see Route Map)