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Where Dublin doesn’t have one premier attraction, like Paris has the Eiffel Tower or Rome has the Colosseum, it does have various attractions on both sides of the River Liffey. The best known of these is the Molly Malone statue at the bottom of Grafton Street, Ireland’s flagship shopping street on the southside of the city. It is also on the southside that you will find most of the city’s museums, along with both its cathedrals.
The northside of the city also has places of interest for tourists looking for things to see and do. These include some other museums, but more than anything else, the people and the atmosphere on city centre streets such as Moore Street and Henry Street have to be witnessed.
Like with most capitals, you need to venture out of the immediate city centre to discover what else it has to offer. Just west of the city centre you will find the Phoenix Park, one of the largest city centre parks in the world. North of the city centre on the DART line are Malahide and Howth, two of the most picturesque suburbs in the city, while south of the Liffey you will discover Dun Laoghaire and Dalkey, home to Bono among others.
Attractions in Dublin
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College Green, Dublin, Ireland
Trinity College is one of Dublin's oldest colleges, situated in the heart of Dublin's city centre. Founded in 1592, it played a major role in the development of a Protestant Anglo-Irish tradition. Up to 1966 Catholics had to get a special dispensation to study here. Nowadays roughly seventy percent of the students are Catholics.
The college's grey and red-brick buildings are ranged around cobbled quadrangles in a grander version of the quads at Oxford and Cambridge. The Old Library owns numerous priceless Irish manuscripts, namely the famous ninth-century Book of Kells. Totalling 680 pages, it was rebound in the 1950s into four volumes. At any one two are always on show, one open at a completely illuminated page, the other at a text page. Equally interesting is the Book of Durrow - the first of the great Irish illuminated manuscripts. This eighth-century book has, unusually, a whole page given over to abstract ornament.
Old Library open Mon–Sat 9.30am–5pm, Sun 9.30am–4.30pm (May–Sept) and 12.30pm-4.30pm (Oct-May); admission €8, students €7.
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James' Street, Dublin, Ireland
The Guinness Brewery covers 64 acres on either side of James' Stand can be found a mile west of Christ Church. Founded in 1759, Guinness has the distinction of being the world's largest single beer-exporting company, exporting some 300 million pints a year. Although you can't go round the brewery, the former Guinness Hop Store on Crane St houses an exhibition centre where you can taste the best Guinness in Dublin.
The top story of the Guinness Hop Store has been transformed into one of Dublin's most innovative bars, Gravity. Enjoy 360 degree views over the city from here while sipping on your pint of the black stuff.
Open daily from 9.30am–5pm (until 8pm July and August); admission €14 adult, €9.50 students.
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Kildare Street, Dublin, Ireland
Situated beside Dáil Éireann, where Ireland's government assmebles to discuss the country's issues, is Ireland's National Museum. The museum was established by the Science and Art Museums Act in 1877 and houses numerous archaeological and historical collections. The Treasury and Viking exhibitions display such masterpieces as the Ardagh Chalice, Tara Brooch, St Patrick's Bell and the Cross of Cong. The brooch in particular is perhaps the greatest piece of Irish metalwork and well worth seeing.
Open Tues-Sat 10-5pm, Sunday 2pm-5pm; admission free.
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College Green, Dublin, Ireland
Bank of Ireland’s biggest branch, facing Trinity College, was founded in 1729 as the Parliament of Independent Ireland. With the passing of the Act of Union in 1801, this massive building was sold to the Bank of Ireland and still adheres to tradition by having a guard in a top hat and tailcoat, and a coal fire in the lobby. You can visit the former House of Lords and tours also occur in the Arts Centre. Look out for free concerts in the bank's Arts Centre.
House of Lords open Tuesdays 10.30am, 11.30am & 1.45pm; admission free.
House of Lords open Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm; €1.50 when not pre-booked, free when booked.
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Christ Church, top of Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland
Christ Church Cathedral is a resonant monument built in 1190 by the Norman baron, Richard de Clare "Strongbow". The former Synod Hall, connected to Christ Church by an overhead bridge, contains an interesting exhibition on the Anglo-Norman phase of Dubin's history, called Dublinia. The north wall of the nave of the cathedral has leaned eighteen inches outwards ever since the roof collapsed in 1562. One of Dublin's easier attractions to access, situated at the top of Dame Street in the city centre.
Cathedral open Mon-Fri 9.45am–4.30pm, Sat 10am-4.30pm; admission €5.
Dublinia open daily 10am–5pm (April-Sept), 11am–4pm Mon-Fri and Sat & Sun 10am–4pm (Oct-March); admission €6, student €5 (includes entry to Christ Church Cathedral).
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Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland
Dublin Castle was founded by the Normans, and symbolized British power over Ireland for 700 years. Though odd bits date back to 1207, it was largely rebuilt in the eighteenth century. Tours of the State Apartments (€4) reveal much about the tastes and foibles of the Viceroy. With a visit to the chapel you also get to see the lovely Chapel Royal, and excavations of Norman and Viking fortifications in the Lower Yard.
Open Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 2–5pm.
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Wood Quay, Dublin, Ireland
Dublin's Viking Adventure on Essex St West in Temple Bar is an interactive exhibition on the Viking settlement Dyflin, the former Viking village which later became Dublin. The tour is divided into three sections. Firstly, you are brought through three buildings where you are shown the structure of early Viking houses. Secondly, learn about the daily life of the Vikings when you visit a reconstruction of a silversmith’s house, where they would have lived with their family. Finally, you can study a reconstruction of the excavated Viking settlement discovered at Wood Quay, which is said to be the most important of its kind outside Scandinavia. Other attractions here include a 30-metre long, life-size reproduction of a Viking longship.
Open Tues-Sat 10.00am–4.30pm; €7.50.
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Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland
Merrion Square on the southside of the city is the perfect place to unwind and relax in the summer, landscaped with beautiful gardens. When the weather isn’t good enough to lie out in, this square is still well worth a visit as it is surrounded by wonderful Georgian buildings. And if art is your thing, an open air art exhibition is held here every Sunday, the largest of its kind in Ireland.
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Merrion Square, Dublin, Ireland
Ireland's National Gallery owns countless paintings by old European masters and French Impressionists. While the images painted by these European artists are enough of an excuse to visit the Gallery, the real draw are the Irish paintings, ranging from formal portraits and landscape paintings of the Anglo-Irish era to the wilder creations of Jack B. Yeats and Roderic O'Conner.
Open Mon–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm (until 8.30pm Thurs), Sun 12pm–5.30pm; admission free.
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Top of Grafton Street, Dublin, Ireland
Walk up Dublin’s premier shopping street Grafton Street and you will discover St Stephen’s Green. This large and very pleasant park is an extremely popular place for students and office workers alike to retreat for their lunch break. In the centre of the green is the largest open area, complete with fountains and benches to watch the world go by. The green was an open public ground until 1663 when Dublin Corporation closed the area off. It wasn’t until 214 years later in 1877 that the green opened to the public again when Sir A.E. Guinness ensured the green opened once more after forcing an act through Parliament making it a public place again. The park covers 27 acres in all and is a great way to pass an hour or two when roaming around the city.
Opened according to daylight hours.
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Kildare Street, Dublin, Ireland
Situated on Kildare Street (parallel to Grafton Street) is Leinster House, the majestic building where Ireland’s Government congress to discuss the various issues concerning the country. The building was originally known as Kildare House after James Fitzgerald, the Earl of Kildare, commissioned the building to be built. It took two years to complete and eventually became known as Leinster House when he was pronounced Earl of Leinster House in 1776. Rather than an Irishman build it, German architect Richard Cassels was behind its construction.
Tours of Leinster House on Mon-Fri 10.30am-12.30pm, 2.30pm-4.30pm; free must be booked pre-booked through the Captain of the Guard on 01-6183296.
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Wolfe Tone Quay, Dublin,
Covering 1730 acres, the Phoenix Park is one of the world's largest city centre parks. Home to the President, the Garda Headquarters and Dublin Zoo.
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18 Parnell Square, Dublin,
Museum dedicated to the lives and works of Dublin's famous authors, playwrights and poets.
Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-5pm; admission €5.50.
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