DUBLIN IRELAND
by Elizabeth Harrin
2000 years ago Dublin was just a village in the Emerald
Isle. Now Ireland’s capital is one of Europe’s top cities for
visitors. The Irish are renowned for their friendly hospitality,
and whether you spend time looking at the historical sites,
the cosmopolitan shopping precincts or just hanging out in
the many bars and cafes, you will be sure to come across
many people who want to make your stay memorable.
Wander through the historic quadrangles and courtyards of
Trinity, University of Dublin. As well as mingling with
students, who can take you on guided tours, the college
grounds house some other excellent attractions. The Book
of Kells, a manuscript of the Gospels kept in the Old Library,
is a famous example of 9th Century illustrative art. A lot of
tourists make their way through the exhibits and book-
binding displays so try to get there early in the morning or
late afternoon. The Dublin Experience is a multi-media
show which tells the story of the city. You can even stay on
campus between June to September when the 12,000
students are on holiday. College Green is one of the main
roads so crossing it to get to Trinity can be difficult – make
use of the dedicated crossings.
www.tcd.ie
THE ABBEY THEATRE
This a ‘floating’ theatre, as it has been constructed on a
concrete raft as it is so close to the river at 26 Lower Abbey
Street. If you have the opportunity to see a production here,
you should, as it is a great space. The theatre puts on work
by Irish playwrights as well as others and there is a
separate basement auditorium, the Peacock theatre, which
shows new works.
www.abbeytheatre.ie
THE DUBLIN GENERAL POST OFFICE (GPO)
This is still a working post office, but also a historical site in
its own right. The Proclamation of the Irish republic was
read from the steps of the GPO during the 1916 Easter
Rising against the British. It is free to enter, and one of the
quickest ways to learn a little about the turbulent history of
the city. Inside the building on O’Connell Street various
paintings and sculptures tell the story of the events of 1916.
www.dublintourist.com
TEMPLE BAR HOTELS
Temple Bar is the name of both an area and a street. As an
area, it is a very lively pedestrian space, just south of the
river. The old cobble streets make it easy to get lost, but
every road will have a great selection of pubs, restaurants
and independent shops. Children are welcome in Ireland,
so you won’t find it hard to track down a restaurant that can
cater to their needs while still giving you an excellent meal.
The street itself sometimes has street entertainers who will
carry on late into the evening if the crowd is supportive.
DUBLIN CASTLE
Dublin Castle, off Dame Street, is a great attraction made
up of several different areas. You can visit the State
Apartments which are currently used for Presidential
business and state functions. The castle joins the old city
walls at the Undercroft, and you can go down to see the
archway where small boats could unload supplies. The
castle also houses the Garda police museum, which is
sometimes open to the public during the summer, a
magnificent Chapel and the Chester Beatty library.
www.dublincastle.ie
ST STEPHEN’S GREEN
St Stephen’s Green is one of the original pieces of common
ground in the city, and dates back to 1663. Look out for the
statues of local famous people like James Joyce, and the
dramatic Fusiliers Arch. The park is at the end of Grafton
Street, so you can work you way down one of Dublin’s best
shopping streets and reward yourself with a rest by the
lake! A word of warning for shopping: you have to pay extra
for a carrier bag so only accept one if you really need it.
DUBLIN NATIONAL MUSEUM
The museum has three sites in Dublin, the oldest of which
is on Merrion Street and houses the natural history exhibits.
It has been open here for 150 years and has some great
displays that allow children to get really close. The site at
Collins Barracks holds the decorative arts and clothing
displays and the third site on Kildare Street is the
archaeological wing. All parts of the museum are closed
on Mondays. It will take some time to get round all three so
pick what interests you most.
www.museum.ie
THE RIVER LIFFEY
The River Liffey carves its path through the city. You can
walk along it, or over it on one of the many bridges. The
most famous is Ha’penny Bridge which has been the site of
many romantic proposals. The name comes from the ha’
penny toll that used to be levied on pedestrians. Opened in
1816, it is the oldest pedestrian crossing over the river.
From it you can see the Millennium Bridge, another
pedestrian footway, which opened in 1999 and offers
another route across the water.
OSCAR WILDE’S HOUSE
Oscar Wilde is just one of the famous literary figures to
come out of Ireland. His childhood home was 1 Merrion
Square, and opposite the house is a statue to him. The
ground and first floors are open for tours, and the Georgian
architecture and decoration have been restored. The house
is only open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and there
are only two tours a day, so make sure you arrive in plenty of
time.
www.amcd.edu/oscar
THE GUINNESS STOREHOUSE
This brewery at St James’ Gate has become one of Dublin’
s icons. The glass dome at the top gives great views of the
city and at the end of the tour there’s a free pint of Guinness
for those old enough. This is the place to come to learn
more about how one of Ireland’s great exports is produced.
www.guinnessstorehouse.com
by Elizabeth Harrin
2000 years ago Dublin was just a village in the Emerald
Isle. Now Ireland’s capital is one of Europe’s top cities for
visitors. The Irish are renowned for their friendly hospitality,
and whether you spend time looking at the historical sites,
the cosmopolitan shopping precincts or just hanging out in
the many bars and cafes, you will be sure to come across
many people who want to make your stay memorable.
Wander through the historic quadrangles and courtyards of
Trinity, University of Dublin. As well as mingling with
students, who can take you on guided tours, the college
grounds house some other excellent attractions. The Book
of Kells, a manuscript of the Gospels kept in the Old Library,
is a famous example of 9th Century illustrative art. A lot of
tourists make their way through the exhibits and book-
binding displays so try to get there early in the morning or
late afternoon. The Dublin Experience is a multi-media
show which tells the story of the city. You can even stay on
campus between June to September when the 12,000
students are on holiday. College Green is one of the main
roads so crossing it to get to Trinity can be difficult – make
use of the dedicated crossings.
www.tcd.ie
THE ABBEY THEATRE
This a ‘floating’ theatre, as it has been constructed on a
concrete raft as it is so close to the river at 26 Lower Abbey
Street. If you have the opportunity to see a production here,
you should, as it is a great space. The theatre puts on work
by Irish playwrights as well as others and there is a
separate basement auditorium, the Peacock theatre, which
shows new works.
www.abbeytheatre.ie
THE DUBLIN GENERAL POST OFFICE (GPO)
This is still a working post office, but also a historical site in
its own right. The Proclamation of the Irish republic was
read from the steps of the GPO during the 1916 Easter
Rising against the British. It is free to enter, and one of the
quickest ways to learn a little about the turbulent history of
the city. Inside the building on O’Connell Street various
paintings and sculptures tell the story of the events of 1916.
www.dublintourist.com
TEMPLE BAR HOTELS
Temple Bar is the name of both an area and a street. As an
area, it is a very lively pedestrian space, just south of the
river. The old cobble streets make it easy to get lost, but
every road will have a great selection of pubs, restaurants
and independent shops. Children are welcome in Ireland,
so you won’t find it hard to track down a restaurant that can
cater to their needs while still giving you an excellent meal.
The street itself sometimes has street entertainers who will
carry on late into the evening if the crowd is supportive.
DUBLIN CASTLE
Dublin Castle, off Dame Street, is a great attraction made
up of several different areas. You can visit the State
Apartments which are currently used for Presidential
business and state functions. The castle joins the old city
walls at the Undercroft, and you can go down to see the
archway where small boats could unload supplies. The
castle also houses the Garda police museum, which is
sometimes open to the public during the summer, a
magnificent Chapel and the Chester Beatty library.
www.dublincastle.ie
ST STEPHEN’S GREEN
St Stephen’s Green is one of the original pieces of common
ground in the city, and dates back to 1663. Look out for the
statues of local famous people like James Joyce, and the
dramatic Fusiliers Arch. The park is at the end of Grafton
Street, so you can work you way down one of Dublin’s best
shopping streets and reward yourself with a rest by the
lake! A word of warning for shopping: you have to pay extra
for a carrier bag so only accept one if you really need it.
DUBLIN NATIONAL MUSEUM
The museum has three sites in Dublin, the oldest of which
is on Merrion Street and houses the natural history exhibits.
It has been open here for 150 years and has some great
displays that allow children to get really close. The site at
Collins Barracks holds the decorative arts and clothing
displays and the third site on Kildare Street is the
archaeological wing. All parts of the museum are closed
on Mondays. It will take some time to get round all three so
pick what interests you most.
www.museum.ie
THE RIVER LIFFEY
The River Liffey carves its path through the city. You can
walk along it, or over it on one of the many bridges. The
most famous is Ha’penny Bridge which has been the site of
many romantic proposals. The name comes from the ha’
penny toll that used to be levied on pedestrians. Opened in
1816, it is the oldest pedestrian crossing over the river.
From it you can see the Millennium Bridge, another
pedestrian footway, which opened in 1999 and offers
another route across the water.
OSCAR WILDE’S HOUSE
Oscar Wilde is just one of the famous literary figures to
come out of Ireland. His childhood home was 1 Merrion
Square, and opposite the house is a statue to him. The
ground and first floors are open for tours, and the Georgian
architecture and decoration have been restored. The house
is only open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and there
are only two tours a day, so make sure you arrive in plenty of
time.
www.amcd.edu/oscar
THE GUINNESS STOREHOUSE
This brewery at St James’ Gate has become one of Dublin’
s icons. The glass dome at the top gives great views of the
city and at the end of the tour there’s a free pint of Guinness
for those old enough. This is the place to come to learn
more about how one of Ireland’s great exports is produced.
www.guinnessstorehouse.com
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