Dublin Attractions

To the right of St Patrick's Cathedral a narrow street runs in a curve to Marsh's Library, Dublin's oldest public library, founded by Archbishop Marsh and built in 1701 by Sir William Robinson. The facades were renewed in 1863-69, but the attractive interior has been preserved practically unchanged, including the "cages" in which readers of rare books were obliged to work under the eye of the custodian.

To the west of Dublin's Custom House is the new Abbey Theater (by Michael Scott, 1966); the main theater has 638 seats, the small Peacock Theater 157 seats. It occupies the site of the original Abbey Theater, the first directors of which were W. B. Yeats and Lady Gregory. Plays in Irish as well as English are presented here.

0.75mi/1km south of Ringsend near Dublin, on both sides of the Dodder, is the residential district of Ballsbridge, with handsome early 19th C. houses, parks and sports grounds.

At the junction of Shelbourne Road and Pembroke Road are the United States Embassy, a circular building of 1964, and a number of new hotels.

On the right hand side of Dublin's Great Denmark Street is Belvedere House (by Michael Stapleton, 1785), a dignified building with a fine interior. Since 1841 it has been a Jesuit school, James Joyce being its most celebrated pupil.

Inscribed on a plaque is the mathematical formula that defines quaternions. It was on this site that the mathematician William Rowan Hamilton came upon the formula in a flash of genius and scratched the formula into the stone of the bridge.

Ceol is an interactive museum that presents the many aspects of Irish music from the instruments to the songs, dances, and practitioners. Eleven different galleries show how music has been interwoven with all of Irish history.

On South William Street, which can be reached by making a detour from the northwest corner of St Stephen's Green along South King Street, which runs west to South William Street, stands Dublin's Civic Museum, originally headquarters of the Society of Artists, and built in 1765-71. It has an exhibition of old plans, models, etc., of Dublin in the Octagonal Room.

Immediately west of Dublin's Bluecoat School (or King's Hospital, as it is also called), in Blackhall Place, are the large Collins Barracks (18th C).
Collins Barracks is the site of Ireland's new museum of the decorative arts and of the economic, social, political and military history of the country. Collections include ceramics, silver, glassware, period furniture and weaponry.

From here, majestic cruise ships depart for distant ports of call. While docked, these mighty ships are a spectacle for all to see.

This small town garden contains an excellent collection of bulbs, alpines and perennials.

Beyond the River Dodder, in the Donnybrook district of Dublin, is the national radio and television station, with a tall transmission tower. This was the site of the famous Donnybrook Fair, established by King John in 1204 and suppressed in 1855 after it had become notorious for disorder.

The Arts Building at Dublin's Trinity College houses the Douglas Hyde Gallery in which periodic exhibitions of Contemporary Irish art are shown.

Northwest of Rathfarnham lies the Drimnagh district of Dublin. Between Nass Road (N7) and Long Mile Road is Drimnagh Castle (15th C.), with a well-preserved moat and outer ward; the castle itself is incorporated in a later building occupied by the Christian Brothers. Formerly outside the town, the castle was built to deter cattle raiders.
The castle has a recreated Gothic garden.

Dublin's City Hall (by Thomas Cooley, 1769-79), an imposing domed building, was originally the Royal Exchange. In the entrance hall are statues of local notabilities. In the Muniment Room are the city archives, including royal charters, the earliest of which (1172) grants the territory of Dublin to the city of Bristol.

In 1991, the Dublin Writers' Museum was opened in two 18th C. houses. No. 18 honors the great Irish writers, including Swift, Wilde, Yeats and Joyce; the neighboring building serves as a meeting place for contemporary writers and for the exhibition and readings of their new works. The museum, which has a bookshop and a cafe, is open in summer.

Farther south along Upper Merrion Street from the National History Museum, beyond Merrion Row, we come to Ely Place, a cul-de-sac of elegant Georgian houses of about 1770. The finest is Ely House (No. 8), with a handsome staircase and good stucco ceilings; it is now the headquarters of the Knights of Columbanus.

From the southeast corner of Merrion Square Fitzwilliam Street runs south to Fitzwilliam Square (c. 1825), Dublin's best preserved Georgian square. Fitzwilliam Street, also Georgian, is a good example of the style, with the additional attraction of a view of the Wicklow Mountains on the horizon to the southwest.
At 29 Fitzwilliam Street Lower is a house displaying the lifestyle of 1800 Georgian Dublin. It is furnished and decorated in the Georgian period. Guided tours only, includes audio-visual show.

Croke Park is the home of Ireland's national games of hurling and gaelic football. Founded in 1884, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is Ireland's largest sporting and cultural organisation. The museum has historic exhibits and databanks that highlight historic moments, the great games and names of sport. The tour of Croke Park offers an in-depth look at one of the most historic and modern sporting arenas in the world and includes the dressing rooms, corporate suites, VIP section, media centre and pitch side.

In Parnell Square lies Dublin's Garden of Remembrance, laid out in 1966, with a sculpture by Oisín Kelly ("Lir's Children," 1970). The garden is dedicated to all who gave their lives for Ireland's freedom.

On the west side of Dublin's O'Connell Street stands the imposing General Post Office (by Francis Johnston, 1815-17), which in 1916 became the headquarters of the rebels under the leadership of Patrick Pearse and James Connolly. The Irish patriots are commemorated in the main hall ("Death of CuChulainn").

In Henry Street, round the corner, is the philatelic counter, and farther north, at 14 Upper O'Connell Street, the Tourist Information Office.

On Phibsborough Road is the Glasnevin or Prospect Cemetery, Dublin's extensive burial ground with the graves of Daniel O'Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Roger Casement and many other Irish patriots.

A boat can be taken from Howth harbor to Ireland's Eye, a rocky islet 1.25mi/2km offshore, with a little church and a Martello tower (a watchtower dating from Napoleonic times).

The Irish Jewish Museums tells the story of the Jewish community in Ireland.

The Iveagh gardens were designed by Ninian Niven in 1863 with fountains, rustic grotto, maze, wilderness, rosarium, woodlands, etc.

Joyce's Ulysses refers to this house which was a dancing academy. The house contains all murals and a fine Georgian interior. An archive to James Joyce is being assembled.

0.5mi/800m west of Whiskey Corner, in Blackhall Place, we come to King's Hospital, also known as the Bluecoat School. The School was founded in 1669, but the present handsome building (by Thomas Ivory) dates only from the last quarter of the 18th C.; the dome was added in 1894. The interior has fine stucco work and carving. This is the headquarters of the Incorporated Law Society.

To the rear of the National Library and Museum in Dublin, set back from the street, stands Leinster House, the Republic's Parliament, the seat of the Dáil Eireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Eireann (Senate). This sober and dignified building (by Richard Cassels, 1745) was originally the town house of the Dukes of Leinster.

In Dawson Street, to the north of St Stephen's Green, is the Mansion House (1705), seat of the Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1715, with the Round Room by John Semple.
The Round Room was the meeting place of the first Irish Parliament in 1919. There the Proclamation for the Irish Republic was ratified.

From the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Modern Art, Merrion Street runs southeast to Merrion Strand and along the shores of Dublin Bay to Dún Laoghaire.

1mi/1.5km south of Donnybrook, beyond the River Dodder, at 20 Palmerston Park, we come to the Museum of Childhood, with a collection of dolls from 1730 to 1940, rocking horses, toys etc.

Northeast of the Glasnevin Cemetery, on Dublin's Phibsborough Road, bounded by the River Tolka, are the 50acre/20ha Botanic Gardens, with a fine wrought iron Palm House (by Richard Turner, 1842-50).
The gardens carry about 20,000 species and cultivars in plant collection.

The National Concert hall is a music venue that was designed in the classical style for the Great Exhibition of 1865. Presentations include visiting international artists and orchestras, as well as concerts of jazz, contemporary and traditional Irish music.

The National Library (1890), to the left of the entrance gateway to the Bank of Ireland, has collections of early printed books (notably 17th C. Irish literature), old maps and topographical works, and a newspaper archive.

Artifacts dating from 7000 BC to the 20th C. include examples of Celtic and Medieval art, everyday culture of prehistoric Ireland, as well as ancient Egypt.

Dublin's National Wax Museum features wax figures of Irish politicians (Charles Stewart Parnell, Douglas Hyde, Eamon de Valera), actors and writers (James Joyce), and prominent international personalities.

On Dublin's Upper Merrion Street we come to the Natural History Museum, which has a large collection displaying the fauna of Ireland (including skeletons of prehistoric animals). It also contains the Blashka Collection (glass models of marine creatures). Opposite the museum, at No. 24, is the house in which the Duke of Wellington was born.

Southeast of the Old Library of Dublin is the New Library (by Paul Koralek, 1967).

The two buildings on the south side of St Stephen's Green (Nos. 85 and 86) are known as Newman House. They are owned by University College and have recently been thoroughly restored. These houses are especially renowned for their stucco work. No. 85 was built for Captain Hugh Montgomery and No. 86 was designed by Robert West. The buildings commemorate John Henry Newman, the first rector of the Catholic University, the precursor of University College.

From Fairview Park, Clontarf Road borders the north side of the bay in the direction of Howth. To the right can be seen the flat North Bull Island, with two golf courses (Royal Dublin and St Anne's).
This 300 ha island in Dublin Bay was formed after the construction of the Bull Wall in the 1820's.

Now a Nature Reserve and Bird Sanctuary of international importance with up to 25,000 wading birds using the area in Winter.

A good starting point for a sightseeing tour in Dublin is O'Connell Bridge, which spans the Liffey (here 45yd/42m wide) in the center of the city. Built in 1792-94, it was widened in 1880. The river, flanked by quays on both sides in its passage through the city, is crossed by a total of 10 road bridges.

The Municipal Gallery of Modern Art overlooks Parnell Square, where there are three fine 18th C. buildings - the Gate Theater (founded in 1928 in part of the old Assembly Rooms), the Rotunda (now rebuilt as the Ambassador Cinema) and Richard Cassels's Rotunda Hospital. The main building, linked with the wings by colonnades, is topped by a domed tower. A beautiful staircase leads up to the Chapel, which has a fine stucco ceiling with numerous figures in strong relief.

A former school run by Patrick Pearse, it is now a museum in beautiful grounds. Attractions include exhibitions and a 20-minute audio-visual show entitled "This Man Kept a School".

Outdoor concerts are held during the summer season.

Immediately adjoining St Andrew's Church, to the east of Trinity College, is Pearse Station, which has services to Wexford.

On South William Street stands Powerscourt House, an imposing mansion (1771-74) built by Robert Mack for Viscount Powerscourt, now converted to commercial purposes (Powerscourt Town House Center). The beautiful stucco work in the staircase hall, main hall and reception rooms can be seen on application.

The extension of South William Street leads back by way of College Green to Trinity College.

To the southwest of the Museum of Childhood at Palmerston Park is Dublin's Rathfarnham district. Here begins a long distance footpath through the Wicklow Mountains. In the park itself the stately mansion is worth visiting. The former stables have been restored and now house workshops in which traditional crafts are practiced.

The Castle was built by Adam Loftus around 1583. It has an interesting and colorful history which was declared as a national monument in 1980s.

In Dawson Street, to the north of St Stephen's Green, is the Royal Irish Academy, with a library which contains a priceless collection of manuscripts of the sixth to the 17th C., including the "Cathach," a psalter possibly written by St Columba.

The birthplace of George Bernard Shaw is restored to its original style. It includes a front parlor, children's bedrooms and upstairs drawing room where Shaw's mother hosted musical evenings in the mid-19th C.

From Pearse Station, Pearse Street leads past the main building of Dublin City Library and over the Grand Canal (with its docks on the left) to Shelbourne Park, with a greyhound racing track.

To the east of Dublin's Trinity College, in Westland Row, is the handsome neo-Classical St Andrew's Church (1832-37).

In Dawson Street is St Ann's Church (by Isaac Wills, 1720), with a mid 19th C. neo-Romanesque facade and good woodwork in the interior.

Walking along Patrick Street and St Nicholas Street to Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral and turning left into High Street, we see on the right the two St Audoen's Churches. The Protestant one is a National Monument and is Dublin's only surviving medieval church. Of the original structure there remain the nave (13th C.), in which services are still held, the choir and south aisle (both roofless) and two chapels. In the porch are the Portlester Monument (1496) and a number of gravestones.

High Street in Dublin runs by way of Cornmarket into Thomas Street West. On the left is the massive facade of St Catherine's Church (by John Smyth, 1769) in front of which Robert Emmet, who had led a rising against the British, was hanged in 1803.

One of Dublin city's most charming and atmospheric parks, with its riverside walks, waterfall and walled garden.

The Abbey was founded in 1139 as a daughter house of the Benedictine Order of Savigny. It is one of the largest and most important historical monasteries in Ireland. The Office of Public Works, along with the Dublin Archaeological Society and the History of Art Department of Trinity College, have put together an interesting exhibition.

Walking down Bolton Street and Capel Street, we reach Mary Street (on the left), in which is St Mary's Church (1702), Dublin's oldest unaltered Protestant church, with rich carving on the organ loft and galleries. The churchyard was presented to the city by the Church authorities in 1966 as a Wolfe Tone memorial garden. Nearby is Wolfe Tone Street, named after the leader of the United Irishmen.

Facing Tyrone House on Marlborough Street stands St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin's principal Roman Catholic church, built in 1816-25 on the model of the Temple of Theseus in Athens. The High Altar was the work of Peter Turnerelli. Masses are also said here in Italian and Spanish.

West of Dublin's Four Courts in Church Street is St Michan's Church (1095; much restored), in the crypt of which can be seen a number of mummified bodies.

From Dublin Castle a narrow street, Castle Street, runs west. At Nos. 7-8 is the entrance to little St Werburgh's Church (1759), with a beautiful interior.

Going north from Abbey Theater along Marlborough Street in Dublin, we pass on the right Tyrone House (by Richard Cassels, 1741), with a handsome staircase and good stucco work by Francini. It is now occupied by the Department of Education.

The gardens are a place of remembrance and architectural interest. The gardens were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and dedicated to the 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in 1914-1918 war. Their names are contained in the granite bookrooms in the garden.

The center is in a modern building constructed on the Grand Canal Basin in Dublin, beside Pearse Street Bridge and the I.D.A. Enterprise Tower. It houses an exhibition designed to introduce the visitor to the story of Ireland's Inland Waterways. Attractions include an audio-visual show and working models showing various engineering features.