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Tourist guide: what to do and see in Dublin
A four-leaf clover.
Why not enjoy the city and the countryside at the same time? Green expanses that can be glimpsed from wherever you are in the city, surrounded by a genuinely friendly city with myriad options for entertainment, culture and relaxation to choose from. Allow yourself to marvel at the great monuments and bridges in this 21st-century city which still perfectly depicts all the different eras of its history… and then relax and sample the original dry stout. Enjoy the shopping, the nightlife and the warm openness of the inhabitants, all of which make Dublin the perfect city for a getaway break.
- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
Grafton Street
One of the best places to do your shopping – a whole street full of different shops.
THE street for shopping
The inhabitants of Dublin flock to Grafton Street in groves to go shopping, which is more than reason enough to follow them and discover what types of shops are worth visiting. Located just south of the River Liffey, this pedestrian street is entirely dedicated to the shops which line its pavements, interrupted only by pubs and restaurants in which to take a break and eat something. It tends to be very busy, especially on sunny days, so it’s a good idea to watch out for your wallet – as you would anywhere with big bustling crowds. At night it is so beautifully lit up – not just at Christmas, but all year – that the lights alone are a sight worth seeing. Clothing shops, shoe shops, florists: shopping here is more relaxed and whimsical than in the shopping centres, and at the end of the boulevard you can decide whether you want to go back and buy something else or just have a rest in St Stephen’s Green park.
Natural History Museum
It’s a taxidermy museum with hundreds of specimens to spark your interest
A surprising day out, especially if you go with the children
With the typical black humour of the Irish it’s known as the Dead Zoo, because the Natural History Museum contains a huge collection of taxidermy animals – more than 10,000 specimens from all over the globe – preserved for public exposure and scientific learning. It opened its doors in 1857 and since then has undergone several restorations to improve access and public outreach. A gigantic whale skeleton suspended in mid-air gives way to detailed explanations of the fauna from the different continents (tigers, giraffes and elephants included) and to an exhibit which looks at the evolution of marine life. The Museum includes a section dedicated to the indigenous animals of Ireland, like the giant elk, unfortunately now extinct. If you’ve visited similar taxidermy museums before you won’t necessarily be bowled over by the collection, but it will be a pleasantly shocking trip if you go with children.
National Archeology Museum
A museum to visit and discover the history of Ireland, the people who lived here and their disconcerting traditions
A journey through Irish history and its legends
Did you know that the ancient Celts used to sacrifice humans and offer them to the gods by drowning them in the marshes in the Iron Age, which we know from the remains of bones discovered there? Or that the oldest weapon that remains in Ireland is a stone machete from 7,000 B.C.? The National Archaeology Museum holds the keys to these secrets and much more inside its seven galleries, which take you through the trajectory of Ireland laid bare: from the Prehistoric era to the fall of the Roman Empire, by way of relics found in the country and other discoveries from international expeditions to Egypt, England, Cyprus and Austria. The Museum opened its doors in 1980 and the Victorian architecture hints at some imitation of the Roman Pantheon in its façade. When you get inside you’re submerged in an unsettling voyage which takes you through ancestral rituals, centuries of Viking battles and death, and the Celts’ traditional ways of life and survival.
Grafton Street
As well as its numerous shops, this street is famous for the statue of Molly Malone
A street made for shopping
If you don’t want to part with all your cash in Grafton Street, you had better keep your hands firmly in your pockets with an extreme effort of will as you walk through this pedestrian zone. The area is renowned for being the artistic, commercial and tourist centre of the city, with stall after stall on every pavement, street vendors and flower sellers. It’s one of the most typical and most unmissable spots, and boasts the statue of the famous Molly Malone, a 17th-century seafood vendor - whom no one really knows if she existed or not, but who was the inspiration for the unofficial hymn of Dublin, which is all about her. According to the legend, the unfortunate Molly Malone – who sold seafood by day and her body by night – died right there in the middle of the street, struck down by fever. You’ll recognise the statue of a woman in a long dress with her cart and her baskets of cockles and mussels.
Temple Bar Food Market
Whether you want to buy food or eat there, this fine organic market is well worth your time.
Organic food market
Every Saturday morning until four in the afternoon, Temple Bar Food Market, a unique organic food market, opens in Meeting House Square. It’s worth a visit, both to watch the artisans who make cheese, sausages or honey-based products painstakingly preparing their stalls, and to get tasters of everything or take home some of the healthiest goods you can buy in the city. What started as a traditional market, with farmers bringing their vegetables straight from the field, has evolved into a place for gastronomical and cultural exchange, with influences from all kinds of other countries. Here you might find a Mexican taco stall next to one selling fresh oysters, a stall selling spices from around the world, and in yet another corner one selling flowers or vegetables guaranteed never to have been anywhere near fertilizers or pesticides.
Moore Street Market
Colours and exciting smells come together in this unique Dublin market
Colourful street market with lots of variety
Above and beyond the spirit of high street shopping you’ll find Moore Street Market, a picturesque corner in true Dublin style. Located just past Henry Street, its traditional market atmosphere is what makes it stand out. You won’t find clothes or luxury brands in its street stalls, but instead the fragrance of flowers in the place where locals get their fruit and veg and where the stallholders chat to you with a friendly manner and thick Dublin accents as they serve you. This is one of the oldest food markets in the city, and little by little the international market is creeping in, with a few shops selling foodstuffs of Arabic, African and Asian origins. In the last few years, altering some of the area’s historic buildings to allow further urbanisation has been brought up as a possibility, but social backlash against the idea has kept Moore Street intact for the time being. You can visit the market from Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Henry Street
At the end of this street you’ll find a variety of high street fashion shops and great shopping centres
Lose yourself among the shops
Another street dedicated to pedestrian shopping is Henry Street, in the northern area of the city. The unofficial stats show that more than 30 million people walk down this boulevard every year, so if your plan is to spend a leisurely day out walking and do some shopping, this is the place for you. It’s a bit further on from the famous conical sculpture of the Spire, and was named in honour of the man who designed it, Henry Moore. It has high street giants like Arnotts and Marks & Spencer, while for fashion lovers it is full of shops like Pepe Jeans, Miss Sixty or Tommy Hilfiger. You’ll also find big centres like Jervis Shopping Centre (three floors, the top one a dedicated food hall), and Ilac Shopping Centre, which is known for its huge range of footwear, fabrics and sports equipment.
Carrolls Gifts & Souvenirs
All the Irish souvenirs you could dream of, to make your most inventive presents
Typical Irish souvenirs
As the name indicates, the point of the Carrolls Gifts & Souvenirs chain of shops is to guarantee you get a variety of colourful objects to fill your suitcase, if you want to take home souvenirs of Dublin as presents. The famous Leprechaun (that tiny imp of Irish legend) features heavily in the souvenirs on offer, ensuring that you don’t end up with the classic lighter or fridge magnet with a picture of the city. The shelves are filled with sheepskins, Celtic ornaments, teacups with funny messages, plant pots with clovers painted on (though there’s no guarantee that you’ll get three leaf clovers growing in them), and clover seeds; a total madhouse of tiny trinkets. It’s worth taking a list of the number of gifts you need to buy, as once you’re inside Carrolls Gifts & Souvenirs there is every chance you’ll be overcome with buyers’ frenzy and have no idea when to stop.
St. Stephen's Green Centre
At this shopping centre you’ll find original gifts crafted by Dublin artists, and much much more.
Time to go shopping
Renowned for being one of the places where U2 played their first concerts, St Stephen’s Green Centre is one of the biggest shopping centres in Dublin, and its spectacular glass-fronted building can be seen from the end of Grafton Street. In recent years it has been a hothouse of independent fashion where every urban tribe could find a shop to suit their particular fetish, as well as the perfect place to buy original gifts with a Dublin hallmark. Split into three floors, the middle one has a wide range of cuisine on offer, so on rainy days you can spend the day there without getting bored. Plans on the agenda for Dublin Town Council include improving access to St Stephen’s Green Centre and creating an area with multiscreen cinemas - so if these are up and running by the time you go to Dublin, this shopping centre will have everything you need for an enjoyable day out on the high street.
Powerscourt Centre
Even if you don’t want to shop, it’s worthwhile coming to see this spectacular building
Not just a shopping centre
Even if you have no intention of buying anything it’s still worthwhile visiting the Powerscourt Centre, a shopping centre that owes its charm to its location: an 18th-century Georgian building owned by nobility, the Powerscourt family, and which played host to the very best dances and cocktail parties frequented by the social crème de la crème of the time. The building, which today has been taken over by shops in which you can indulge your every whim, still maintains a good part of the original décor, so it’s like going shopping inside an 18th-century palace. Among its strong points – apart from the jewellery boutiques and antique shops – are the cafés and the indoor courtyard, complete with gardens, where you can sit down to rest after shopping. The centre also boasts the Powerscourt Gallery, which has rolling exhibitions of pictorial art and photography.
Brown Thomas
For those who value luxury at any price, this is your ideal shopping destination
Luxury and high fashion rolled into one
If you’ve won the lottery and don’t know what to spend it on, the Brown Thomas luxury department stores are the perfect place to invest in luxuries and treats that not everyone could afford. Whatever you’re looking for you’ll find all the top brands under one roof: from diamonds from Tiffany’s & Co to Louis Vuitton bags, not forgetting designers like Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney. Luxury lingerie for special occasions, sunglasses you’ll have seen in all the fashion magazines, shoes, watches, a section for make-up and beauty products. If you want to feel as if you’re in Pretty Woman without glancing at the bill, these great stores have everything you could wish for, all in the same place. And if you don’t want to max out your credit card, it’s still worth a visit just to eye up the merchandise and have lunch in the midst of all the fashion victims who are constantly rushing from shop to shop.
Irish Museum of Modern Art
One of the best modern art collections of the 20th century awaits you in this old hospitall
Modern art in an ancient building
At first glance, the ancient Royal Hospital Kilmainham seems to be exactly what it once was: a sombre 17th-century construction where retired war veterans were lodged. It stands on the ruins of the former monastery of the Knights of St John, which was used as a hospital. Inside, however, you’ll find the avant-garde installations of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), which despite its youth – it first opened in 1991 – is now firmly established on the international map for contemporary art. With more than 4,500 works of art from the mid-20th century onwards, the Museum possesses an exquisite selection of pieces, purchased from the best art galleries in the world. Its ever-growing collection consists of photographs, sculpture, paintings and audiovisual material, and goes out on a limb with some of its more ground-breaking and unconventional exhibitions, like Langlands and Bell’s ‘The House of Osama Bin Laden’ which was so successful in 2003.
Writers Museum
Journey through the history of Irish literature by way of some lesser-known stories
The curiosities of Irish literature
Did you know that Oscar Wilde was a celebrated boxer in his student years? Or that the typewriter that the temperamental author Brendan Beham threw out of a bar window one day was actually recovered? All the quirky secrets that you always wanted to know about Irish authors are given their place in the Writers’ Museum, which is housed in an 18th-century building in Parnell Square. Right next to the Irish writers’ union and syndicate building, the mansion contains statues, busts and portraits of the country’s best-known authors, as well as an enchanting collection of their personal effects. The rooms are divided according to centuries of published literature, both by those writers who stayed in Ireland and those who emigrated from the country and spread their words far and wide. As well as its permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Museum also boasts a reading room, café and bookshop.
Chester Beatty Library
If you love books, you’ll find hugely valuable works from all over the world in this free museum
One of the greatest book collections in the world
The copper magnate Sir Alfred Chester Beatty donated his collection of books, incunabula, papyrus and extraordinarily valuable documents, in order that the public could have access to it. What he perhaps never imagined was that the Chester Beatty Library would be built in his name, a free entry library, internationally recognised as holding some of the greatest bibliographic treasures in history. The Library, which opened in 1950, won the European Museum of the Year award in 2002 for its contribution to the propagation of different religions and cultures. Here you’ll find objects from the Far East, the Middle East, Africa and Europe; jade miniatures from China and copies of the Qur’an dating from the 9th century. One of the most prized parts of its catalogue is the section dedicated to religious traditions, where scriptures from the year 1,100 BC sit alongside some of the best preserved copies of the Old Testament.
James Joyce Museum
A tower with a mysterious past which stands in the little town of Sadycove
James Joyce's source of inspiration
Half an hour from Dublin you’ll find the picturesque seaside town of Sadycove with its Martello tower, inside which is the modest little James Joyce Museum. The tower dates from the time of the Napoleonic invasions, when it was used as a defensive fortress, and then later rented out as living space to tenants. As the story goes, the famous author of Ulysses stayed in this tower in 1904, for precisely six days: Joyce must have seen or heard something he didn’t like (people talk of an incident involving a revolver belonging to his friend and tenant Oliver St John Gogarty) because he was out of there like a shot, never to return again. Nevertheless, he gleaned enough inspiration from his short stay to give a rich atmosphere to the first chapter of his famous novel. Though you’re not likely to come across the writer’s ghost here, the museum still pays tribute to him with photos, letters and various personal effects.
National Leprechaun Museum
Want to feel like an imp? In this museum you’ll learn all about the little people called leprechauns
A fairy museum
If you’ve never been lucky enough to find yourself face to face with a magical little Leprechaun (from the Irish 'Lú Chorpain', meaning “Little body”), the main protagonist of Irish mythology, you can now delve into their magical fantasy world at the National Leprechaun Museum: the trip will be infinitely more entertaining if you go with children. It’s quite surprising that a city like Dublin – modern and cosmopolitan – should dedicate a whole museum to the fairytales of its ancestors, paying homage to the tiny imps of its folk legends. According to legend, Leprechauns are small fairy folk who look like little old men, who spend all their time getting up to mischief and hoarding gold pieces. The museum’s best quirks include rooms filled with giant furniture that make you feel the size of a fairy and the “scary nights” which are held on Fridays and Saturdays for adults only, with imaginative performances that recreate the darker world of the Leprechauns.
GAA Museum
If you love sport and want to know more about the Gaelic games, don’t miss this museum.
Interested in the Gaelic Games?
Croke Park Stadium, the temple of Irish rugby, with capacity for more than 82,000 spectators, is the biggest stadium in the country and has the largest capacity of any building in Europe. Among its amenities you’ll find a museum, which will only interest you if you’re a lover of sports and curious to find out more about Irish sports culture and the Gaelic games. Hurling and Gaelic football are both home-grown games and considered symbols of Ireland, although the concepts have now been exported to other places like London, New York and Buenos Aires, where they are organised and practised by Irish emigrants keen to keep on playing their favourite sports. The GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) Museum not only displays all the equipment used in these games (like hurley sticks and sliotar balls), but also allows visitors to have a go playing them in its one-of-a-kind interactive zone.
Hugh Lane Gallery
A gallery of modern art, full of unique and unusual pieces
Get inside the mind of Francis Bacon
Would you like to know what Francis Bacon’s chaotic studio was really like? The Hugh Lane gallery in Dublin — the first modern art gallery in town — has the answer. Among its rarities and unusual collections you’ll find a reconstruction of the painter’s studio, which has been transported, brick by brick and wall by wall (used both as palette and brush wipe) from his actual studio in London to the new location in Dublin. The gallery is in Charlemont House, a building designed by the architect Sir William Chambers to follow in the Georgian style of that era, and opened to the public in 1908. The collection will dazzle you with some of the finest examples of modern art, both from Ireland and the rest of the world, and not just paintings, but other disciplines too – like the wonderfully colourful and ornate stained glass work ‘Eve of Saint Agnes’, created by Harry Clarke.
Museum of Decorative Arts and History
Even if you’re not overly keen on museums, this one has pieces which make it different from any you’ve seen before
A tour with a difference
The imposing military headquarters Collins Barracks, a neoclassical building which was constructed in 1702 and is thought to be the oldest barracks still standing in Europe, houses the Museum of Decorative Arts and History, which involves a truly unusual journey through the life and traditions of Ireland. In its time this barracks was an important military post, one of the biggest in Ireland, and its parade ground could hold up to six regiments in formation. Nowadays it is used for exhibitions on a wide range of subject matter, from the great battles its own soldiers saw from the 16th century to the present day, to antique furniture of the epoch, and even an exploration of Irish fabric fashions. The Museum of Decorative Arts and History holds the kind of information that is not usually found in other types of collections, such as an extraordinary silver collection, which includes the work of traditional Irish silversmiths, and some wonderful work by fine furniture makers and artisan woodworkers.
National Gallery of Ireland
Art is in the air here - breathe it in and make sure you get to look around the whole museum
An art collection of unimaginable value
Whether you’re interested in art or not, the National Gallery of Ireland – which, surprisingly, is free entry – has to be on your list of places to visit during your stay in Dublin. Its assets have grown so much since it opened in 1864 that the building which houses the exhibitions has actually had to be extended three times, as there was no other way to store the vast quantity of artworks that have been donated and purchased. Its exceptional collection contains some of the finest paintings in history, from the Middle Ages to the last century; not only art from Ireland – for which there is a special designated section – but from all over Europe. So you’ll find the great works of Rembrandt, Monet, Caravaggio or Van Gogh, not forgetting a section dedicated to the Spanish maestros Velazquez, Goya and Picasso. The museum’s holdings include some pieces of furniture, other objects of the ages and sculptures, but most important of all are the 10,000 drawings and prints and 2,500 oil paintings which make up a total collection of 14,000 works of art.
Howth
The best thing to do in this little town is meet some of the locals and let them tell you tales of the sea
A little fishing town that's unmistakeably Irish.
If you are looking to discover the most authentic side of Dublin, all you have to do is catch a bus that drops you at the little fishing town of Howth, 10 miles north of the bay which shelters the city. There you’ll find Dublin veterans, forged by sea and pints, with the purest Dublin accents and a thousand stories to tell about the history of the place. Howth Head is crowned by one of the most symbolic lighthouses in Ireland, Baily Lighthouse, which you reach by taking a winding path along the cliffs that form the headland. It is believed that in the 1st century A.D., according to the maps of Ptolomeo, Howth was a small island which is now joined to the peninsula by a narrow strip of land. Another tiny island does still exist today – Ireland’s Eye, opposite Howth, which is a refuge for bird colonies.
Cliffs of Moher
Come rain or shine, these cliffs hanging over the sea offer incredible views
The cliffs of Ireland
Imagine that, although it means crossing right from one side of Ireland to the other, it only takes three hours from when you leave Dublin to reach the fabled Cliffs of Moher. You’ll almost certainly recognise them as soon as you get there due to the number of films and videoclips that have been shot with the backdrop of this amazing geological formation, which at four miles from the Atlantic Ocean stands 120 metres above it. The view is stunning, regardless of whether you go on a clear day or when the cliffs are covered by thick fog hanging over a rough sea. From the lookout point of O’Brien Tower, built in 1835, you can contemplate nature at its wildest, a spot where numerous ships of the Spanish Armada ran aground at times of invasions, wars and defeats. If you don’t want to go back to Dublin the same day, Galway Bay is a good place to look for a restaurant and a place to stay, and you can continue your excursion first through the prehistoric remains of The Burren and then those of Norman castles which crop up on the way there.
Belfast
If you have time, make sure you visit Belfast, a charming city with a rich history
The capital of Northern Ireland
Just 104 miles from Dublin you’ll find the historic city of Belfast, where rivers of blood have been spilled by clashes between Catholics and Protestants, but which is also an example of a place rising above its own history. You can see the city in one day and the political murals are one of the main attractions (it’s best if you can get one of the black cabdrivers to take you around and tell you the history of each neighbourhood), but it also offers examples of elegant Georgian and Victorian architecture, as well as a splendid assortment of plants in its Botanical Gardens. Among the attractions you’ll find the dock-museum where the ill-fated Titanic was built, and if you follow the coast round Antrim you’ll come to Giant’s Causeway, a strange formation of hexagonal basalt rocks which look like the stairs that a giant might walk up, and which were formed some 60 million years ago.
Wicklow Mountains
This trip is well worth it if you’re interested in history; you’ll see genuine fossils and cave paintings
Prehistoric remains of Ireland
If you get the chance to go out of Dublin, renting a car to travel over the mountainous terrain, a trip to the legendary Wicklow Mountains won’t disappoint you. These mountains are thought to be the cradle of Irish civilisation, and remains of prehistoric settlements, cave paintings, ancient forts, menhirs and evidence of funeral rites from the year 4,300 BC have been discovered there. However, their greatest advantage was that they became a refuge and a point of resistance for the tough Gaelic clans, who over the course of the centuries managed to defend themselves against the Anglo-Norman invasions. The forts built in the Wicklow Mountains held out stoically under siege after siege, to the point where they were given the title “war lands”, in contrast to the easily conquerable “peace lands” of the south. Today you can visit this region, which is marked out on maps as the Wicklow Mountains Natural Park - an area of more than 20,000 hectares - and offers hiking and climbing routes as well as birdwatching.
Trinity College
You’ll be bowled over by this building’s age and its architecture – and the feeling that you’ve stepped into a film
The oldest university in Ireland
Although it is not actually one of the filming locations, the University of Dublin’s Trinity College looks as if it could have come straight out of the Harry Potter saga, with its ancient and mysterious appearance. Considered to be Ireland’s oldest university – the first students attended there in 1592, in what was then the outskirts of Dublin – and with Anglican leanings, it is in the architectural mould of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It sits in College Green, close to the building which housed the Irish Parliament and surrounded by 19 hectares of green campus, with faculty buildings, student residences and sports fields. It has one of the best libraries in the country, made up of four and a half million titles, with manuscripts dating from the 9th century – like the mythical Book of Kells, written by Celtic monks. Despite its great history and reputation, the College did not take in female students until the year 1904.
Dublin Zoo
A fun place to take the children to see unusual animals and find out more about this ancient zoo
Not just a zoo, but also working to rescue more species
One of the main tourist attractions is the Zoo in Phoenix Park, one of the oldest in Europe since it opened its doors at the beginning of the 19th century. It currently has 28 hectares of simulated habitats, with nearly 400 animal specimens that you can visit - in captivity, but in surroundings that are very like what their native environments would be. Among its “star” animals are several species in danger of extinction, like the white rhinoceros that the zookeepers have succeeded in breeding in captivity. Organised activities include watching the zoo’s inhabitants at feeding time: Siberian tigers, Asian lions, the penguin colony and the seal show. The zoo carries out extensive conservation work – which is what your entrance fee is used to fund – and has a department that works towards rescuing endangered species all over the world, including those indigenous to Ireland.
Sea Safari
Take a trip on the river to get a different perspective on the history of Dublin
A trip on the water
Seeing Dublin Bay from another perspective – to be precise, from the water, on board a motorboat – is another exciting prospect if time and tide permit it. The Sea Safari company runs short boat trips, which take you up and down the Liffey River and around the port area, following a historical itinerary that explains how the city evolved between the 17th and 19th centuries. The best time of day to do this is in the late afternoon, when the sunset makes the views of the city even more spectacular. If it’s the scientific aspect of the area that interests you, there is also a trip to suit you: a tour which takes you around the Bay, then out towards Kiliney Bay and Dalkey island, a sort of ornithological and marine life expedition which leaves from Poolbeg Marina. Porpoises, seals and other indigenous animals come so close that all you need to do is take out your camera to capture shots like a daring travel reporter. These boats will only set sail once a minimum of six passengers are on board.
Merrion Square Park
This park is a good place to have a rest and gaze at the figure of Oscar Wilde.
Stroll around just like Oscar Wilde himself would have done
Can you imagine Oscar Wilde sitting in the park on a sunny day, musing over his next novel? Or strolling around looking for inspiration? If he had done, it could easily have been in Merrion Square Park, on the south side of Dublin, where his fixed residence was also located. A fine example of Georgian landscaping, the design work began in the mid 18th century and took almost a century to be completed. In the beginning it was a space for leisure activities, reserved solely for the bourgeoisie who lived in the neighbouring Victorian houses (like Oscar Wilde himself, to whom a statue in the park pays tribute; the Irish Independent leader Daniel O’Connell or the artist AE). Among the curiosities to be found in the park is a permanent exhibition of a collection of lampposts which lit up the Dublin nights during the 19th century, and an air raid shelter which lies hidden beneath a cover of grass and which beneath its field-like appearance could have sheltered more than a thousand of the city’s inhabitants.
Phoenix Park
It’s impossible to see it all on foot, but don’t miss visiting this park and strolling among its friendly inhabitants
The biggest park in Europe
Whether you’re spending a lovely day out in the sun or going for a walk with your umbrella and raincoat, Phoenix Park – located just over a mile from the centre of Dublin – absolutely has to be on your list of places to visit. Over 700 hectares of space, it is thought to be the largest urban park in Europe; and to give you an idea of its size, it is twice as big as Central Park in New York, but has been exploited less by filmmakers. You can explore its vast expanse on bicycles, which can be hired in the park itself, and you’ll be captivated not only by the breathtaking landscapes of lakes and trees, but also by the deer which graze freely in the park and will suddenly step across your path without warning. One morning won’t be enough to see the whole park, and you also have the option of getting on one of the open-top buses which take tourists on a circuit inside the park.
O’Connell Street
If you don’t know where to start we recommend you take a stroll down this street, full of shops and bars
A good introduction to Dublin
If you want to get to know the streets of Dublin, the best place to start is the wide avenue of O’Connell Street, named in honour of the 19th-century Irish Independence leader, Daniel O’Connell, whose statue looks over the street. This is the main artery of the city, and here you’ll find not only a wide range of shops (with lots of outstanding souvenirs if you need to buy presents), bars and restaurants, but also the key to everything: a well-equipped tourism office where you can get maps, guides to Dublin and other detailed information, as well as timetables and price lists for museums and tours. O’Connell Street is a good starting point from which to feel the pulse of the city, before diving into its narrow streets or taking advantage of the bus routes which start here to take little day trips to places in the outskirts of the city. At the end of this street you’ll find yourself right by the Spire of Dublin, officially called the ‘Monument of Light’, an extraordinary conical sculpture 120 metres tall, which was unveiled in 2003.
The Old Storehouse
An Irish night out with all the trimmings: Food, beer and folk music
An Irish pub for a night out with a difference
In the area renowned for its bars and pubs, Temple Bar, you’ll find The Old Storehouse, a small restaurant which as well as its reasonable prices also offers live folk music. This is one of the hang-outs of the Dublin youth, who flock here attracted by the casual menu options and generous portions. Here you’ll find everything from fish and chips to burgers with abundant condiments, beef steaks, giant salads and sandwiches, not forgetting the house recipes which use Guinness. It is worth arriving early to get a place, because as the evening approaches the locals appear en masse, drawn to the atmosphere of an authentic Irish pub. After a wonderful dinner, you can have a pint without leaving your seat and watch the live bands: the perfect plan for a night in Dublin.
Chapter One
Michelin starred restaurant where food is an art form
A gastronomical work of art
A favourite haunt of international food critics can be found on the lower ground floor of the Writers’ Museum: the multi-award-winning Chapter One restaurant, which counts a Michelin star among its many accolades. Chapter One has the honour of catering to the menu orders from Parliament every time Ireland has an important official visit, so you really can eat like kings and prime ministers do. With that in mind, you can imagine the type of international fusion cuisine you’ll find in this exclusive atmosphere, with dishes that look like works of art, a wine list of incalculable value, personalised service and prices which do justice to all of the above. According to critics, Chapter One’s strong point is actually its Irish cuisine, and it tends to reinvent international recipes by adding its own personal adaptations. The best option if you want to see what it’s all about and not be plagued by doubts is to ask for a tasting menu: you won’t be disappointed.
Kilkenny
Whether it’s breakfast or lunch, this restaurant will leave you satisfied in every sense of the word
The breakfast of champions
A restaurant and café rolled into one, the Kilkenny has a wonderful view of Trinity College, which also means it is often frequented by students who want to have breakfast before going to their classes. Their breakfast combinations may surprise you – on the same plate you could have toast with jam, pastries and fried eggs with sausages, cherry tomatoes and black pudding. If you want to make a strong start to the morning and are not planning on eating until the evening, the Kilkenny is your best starting point. For lunch it offers seasonal salads, the ingredients of which change along with the weather, as well as rolls, paninis, and toasted sandwiches filled with turkey and cheese. You’ll find the food menus international: from chicken tikka masala to salmon flavoured with lemon, and all at unbeatable prices.
Sabor Brazil
Even if the weather doesn’t measure up, you can get a taste of Brazil without stepping outside this exclusive restaurant.
The best of Brazil in Dublin
Considered one of the best and most exotic restaurants in Dublin, Sabor Brazil looks like it has come straight out of a baroque film with its elaborately decorative furniture; mirrors, sideboards, tables and armchairs, which make you feel like a star in their midst. The limited space means that dinners are always cosy, with a single tasting menu which takes you through specialities from different parts of Brazil. The delicatessen menu consists of sushi, cheese bread, baked bacalhao, cream cakes, a selection of different meat fillets served on a bed of sauces, sorbet of the day and desserts which all feature hints of chocolate. It’s not a restaurant that you’d go to every weekend (if you make a reservation, they charge you the fixed menu price of 100 Euros straight away), but the exclusiveness of the place also ensures that the evening will be an unforgettable experience.
Unicorn
Enjoy an exquisite and romantic dinner with quality dishes and unbeatable service
An intimate dinner
If you want to dazzle your partner with a romantic dinner or just give yourself a gastronomic treat, the Italian restaurant Unicorn is the perfect place as long as you book in advance. With its well-cared-for décor, the restaurant’s selling point is the personal service you can expect - candles and exquisite wine list included – and above all, the generous portions of some of the best Italian recipes. It’s not a cheap restaurant, but it is the perfect spot to relax after a rainy day or a long walk, being a sociable place where the city’s business executives and beautiful people alike gather for post-work drinks. Sometimes the Unicorn’s prices can be lower, if you get a special offer, in which case you shouldn’t think twice about coming here. The menu includes meat medallions that melt in your mouth, classic Italian pastas, exquisite scallops and the tastiest Italian-style fish dishes.
Leo Burdock
A place chock-full of charm where you can buy food and ask Bono for his autograph at the same time!
The best fish & chips in Dublin
Leo Burdock’s restaurant is to Dublin what cheesecake is to New York: an authentic, undiluted taste of pure Dublin, it has been established since 1913, has the best homemade fish and chips around, and is frequented by celebrities of the likes of U2 or Bruce Springsteen. It’s a chain with several different venues, all of which are known for their tasty chips (customers are always asking what they fry them in to make them so crunchy), served with a variety of sauces and fried fish. The Burdocks in Christchurch, five minutes from St Patricks Cathedral, only serves takeaway food, but if it’s a sunny day it is well worth getting takeaway and sating your hunger in a nearby park. Another Burdocks, in Lower Liffey Street, has seating space for those who want to eat in.
The Bailey
Having a drink or snack on this popular terrace is the perfect way to take a break and recover your strength.
Tapas on the terrace in Dublin
Located near the Grafton Street shopping boulevard, The Bailey can be a good place to grab a snack and have a sit down after a morning of sightseeing. Its balcony terrace is one of the busiest and most sought after in Dublin, especially on sunny days, so be prepared for prices that are in keeping with the tone of the neighbourhood and of the elegant atmosphere within these four walls. The most charming thing about this restaurant is its attempts to emulate Spanish tapas on the menu, with its Spanish cold meat selections, tortilla (potato omelette), little plates of chistorro (an extra-thin, seasoned chorizo), chorizo cooked with onions, platters of cheeses and Spanish cured ham, fried potatoes with alioli and garlic-fried prawns. Dubliners go mad for it – so why not give it a try.
Queen of Tarts
This place will make you want to stop in your tracks, dive through its doors and enjoy a delicious cake
Because everyone likes the sweet life!
The very best of the New York cake tradition was brought to Dublin by artisan bakers Yvonne and Regina Fallon, renowned pastry chefs who trained in the silver screen city and returned to Ireland in 1998 to set up the Queen of Tarts patisserie and tea room. Cakes, pies, pastries, brownies, muffins, sweet buns and of course the traditional Irish apple pies jostle for attention in the shop window, which invites you to step inside and luxuriate in the smell of a pastry oven working at full capacity. The Queen of Tarts’ terrace is one of the best places to have a cup of tea or Belgian hot chocolate while you watch people come and go through the old part of town. And for customers without a sweet tooth, this pastry shop has updated its offering, which now includes a separate section for savoury baked goods, delicious fresh salads, sandwiches and wine tasting – impossible to avoid at mid-morning.
Bewleys Café
An emblematic Dublin café, known both for its literary history and its excellent coffee
A café with a bohemian flavour
Passed down through a family whose expertise in importing tea and coffee goes back to the 19th century, Bewleys Café has not changed much since it opened in 1927. It has always been something of a powerhouse for contemporary literary and artistic gatherings (James Joyce mentions this café in his novel Dubliners), as all the great authors of the moment gathered here to hold their debates, over the best coffee in Ireland. The building – designed by Ernest Bewley – was fashioned in the image of the great popular Parisian and Venetian cafes of the time, and interior, lit by the large chandeliers which were designed by Henry Clarke in 1931, makes you feel like a bohemian writer. It is probably the only place in Dublin where they still roast their own coffee beans, and the rich smell seeps through the whole room, as well as into the exquisite cakes.
winding stairs
If you want to get to know Irish gastronomy, be sure to visit this curious restaurant.
traditional food restaurant.
The Winding Stair restaurant (literally, "spiral staircase", through which its lounge is accessed) is one of the main attractions located next to the River Liffey and the Ha'penny Bridge, with a classic setting on the nostalgic side, including furniture and wooden chairs, old photographs and airs from another era. It is advisable to book in advance so as not to be disappointed by not finding a place, and above all request a table next to the windows with views of the river. The menu includes delicatessens such as Irish artisan cheeses, homemade chutneys and sausages, and an elaborate wine list. The most picturesque part of the restaurant is its old-looking bookstore, where you will find second-hand rarities or the latest bestsellers, which you can read accompanied by its spectacular desserts with a coffee next to the glass-enclosed gallery.
Nightclubs: The Palace and Club M
A super-swish club or an authentic Irish pub to have a decent pint – you decide!
Two options for a night out
An authentic example of an Irish tavern, with décor far removed from the repetitive plastic of international chains and watched over by hanging gardens, you’ll find The Palace transports you on a voyage to the past as you step inside. The décor is reminiscent of the beginning of the 20th century, with dark wooden furniture and walls, armchairs to sit in, and there’s always a classic pint to be had at the bar. Situated in the prime nightlife area, Temple Bar, this is a favourite spot for locals as well as tourists looking for a taste of authenticity; with no TVs or loud music, you can drink beer and chat without shouting. Another entertainment option in the same area is Club M, a club/bar for seeing and being seen, which attracts the classiest of Dublin society in flocks to its masquerade balls and live DJs. In the latter case, the music is the focal point, setting the scene for meeting and greeting on the dancefloor.
A triangle of theatres
It’s a city with rich artistic roots, so you’ll have lots of different places to choose from
More theatre nights
For theatre lovers, Dublin has a range of artistic entertainment on offer to cater to all tastes and dramatic inclinations. On one hand you have the Civic Theatre (half an hour from the city centre, in the Tallaght area) which opened its doors in 1999, an architecturally avant-garde building which provides the stage for many Irish plays as well as foreign co-productions and a modern programme of children’s theatre. The Gaiety Theatre, on the other hand, near St Stephen’s Garden, is an example of Victorian architecture from 1871. Every Christmas it shows well-known pantomimes, and specialises in great musicals for family audiences, with classics like Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast. The Gate Theatre completes the circle for the Dublin dramatic scene ever since its premiere in 1928. It was built with the great playwrights of history in mind, people like Samuel Beckett or Harold Pinter, to whom it holds tributes and commemorations. The likes of Orson Welles and James Neville Manson took their first steps on stage at the Gate Theatre.
National Concert Hall
What better way to round off a day in Dublin than with a classical concert in this incredible auditorium
For the music lovers
With concerts ranging from the likes of the Irish Symphony Orchestra to modern folk music groups, as well as showings of the great operas and musicals, the National Concert Hall is an unmissable place for classical music lovers to visit. The building was constructed in 1865 for the Dublin International Exhibition, and for more than a century was used to house the offices of Dublin University. In the mid sixties, the National Concert Hall succeeded in extending its musical facilities, which it shared with the University, and at the beginning of the 20th century an extensive refurbishment took place, designed to improve equipment and capacity without compromising the original architectural style. If you’re a fan of this type of show, you should check out the Concert Hall’s bill, which includes weekly concerts from the Orchestra as well as surprise international guests.
Abbey Theatre
What began as a boost for young artists is now a major national theatre
A night at the theatre
In sharp contrast to other cultural centres that were destined for the middle classes from the day they were built, the Abbey Theatre, today the National Theatre of Ireland, started from the bottom: it was suggested by Irish playwrights as a place for the working classes who, ever since it was opened in 1904, came back night after night to watch the popular plays of the season. The dramatist William Butler Yeats, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, was one of the driving forces behing the idea, having good connections with the Irish Literary Theatre which was trying to promote the country’s young playwrights in order to revive native culture and traditions. It was Yeats’ secretary and costume designer, a wealthy English lady by the name of Lady Annie Elizabeth Fredericka Horniman, who finally put up the money that made the building of the Abbey Theatre possible. The godparents of Irish theatre got involved with the project by bringing their plays to show there, and they filled the stalls with every performance. Nowadays it is still considered an international theatrical landmark for Irish and foreign actors who tread its stage.
Kilmainham Gaol
As you walk through this prison’s passageways you’ll glimpse what it was like there during the struggle for independence
A visit to a dark past
One of the corners Dublin with the most bone-chilling history is Kilmainham Gaol, built in 1796 and used as a prison and gallows until 1924. Its stone walls conserve a certain aura of desperation and ruin which brings to mind the fate of many Irish revolutionaries who paid with their lives for their country’s independence. But it wasn’t just those condemned for political reasons who were shut up together in this prison; murderers, small-time rogues and any old common thieves also shared the same prison, with no separations for gender or age. In the mid 19th century the famine that devastated Ireland caused the prison to fill up with peasants, some because they were stealing for food and some who stole simply to be imprisoned so that they could at least get one meal per day. The gloomy tour of the passageways that led to the cells where the prisoners lived crammed like sardines finishes at the firing yard: death and history in equal parts.
National Botanic Gardens
A great green area to explore and discover the vast number of species that live there
Take a walk with Nature
To enjoy a day in the great outdoors in Dublin you simply have to go to O’Connell street and catch a bus there which will drop you at the National Botanic Garden, three miles from the city centre. It was opened as a botanical centre in 1795 by the Royal Society of Dublin to further the scientific aims of conservation and the cultivation of as many different plant species as possible from all over the world. With that aim, they managed in a very short time to collect more than 20,000 living species (of which fewer survive today) and thousands of other dried specimens, in order to study them at the National Herbarium. One of the quirks of the National Botanic Garden is the exquisite restoration and maintenance of the old wrought-iron greenhouses, designed and built at the end of the 19th century, which still have their original frames. The plant collections include exotic, delicate orchids, flowers indigenous to New Zealand and China, and the artificially recreated environments include wetlands and mountains.
Dublinia
If you’re travelling with children, this is a great option to spend a fun afternoon and learn about history at the same time
An interactive voyage to Dublin's history
If you are with the children, a good form of entertainment that is fun for all the family is Dublinia, an interactive exhibition in a time-travel style which will take you to the Dublin of the Viking and medieval times. Located in the 17th-century St Michael’s Tower – in actual fact, it takes place on the 96th step of the tower, which means the climb alone is an adventure – Dublinia takes you on a trip through interactive resources, exhibitions and activities made for the whole family. You can dress up as a Viking or a knight, find out how the wealthy and the middle classes of the era lived, take part in medieval games and tournaments – including throwing eggs and vegetables (made of plastic) at a prisoner in the gallows, or try to hold up the weight of the armour worn for the crusades. The museum opened its doors in 1993 and since then its resources have grown to include new historical modules which portray Dublin’s most ancient history.
Old Jameson Distillery
Do you know how whisky is made? Here you’ll see the whole process, with all the details explained
The whisky museum
Next on the Dublin drinks agenda is spirits – for which you can pay a visit to the Old Jameson Distillery, which has been an internationally recognised model of whisky production since 1870. Now the old distillery – and the house of its founder, John Jameson – is also a museum that reveals all the secrets of the alchemy responsible for creating this drink, which for decades has been recognised as one of Ireland’s best vintages. The guided tours take you on a journey through history, right back to 1770 when Mr Jameson decided to make a whisky that was three times smoother than the normal kind, using a process of triple distillation. The tour finishes – and rightly so - with a whisky tasting (if you volunteer and are chosen from amongst your tour group), complete with a Jameson’s tasting certificate, and a browse through the Jamesons’s souvenir shop.
Guinness Storehouse
A unique guided tour lets you see how the famous Guinness is made, as well as tasting it in its original home
A must-see for beer lovers
Any brewing enthusiasts coming to Dublin should not miss the tour of the birthplace of Guinness, which is now converted into an empire and has its own museum, the Guinness Storehouse. At its humble beginning, around the year 1902, it was a simple brewery in which water, barley, hops and yeast were mixed before shipping the barrels of beer to places all over the world. Nowadays it is one of the city’s tourist attractions with its merchandise gift shop and an interactive tour which tells you all about the processes of growing, fermenting, bottling, transportation, and marketing campaigns: in short, the story of Guinness with no secrets. The entrance fee includes a Guinness tasting session, as well as other entertainment such as “learn to pull the perfect pint” (Guinness certificate included), enjoying the exquisite catering with beer-based dishes in the Brewers Dining Gall, or just continuing to drink while enjoying the extraordinary 360º view from the Gravity Bar on the seventh floor of the Guinness Storehouse.
Temple Bar
If you’re a bit of a night owl, this is somewhere you can find street performances and traditional pubs.
Dublin nightlife
For night owls visiting Dublin, one of the unmissable spots is the Temple Bar area, which you’ll find between the Liffey River and Dame Street, after crossing Ha’penny Bridge. The origins of this neighbourhood, which is bursting with pubs, bars and breweries, go back to the beginning of the 17th century when the philosopher and teacher Sir William Temple settled in the area and kickstarted an era of wandering merchants and street vendors who soon began to abandon the place. From that point until the 20th century the area went practically unnoticed, until in 1991 a series of artistic and cultural activities began to rejuvenate it, with the aim of getting Dublin chosen as the European Capital of Culture. Today you can enjoy the nightlife and street performances in what is the centre of Dublin bohemia. One of the best bars in the area is the Temple Bar Pub, which has an indoor open-air terrace and holds folk music concerts.
Saint Michan's Church
It’s not the church that makes this place stand out, but the mummies resting inside
A spine-chilling place
As well as its religious and architectural interest, Saint Michan’s Church in Dublin is famous because of the strange phenomenon that fossilised the corpses buried in its crypts, which nowadays are open to the public. Situated to the north of the Liffey River, this church’s origin dates from the 11th century, though like all the chapels in the country it later underwent restorations which have given the building mixed architectural styles. The visit to the crypt includes a guided tour of the most well-known of these buried characters, such as the brothers Henry and John Seares, whose participation in the 1798 revolt cost them their lives. A copy of the execution order is displayed next to their tombs. You can also see the mummified remains of someone who might have been a thief, as his right forearm is missing, supposedly as punishment for stealing. Apparently, this natural embalming of all the dead in St Michan’s Church was made possible by a combination of methane gas and the limestone in the soil.
Saint Patrick's Cathedral
One of the many points of interest to visit in Dublin, built in honour of Saint Patrick
The National Cathedral of Ireland
Legend has it that in the 5th century Saint Patrick used to baptise Irish converts in a pool that lay next to a wooden church. Today in this very same spot stands the largest Protestant church in Dublin, St Patrick’s Cathedral, which is considered the National Cathedral of Ireland. Its current architecture dates back to 1220, after the Anglo-Norman invaders replaced the wooden chapel with one of stone at the beginning of the 12th century, and it suffered centuries of sieges, fires and ruin until it was restored in 1860. One of the church’s greatest attractions for tourists is its choir, which gives concerts twice a day. There is even a service on offer by which you can rent out the cathedral to hold concerts and events in it, with prior authorisation from the dean. Among its many wonders is the so-called “Door of Reconciliation”: a wooden door with a hole through which the Earls of Ormond and Kildare, who were sworn enemies, are supposed to have shaken hands on a peace agreement in 1492.
Christ Church Cathedral
One of the city’s most important temples, where you can discover part of Ireland’s history
Viking memories
Although it may seem incredible, Dublin is home to the remains of an ancient Viking cathedral from the 11th century, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (known as Christ Church Cathedral), the first stones of which were laid in 1038 to look out over the Viking settlement ruled by King Sigtrygg II “Silkbeard” Olafsson. Unfortunately, the original structure was remodelled by the Anglo-Normans after their invasion of Ireland, and they decided that the cathedrals architectural style should be somewhere between Romantic and Gothic. Due to an error in calculations, the foundations were destroyed by funeral crypts, which was the cause of numerous collapses and restorations over the next few centuries. The medieval remains are barely visible after the latest Victorian restoration which took place at the end of the 19th century, but the tombs of important historic figures still remain, as does at least one bell dating from the Viking age. The Anglican Cathedral also housed the heart of the saint Lorenzo O’Toole from the 13th century onwards, but the relic was stolen in 2012 and has not yet reappeared.
Memorial Garden
A spot to rest and mull over the memories after a day’s sightseeing
A tribute to the dead
Like any monument built in homage to the dead, the Memorial Garden has a certain melancholy air about it, despite being one of the most beautiful green spaces in Dublin. It was opened in 1966 in memory of those Irishmen and women who died in the 1916 Easter Uprising, a rebellion organised by pro-independence groups which could no longer stand being under the rule of the English crown. Although the rebellion lasted only six days and was crushed, it is considered an historic moment at which Ireland’s desire for independence was laid on the table. It’s an ideal park to take a rest, after a hard day’s sightseeing, on the wooden benches which cluster protectively around a tiny pond. In the centre is the bronze statue created by the Irish artist Oisín Kelly especially for this memorial, The Sons of Lir, which represents a group of children transforming into swans – a symbol of the rebirth of a nation.
The Casino at Marino
Don’t expect to find a gambling hall, but a building full of optical illusions
A trick for the eyes
In spite of its name, the Casino at Marino in Dublin is no gambling hall, but one of the best preserved neoclassical buildings in Europe. From 1775 onwards it was the summer home of the first Earl of Charlemont, James Caulfeild. The architecture plays tricks on your eyes - it looks like a relatively small building with a large roman entrance hall and windowed galleries on either side, but this optical illusion hides the reality of 16 rooms, no more no less, divided over three floors, where the very best high society parties, dances and literary reunions of the age took place. Designed by the architect William Chambers, the Casino at Marino also conceals some less decorative but necessary features, like drainpipes and chimney flues, behind the elegant columns of its entrance or the Roman funerary urns on the roof. Inside you’ll find the chambers and rooms of the period perfectly recreated, with explanatory notes to guide you.
Number 29
Take a tour through 18th-century Dublin as you check out all the corners of this house
Do you want to meet Lady Olivia Betty?
You probably have some idea already of what the late 18th-century houses typical of the Dublin middle classes look like, as they have been widely depicted in books and films. However, if you want to experience first hand how the upper class lived in 1794, you have to visit Number Twenty-Nine (just ask anyone around Merrion Square park), a Georgian mansion in which all the relics of the era are preserved almost intact. The tour starts in the basement-kitchen, the domain of the housekeeper, who did everything possible to make the owners of the house comfortable and get the food to the large dining hall on time for formal dinners with guests, or to the informal dining room where the family would eat together. The tour is given by Lady Olivia Betty, a virtual reincarnation of a middle-class lady of the period and owner of the mansion, who leads us to her chambers, complete with 19th-century bed, and to the children’s playroom, where the original toys still remain.
Customs House
You’ll be dazzled by the reflection of its stunning façade in the river as you walk by
A building with history, which was never used…
The Dublin Customs House is the sad story of a monument which was never used for anything. It is an imposing neoclassical edifice, designed by the architect James Gandon in 1791 to house the administration for the tariffs on all the goods which came in through the port of Dublin. Despite the high cost of the building and its elaborate adornments – the doric façade which floats reflected on the surface of the Liffey River, several coats of arms, and the four allegorical statues under its monumental bronze dome – the 1800 Act of Union decreed that the customs administration be centralised and moved to London, so this unique building was never actually used for the purpose for which it was created. And as if that weren’t enough, in 1921 the Irish army set fire to the Customs House, seeing it as a symbol of English sovereignty. The restoration work on the building was not completed until 1991, 200 years after it was first built.
Dublin Town Hall
Don’t miss seeing this building and admiring its beautiful dome.
Delve deeper into the history of Dublin
You’ll find Dublin Town Hall one of the city’s most emblematic monuments. Designed by the architect Thomas Cooley, who won the Merchants’ Guild competition to build their Chamber of Commerce at the end of the 18th century, it is considered one of the greatest examples of neoclassical Georgian architecture and among the most well preserved in Europe. After the town ceased to be an imperial seat, the Town Council bought the building in 1852 in order to install its offices there. What makes you marvel when you see this building is the imposing entrance, upheld on columns, that gives immediately onto the circular gallery, crowned by a dome and with decorative 18th-century statues at the base of each of its twelve columns. As well as the architectural interest it holds, the basement of the Dublin Town Hall building showcases a multimedia exhibition which tells the story of the city from the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century right up to the present day.
Dublin Castle
Do you dare to try and solve the mystery of the stolen jewels? Visit this place to discover its history.
A fairytale castle
The mythical origins of Dublin Castle, which was part of a medieval walled fortress, goes back to the era of King John Lackland, who took over the throne from his elder brother Richard the Lionheart in the 12th century. The remains of that original castle, however, are few and far between, although its land and stones were maintained as a royal residence and government seat for centuries afterwards, surviving fires, wars and restorations. It also had a dark side: the dungeons, where prisoners of the religious crusades were savagely tortured. One of the events that made history in this spot was the robbery of the Irish Crown Jewels in 1907, a crime that remains unsolved to this day. The architecture of the Dublin Castle you can visit nowadays is attributed to one of the many refurbishments which took place around the 17th century, although it’s hard to imagine the era of the Crusades when you see the modern fixtures of today: the castle has been reinvented as a centre for conferences and exhibitions, and its luxurious restaurants offer exquisite cuisine.
Ha'penny Bridge
This is a spot for pledging eternal love to your partner as you watch the sun set together.
A legendary bridge
In the mid 19th century, half a penny would buy you passage across Halfpenny Bridge (or Ha’penny Bridge, officially known as Wellington Bridge) in order to cross the Liffey river. The justification for this toll, which gave the bridge its nickname and stopped in 1919, was the expensive wrought iron brought from England to make the structure, and the fact that it was the first bridge to be lit up. It has been a symbol of Dublin ever since, and now the trend for travelling lovers and tourist couples is to lock padlocks onto the handrails to symbolise the promises of eternal love. It is one of the oldest iron bridges in the world, and was the only footbridge in Dublin until the year 2000 when the Millennium Bridge was opened, making it possible to close the Halfpenny to the public and carry out a complete restoration. The best time to stroll across this bridge is at sundown, when groups of street musicians bring folk instruments to the street and begin to play right beside you, while the bars and pubs of the Temple Bar area await on the opposite bank.
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