Five Top Places to Visit in Dublin
There is a wealth of different tourist attractions in Dublin. Here we look at five of the biggest and best attractions in the city:
The Guinness Storehouse
The most popular tourist attraction in Ireland, the Guinness Storehouse attracts four million visitors a year. Located in the St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin where Arthur Guinness first signed the brewery lease in 1759, this seven-floor visitor experience is the result of a €30million initial investment and takes visitors on a surprising journey into the world’s best-loved beer. The building itself is a highlight of the visit and is centred around an enourmous seven storey pint shaped atrium.
The tour is a journey through brewing process, the story of the Guinness family and Guinness's distinctive advertising. The high point (literally!) for most people has to be the complimentary pint in the Gravity Bar with 360° views of Dublin. Although quite pricey at 14 Euros per adult, no visit to Dublin is complete without going to the Guinness Storehouse.| Admission: | €14.00 per adult €8.00 for student under 18 years €10.00 for students over 18 years €10.00 per senior citizen €30.00 for a family €5.00 per child over six and free for children under 6 years old. |
| Opening Hours: | 7 days a week from 9.30am to 5.00pm (open late in July and August - until 7pm) |
| Phone: | 01 4084800 |
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Website: |
www.guinness-storehouse.com
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Temple Bar
Located just south of the river Liffey, the cobblestoned streets of the Temple Bar area are a popular attraction for many visitors to the city. The area has a bustling nightlife and is home to many restaurants, pubs and clubs. Pubs like the Oliver John St Gogarty and The Temple Bar on Fleet Street are especially popular with tourists and have traditional Irish music in the evenings and at weekends. While several pubs in the area also have food, there are also many restaurants serving food from all over the world.
The Irish Fim Institute on Eustace street screens an eclectic mix of movies from around the world, while the nearby Gallery of Photography shows exhibits major names in contemporary photography thoughout the year. The Temple Bar Gallery off Temple Bar Square are is worth a look.
The Temple Bar Cultural Trust organises different festivals, events and markets over the summer months. The food market held in Meeting House Square sells quality Irish produce and is popular with both tourists and visitors alike. The summer months also see the trust help organise Dublin Circus Festival, the Temple Bar Chocolate Festival and a series of free outdoor movies displayed at weekends (tickets required in advance).
Book of Kells
Located right in the centre of Dublin at Ireland's oldest university, the Book of Kells contains a transcription of four new testament gospels and is masterpeice of calligraphy transcribed by Celtic monks around 800AD. The Book of Kells.
forms part of an exhibition that details its construction, gives the visitor a short historical background to the document and displays other impressive books displaying celtic calligraphy. One page of the original Book of Kells is displayed a day, while copies of significant sections of the book are permanently displayed and discussed in greater detail.
Part of the attraction of visiting the Book of Kells is its location in Trinity College Dublin (established in 1592). Take a few minutes to stroll around the tranquil grounds of the still functioning university before you leave for the busy streets of Dublin.
| Admission: | Adults €8 Students/OAP's €7 Family Ticket €16 |
| Opening Hours: | The Old Library (all year): Monday-Saturday: 9.30am-5pm Sunday (October-April):12pm-4.30pm Sunday (May-September):9.30am-4.30pm Closed 10 days over Christmas and New Year period. |
| Phone: | 01 6082320 |
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Website: |
www.tcd.ie/library |
Kilmainham Gaol
Tours at Kilmainham Gaol provide a fascinating insight into the life of an Irish convict between 1796 and 1924. Many of Ireland's most famous leaders of the independence movement were imprisoned here and residents have included Robert Emmet (1803), Countess Markiewicz (1916), Patrick Pearse (1916) and Éamon de Valera (1916). The jail itself provides an atmospheric backdrop to chilling stories narrated by the well versed tour guides. Certainly a must for anyone interested in Irelands history.
| Admission: | Adults: €5.30, Senior/Group: €3.70 Children/ Students: €2.10 Family €11.50 |
| Opening Hours: | April-September: 9.30am-6pm daily (last admission at 5pm) October-March: Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm(last admission 4pm), Sundays 10am-6pm(last admission 5pm). |
| Phone: | 01 4535984 |
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Website: |
www.heritageireland.ie |
The Irish Museum of Modern Art
Located a stones throw away from Kilmainam Gaol, the Irish Museum of Modern Art is Ireland's leading national institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. The museum is located on the grounds of Kilmainham Hospital, which was built in 1684 and housed retired soldiers.
As well as having an impressive collection held in the museum and displayed in rotation, the museum receives many exhibitions from internationally renowned artists and presents sculpture, fine art, installation and video works. This summer the museum presents work by the highly regarded artist Miquel Barceló.
| Admission: | Free |
| Opening Hours: | Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5.30pm, except Wednesday 10.30am-5.30pm. Sunday & Bank Holidays: 12noon-5.30pm. Closed: Mondays, Good Friday 14th April, 24th-26th December. July - August: Thurs evenings until 8pm |
| Phone: | 01 6129900 |
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Website: |
http://www.imma.ie/ |
