Guide: all countries » Ireland » Dublin » Cultural sights

Culture of Dublin. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Garden of Remembrance (Dublin) Dublin Castle is the main historical attraction of the city. The beautiful construction was built during the colonial era. This is a powerful fortification with thick walls surrounded by a high stone wall and a moat. For many centuries the castle has remained an impregnable fortress. Today the territory of the old castle is open to public. Thanks to the fact that during its existence the castle has not been ambushed, the building has survived to this day in its original form. Today the spacious halls of the fortress are used for various celebrations and official meetings. Visitors of the city will be interested in walking in the territory of the castle and looking to its inner premises.
Family holidays with kids in Dublin. How to entertain your child, things to show to children.
It will be interesting to relax with children in this ancient Irish city. There are many original attractions and entertainment here. If the holiday is going to be in the warm season, it is … Open
The territory of the fortress is also home to old Gothic church of Most Holy Trinity, which is definitely worth visiting. Speaking of religious sites of the city, we simply cannot fail to mention St. Patrick's Church as this is the largest building of its kind in Ireland. The opening of the church took place in the first half of the 13th century. During its long history the church was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. The only element of the buildings that has survived from the very first church is a font, which is located above the old chapel. The church houses many interesting sculptures and monuments, which depict representatives of noble families and famous graphs.
Among the cultural institutions of Dublin National Museum occupies an honorable place. The museum is located in former barracks. These buildings were built in the beginning of the 18th century. The museum exhibits interesting collections of household items, vintage clothing, folklore objects, as well as glass, ceramics and silver. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Cuisine of Dublin for gourmet with top restaurants and cafe
Travellers usually associate Dublin with cozy pubs and excellent beer. However, gastronomic peculiarities of the city are not limited by these features. In this city vacationers will find … Open
Natural History Museum is a place where tourists will find interesting collections of artifacts. The items exhibited there have been brought from all over the world. Fans of art will enjoy their walk to Museum of Modern Art, which presents the most extensive collection of paintings and sculptures. The building, which houses the museum, was built in the end of the 17th century. Previously it housed the Royal Hospital. The museum’s building is surrounded by an extensive park zone. During hot days both locals and travellers enjoy resting there. This is only a small part of important places of interest that can attract attention of curious travelers.
In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Dublin and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Dublin and surroundings

Plan your own excursion through Dublin: churches, museums and castles

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The Christ Church Cathedral is the main cathedral of Dublin situated in the historic part of the city.
» That’s one of three ancient cathedrals.
» The temple was founded in 1031 by the Viking king Sitrig Silkenberd for the first archbishop of Dublin Donat.
» In 1487 the coronation of Lambert Simnel as King Edward VI was held there; once he unsuccessfully tried to overthrow the King of England.
» The cathedral crypt is the oldest structure in Dublin. It contains treasures of the Christ Church, manuscripts, tabernacle, candlesticks and other artifacts.
» The vast crypt under the cathedral houses works of art on par with a mummified rat and cat that chased it found in the organ in 1860.

St Patrick Cathedral, Dublin

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The St. Patrick Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Ireland.
» Throughout the history, this shrine has always been inextricably associated with the Irish culture. Jonathan Swift, the famous writer and satirist, was the dean of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745; many of his famous sermons and "Irish tracts" were written during his deanship.
» Since 1783 to 1871 knights were accoladed in the Cathedral. The cathedral is still possible to see the emblems of those conferring knighthood.
» The Cathedral is the venue for many public and national ceremonies. Every November there is the Day of Remembrance; the President of Ireland attends the ceremony.
» The Cathedral is the burial site of two Irish presidents; Douglas Hyde in 1949, and Erskine Childers in 1974.
» In 2006, the cathedral took 18 Afghan refugees seeking to obtain political asylum, and housed them for a few days.

The Custom House, Dublin

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The Custom House is one of the main Classical architectural attractions of the Irish capital.
» Its façade is decorated with heraldic images and sculptures by Edward Smith symbolizing rivers of Ireland. The statue on the dome of the building and some other sculptures were created by sculptor Henry Banks.
» At the time, the use of the building for the collection of custom fees has lost relevance, so it was used as the headquarters of the local government in Ireland.
» During the War for Independence in 1921 The Irish Republican Army has burned the building. The original interior of the building was completely destroyed by fire and the central dome collapsed.
» After declaring the independence of Ireland, by the decision of the Government of the Irish Free State the building was completely renovated.

Dublin Castle, Dublin

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The Dublin Castle is the main government complex of buildings in Dublin; it was the main outpost of the British in Ireland in past.
» Created initially as a fortification of the city, the castle has been used for various purposes throughout its history. It was the residence of the king; the castle housed the Parliament and the courts.
» Since 1922 the Dublin Castle served as a court complex for 10 years, and in 1930 it was decided to hold there the inauguration of the President of Ireland.
» In 1938, the castle housed the residence of the first President of Ireland, Douglas Hyde.
» Currently, the castle holds routs of foreign heads of state, as well as foreign delegations and banquets on national holidays; dungeons of the castle are used for concerts.
» The Dublin Castle is open to the public, except cases of public ceremonies.

National Museum of Ireland, Dublin

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The National Museum of Ireland is situated in the heart of Dublin. The museum specializes in Irish art, culture and natural history.
» A rich collection of the National Museum includes prehistoric gold jewelry, Celtic outfits, numerous early Christian jewelry and relics, forging metal and more.
» Clonycawan Man, a well-preserved body of a man of the Iron Age, found in Clonycawan can be seen in the museum. The height of the former was 1.57 cm.
» Ethnographic museum collections were gathered in the farthest corners of the world: Polynesia, South America, West Africa, etc. Collections of applied art and history tell us about the culture of the country and its people over the past two millennia.
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Iconic cultural sights of Ireland

The main government building of the country is Dublin Castle. King John Lackland ordered to build it after the Norman attack. Nowadays, Dublin Castle is used for conferences and meetings of the first persons of states. If there is no governmental session in the castle, tourists are allowed to visit it. The heart of the county of Tipperary is the castle of Cair. The building is well preserved even though it was built in the 12th century. There is a museum, where you can see a very spectacular miniature, Taking the Castle of Cair. It consists of one thousand soldiers figurines. There are the library and museum of Chester Beatty, which shows thousands of manuscripts from different eras from around the world. Fragmentary manuscripts of the Qur'an of the 8th century are also displayed there. … Open

What to visit during two-day excursion in Dublin

Irish Museum of Modern Art
Where: Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin; Telephone: +353 1 612 9900;
Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
Where: 9 Duke Street, Dublin; Telephone: +353 1 670 5602;
Guinness Storehouse
Where: Saint James’s Gate, Dublin 8, Dublin; Telephone: + 353 1 408 4800;
Trinity College
Where: College Street, Dublin; Telephone: +353 1 896 1000;
National Museum of Ireland
Where: Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Dublin; Telephone: +353 94 9031773 or +353 1 6484 392;
Reference information
Map of all art museums
Art galleries in Dublin and around
♥   Art museum 'National Gallery of Ireland' Dublin, 0.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery' Dublin, 0.9 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Irish Museum of Modern Art' Dublin, 2.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all churches
Cathedrals and basilicas near Dublin
♥   Cathedral of St. Patrick, Dublin, 1.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Church of the Immaculate Conception, Navan, 31.1 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Former Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, Trim, 41.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett, Drogheda, 41.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Cathedral of St. Brigid, Kildare, 48.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow, 72.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo

Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Dublin

Belfast
Belfast Castle is one more remarkable landmark of the region and one of the most important historic symbols of Belfast. The castle was built in the 12th century. The latest extensive restoration took place in the second part of the 19th century. There are many ... Open »
Isle Of Man
The symbol of the island, a horse tram, can be seen in Douglas. Tram was first launched in the capital in 1876 and still continues to operate to this day; ride on it remains one of the most popular activities among tourists. There are also impressive medieval buildings ... Open »
Galway
Another notable medieval structure is Lynch's Castle dating back over five hundred years. It has repeatedly changed its status throughout its entire history. The castle had served as a prison for a long time, and today the prominent medieval building is occupied by ... Open »
Liverpool
The biggest cathedral in the UK is located in Liverpool. Its construction took place in the first half of the 20th century. This prominent religious monument is also known as one of the main symbols of the city. Metropolitan Cathedral, which attracts tourists by its ... Open »
Blackpool
The city is home to a huge number of entertainment venues that easily fit absolutely different tastes. However, more and more visitors prefer to make a walk to the elegant Stanley Park. This is the place where you can admire graceful swans, hand feed the local ... Open »
Chester
City walls built in the early medieval period represent one of the main historical attractions. A walk on wall’s pathway will give a lot of impressions. It starts at the Eastgate and goes to the Newgate; the wall offers a breathtaking view of the city. Other striking ... Open »
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