North of the Liffey
Dublin’s most important Catholic church is not quite the showcase you’d expect. It’s in the wrong place for starters. The large neoclassical building,…
Must-see attractions in County Dublin
North of the Liffey
Dublin's second-tallest storied building is either a modernist masterpiece or an unconscionable eyesore, depending on how you see modern architecture. It…
North of the Liffey
Ostensibly designed as a child-friendly museum of Irish folklore, this is really a romper room for kids sprinkled with bits of fairy tale. Which is no bad…
North of the Liffey
One of Dublin's most beautiful buildings is this deconsecrated church, built by Francis Johnston between 1802 and 1813 in Greek Ionic style. It is topped…
Handel's Hotel (Site of Neal's New Musick Hall)
Temple Bar
The clue is the name: on the site of this hotel was once Neal's New Musick Hall, where, on 13 April 1742, the nearly broke GF Handel conducted the very…
Dublin
The domed reading room of this august establishment is the main visitor highlight, and it was here that Stephen Dedalus expounded his views on Shakespeare…
Whitefriars Street Carmelite Church
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
Inside this nondescript church (more properly known as the Church of Our Lady of Mt Carmel) are some fascinating relics, not least the relics of St…
County Dublin
Within the grounds of Howth Castle are the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey, originally founded in 1042 by the Viking King Sitric, who also founded the original…
Number 29 Lower Fitzwilliam Street
Dublin
This carefully restored Georgian home, owned by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), is closed until 2020 while the ESB rebuilds its headquarters next door…
St Stephen’s ‘Pepper Canister’ Church
Dublin
Built in 1825 in Greek Revival style and commonly known as the ‘pepper canister’ on account of its appearance, St Stephen’s is one of Dublin’s most…
Temple Bar
On the southern banks of the Liffey, Sunlight Chambers, designed by Liverpool architect Edward Ould (designer of Port Sunlight in the Wirral, in England),…
North of the Liffey
The big daddy of O'Connell St's collection of statuary is the 'Liberator' himself, Daniel O'Connell (1775–1847), whose massive bronze bulk soars high…
Dublin
This gleaming Edwardian pile opened as the Royal College of Science in 1911 before being transformed into government offices in 1989. Free 40-minute tours…
Temple Bar
More a mini history museum in wax than Dublin's version of Madame Tussauds. The quality of the waxworks remains inconsistent – some look like the result…
County Dublin
Dalkey Island, only a few hundred metres offshore, is home to St Begnet’s Holy Well, the most important of Dalkey’s so-called holy wells. This one is…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott (1949–86) was one of the most beloved of all Dubliners – the epitome of the fun-loving rocker. This bust (2005) of the…
North of the Liffey
This handsome building has been the home of Jesuit Belvedere College (a secondary school) since 1841. James Joyce studied here between 1893 and 1898 (and…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
The early 19th-century Royal College of Surgeons has one of the finest facades on St Stephen’s Green. During the 1916 Easter Rising, the building was…
North of the Liffey
Designed by William Robinson in 1697, this is the most important church to survive from that period (although it’s no longer in use and is closed to the…
Dublin
St Patrick’s Tower is Europe’s tallest smock windmill (with a revolving top). It was built in 1757 to power the Roe Distillery, which by 1887 covered 7…
Dublin
This handsome Palladian mansion was home to St Enda’s, an experimental Gaelic school established by nationalist poet and 1916 martyr Pádraig Pearse. The…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
The headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs occupies two splendid Georgian houses that were joined together by Benjamin Guinness when he bought…
North of the Liffey
This rather austere little park was opened by President Eamon de Valera in 1966 for the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The most interesting…
North of the Liffey
Home to Dublin’s legal profession (and where barristers are still trained), King’s Inns occupies a classical building constructed by James Gandon between…
Dublin
The Phoenix Monument, a Corinthian column topped by a very un-phoenix-like bird, was erected by Lord Chesterfield in 1747, and is often referred to…
Arts & Social Science Building
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
The 1978 Arts & Social Science Building backs on to Nassau St and forms an alternative entrance to the college. It was designed by Paul Koralek in the…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
The Unitarian Church was built in 1863 to house two Unitarian congregations. Although nominally rooted in Presbyterianism, the church is a favourite with…
Temple Bar
This multistorey gallery showcases the works of dozens of up-and-coming Irish artists at any one time, and is a great spot to see cutting-edge Irish art…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
Between the bandstand and the James Joyce statue in St Stephen's Green is a young oak tree at the base of which are scattered the ashes of guitarist Adam…
Dublin
A relaxed space on the 1st floor of a Georgian terrace, Origin functions primarily as a showcase for artists who’ve stayed at the gallery’s County Kerry…
County Dublin
The rather ramshackle National Transport Museum has a range of exhibits including double-decker buses, a bakery van, fire engines and trams – most notably…
Temple Bar
This small gallery devoted to the photograph is set in an airy three-level space overlooking Meeting House Sq. It features a constantly changing menu of…
Temple Bar
Fishamble St, Dublin's oldest street, dates back to Viking times. Brass symbols in the pavement direct you towards a mosaic, just northeast of the…
Temple Bar
Anyone with an interest in Irish contemporary music must visit the CMC’s national archive where you can hear (and play around on an electronic organ) 10…
Dublin
A gorgeous swathe of green lawns, ponds and flower beds near the Royal Dublin Society Showground. Sandwiched between prosperous Ballsbridge and Donnybrook…
Dublin
If you fancy picking up a piece of local art directly from the artist, the Sunday art market, where the work of 100 odd artists is hung on the railings of…
Dublin
Francis Johnston's impressive Georgian gate was designed in 1812 as the Richmond Tower and located on the quays, near the Guinness Brewery. It was moved…
Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green
Trinity College's oldest existing building dates from around 1700. It was originally part of a quadrangle of similar buildings designed to enclose New Sq,…
Temple Bar
The archive of photographs taken from the mid-19th century onwards are part of the collection of the National Library, and so are open by appointment and…
North of the Liffey
Looking about with a bemused air from the corner of pedestrianised North Earl St is a small statue of James Joyce sculpted by US sculptor Marjorie…
