Dublin's Main Attractions
Trinity College and Library
Most of the impressive buildings were built during the renovation phase of 1759. Trinity College Library is home to more than an million books and priceless manuscripts.
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main traffic artery and the widest urban street in Europe - which you will not believe at busy times. The center is dominated by statues and monuments, the houses on the left and right are mainly large and impressive.
General Post Office(GPO)
Pride of place goes to the General Post Office (GPO), scene of the 1916 rebellion and faithfully rebuilt after being shelled by artillery and a warship. A bronze statue of Cuchullain remembers the fallen heroes.
National Museums
Two museums should be high on the list of priorities for any visitor. The National Museum of Archaeology and History in Kildare Street is dedicated to prehistoric and medieval Ireland. Do not miss the excellent new exhibition "Kingship & Sacrifice". The National Museum of Decorative Arts and History in Collins Barracks houses an eclectic collection including the uniform Michael Collins was shot in and an exhibition on the Easter Rising.
St. Partick's Cathedral
Ireland's largest church and the National Cathedral - this special status was conferred on a church were no bishop actually has his throne! Founded in 1191 by Archbishop Comyn the building was substantially renovated between 1844 and 1869 with moneys granted and raised by Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness. Visitors will thus find a neo-gothic cathedral with some older parts. Here you will also see the graves of Dean Swift (of "Gulliver" fame) and his beloved Stella.
Temple Bar
Originally earmarked for the wrecker's ball and redevelopment as a bus and rail terminal the area south of the Liffey was saved.On good days you will meet street artists and enjoy international cuisine and bustling pubs. On bad days the area will be overrun by parties on "stag" or "hen nights".
National Gallery
Situated at Merrion Square West and right in the center of Dublin. Ireland's National Gallery is a "must see" for anyone interested in Irish and European art. Opened in 1864 it has around 500 major works of art on display.
Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Jail or Gaol (Inchicore Road) is one of Europe's most notorious prisons and has been preserved in working order. Eternally cold and bare cells bear mute witness to the harsh prison life faced by inmates. In Irish history Kilmainham Gaol comes only second to the GPO - here the leaders of the 1916 were executed. Today's tours tend to highlight this aspect more than anything else, making the prison more a republican shrine and not a piece of Irish general social history.
Dublin's Castles
Not a forbidding fortress and definitely not a fairy-tale image - Dublin Castle is the "Irish Stew" of castles, everything thrown in in bits and pieces. The original Viking fortress was expanded, renovated, torn down and rebuilt over the centuries. Today a massive tower and the Royal Chapel look medieval while all administrative buildings are in more modern styles.
Phoenix Park
The world's largest enclosed municipal park can keep you busy for days - from the magnificent residences of the Irish President and the Ambassador of the United States to the quaint cricket and polo fields, from Ashtown Castle to the Garda Headquarters and from the herds of deer roaming free to the animals in Dublin Zoo.
Guinness Storehouse
Guinness is the center of attention as in the Guinness Storehouse. Based at historic St James's Gate. This is part of the original brewery. The exhibitions include the brewing process, the Guinness transportation system and a pipeline much maligned by thirsty but thrifty Dubliners.