Trinity College
Trinity College Dublin is regarded as Ireland 's most distinguished university. It has an
academic tradition spanning many centuries.
It was founded by Elizabeth I in 1592 in an attempt to stop students going to the continent and
getting revolutionary ideas or being influenced by the Pope in Rome. For centuries the college
was the centre of Protestant religion and Catholics couldn't join unless they accepted the
Protestant faith. Catholics also had to get special permission from the bishop to attend the
college or else face the possibility of excommunication. These restrictions were not completely
lifted until 1970 and the fact that 70% of the students today are Catholic shows the turn around
that has occurred in the last 30 years.
Website: www.tcd.ie
Telephone: (0)1 896 1000
Opening time: Mon-Sat: 9.30am-5pm, Sun (Oct-May): 12pm-4pm Sun (June-Sept): 9.30am-4.30pm Closed
for 10 days over the festive period
Admission: Adults: EUR 7.50 Student/OAP: EUR 6.50 Family tickets: EUR 15
Temple Bar District
Temple Bar is reputed to be Dublin's "bohemian quarter" - it certainly is full of entertainment,
art and culinary action. It is generally regarded to be on the list of top attractions of Dublin
and visited by everybody and their grandmother for the ceol agus craic. And arousing mixed
feelings. Some people could happily spend the rest of their lives in Temple Bar, or at least
until the ATM does no longer provide cash. Others have a look, maybe a quick pint and then call
it a day.
E-mail: info@templebar.ie
Website: www.templebar.ie
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is one of the largest enclosed urban public parks in Europe located 3 km to the
north west of Dublin city centre in Ireland. It measures 707 hectares (1,750 acres), with a
walled circumference of 16 km that contains large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues. The
park has been home to a herd of wild Fallow deer since the seventeenth century. The name is a
corruption of the Irish fionn uisce meaning "clear water".
Address: Parkgate Street
Website: www.dublintourist.com
Telephone: (0)1 677 0095 (Visitor Centre)
Opening time: Main gate is open 24 hours
Admission: Free
Dublin Castle
Originally built in the 13th century on a site previously settled by the Vikings , Dublin Castle
functioned as a military fortress, a prison, treasury, courts of law and the seat of the English
Administration in Ireland for 700 years. Rebuilt in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries,
Dublin Castle is now used for important State receptions and Presidential Inagurations. The State
Apartments, Undercroft, Chapel Royal, Craft Shop, Heritage Centre and Restaurant are open to
visitors. (On occasions the State Apartments only may be closed for state purposes).
Address: Dame Street
E-mail: info@dublincastle.ie
Website: www.dublincastle.ie
Telephone: (0)1 645 8813 (tour services)
Opening time: Tours: Monday to Friday 10am to 4.45pm, Saturday and Sunday 2pm to 4.45pm
Admission: Entry by guided tour only, Every 20 minutes. €4.50 (adults), concessions available
National Museum of Ireland
This is one of the real "must see" museums in all Ireland for anybody interested in history at
all. Finds from all periods up to and including the middle ages are arranged in self-contained
exhibitions - not only from Ireland. Though the best walk through the exhibitions cannot be
easily determined (you might jump between periods and locations rather dramatically) and
photography is not allowed a visit will certainly be memorable.
Address: Kildare Street
Website: www.museum.ie
Telephone: (0)1 677 7444
Transport: Bus 7, 7A, 10, 11 or 13
Opening time: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 2pm to 5pm
Admission: Free
Guinness Storehouse
Opened in December 2000, the Guinness Storehouse is a whole museum dedicated to Ireland’s most
famous export, Guinness stout. Arthur Guinness first began brewing the ‘black gold’ on the site
in 1759, with the present-day building being designed by the architect A H Hignett in 1904. Used
for fermenting and storing Guinness until the 1980s, the Storehouse is a listed building with
exhibitions spanning over six floors. Entry to the Guinness Storehouse is through a pint
glass-shaped atrium capable of holding 10,000 pints of stout, and there is a free pint of the
magic brew for every visitor in the spectacular Gravity Bar which offers spectacular views across
the city.
Address: St James’s Gate
E-mail: guinness-storehouse@guinness.com
Website: www.guinness-storehouse.com
Telephone: (0)1 408 4800
Transport: Bus 51B and 78A from Aston Quay, bus 123 from O’Connell Street or Dame Street
Opening time: Daily 9.30am to 5pm (until 8pm in July and August)
St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland. Unusually, Dublin has two cathedrals
belonging to the Church of Ireland, which act effectively as co-cathedrals. The Archbishop of
Dublin has his official seat in the other one, Christ Church Cathedral Dublin.
Address: St Patrick's Close
E-mail: admin@stpatrickscathedral.ie
Website: www.stpatrickscathedral.ie
Telephone: (0)1 453 9472
Opening time: Daily; (March to October) 9am to 5.30pm, (November to February) Monday to Saturday
9am to 5pm, Sunday 9am to 3pm
Admission: €5.50 (adults), concessions available
National Library
The highlight of this historic library is the great domed reading room, which has been home to
many Irish students, including James Joyce. The library also contains a heraldic museum, which
exhibits coats of arms and banners, but of most interest to tourists may be the genealogical
office, where staff can help trace any Irish roots. Its consultation service on ancestry is
available Monday to Friday 10am to 12.30 pm and 2pm to 4.30pm.
Address: 2 Kildare Street
E-mail: info@nli.ie
Website: www.nli.ie
Telephone: (0)1 603 0200
Opening time: Monday to Wednesday, 9.30am to 9pm; Thursday and Friday, 9.30am to 5pm; Saturday,
9.30am to 1pm