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DUBLIN
DUBLIN
Dublin is one of the most walkable cities in Europe and lies between Howth in the north and the headland of Dalkey to the south. With its graceful Georgian architecture and picturesque parks bearing the testament of Dublin’s troubled legacy. Dublin has always maintained a pretty cosmopolitan outlook and in the last two decades has conspicuously embraced diversity and multiculturalism.
TOP 8 PLACES TO VISIT
1.ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
The cathedral is the largest working cathedral in Dublin and also the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. The cathedral was built between 1220 and 1259 with major restorations beginning in the 1860s. Highlights is the towering vaulted ceilings, the delicate details that accompany the Gothic style and the tomb of famous author Jonathan Swift, author of "Gulliver's Travels."
2.THE LITTLE MUSEUM OF DUBLIN
If you are interested in how Dublin and its people lived their lives and evolved over the past century, the museum is the right place to visit.This treasure trove was opened in 2011 following an appeal for mementos and artefacts, hosting an array of temporary exhibitions and events as well as permanent installations. The lectern used by John F. Kennedy when he addressed both houses of the Irish Parliament in June 1963 is also on display.
3.THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND
The museum opened in 1864 and is housing the finest collection of Irish art and an outstanding collection of European art from the Middle Ages to the present day. Collections include the Yeats Museum, seven rooms devoted to Irish art, Italian Painters, the Shaw Room, and Baroque Room. The gallery also hosts impressive temporary exhibitions regularly.
4.NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND
The museum opened in 1997 and originally served as army barracks. Silver, ceramics, jewelry, furniture, Irish haute couture fashion, and exhibitions exploring Irish military history are on display. Permanent exhibitions including a retrospective of modernist designer Eileen Gray, Irish Silver dating from the 17th to 20th 17th centuries, Asian Art, Irish Country Furniture, and Soldiers and Chiefs, which displays historic military artefacts and uniforms.
5.CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY
The library was named after the American mining millionaire and collector, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, who donated his immense collection to Ireland when he passed in 1969. The library has an extensive collection of rare books, manuscripts, drawings dating back to 2700 B.C. and religious and artistic collections from across Asia, the Middle East, north Africa and Europe as well as Babylonian clay tablets, the Biblical Papyri and 260 different manuscripts of the Koran.
6.ABBEY THEATRE
The famed poet, W.B. Yeats and Irish writer, Lady Augusta Gregory, opened the national theater in 1904. The theatre has turn-of-the-century origins with its swanky glass front and theater name in blue light. The theatre has an continuous playbill of Ireland's most promising playwrights.
7.DUBLIN ZOO
The zoo dates back to 1831, making it one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. It is home to more than 400 animals in a variety of large habitats with popular exhibits of the Humboldt penguins and western lowland gorillas. You can view the meerkat exhibit from your seat in the Meerkat restaurant.
8.KILMAINHAM GAOL MUSEUM
Now preserved as a museum and very popular amongst visitors, the museum offers you a exhibit describing the history of the prison and its preservation. The museum gives its visitors one of the most unique looks into the darker site of Irish history.
OTHER PLACES TO SEE
Trinity College
St. Stephens Green
Dublin Castle
Grafton Street
Dalkey / Killiney Castle
Christ Church Cathedral
Phoenix Park
The James Joyce Centre
The General Post Office
Merrion Square
Kildare Street Museum
Houses of Parliament
National Aquatic Centre
National Botanic Gardens
The Irish Museum of Modern Art
National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology
Farmleigh House
Number Twenty-Nine – Georgian House Museum
Old Jameson Distellery
Glasnevin Cemetery Museum
Monument to Oscar Wilde
The best way to get around Dublin is by dart (coastal train), bus, tram, bicycle, luas, ferries and walking.
The best time to visit Dublin is from mid June to mid September when temperatures are warm and festivals fill the streets.