Sightseeing

Sightseeing in Dublin

Dublin is a very large, but compact city and many of its main attractions can be enjoyed on foot. However, in order to make the most of your time, we would recommend one of the full or half-day sightseeing Dublin city tours. Below are a few of the highlighted sites not to be missed when you visit Dublin.

Christ Church Cathedral
The Cathedral was commissioned in 1172 by Strongbow, Anglo-Norman conqueror of Dublin and Archbishop Laurence O’Toole. It replaced an earlier wooden church built by the Vikings in 1038. The Cathedral passed to the Protestant Church of Ireland during the Reformation and was completely remodeled in 1870.

Trinity College
The college was founded in 1592 as a Protestant college. It only began to accept Catholics in numbers after 1970. The main attraction to visit at Trinity College is the Book of Kells, which is housed in the Treasury. The Book of Kells is the most richly decorated of Ireland’s medieval illuminated manuscripts. The manuscripts are thought to be the work of monks from Iona who fled to Kells after a Viking invasion; they contain the four gospels in Latin.

Grafton Street
The heart of Dublin’s shopping district, this pedestrian street runs from Trinity College to St. Stephens Green.

Merrion Square
This lovely section of Dublin houses some of the grandest of Georgian houses. Here you can see the famous “Dublin doors.” Most of the houses are now used as office suites. On the Square you’ll also find the National Gallery, the National History Museum, and Leinster House, the home of Irish Parliament.

Temple Bar
This area has some of the best bars, restaurants and shops in Dublin. The streets are narrow and cobblestoned and create an atmosphere that is appreciated by the art scene of Dublin; thus you will find many excellent galleries.

Phoenix Park
Occupying a space of seven miles, Phoenix Park is Europe’s largest enclosed park. The Dublin Zoological Gardens are housed here.

Guinness Hop Store
The Guinness exhibition is housed in a 19th-century warehouse and takes you through a self-guided tour which chronicles the 200 years of brewing at St. James Gate and the brewing process itself. The tour ends with a sampling of Guinness.

Sightseeing in County Kildare

• The National Stud - Located near Kildare, this state-run thoroughbred farm has 1,000 acres open to visitors. Here visitors can watch the horses being exercised and learn about their breeding cycle and the importance of horse rearing in Irish life.
• Japanese Gardens - The Japanese Gardens share the same estate as the National Stud, thus making these two perfect for a half-day excursion. The Gardens were laid out from 1906-1910 by Japanese landscape gardener Tassa Elda. The gardens create a journey from the cradle to the grave, beginning with life emerging from the Gate of Oblivion and leading to the Gateway of Eternity.
  

Sightseeing in County Wicklow

• Powerscourt House and Gardens - The gardens at Powerscourt are the finest in Ireland due not only to their design but their glorious setting at the foot of the Great Sugar Loaf Mountain. The house and grounds were commissioned in the 1730’s by Richard Wingfield, the first Viscount Powerscourt. New ornamental gardens were completed in 1875 by the seventh Viscount. The house was gutted by a fire in 1974. The ground floor has since been renovated and now houses an upscale shopping area, restaurant, and cafe. The gardens are so vast that you will need to plan to spend a few hours to enjoy them.
• Wicklow Mountains - The beautiful Wicklow Mountains are only an hour’s drive from Dublin. The mountains are sparsely populated and have lovely scenery with lush forests, bogland, and many beautiful streams and rivers. The area is known for its lovely drives and walks. You should plan to spend several hours; do not miss Glendalough, a monastic site established by St. Kevin in the sixth century which flourished over 600 years and Vale of Avoca, which was immortalized by the poet Thomas Moore. Here you will find the home of the Avoca Handweavers and the town of Avoca where the TV show Ballykissangel is filmed.