Places to visit: Museums

ChesterBeatty-Scroll

Chester Beatty Library

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

With free admission and described by the Lonely Planet as not just the best museum in Ireland but one of the best in Europe, the Chester Beatty Library is a must-see on any Dublin visitor’s itinerary. Both an art museum and a library, it features rich collections from countries across Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, and opens a window on the artistic treasures of the great cultures and religions of the world.  If time permits, visit the rooftop garden, a secret Dublin gem. 

Manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and decorative arts complete this amazing collection, all the result of the collecting activities of one man – Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968). Egyptian papyrus texts and beautifully illuminated copies of the Qur’an, the Bible, European medieval and renaissance manuscripts are among the highlights on display. In its diversity, the collection captures much of the richness of human creative expression from about 2700 BC to the present day.

Opening Times
Mondays-Fridays: 9.45 am-5.30 pm (Wednesdays late opening to 8.00 pm)
Closed on Mondays for the months of November-February inclusive
Saturdays: 9.45 am-5.30 pm
Sundays: 12 noon-5.30 pm
Closed January 1; Good Friday; December 24-26

Free guided tours are available at 5.30 pm on Wednesdays, and at 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Tours must be booked in advance. In the past, tours have been restricted to 15 visitors per tour. 

www.cbl.ie

Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 4070750.

Admission free.

Croke Park

Croke Park Stadium Tour and GAA Museum

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

Croke Park is an iconic stadium, steeped in history, and has been at the heart of Irish sporting and cultural life for over 100 years. Enjoy an unrivalled state-of-the-art interactive visitor experience and find out more about Ireland’s unique national games – hurling and Gaelic football.

The Croke Park Stadium Tour offers an access-all-areas trip through the home of Irish sport. Walk in the footsteps of legends as you visit the team dressing rooms before going pitchside and taking a seat in the VIP area. Enjoy panoramic views from the top tier of the stand – 30 metres above the famous pitch. The stadium tour is on hold pending a return to normal routines post-pandemic.

Explore the museum with its new exhibition galleries that vividly illustrate the story of Gaelic games from ancient times to the present day. Test your own hurling and football skills in the interactive games zone. (An added option is the Ericsson Skyline Tour – see more information at the end of this entry).

Opening Times
Jan-May: Monday-Sat 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm (Sun/Bank Holidays 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm)
June: Mon-Fri 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm
Sat 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm
Sun/Bank Holidays 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm
July: Mon-Sat 11 am, 11:30 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 2:30 pm, 3 pm
Sun/Bank Holidays 11am, 11:30 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 2:30 pm, 3 pm
August: Mon-Sat 10:30 am, 11 am, 11:30 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 2:30 pm, 3 pm
Sun/Bank Holidays 10:30 am, 11 am, 11:30 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 2:30 pm, 3 pm
October/November: Mon-Friday 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm
Sat/Sun 11 am, 1 pm, 3pm.

www.crokepark.ie

Croke Park, St Joseph’s Avenue (off Clonliffe Road), Dublin 3

Tel: 01 819 2300

Adults €10; concessions

Located in the heart of the city, the Ericsson Skyline Tour is a thrilling rooftop walkway on Dublin’s highest open-viewing platform.  This guided tour offers breathtaking panoramic views and highlights all of the capital’s main landmarks, while giving you an insight into its history. Adults €21; concessions. See www.crokepark.ie

Dublin Writers Museum

Dublin Writers’ Museum

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

The idea of a Dublin Writers Museum was originated by the journalist and author Maurice Gorham (1902 – 1975), who proposed it to Dublin Tourism. Opened in November 1991 at 18 Parnell Square, the museum occupies an original eighteenth-century mansion. The Irish Writers’ Centre next door contains the meeting rooms and offices of the Irish Writers’ Union, the Society of Irish Playwrights, the Irish Children’s Book Trust and the Translators’ Association of Ireland. The basement beneath both houses is occupied by the Chapter One restaurant.

The Museum was established to promote interest, through its collection, displays and activities, in Irish literature as a whole and in the lives and works of individual Irish writers. Through its association with the Irish Writers’ Centre it provides a link with living writers and the international literary scene.

In the two Museum Rooms is presented a history of Irish literature from its beginnings up to recent times. The panels describe the various phases, movements and notable names, while the showcases and pictures illustrate the lives and works of individual writers. 

The Museum Collection contains many books, representing the milestones in the progress of Irish literature from Gulliver’s Travels to Dracula, The Importance of Being Earnest, Ulysses and Waiting for Godot. Most of these are first or early editions. 

Among the pens, pipes and typewriters there are some unusual personal possessions – Lady Gregory’s lorgnette, Austin Clarke’s desk, Samuel Beckett’s telephone, Mary Lavin’s teddy bear, Oliver Gogarty’s laurels and Brendan Behan’s union card. Also on view is Handel’s chair, used at the opening night of The Messiah.

The Gallery of Writers is a splendidly decorated room containing portraits and busts of Irish writers. The room is used for receptions, exhibitions and special occasions. At the top of the grand staircase, the Gorham Library is notable for its Stapleton ceiling.

Open Mon-Sat 9.45 am–4.45 pm; Sun/Bank Holidays 11.00 am – 4.30 pm. Phone in advance to confirm Christmas/New Year period opening times. 

www.writersmuseum.com  (official website out of action for years)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Writers_Museum

The Lonely Planet website’s review is useful – www.lonelyplanet.com

18 Parnell Square North, Dublin 1.

Tel: 01 872 2077.

Adults €8; concessions.

Glasnevin Cemetery

Glasnevin Museum and Cemetery

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

Wittily dubbed “Croak Park” by local wags, over 1.5 million people are buried here. Visit the graves of famous people and hear about Irish history on a guided tour. Trace your roots in the Genealogy Area (all the records are available online at www.glasnevintrust.ie/genealogy).

The highly popular Irish History tour gives an insight into Victorian and later times. Visit the final resting place of men and women who have helped shape Ireland’s past and present, such as Daniel O’Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins, Maud Gonne and Roger Casement. Explore the high walls and watchtowers surrounding Glasnevin and learn about the colourful history of Dublin’s grave robbers.

A particularly dramatic attraction is the once-a-day re-enactment of famous speeches (e.g. Patrick Pearse delivering the graveside oration at Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral or James Larkin’s famous speech made at the front gates of Mountjoy Prison). These take place at 2.30 pm every day.

Padraig Pearse’s 1915 oration [“The Fools, the Fools, the Fools! – they have left us our Fenian dead – And while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace”] roused Irish republican feeling and was a significant element in the lead-up to the Easter Rising of 1916.

Museum attractions include the City of the Dead (an exhibition covering the burial practices and meticulous record-keeping regarding the 1,500,000 people buried in Glasnevin); the Religion Wall (illustrating different beliefs about the after-life); the Milestone Gallery (which houses a succession of special exhibitions on key historical figures, starting with Glasnevin’s founder, Daniel O’Connell); and the Timeline (a 10- metre long digitally interactive table containing details of the lives and relationships of hundreds of the most famous people buried here).

You can now climb the O’Connell Tower – Ireland’s tallest round tower – for the first time in over 45 years. As you pass through the ornate crypt of Daniel O’Connell, you begin the journey to the top of the monument built in his honour. After a comprehensive restoration programme, the staircase in the tower is now accessible, complete with an exhibition about the legendary figure himself and the fascinating history of the tower. Once at the top, you will enjoy 360 degree panoramic views of the sprawling grounds of the cemetery, the city of Dublin, Wicklow and the Irish Sea (see www.dctrust.ie AND www.dctrust.ie).

When planning a visit to the Cemetery, remember that you can now access the Botanic Gardens via the cemetery. A gate access to the “Botanics” from within the cemetery has been re-opened. The gate is located along the wall at the far side of Glasnevin Cemetery (the Prospect Square entrance).

Museum Opening Times: Mon-Fri 10.00 am-5.00 pm.  (There can be extended opening hours in July and August).

Irish History Tour: Daily at 11.30 am, 2.30 pm
Women in History Tour: Last Sunday of the month at 2.00 pm

There is limited car parking space on the main road opposite the cemetery. However, a convenient but hard to find car park is available within the housing estate opposite the cemetery (a fee of €2 is payable as you leave this car park).

www.glasnevinmuseum.ie

Finglas Road, Dublin 11

Tel: 01 882 6550

Irish History Tour (incl. museum entry) – Adults €13; concessions
Museum only – Adults €7; concessions
Tower & Museum €9; concessions
Women in History Tour (incl. museum entry) – Adults €13; concessions

The Dead Interesting tour is temporarily suspended but should be coming back soon. This 45-60 minute tour involves a guided wander through the grounds, hearing stories such as  the curious tale of Maria Higgins (the woman who died once, and was buried twice); Bill Stephens, the Dublin Lion-Tamer who died at a tragically young age; and anecdotes about great characters like writer Brendan Behan, singer Luke Kelly, and footballer Liam Whelan, the young Manchester United  star who died in the Munich Air Crash.

An article in the Irish Times weekend magazine in November 2021 contained a number of surprising facts about Glasnevin Cemetery.

There are more people buried in Glasnevin Cemetery (1,500,000) than there are currently alive in Dublin. 800,000 of these people are buried in “poor ground” or unpurchased graves.

Glasnevin Cemetery was founded by Daniel O’Connell in 1832. As noted in the book “Dead Interesting: Stories from the Graveyards of Dublin” (by Shane MacThomáis), the guiding principle behind the establishment of the cemetery was that those with no money at the end of their days would be able to find a place to be buried (whether from workhouses, tenements, Magdalene laundries or industrial schools). A plot for those who cannot afford a burial still exists today.

One more anecdote – when the famous political leader, Charles Stewart Parnell, was buried, his coffin left City Hall at midday. But his burial had to take place under moonlight such was the extraordinary number of mourners who turned out to pay their respects.

https://www.irishtimes.com/

 

 

14 Henrietta Street

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

Dating from the 1720s, Henrietta Street in Dublin’s North inner city is the most intact collection of early to mid-18th century aristocratic townhouses in Ireland. These vast houses were divided into tenements from the 1870s to the 1890s to house the city’s working poor.

Built as a townhouse for the members of Dublin’s ruling elite, 14 Henrietta Street was divided into 19 tenement flats in 1877, with some 100 people living under its roof by 1911. It remained a tenement house until the last families left in the late 1970s.

14 Henrietta Street tells the story of the building’s shifting fortunes, from family home and power base to courthouse; from barracks to its final incarnation as a tenement. The stories of the house and street mirror the story of Dublin and her citizens.

14 Henrietta Street seeks to help visitors deepen their understanding of the history of urban life and housing in Ireland, through people and memory. Taking the stories, personal experiences and objects of former residents of the tenements, coupled with new ongoing social and architectural history research, the Museum gathers, interprets and preserves Dublin’s tenement history.

Why tenement living developed in Dublin – After the Acts of Union were passed in Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, all power shifted to London and most politically and socially significant residents were drawn from Georgian Dublin to Regency London. Dublin and Ireland entered a period of economic decline, exacerbated by the return of soldiers and sailors at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The rise of the cotton mills of Lancashire had a negative impact on the Irish poplin industry.

For a time, Henrietta Street was occupied by lawyers. Dublin’s population swelled by about 36,000 in the years after the Great Famine, and taking advantage of the rising demand for cheap housing for the poor, landlords and their agents began to carve their Georgian townhouses into multiple dwellings for the city’s new residents.

Houses such as 14 Henrietta Street underwent significant change in use – from having been a single-family house with specific areas for masters, mistresses, servants, and children, they were now filled with families (often one family to a room,  the room itself divided up into two or three smaller rooms – a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom). Entire families crammed into small living spaces and shared an outside tap and lavatory with dozens of others in the same building.

For the safety of visitors, groups must be small, with no more that 15 on a tour at a time. Tour Guides accompany you through three floors of the house and its many stories, told through the walls of the house itself, recreated immersive rooms, sound and film.

As the building dates from the late 1720s with minimal intervention in the structure, some spaces are small and the steps of the original back stairs are uneven and steep. It’s advised that you wear comfortable shoes, and perhaps dress in layers, as parts of the house can be a little cold.

14 Henrietta Street recognised in European and Irish awards – The conservation of a  former tenement house at 14 Henrietta Street in Dublin’s north inner city was named Best Conservation/Restoration Project, and won the Special RIAI Jury Award at the prestigious annual RIAI Irish Architecture Awards. The museum also won the Silletto Trust Prize at the 2020 European Museum of the Year Awards.

Tour times 
Wed-Sun: 10.00 am; 11.00 am; 12.00 pm; 1.00 pm; 2.00 pm; 3.00 pm; 4.00 pm
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Tours last approximately 75 minutes; pre-booking is essential.

14 Henrietta Street
14 Henrietta Street, Dublin D01 HH34

Tel: 01- 524 0383

www.14henriettastreet.ie

Adults  €10; concessions  – €8 (students, pensioners), €6 (child 5+)

Photo by Ros Kavanagh

Also of interest is the “Georgian Dublin Outdoor Walking Tour: Henrietta Street and Beyond”. This consists of a walk through Georgian Dublin, courtesy of the award-winning museum 14 Henrietta Street.

The tour begins on Henrietta Street, the first Georgian street in Dublin and the template from which all other Georgian streets followed. The tour charts the fortunes of the Gardiner Estate on Dublin’s Northside, stretching from Henrietta Street to Mountjoy Square, from its beginnings as the best address in town to its decline to tenement housing. It’s a story that mirrors the fortunes of Dublin City and many of its residents.

Visitors will learn about the man who built Henrietta Street, the ‘Jewel in the Georgian Crown’, the lavish lifestyles and social lives of families who lived there, including the Molesworths from number 14, and how one man’s vision and ingenuity created the world’s first maternity hospital.

2021 marked the 300 year anniversary of Henrietta Street, with the Gardiner family purchasing the land in 1721 and the development of the street starting soon after. The building of Henrietta Street marked the beginning of the golden age of Georgian Dublin when the cityscape was transformed into the one we see today. Taking visitors to some of Dublin’s most elite addresses and grand Georgian squares, the tour will explore the architectural and social history of the city and reveal the details of the lives lived behind the elegant red brick facades.

Tours take place on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm. The tour sets out from 14 Henrietta Street (the house tour is not included in the ticket price) and ends at the top of O’Connell Street. Price: €10 adults | €8 concession (Over 60s, students). You can book online here.

 

Hurdy Gurdy Museum Of Vintage Radio

Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

The Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio houses an extensive collection of exhibits chronicling the history of telecommunications from the 1840s onwards. There are examples of early Morse equipment, gramophones, crystal sets, valve radios and other pieces of equipment. The original curator was Pat Herbert; he died in 2020.

Located in the Howth Martello Tower, the site has historic links with Marconi and Lee deForest, two of the fathers of wireless, who conducted early experiments from the tower in the 1900’s. One of the first ship-to-shore messages was received in this building.

The Martello tower is located on Tower Hill, overlooking Howth Harbour. Access is from Abbey Street up a sloping pathway, almost opposite the Abbey Tavern.

Open May-October 11.00 am to 4.00 pm daily
Open Nov-April 11.00 am to 4.00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays only

https://sites.google.com/site/hurdygurdymuseum/home

https://hurdygurdyradiomuseum.wordpress.com

Martello Tower, Howth, Co. Dublin

Phone 086-381 8865

Admission: Adults €5, Concessions. 

Irish Jewish Museum

Irish Jewish Museum

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

The Irish Jewish Museum houses a collection of photographs, paintings, and memorabilia telling the story of Ireland’s Jewish communities in Dublin & other Irish cities over the last 150 years. Staffed by volunteers, the museum is located on the site of Dublin’s Walworth Road Synagogue, once in the heartland of “Little Jerusalem,” a densely populated Jewish enclave off the South Circular Road.

Winter (mid-September to May): Open Sundays, 10.30 am to 2.30 pm
Summer (June to mid-September): Open Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursday and Sundays from 11.00 am – 3.00 pm
Groups of ten or more must always be booked in advance (contact info@jewishmuseum.ie to book a tour). Pre-booked groups can visit outside of normal opening hours.

Always closed on Jewish holidays.

www.jewishmuseum.ie

www.jewishireland.org

3 Walworth Road (near Victoria, Lennox & Harrington Streets), South Circular Road, Dublin 8.

Tel: 089-4263625

Admission €5. Tours €10.

Irish Rock'n'Roll Museum

Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum Experience

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

The Irish Rock’n’Roll Museum Experience is essentially a tour featuring some of Dublin’s best loved professional music facilities, including the Button Factory (a live music venue); Temple Lane Rehearsal Studios; and Temple Lane Recording Studio (where artists such as Rihanna, the Script and Kodaline have recorded).

The Thin Lizzy exhibition celebrates one of Ireland’s greatest bands, within the setting of Apollo Studio where Phil Lynott recorded his last songs before his untimely death. The exhibition is incorporated into a fully functioning studio and features memorabilia such as gold and platinum albums, set lists, some of Phil Lynott’s costumes, and musical instruments.

The Wall of Fame as a symbol of Irish music royalty has been a fixture in Temple Bar since its unveiling in 2003, providing a focal point for many of Dublin’s walking tours and showcasing the music that is such an integral part of Irish culture. Recently, LED screens were added to the exhibit, allowing for new artists to be added to the exhibit more frequently.

Down through history, certain guitars and equipment have become as legendary as the musicians who play them. Gibson, Fender, Marshall, and Vox are companies that any musician or music enthusiast will know and love. On display in the museum is an extensive variety of vintage instruments and equipment.

Temple Lane Rehearsal Studios are the premiere rehearsal studios in Dublin. Many acts do pre-production for albums here, trying out new material and getting songs ready to record or perform. Now you can experience what it’s like to rehearse with your very own band.

Temple Lane Recording Studio has been at the centre of Irish music since 1984. Countless bands have recorded here, including Paolo Nutini, The Script, Rihanna and many more. Now, for the first time, explore and experience the iconic studios for yourself.

Open 7 days a week 10.30 am to 5.00 pm.

www.irishrocknrollmuseum.com/

Curved Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

Tel: 01-6777134 or  089-4490795 (weekends).

Adults €16.50; concessions.

Irish Whiskey Museum

Irish Whiskey Museum

COVID-19 advice: Please follow current government advice and check opening times before travel.

The Irish Whiskey Museum uncovers the intriguing story of Irish whiskey. Learn the origins of Irish whiskey, its rise to glory, its dramatic fall and its current revival. Located opposite the main entrance of Trinity College, the museum is very centrally located.

The Museum contains a unique collection of Irish whiskey memorabilia that dates back to the 1800s. At the end of the tour you enjoy a sample of Irish whiskey.

The Classic Tour consists of a fully guided tour and three crafted Irish whiskey tastings. The Premium Tour consists of a tour, three crafted Irish whiskey tastings, and a fourth aged Irish whiskey, matured for a minimum of 10 years. You also bring home a complimentary Irish Whiskey Museum souvenir. The Blending Experience is an extended 90-minute option, followed by a tasting of four Irish whiskeys. You also blend your own personalised bottle of whiskey to take home.

Tours run every 30 minutes. First tour at 10.30 am; last tour at 5.30 pm.

www.irishwhiskeymuseum.ie

119 Grafton Street, Dublin 2

Tel: 01-5250970

Prices: Classic Tour – Adults €20; concessions. Premium Tour – Adults €23; concessions. Blending Experience – Adults €30; concessions. There are some early bird discounts – find out by booking online.

Iveagh Trust Museum Flat 4

Iveagh Trust Museum Flat

For the past 120 years, the Iveagh Trust has offered affordable rented housing to people on low incomes, and good quality hostel accommodation for homeless men. The Trust owns and manages about 1,350 units of social rented and hostel accommodation in Dublin City and suburbs. This includes the famous Iveagh Hostel in central Dublin for homeless men (195 bedrooms).

A number of housing complexes were built by the Trust to replace slum dwellings in the area of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Patrick Street and Christ Church Cathedral between 1896 and 1945. The work was funded by the Guinness family at a time when Dublin city had the worst housing in the British Isles. In the early 1900s the flight of the middle class from the inner city to new suburbs left 50% of city dwellers in tenements. 33% of families lived in just one room. Insanitary, unhealthy conditions and extremely high mortality rates prevailed.

Flat 3B on the Bull Alley Estate is the only flat in The Iveagh Trust stock which has remained largely unchanged since the first tenants took up occupancy in 1904. The bulk of the furniture and fittings was acquired by the Trust from the Molloy family. The flat contains a living room and 2 bedrooms (one doubling as a food preparation area). Outside on the landing is a communal sink, w/c, and storage cupboard, used by the family to store coal.

Nellie Molloy, one of six children, found work as a weaver with the Greenmount Linen Co. in Harold’s Cross and had 27 years service there, until she left work to look after her sick mother. The rest of the family married. Nellie’s mother died in October 1967 and Nellie continued to live in the flat until her own death at the age of 95 in October 2002. By keeping her surroundings as they always had been, Nellie kept her memories of deceased family members very much alive. Following discussions with the family, the Trustees decided that the flat should remain a museum – a visual reminder of flat design and of how families lived in early 20th century Dublin tenements.

Viewing can be arranged for small groups by appointment only (phone 01 454 2312, during office hours Mon-Fri).

Flat 3b Iveagh Trust, Bull Alley Estate, Patrick Street, Dublin 8.

www.theiveaghtrust.ie

The Trust launched a website in 2013 with extensive information on its current activities, housing estates, homeless hostel & tenant services. The long history of the Iveagh Trust is also chronicled (www.theiveaghtrust.ie)