|
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
 |
| |
|
European Vacations -
Ireland Vacation Packages &
Travel Information |
|
|
|
|
Overview |
|
|
Dublin is unique among the capital
cities of Europe. It is on the sea
with a bay of harbors and swimming
areas; it lies nestled among hills
and mountains; and it contains
Phoenix Park, the largest park on
the European continent. Dublin’s
streets have been described as
bustling and lively. They have also
been called congested. As all of
these descriptions are accurate, the
excitement of the city can best be
enjoyed by moving from point to
point via the comfort and
convenience of local bus and rail
service.
Within half an hour of Dublin’s city
center there are mountain walks,
historic homes and gardens, sandy
beaches and fishing villages. Within
Dublin are countless places of
interest to explore. It is a city
steeped in history and tradition,
but it is also youthful. Of the one
and a half million people in greater
Dublin, about half are under 25. It
is a city that welcomes visitors of
all ages. Activities for the family
include enjoyment of the nature
preserve, the grazing deer, the 700
animal zoo, and the well tended,
formal gardens of Phoenix Park.
There is a hands-on center where
children can design and produce
pottery pieces. Other family
possibilities are horseback riding,
sailing and the thrill of the
interactive Dublin Viking adventure
that recreates the sights, sounds
and smells of Dublin as it was 1000
years ago.
Dublin began as a Viking trading
post called Dubh Linn (Dark Pool),
which soon merged with a Celtic
settlement called Baile Átha Cliath
(Town of the Hurdle Ford) – still
the Gaelic name for the city.
Because most of the early city was
built of wood, only the two
cathedrals, part of the castle and
several churches have survived from
before the seventeenth century. Much
of the “newer” construction is from
the Georgian period of the
eighteenth century. Recent
modernization has worked in harmony
with the beauty and grandeur of the
past.
Fine museums and art galleries
recall Dublin’s long and colorful
history, while the pubs and cafes
buzz with traditional Irish
entertainment. Trinity College, St.
Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle,
Christchurch Cathedral are all at
the top of almost every visitor’s
list. Dublin’s many other
attractions range from sea world,
museums and art galleries to the
prestigious Guiness Brewery and the
Temple Bar, which is the center of
restaurants and nightlife.
Dublin is Europe's leading center
for computer software, with more
than 100 international companies and
a growing home market. It is also a
thriving center for culture and is
home to the great literary tradition
of Shaw, Yeats, Joyce and Beckett.
It is the source of musical talent
in groups ranging from the Dubliners
and the Chieftains to U2.
Street-side cafes and pubs are alive
with animated conversations, and
visitors can easily find themselves
included in the discussions of
sports, music, politics, and
literature.
Dublin’s economy is the fastest
growing in Europe with 40,000
businesses employing over 525,000
people. Recent years have brought an
upsurge in the growth of the city’s
population and an air of excitement
as renovations and improvements to
the city’s housing and service
sector have taken place. Dublin
provides the visitor with countless
opportunities for learning, for
remembering and for relaxation which
appeal to every taste and age group. |
|
|
|
Facts |
|
|
Population : Metropolitan Area:
1,000,000+
Greater Dublin Area: 1.4 million.
Area: 44 square miles
Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time: 5
hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time
in New York.(6 hours ahead of
central time in Chicago, etc.)
International Dialing Code: to place
telephone calls outside Dublin but
within Ireland, add ‘01’ to the
front of the number. From outside
Ireland, use Ireland’s international
code as a prefix: 353. Dublin’s city
code is 01. Calling cards can be
purchased at news stands and post
offices in Ireland to use in placing
calls from public or private phones.
To call the operator: dial 1190.
Emergency ( police; fire;
ambulance): 999.
Currency: euro (EUR). Credit cards
are accepted at larger restaurants,
but cash is still the preference in
Dublin. The easiest method of
securing cash at the best exchange
rate is to make withdrawals using a
US credit card from the ATM machines
found at the major banks.
Customs Regulations: Telephone: 1
855 4045 in Dublin for information.
Weather forecast: 1 550 123 854
National Holidays:
Jan. 1 New Year’s Day
Mar. 17 St. Patrick’s Day
Good Friday and Easter Monday (dates
vary each year - Mar. or April)
1st Mon. of May May Day holiday
Whit Monday (late May or early June)
1st Mon. of August August holiday
Last Mon. of Oct. October holiday
Dec. 25 Christmas day
Dec. 26 St. Stephen’s day
Electricity: 220 volt A/C. Most
hotels have 110V shaver outlets.
Plugs have 3 square pins.
Visitors with disabilities:
Disability Federation of Ireland
will assist with suggestions and
publications: 295 9344.
How to get around: Buses are the
main form of public transportation.
Dublin Bus operates Mon-Sat 6 AM -
11 PM and Sun. 10 AM - 11:30 PM.
(exact fare needed) 873-4222.
Schedules and prepaid tickets are
available at Dublin Bus office and
some news stands.
Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) is
a light rail service running from
Howth in the north to Bray in the
south. Trains run every 15 minutes -
every 5 minutes during rush hour.
Taxi stands can be found outside
hotels, train and bus stations.
Air Travel: Dublin Airport is 7
miles north of the city. There are
taxis and an Airlink express bus
service to the city center that
operates 6 AM -11:30 PM with
departures every 20-30 minutes. The
cost is minimal.
Rail Service: There are two mainline
rail stations in Dublin. For rail
information call Irish Rail at 836
6222.
Ferries from the United Kingdom sail
into the ports of Dublin and Dan
Langhaire (9 miles south of the
city)
Note: Traffic drives on the left
side of the road in Ireland. |
|
|
|
Attractions |
|
|
Note: Dublin is bisected by the
River Liffey, with most of the
attractions being located south of
the river.
Custom House/ Custom House Quay
878-7660
Mar.-Oct. 10-5 Mon.-Fri. 2-5 Sat.,
Sun.
Admission charged.
The Custom House, the most
magnificent building in Dublin, was
planned in secret by local merchants
who were eager to keep the ships
coming all the way into the
commercial heart of the city after
the old building had been outgrown.
The foundation stone was laid
quietly in August of that year, in
spite of mobs hired by the
opposition to attack the builders
and their work. The architect, James
Gandon, received threatening letters
and found it advisable to carry a
sword when he visited the building
site.Despite the death of Gandon’s
wife early in the work, and a fire
in the partly completed building,
the new Customs House opened in
1791. Gandon, stayed in Ireland for
the rest of his life. He later
designed the Four Courts and the
Kings Inns.
Four Courts Inns Quay
872-5555
Admission Free.
Home to the Irish law courts since
1796 and also on the north of the
Liffey, they were designed by Custom
House architect, James Gandon. The
four law courts were those of
Chancery, King’s Bench, Exchequer
and Common Pleas. Despite political
intrigues and a history of blockages
and objections, the building was
opened in 1796 and completed in
1802.
In 1922, at the outbreak of Civil
War in Ireland, anti-treaty forces
occupied the Four Courts. After a
siege of two months, Government
forces opened fire with field guns,
causing massive damage.
The scars of the encounter are still
visible on the columns of the
portico. The three-day battle ended
with a huge explosion and fire which
destroyed the dome and the nearby
Public Records Office with its
irreplaceable contents. Many of
Ireland’s historical records,
including wills and other official
deeds, were destroyed . Since then,
the building has been beautifully
restored.
Inside is a magnificent central
hall, sixty-four feet across and
usually busy with lawyers in their
traditional wigs and gowns. To the
right of the entrance is a panel
with more detailed information about
the building and its history. There
are fine views of the city from the
upper rotunda of the central
building. Open only when the Courts
are in session.
Trinity College and Dublin
Experience
Dublin 2 677-2941
Old Library and Book of Kells open
9:30-5 Mon.-Sat. 9 and noon-4:30
Sun. Admission charged. Children
Free.
Dublin Experience open 9:15-5:45
daily May-Oct.
Admission charged
Trinity College is uppermost in the
list of attractions south of the
river. It is wise to arrive early in
the day to avoid crowds. Founded by
Elizabeth I in 1592, the university
complex contains a campanile and
many glorious old buildings. A major
attraction is the library containing
the Book of Kells: an illuminated
manuscript of the Gospels dating
from around 800 AD, making it one of
the oldest books in the world.. The
library houses some three million
books in buildings constructed
between 1712 and 1732.
Bank of Ireland and House of Lords
2 College Green
Dublin 2
661-5933
10-4 Mon-Wed, Fri. 10-5 Thurs.
Guided tours Free . Admission Free.
Originally built to house the Irish
Parliament, the fine wood paneling
and vaulted ceiling add an air of
grandeur to the House of Lords.
Eighteenth century tapestries depict
scenes from Irish history. The
Parliament was abolished in 1800
with the Act of Union and Francis
Johnston converted the buildings for
use as a bank.
Dublinia Christchurch,
Dublin, 8
6794611
Bus Number 50 from Eden Quay; Bus
Number 78A from Aston Quay
April - September 10- 5 daily;
October - March: 11 - 4 ; Monday to
Sat., 10 - 4.30 Sunday and Bank
Holidays
Admission charged.
Dublinia has been developed by The
Medieval Trust to recreate the
formative period in the city's
growth from the arrival of the Anglo
Normans in 1170 to the closure of
its monasteries by Henry VIII in
1540. It is situated in a
beautifully preserved building in
the heart of the old city, next to
Christchurch Cathedral, to which it
is linked by a bridge. Journey
through time and experience the
drama and magic in life-like
displays of memorable episodes in
Dublin's history over 400 years. A
scale model of the city, shows the
location of public buildings and the
layout of the streets. Life-size
reconstructions illustrate the city
environment of the Middle Ages. As a
finale to the exploration of
Dublin’s past, climb the 17th
century St Michael's Tower for a
unique panoramic view of modern
Dublin.
St Patrick's Cathedral
Patrick’s Close; Lower Dublin 7
475-4817
9-6 Mon.-Fri. April-Oct.; 9-11AM and
12:30-3PM Sat.
Services: 8:30 daily and 11:45AM
Sunday.
St. Patrick’s is the oldest
Christian site in Dublin. It is said
that it was built on the grounds
where St Patrick baptized converts
during the 5th century. The present
building dates from 1190 (or
possibly 1225). Writer Jonathan
Swift was dean here from 1713-1745,
and his tomb is in the church. The
cathedral choir school dates back to
1432, and is still in existence.
Dublin Castle
Dame Street 677-7129 Bus 49; 50;
54A; 77; 77A
10-5 Mon-Fri. 2-5 Sat; Sun.
Admission charged
More a palace than a fort, it was
originally built on the orders of
King John in 1204. The state
chambers contain a large collection
of antiques. The castle has been
rebuilt, renovated and extended.
Deep scars in the stone work can be
seen in the Guardroom at the main
entrance. They are the result of
bayonet sharpening by the guards
during the 950 years of British
rule. Many of the state apartments
are open to the public. The Chapel
Royale is an elaborate area designed
and decorated in 1814 in the
neo-Gothic style. It contains some
90 carved heads of famous historical
figures. The interior has lavish
plaster vaulting and carved oak
galleries.
Temple Bar
An area of the city that has been
renovated in recent years and now
contains many restaurants and pubs
that have become the center of
Dublin’s nightlife. It is located
behind Dame Street and offers
excellent views of the River Liffey.
In addition to the restaurants and
pubs there is also the Irish Film
Center which shows a wide range of
rare films and the Art House, a
multimedia center where one can surf
the Net The well known Irish rock
band U2 performs at The Kitchen
nightclub in the Temple Bar area.
Rounding out the offerings are a
number of trendy shops, book stores,
antique shops and boutiques.
Note: The National Museum of Ireland
in association with Dublin Bus has
available a bus service linking the
3 Museum sites in Dublin. Hop on the
'Museumlink' bus to visit any of the
locations of the
National Museum of Ireland.
Kildare Street Dublin 2
677-7444
DART Pearse Station/ bus 10,11,13 or
Museumlink.
10-5 Tues.-Sat. 2-5 Sunday
Admission: Free
This is one of Dublin’s most popular
attractions. It is split between the
19th century building on Kildare
Street and the newer section at the
restored Collins Barracks (see
below)
The Kildare Street site concentrates
on archeological material and
artifacts relating mostly to
Ireland. There is a permanent
display of Bronze Age Irish gold and
another of metalwork from the Iron
Age to the Middle Ages. There are
also displays of artifacts from
prehistoric and Viking Ireland and
from ancient Egypt.
National Museum of Ireland, Collins
Barracks
Collins Barracks Benburb Street,
Dublin 7
677-7444
Buses: 90 (from Busaras, Connolly
and Tara Street DART station) , 25,
25A, 66, 67 (from Middle Abbey
Street)
Open: Tuesday to Saturday 10 - 5,
Sunday 2 - 5 Closed Good Friday
On display are artifacts ranging
from weaponry, furniture, folk life
and costumes to silver, ceramics and
glassware.
Natural History Museum
Merrion Street, Dublin, 2
6777444
Buses: 7, 7A, 8 (Burgh Quay).
Nearest DART Station: Pearse Station
(Westland Row) or Museumlink.
Tues.-Sat. 10 - 5, Sunday 2 - 5 .
Closed Good Friday
Admission: Free
The Natural History Museum which is
part of the National Museum of
Ireland, is a zoological museum
containing collections illustrative
of the wild life, both vertebrate
and invertebrate, of Ireland.
Skeletons of two whales found
stranded on the Irish coast are
suspended from the roof.
National Gallery of Ireland
Merrion Square West, Dublin 2
661-5133 Fax: 661-5372
DART Pearse station/ bus 5,6,7,7A
and 10 10-5:15 Mon-Fri., Sat. Thurs.
10-8:30 Sun. 2-5 Admission: Donation
Ireland’s National Gallery houses a
premier collection of European and
Old Master works from the 14th –
20th centuries. George Bernard Shaw
was a major benefactor. There is
also an excellent collection of the
work of Irish masters. Jack Yeats,
Roderic O’Connor, William Arpen,
Nathaniel Hone and Walter Osborne
are all represented. Caravaggio’s
“The Taking of Christ” is on
permanent display. There is a
multimedia center where the
collection can be researched via
computer.
Heraldic Museum
2 Kildare Street
677-7444
Bus 10,11,13
10:00-8:30 Mon.-Wed. 10:30-4:30
Thurs.,Fri. 10:30-12:30 Sunday
Admission: Free
The museum is an integral part of
the National Library, and is housed
in a colorful mid-nineteenth century
building, the former Kildare Street
Club. Decorative birds and monkeys
playing billiards and musical
instruments form the window
carvings. Modern banners of
Ireland’s ancient chieftains hang
from the ceiling. Visitors seeking
to trace their Irish ancestry and
family history can make inquiry at
the Consultancy Service at the
National Library itself which is
located just a few doors away.
Dublin Civic Museum
58 South William Street Dublin 2
679-4260
All cross city buses 10-6 Tues.-Sat.
11-2 Sunday.
Admission: Free.
The highlights of this small museum
for history buffs are: Charles
Brookings’s 1728 map of Dublin and a
set of James Malton aquatints from
1793 that show Dublin at the height
of it Georgian development.
Rotunda Hospital
Parnell Street
The founder of the hospital, Dr.
Bartholomew Mosse, took up midwifery
in Dublin in 1742 and launched a
campaign to provide a suitable
hospital for mothers to promote
safety in pregnancy and childbirth.
He and his committee acquired the
Parnell Square site in 1748 and
invested as a fundraising venture.
The ceiling of the chapel, decorated
by the stuccodore Barthelemy
Cramillion, has gained an
international reputation. The
woodwork of the pews, paneling and
fluted columns is of mahogany and
the gallery has some intricate
ironwork. Mosse died at the age of
47 in 1759, three years before the
Chapel was opened.
National Wax Museum
Granby Row Parnell Square, Dublin 1
8726340
Monday to Saturday 10am - 5.30pm,
Sunday noon - 5.30pm
Admission charged
Buses: 11, 13, 16, 22, 22A from
Westmoreland Street
Discover a world where fantasy and
reality combine and heroes of the
past and the present come alive
before your eyes. The Children’s
World of Fairytale and Fantasy is a
display that especially appeals to
children as they wander through the
Kingdom of Fairytales to find the
magical lamp and the all powerful
genie! The main section of the wax
exhibition broadly reflects the
historical and cultural development
of Ireland. Displays have an
informative and educational
narrative which can be heard at the
touch of a button.
The Municipal Gallery of Art
The Hugh Lane Gallery Parnell
Square, Dublin 1
874-1903
Bus 3,10,11,13,16,19,22 9:30-6
Tues.-Fri. 9:30-5 Sat. 11-5 Sun.
Admission: Free
The museum which now occupies the
building, was established with the
presentation in 1905 by the
connoisseur Sir Hugh Lane of his
valuable collection of Impressionist
paintings to Dublin Corporation on
condition that they would be housed
in a suitable building. The museum
also features an exhibit of art
nouveau stained glass panels by
Harry Clarke. Additionally, there is
a collection of works by
international and local contemporary
Irish artists. Free Sunday concerts
are held on premises. (Call for
schedule)
The Dublin Writers Museum
18 Parnell Square Dublin 1
475-0854 Fax: 872-2231.
Ten minutes walk frim DART Connolly
Station. Bus
10,11,11A,11B,13,13A,16,16A,19,19A.
Dublin is famous for four winners of
the Nobel prize for Literature:
George Bernard Shaw; William Butler
Yeats; Samuel Beckett and Seamus
Heaney and for many other
world-famous writers who were born
or lived in Dublin. This museum was
established to interpret the
tradition and the lives, works and
literary heritage of its writers
over the past 300 years.. The
building itself is a fine example of
eighteenth century craftsmanship,
with ornate plasterwork, an
impressive central staircase and a
magnificent gallery on the first
floor.
Guinness Brewery and Hopstore
Crane Street, Dublin 8
Bus 21A,78A,123 453-6700
Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30 Sun. 2:30-5:30
Admission charged
The Hopstore is a Guinness Museum
within the brewery that chronicles
the process of producing Guinness
stout, the world-renowned thicker,
darker beverage that is unrivaled
for its consistency and taste.
Admission includes a pint of the
famous stout.
James Joyce Center
35 North Great George’s Street,
Dublin 1
878-8547
DART Connolly Station Bus
3,10,11,113,16,19,22 9:30-4:45
Mon.-Sat. 12:30-5 on Sunday.
Admission charged
The setting of the Center in an 18th
century house amid other restored
red brick Georgian residences just
off O’Connell Street is further
authenticated by the fact that tours
are conducted by members of Joyce’s
family. There is an extensive
library, exhibits and information
about James Joyce and his work.
There are even cassette tapes
available which offer the
opportunity to hear Joyce reading
from Ulysses and Finnegan’s Wake.
The Garden of Remembrance
North end of Parnell Square
The Garden was opened in 1966 on the
fiftieth anniversary of the Easter
Rising of 1916 and was dedicated to
those who gave their lives in the
cause of Irish freedom. The mosaics
on the floor of the central pool
depict broken and discarded weapons
as a sign of peace. At the end of
the garden is a large bronze
sculpture by Oisín Kelly depicting
The Children of Lir, who according
to an ancient Irish legend were
transformed into swans.
St. Mary’s Catholic Pro-Cathedral
Marlborough Street, Dublin 1
874-5441 DART – Connolly Station
Although Dublin’s population is
predominantly Roman Catholic, its
two cathedrals are both of the
Protestant faith. St. Mary’s,
dedicated in 1825, became known as
the Pro-Cathedral and is still
‘standing in’. One of Dublin’s most
noted neo-classical buildings, its
Greek Doric design is based on the
church of St. Philippe-le-Roule in
Paris.
National Print Museum Old Garrison
Church Beggars Bush Haddington Road
, DUBLIN 4 Tel: 660-3770 May to
–Sept. Mon – Fri. 10. - 12.30, 2.30
- 5.00 Saturday, Sunday and Bank
Holidays 12 - 5.
Built in the 1860's, the National
Print Museum houses a unique
collection of artifacts and machines
from all sectors of the printing
industry in Ireland. The emphasis is
on industrial printing. The Beggars
Bush building was originally a
barracks and the central garrison
building houses the Irish Labour
History Museum .
Irish Jewish Museum
3-4 Walworth Road Portobello, Dublin
8
453-1797
Bus 16,16A,19,19A,22,22A
May-Sept. 11-3:30 Tues., Thurs.,Sun.
Oct.-April 10:30 Sunday. Other
times: Call for appointment.
Admission: Donation The collection
of documents and artifacts relating
to the Jewish community in Dublin
includes a replica of a turn of the
century Jewish kitchen from a Jewish
neighborhood. A synagogue preserved
with ritual fittings is also
present. An exhibit chronicles the
pogroms against the Jews in Limerick
in the 1920’s. Rabbi Herzog,
Irelans’s first chief rabbi is
commemorated by a plaque, as is
Ireland’s most famous Jew of
fiction, James Joyce’s Leopold
Bloom.
Kilmainham Gaol
Inchicore Road
Dublin 8
453-5984
Bus 51,51B,78A,79 9:30-6 daily
(April-Sept.) 9:30-5 Mon-Fri. (Oct.
– March) 10-6 Sunday Guided tours
only.
Admission charged
Kilmainham is the best known and
most notorious of Irish prisons. It
was here that the leaders of the
1916 Easter Rising were executed.
Displays chronicle events of
Ireland’s uprisings from 1800 on.
Other displays show conditions in
19th century prisons. Note: Some
exhibits such as the one that shows
the process of death by hanging in
detail are extremely graphic.
Parental discretion is advised.
General Post Office
O’Connell Street Dublin 1
705-7077
DART Connolly Station All cross city
buses
8-8 Mon.-Sat. Admission: Free
The General Post Office is one of
the last great public buildings of
the Georgian era. Its great Ionic
portico with six fluted columns
contains three stone figures
representing Mercury (the messenger
of the gods), Hibernia and Fidelity.
The GPO holds a special place in
Irish history as the headquarters of
the Irish Volunteers in the Easter
Rising of 1916. The Rising began on
Easter Monday when armed detachments
of the Irish Volunteers and the
Citizen Army, commanded by the
patriots Patrick Pearse and James
Connolly, seized and occupied the
building. Other strategic locations
in the city were also taken over.
The Proclamation of the Irish
Republic outside the building by
Patrick Pearse is commemorated by a
tablet on the wall. In 1922, after
eight centuries of occupation, an
independent Irish State was
established. Reconstruction of the
gutted GPO began in 1925 and the
interior was splendidly restored.
CEOL Irish Traditional Music Center
Smithfield Village Ireland Dublin 7
817-3820
9.30 am - 6.00 Mon- Sat. 12.- 6
Sundays all year.
Admission charged Buses 25, 25A, 67,
67A from Middle Abbey Street, 68,
69, 79, from Aston Quay, 90 from
Connolly, Tara and Heuston Stations.
Ceol, the Irish word for music, pays
homage to the greatness of past
musicians and performers as it
celebrates Irish music of today. You
can listen to the fiddle, pipes ,
accordion, concertina, flute,
whistle, and the whole range of
traditional instruments. The
emotional experiences of the Irish
People are captured in songs that
tell of their victories and their
defeats. Dance is central to Irish
traditional music. Examples of the
three major forms: set dancing,
ceili dancing, and the performance
tradition are presented.
Christchurch Cathedral
Christchurch Place, Dublin 8
677-8099
10-5 Mon.-Sat. Sunday Service: 11 AM
Parts of the cathedral date back to
the original wooden building
constructed in 1038 and to the 1172
replacement built for Ireland’s
first invader, Richard deClare.
Edward VI was crowned king of
England here in 1487 and 100 years
later King Henry VIII burned the
church, after which it was turned
into law courts. The church is high,
gray and dark inside with stone
sculptures. A huge crypt spans the
length of the building under the
church. A bridge leads into what was
the Synod Hall and is now Dublinia.
Saint Michan’s Church
Church Street Lower Dublin 7
872-4154
10-12:45 and 2-4:45 Mon.-Fri.
10-12:45 Saturday
St. Michan’s was for five hundred
years the only parish church in
Dublin north of the River Liffey. It
was founded in about 1095 by
residents of the Danish colony in
Oxmanstown. The present structure
dates from 1685 when it was
completely rebuilt. The church
contains a magnificent organ, on
which Handel is believed to have
played while composing ‘The
Messiah’. Among other treasured
items is a chalice dating from 1516.
St. Michan’s is especially famous
for its vaults and the mummified
bodies which lie there, preserved by
the limestone in the ground which
keeps the air absolutely dry. Some
of the bodies, in a fine state of
preservation, are on view to the
public. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
