The capital of Ireland has a rich history and yet, with the youngest population in Europe and more than 770 pubs, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Museums chronicle the city’s past, from the founding Vikings to the potato famine in the late 1840s that led to mass emigration and the country’s political struggles. Dublin embraces its history, celebrates its residents, remembers the hard times and acknowledges great whiskey — what’s not to like? GetAway Travel is ready to help plan your adventure to the Emerald Isle.

A city with something for everyone

The capital of the Republic of Ireland, Dublin is on Ireland’s east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. County Dublin is the third smallest county in Ireland, but one-third of the country’s population lives there. A UNESCO World Heritage City of Literature, it was only the fourth city in the world to get this distinction. It recognizes the city’s historical literary past as well as its commitment to contemporary literature. Writers from Ireland include: James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, W.B. Yeats, Jonathan Swift, Samuel Beckett and Maeve Binchy. Check out their legacy at the Writer’s Museum.

Phoenix Park is Europe’s largest enclosed city park. The park offers a variety of attractions including the Dublin Zoo. Well known for its lion breeding program which dates back to 1851, the city’s most famous lion roars at the start of an MGM film.

Hit the streets…

 O’Connell Street is in the heart of Dublin and is as close to the city’s “main street” as you can get. There are pubs, stores, hotels, restaurants, bookstores and a large Penney’s (which is called Primark in Ireland).

There are also numerous sculptures and monuments. One of the world’s tallest sculptures, “the Spire” is here. The needle-like monument is 393 feet tall. There is a statue of Daniel O’Connell, the 19th century political leader known as “the Liberator.” There are sculptures of Sir John Gray, James Larkin, Charles Stewart Parnell and Theobald Matthew, a Catholic priest and reformer.

You can admire the architecture of the historic Gresham Hotel, built in 1817, Clery’s Department  Store, built in 1822 and the General Post Office building, built in 1818 and considered one of the most beautiful buildings on the street.

Grafton Street is one of the main shopping streets. Shop for national and international brands and some great souvenir options. Enjoy street musicians and artists and stop for a cup of coffee at the famous Brewley’s Oriental Cafe which has been operating since 1927.

Temple Bar is a charming area jam packed with pubs, restaurants, art galleries, a Food Market, a Book Market and trendy boutiques. Visit Love Lane. It’s a lane in the Temple Bar area decked out in love letters to Dublin, look for words from famous authors and witty statements on ceramic tiles.

Cathedrals, museums and Trinity College

Break up your shopping trip with stops at famous cathedrals and, you’ve got your pick of great museums.

Christ Church Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, is the oldest Anglican Church in Dublin. It was originally a small wooden temple used for worship by the Vikings. It has undergone several restorations and is “finished” in Neo-gothic style. Inside there are several exhibits and a large arched crypt that dates to the 12th century.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is Ireland’s largest church and it was supposedly founded near the well where St. Patrick was converted and baptized. It has been restored several times and houses numerous busts, sepulchral monuments and mortuary plaques commemorating some of the city’s most famous citizens.

Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest and internationally recognized university. It was established by royal charter in 1592 and initially only admitted Protestants. Catholics were admitted after 1793 and some famous students include: Samuel Beckett, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde and Edmund Burke.

The library here holds the largest collection of books in the country. Since 1801 the library has received a copy of every paperback published in the country as well as Great Britain. The nearly 3 million books are housed in several buildings. The library’s Long Room, 213 feet long, has 200,000 of the library’s oldest books as well as marble busts and a Gaelic harp. One of the oldest in the country, the harp is made of oak and willow with bronze strings.

The Book of Kells is here. Transcribed by monks during the 9th century, the famous manuscript, written in Latin, has four gospels of the New Testament and is gorgeously illustrated.

Chester Beatty was an avid collector of books and manuscripts and the Chester Beatty Museum has books, scrolls, manuscripts, a collection of Qurans thought to be the best examples of illustrated Islamic texts, a fragment of the original Bible, medicine boxes and Chinese jade books.

Kilmainham Gaol Museum is a former prison with exhibits detailing the history of Irish nationalism. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum explores the exodus of Irish citizens who left during the famine. For genealogy buffs, the Irish Family History Centre is here. The National Museum of Ireland has one of the largest collections of gold artifacts in Europe, along with a 4,500 year-old log boat and Irish art displays from the pagan ages to Christianity.

The National Gallery of Ireland has European and Irish fine art and the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History explores Irish design through the ages.

The Museum of Natural History or the “Dead Zoo” as it is known, is an eclectic, weird collection of dusty stuffed beasts. Browse among the 2 million items — stuffed mammals, sea creatures, butterflies, skeletons of 10,000 year-old elk and finely detailed glass models of marine creatures.

The Museum of Archeology is considered the country’s most important museum. Exhibits are displayed in an original 1890s building. There’s stunning Celtic metalwork to see including some of the country’s most famous items like the Ardagh Chalice and the Tara Brooch. Creepy mummified bodies are on view, perfectly preserved by the country’s peat bogs.

And don’t miss the country’s most famous lady — the statue of Molly Malone is on Suffolk Street, a short walk from Trinity College.

The Emerald Isle is calling and GetAway Travel will help you answer. We can be reached at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel

 

   Up next, Sláinte! The spirits of Dublin