DK Travel : Dublin

One of the most popular capitals in Europe, Dublin is a city steeped in history. Huddled together within a small vicinity you’ll find Viking remains, medieval cathedrals and churches, Georgian squares and excellent museums. But it’s not just about buildings – music, theatre, literature and pubs play just as strong a part in Dublin’s atmosphere. These highlights are the must-sees for any visitor who wants to truly capture the variety and vibrancy of the city.

Musical Instruments

Uillean pipes, bodhráns (drums), tin whistles and other Celtic instruments remain at the heart of Irish folk music.
My Museum

An exciting programme of activities run by the National Museum of Ireland, which rotates between the city’s museums.
National Concert Hall

For quality classical music, look no further: the National Concert Hall is Dublin’s premier venue, hosting guests of the calibre of the New York Philharmonic. The building is also home to Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra. Jazz, contemporary and traditional Irish music are also performed here, and there are lunchtime concerts in summer.
National Gallery

A superb new wing of the gallery opened on Clare Street in January 2002, vastly increasing the space available for temporary exhibitions and displays of the gallery’s permanent collection. The improved facilities also include a large shop, a café and restaurant and lecture theatres.
National Gallery

Wonderful Italian, French, Dutch and Spanish works are exhibited here, alongside an impressive collection of Irish art.
National Library

long with works by W. B. Yeats (1923), George Bernard Shaw (1925), Samuel Beckett (1969), and Seamus Heaney (1995), the National Library contains first editions of every major Irish writer, including books by Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, and James Joyce (who used the library as the scene of the great literary debate in Ulysses). In addition, almost every book ever published in Ireland is kept here, along with an unequaled selection of old maps and an extensive collection of Irish newspapers and magazines—more than 5 million items in all.
National Museum of Ireland

Only two of the museum’s three sights are south of the river: the Natural History Museum and the branch on Kildare Street which examines Irish archaeology and history. The latter’s 19th-century building is almost as impressive as its collections, decorated with marble and mosaics.
National Museum of Ireland

Three collections in three locations make up this outstanding museum, ranging from dinosaurs to modern furniture.
National Museum of Ireland - Country Life

Museum chronicling life in Ireland from 1850 to 1950. Free entry. Exhibitions contain material from the Irish Folklife collection. Includes landlord's house with nineteenth century rooms, extensive planned gardens and exhibition galleries.
National Stud

Visitors can tour this state-run bloodstock farm to learn about the breeding and training of these fine racehorses. The museum charts the development of the stud since its establishment by Colonel Hall Walker in 1900. Also within the estate are the beautiful Japanese Gardens, laid out between 1906–10 by Hall Walker and two Japanese gardeners to represent the “life of man”. St Fiachra’s Garden was created to mark the Millennium, named after a 6th-century monk with a love of gardening.