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A little bit of history repeating itself

As befits the land of saints and scholars, Ireland's capital city has a great selection of cultural artefacts covering every aspect of its celebrated history. Let no stone remain unturned as you seek out the city's finest collections and curiosities.

Dublin » What to See » Museums & Galleries

Chester Beatty Library

Chester Beatty Library
This award-winning library and art museum is housed in the 18th Century Clock Tower Building and adjoining modern purpose-built gallery. Read_on (No Comments)

Dublinia

Dublinia
Located at the historic crossroads of Dublin, this top visitor attraction tells the story of the city with three exciting exhibitions. Read_on (No Comments)

Dublin Writers Museum

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This restored Georgian mansion provides a suitably salubrious setting in which to celebrate 300 years of Ireland's outstanding literary legacy. Read_on (No Comments)

GAA Museum & Stadium Tours

GAA Museum & Stadium Tours
The GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) was founded in 1884 and is responsible for the four national games of Ireland: hurling, Gaelic football, camogie (hurling for women) and handball. Read_on (No Comments)

Glasnevin Museum

Glasnevin Museum
Built as part of the preparations for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, this modern museum houses details of the famous people buried at Ireland's necropolis. Read_on (No Comments)

Hugh Lane Gallery

Hugh Lane Gallery
Founded in 1908, and regarded as the world's first known public gallery of modern art, this important collection is housed in a striking 18th Century house and named after its art connoisseur founder. Read_on (No Comments)

Imaginosity

Imaginosity
This children’s museum is a fully interactive experience that takes children of all ages on a two hour exploration of the world we live in. Read_on (No Comments)

Irish Museum of Modern Art

Irish Museum of Modern Art
Set in the old Royal Hospital, Kilmainham - founded in 1684 and restored 300 years later - this striking museum opened in 1991 and features a collection of 4,500 contemporary Irish and international works of art. Read_on (No Comments)

James Joyce Centre

James Joyce Centre
Built in 1784 for the Earl of Kenmare, the original plasterwork of this fine Georgian townhouse had disappeared completely by 1982 but was restored using photographs taken by Joyce’s friend, Constantine Curran. Read_on (No Comments)

James Joyce Tower

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One in a series of Martello towers built in 1804 to defend Ireland against Napoleon (who never came), the Joyce Tower overlooks the coast eight miles south of Dublin. Read_on (No Comments)

Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship & Famine Museum

Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship & Famine Museum
See how Irish emigrants lived, and perished, aboard this replica 19th Century Famine Ship. The original sailed from Tralee, Co. Read_on (No Comments)

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol
Ireland’s most famous prison was built in 1792 and is one of Europe's largest unoccupied gaols. Now a museum, the jail - with its imposing Victorian wing and bleak, confined cells - is synonymous with the Irish fight for Independence. Read_on (1 Comment)

National Gallery of Ireland

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Paintings, sculptures and objets d'art are all housed in this 19th Century building whose façade replicates that of the National History Museum. Read_on (No Comments)

National Leprechaun Museum

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Ireland's world-famous fairy folk now have their very own museum. Journey through an optical illusion tunnel and into the land of the leprechauns. Read_on (No Comments)

National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology

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Described as ‘an accomplished exercise in Victorian Palladianism’, this late 19th Century building has an 18m high entrance with classical columns of Irish marble. Read_on (No Comments)

National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History

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Get a true feeling of history at this former barracks which housed troops for over three centuries. When handed over to the Free State Army in 1922, they were renamed Collins Barracks after Michael Collins, the Army's first commander-in-chief. Read_on (No Comments)

National Museum of Ireland - Natural History

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Opened in 1857, two years before Darwin's The Origin of the Species was first published, this purpose-built museum, known by locals as the brilliantly named 'Dead Zoo', is the oldest in Ireland. Read_on (No Comments)

National Print Museum

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This unique museum charts the demise of printing skills in a modern computer age. A 19th Century former soldiers' chapel, the museum celebrates the golden age of printing with a collection of implements, artefacts and machines from Ireland's printing past. Read_on (No Comments)

National Transport Museum

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Set in the historic surroundings of Howth Demesne, around 10miles north of Dublin city centre, this unique collection straddles a century of public service and commercial vehicles from 1883. Read_on (No Comments)

National Wax Museum - PLUS

National Wax Museum - PLUS
Housed in the historic landmark Armoury Building, your visit begins with a trip through Irish history with figures from Ireland's literary world, Irish legends and political figures. Read_on (1 Comment)

Number Twenty Nine

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Opened in 1991 as part of Dublin's European Cultural Capital celebrations, this delightfully restored four-storey townhouse on a corner of  Merrion Square reflects the lives of owner Olivia Beatty and her seven children. Read_on (No Comments)

Pearse Museum

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Established at his home in 1908 by Patrick (Padraic) Pearse, this former St Enda’s school now houses a museum dedicated to its founder's life. Read_on (No Comments)

Rathfarnham Castle

Rathfarnham Castle
The toys are back in town! Classically associated with architecture and a fine collection of family portraits, this magnificent building, c. Read_on (No Comments)

Science Gallery

Science Gallery
The Science Gallery is a world’s first - a place where people are encouraged to explore and discuss how technology and science affect their everyday lives. Read_on (No Comments)

The Box in the Docks, Waterways Ireland Visitors Centre

The Box in the Docks, Waterways Ireland Visitors Centre
Ireland's waterways criss-cross the island, providing a unique sightseeing perspective and opening up the landscape like no other navigational route. Read_on (No Comments)

Ye Olde Hurdy-Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio

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A colourful array of radio and music paraphenalia greet visitors to curator Pat Herbert's impeccable collection, amassed over four dedicated decades. Read_on (No Comments)