Dublin

Dublin Castle has served as the seat of the Irish Monarchy and later as a stronghold for British Imperialism in Ireland. Dublin Castle is now a popular Dublin attraction with a gallery, a chapel and the Chester Beatty Library.

Located in the heart of the St James's Gate Brewery, the Guinness Storehouse is Ireland's No. 1 international visitor attraction. The Storehouse was originally built in 1904 to house the Guinness fermentation process.

Located just off O'Connell Street, the Abbey has been known as a writer's theatre for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 by Irish writers including William Butler Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory, it has launched the careers of many Irish playwrights, though not always smoothly! John Millington Synge's daring play; 'The Playboy of the Western World' caused riots when it premiered here in 1907 for its negative portrayal of Irish country dwellers. Just 20 years later, Sean O'Casey's 'The Plough and the Stars' caused an uproar for seemingly promoting pacifism toward the British. Nowadays, both plays are regarded as Irish masterpieces and are still staged at the Abbey.

Still intact after over 1000 years, the Book of Kells was written in 800 AD and is one of the most beautifully illustrated manuscripts in the world. Intricate and delicate, the Books of Kells contains Latin renderings of the Four Gospels and the Long Library at Dublin's Trinity College has made a veritable shrine to one of the world's oldest written documents and best preserved medieval works of art.

No study visit to Dublin would be complete without devoting some time to Ireland's most famous writer, James Joyce. Though he spent most of his adult life in continental Europe, Joyce remained loyal to the city of his birth, saying, 'When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.' Dubliners have taken Joyce into their hearts as well, commemorating the author and his remarkable novel Ulysses with an annual Bloomsday celebration. Every June 16, loyal Joyce fans dress in Edwardian garb and retrace the footsteps of Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of Ulysses, in his fictional wanderings through Dublin on June 16, 1904. If the timing of your Dublin visit doesn't coincide with this journey, you can still celebrate Joyce's masterpiece with a visit to the James Joyce Tower in Sandycove, or simply wander past the statue of the bespectacled author proudly displayed on North Earl Street.

There's no better place to explore Dublin's literary heritage than at Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university. Wander among the buildings where "Gulliver's Travels" writer Jonathan Swift once studied. Stroll down the same cobblestone path that "Dracula" author Bram Stoker used to walk. And don't forget to visit the Old Library for a peek at the Book of Kells, a manuscript as popular as any alumnus author. Top off your literary sojourn with a visit to the Dublin Writers Museum, which will give you an excellent overview of the city's famous writers.

Perched on top of Cork Hill (close to Temple Bar) since the 13th century, Dublin Castle has served as the seat of the Irish Monarchy and later as a stronghold for British Imperialism in Ireland. Having undergone countless sieges and fires, Dublin Castle is now a popular Dublin attraction with a Portrait Gallery, a Gothic Royal Chapel and the Chester Beatty Library.

Located in the heart of the St James's Gate Brewery, the Guinness Storehouse is Ireland's No. 1 international visitor attraction. The Storehouse was originally built in 1904 to house the Guinness fermentation process. This incredible building was constructed in the style of the Chicago school of architecture, with massive steel beams providing the support for the structure of the building. The Storehouse building housed the fermentation of Guinness beer until 1988. In 2000 the Visitor Experience opened. The core of the building is modelled on a giant pint glass, stretching up from reception on the ground floor to The Gravity Bar in the sky. If filled, this giant pint would hold approximately 14.3 million pints of Guinness. Tours are entertaining, informative and popular; as is the sampling in the panoramic Gravity Bar!

One of Dublin's most magnificent buildings, The Custom House was designed by James Gandon and built between 1781-91 to replace an older building on Essex Quay. It was designed to be looked at from all angles and is rich in structural detail. Of particular interest are the 14 keystone heads which represent the 13 Irish Rivers and the Atlantic Ocean, the cornerstones of Irish trade. The original interior was completely destroyed in 1921 when it was attacked by the IRA during the War of Independence. It currently houses the Dept of the Environment.

Completed in 1786 and designed by the architect James Gandon, The Four Courts contain the Supreme Court and the High Court of Ireland. It is designed as a single quadrangle with four original courts, the King's Bench, Chancery, Exchequer and Common Pleas. It was originally built as a records storage building but part way through the construction it was decided to transfer the courts of law from St Michaels Hill. The building was severely damaged in 1922 during the Civil War , a tragedy which saw most of the documents of the Public Records Office damaged beyond repair. This is the reason why it is very hard to trace relatives in Dublin before the 19th Century.

The General Post Office (GPO) is the main building on O'Connell Street, Dublin City's main street and is the home to An Post, the Irish postal service. It was built between 1815-18 and is one of the last great Georgian buildings built in the city. Its main features are the huge protico with six columns, which is surmounted by three figures, Mercury, Hibernia and Fidelity. Historically the GPO's greatest signifigance was as the headquarters of the 1916 Rising. It was here that Patrick Pearse read aloud 'The Proclamation of the Irish Republic' and alongside James Connolly and some of the Irish Volunteers occupied the building for a week. The GPO itself was mostly destroyed from shelling and wasn't rebuilt until 1925, when the Irish Free State was set up. In present day the GPO is open daily as a post office, and its history is remembered with paintings inside commemorating the 1916 Rising, a plaque of the 'The Proclamation of the Irish Republic' which hangs on the wall and by a statue of the Legendary Celtic Warrior, Cuchulainn.