Esta vieja cárcel es uno de los edificios históricos más importantes de Dublín. Con un pasado que se remonta a 1796, Kilmainham Gaol es un edificio inmenso que contó entre sus habitantes a hombres, mujeres y hasta niños. La Gaol pasó a la historia por encerrar a rebeldes famosos y prisioneros de guerra. En la actualidad, el edificio es un museo que ofrece exposiciones de colecciones especiales y recorridos guiados.
Sheathed in acres of rolling green expanses, Phoenix Park is one of the largest city parks in Europe. This massive verdant swathe lies nestled in the west of the city, and is a mixture of wilderness and formal landscape gardens. Dotted with tree-cloaked boulevards, pristine tracts of grassland and open recreational spaces, the park is also home to some monumental, nationally significant edifices, too. The Ashtown Castle calls the park home, in addition to the towering Papal Cross which marks the visit of Pope John Paul II back in 1979, the stately Áras an Uachtaráin, the Wellington Monument which is a soaring tribute to the Duke of Wellington, and the teeming Dublin Zoo, are all nestled in its scenic, idyllic expanse. Among the many recreational activities offered here are Gaelic football, polo and cricket. Also enclosed within its viridescent fabric is a vibrant burst of plant life, while a bird sanctuary and a herd of fallow deer coexist in peaceful harmony. Playing host to an array of events, festivals as well as racing events, Phoenix Park is a massive window into the unbridled natural beauty and strategic finesse of Ireland.
A short bus ride from the city center, the splendid Botanic Gardens and its many floral wonders are a stunning treat to the senses. Accentuated all the more by the glimmering waters of River Tolka, these Irish gardens uphold an assemblage of hundreds of thousands of plants, and a smattering of botanical specimens. In all their floral glory, the gardens are a wonderland for naturalists and botany aficionados, its verdant course dotted by a string of splendid greenhouses, like the impressive, structural and glass-clad Curvilinear Range and the Palm House. The great glasshouses full of exotica were constructed in the mid 19th century and designed by Richard Turner, who was also the man behind the glasshouses at Kew Gardens. The gardens are divided into distinct areas of interest, featuring long herbaceous beds, a rose garden, alpine houses, a vegetable garden, orchid beds, an arboretum, a yew-clad walkway along the river, and a wonderful area exhibiting the various natural habitats of Ireland. Also sheltering willows plunging gracefully over gleaming waters, the National Botanic Gardens are a luxuriant canvas of natural glory and luminescence.
Para muchos, Guinness es una de las cosas más importantes de Irlanda. Con un costo final de 30 millones de euros, la bodega Guinness Storehouse es una excelente adición a la lista creciente de nuevas cosas para ver en Dublín. Emplazada en un centro de fermentación del siglo XVIII, la bodega está formada por seis pisos conectados por un atrio gigante con forma de pinta. Si bien la fábrica de cerveza en sí no está abierta al público, en el nuevo espacio de exposiciones podrán aprender todo sobre los 200 años de historia de la compañía y conocer muchos de los secretos de la producción de esta bebida. Después de recorrer las exposiciones, prepárense para disfrutar de un film corto y un vaso de la bebida tan famosa. En la bodega se encuentra el elegante Gravity Bar. ¡No se lo pierdan!
Ubicado en el parque Stephen's Green, este pequeño museo sin fines de lucro le da vida a la Dublín del siglo XX para quienes lo visitan. El Pequeño Museo se enfoca, entre otras cosas, en la transición cultural que tuvo lugar a lo largo de la historia de la nación. El museo ofrece una cantidad sorprendente de cosas por descubrir, como la Edad de Oro de Dublín, las contribuciones de las mujeres en los importantes movimientos socioeconómicos y una exposición especial dedicada a U2, la más grande banda de Rock de Irlanda. Dicho de otra forma, es una manera excelente de aprender sobre el largo recorrido de la ciudad, y la mejor forma de hacerlo es participando de los recorridos guiados.
El parque más famoso de Dublín tiene una larga historia. En sus inicios fue tan solo un espacio común, ubicado cerca del hospital de leprosos, y en 1664 la ciudad decidió cercarlo. Sitio de ahorcamientos públicos durante el siglo XVIII, no fue hasta que Lord Ardilaun lo acogió bajo su ala en 1880 que el parque tomó la forma que podemos ver en la actualidad. Las estatuas conmemorativas están por doquier, junto a los canteros floridos, entre los árboles y bordeando el estanque de los patos y sauces. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde y W. B. Yeats son solo algunas de las personalidades celebradas en este parque, mientras que los Three Fates, o "Tres Destinos" en español, de aire petulante, miden los hilos del destino de la humanidad desde su fuente ubicada en la entrada de la calle Leeson. En verano se organizan conciertos gratuitos en la glorieta.
Balbriggan is a town with much to offer its visitors. This town used to be a fishing village before cotton manufacturing was introduced here. It is known as being the location where King William III and his troupes camped after the Battle of Boyne in 1690. During the Irish war of independence, the town was attacked by the British Blacks and Tans who destroyed several houses in 1920. Balbriggan caters to a wide variety of interests. Visitors who enjoy outdoor activities will be delighted by the towns beaches, fishing harbor and gold club. For the more culturally inclined, there are a number of historic buildings such as the Ardgillan Demesne and Castle.
The Grangegorman Military Cemetery is found on Blackhorse Avenue adjacent to Pheonix Park in the Irish city of Dublin. Opened in 1876, it is the largest war cemetery in Ireland and contains the graves of soldiers and their families from those killed in the Marlborough barracks and Crimea to soldiers of World War I as well as soldiers of the 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish War of Independence between 1919 and 1921. Graves of Dublin Fusiliers are of the highest number and many Sherwood Foresters and South Staffs are also found here. The Irish National War Memorial Gardens that commemorates the 49,400 Irish soldiers killed in World War I is found only a kilometer (half a mile) away.
The Howth Cliff Walk is among the foremost activities that one can set out to experience in the inviting village of Howth. Beginning at the Howth waterfront, the cliff walk takes you right around Howth Head, where your efforts are rewarded with fantastic panoramic views of the Dublin Bay. Comprising a fairly easy and mostly flat hike, the cliff walk can be attempted by children too, making it an adventurous family activity. Do begin your sojourn of the hamlet with the enticing Howth Cliff Walk.
Nestled in the eponymous coastal village, Malahide Beach is a haven for those looking to spend time in the company of scenic vistas and an inviting horizon. Running between the village and the estuary, the beach offers an expansive stretch for swimming or simply relaxing on the cool sand. Comprising a blend of dunes and a serpentine promenade, the beach is an alluring destination for the locals and tourists alike. When in Malahide, do go beachcombing at the Malahide Beach.