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.
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.
Más de 235 especies de animales y aves salvajes habitan el Zoológico de Dublín, un predio inmenso emplazado dentro del Parque Phoenix. Creado en 1830 y años más tarde ampliado y restaurado, este zoológico es uno de los más antiguos del mundo. Sus más de 12 hectáreas ofrecen diversión para toda la familia, así que prepárense para visitar el rincón de las mascotas y atracciones como la Granja Familiar y los Límites del Ártico. El paseo en tren por el zoológico también es muy divertido y más que bienvenido a la hora de descansar los pies. Si quieren sentarse a comer algo, visiten el restaurante y la cafetería, y recuerden pasar por la tienda de recuerdos antes de salir.
Una de las únicas dos catedrales anglicanas en Dublín, esta iglesia venerada está emplazada junto a los prados serenos del parque de San Patricio. Construida en el año 1192, la catedral cardinal de Glendalough es una obra maestra de la arquitectura cuyos múltiples chapiteles se alzan sobre los paisajes urbanos de Coombe, Warrenmount y Portobello. Las principales atracciones de San Patricio son las tumbas de Jonathan Swift y su compañero, que están situadas en la nave. La catedral también cuenta con la nave medieval más grande de toda Irlanda y una lápida de piedra con una cruz celta tallada en su frente que cubre el pozo del que San Patricio sacaba el agua para bendecir a sus súbditos. Los jardines que rodean la catedral son un oasis más que bienvenido en esta parte densamente poblada de la ciudad.
Founded in 1908 by art enthusiast Sir Hugh Lane, this elegant gallery houses Sir Hugh's collection of paintings by Dégas, Monet and Courbet; in addition to Rodin sculptures and a fine selection of modern Irish paintings. A magnificent stained glass room includes panels by Evie Hone and Harry Clarke: most notable of late, however, is the Lane's acquisition of Francis Bacon's studio, which is now reproduced in the gallery untouched. Free classical music concerts are held here on winter Sundays, lectures are frequently given: the Hugh Lane is worth a visit all year long. They also have a cafe and a bookshop that are open all the hours of the operation of the museum.
See a piece of literary history at Sweny's Pharmacy. This is the pharmacy described by James Joyce in Ulysses. It has been preserved to keep the appearance of what Joyce described in his writing. Although it is no longer a pharmacy, you can stop in and browse a selection of used books and even pick up a bar of the famous lemon soap from Joyce's description. Regular readings of Joyce's writing are held here as well.
Set within an 18th-century tower, the Ye Olde Hurdy-Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio offers an interesting account of the rich history of radio. The then Taoiseach of Ireland, Seán Lemass, once called the tower and greeted the control with the words "How's the hurdy gurdy?" which lead to curious christening of the museum. Home to an interesting display of ancient transmitting devices, the museum witnessed the first telegraph transmission too. Right from old telegrams and archaic radios to gramophones and other apparatus, Ye Olde Hurdy-Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio covers them all.
Situated in the leafy suburb of Rathfarnham, this building was formerly a school run by the leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, Padraig Pearse. Located in the beautiful grounds of St. Enda's Park, the museum now features a wide range of exhibits, a nature study room with Irish flora and fauna displays and an audio-visual presentation on the life of Pearse called This Man Kept a School. The fine park features riverside walks, a walled garden and a waterfall.
Royal Hibernian Academy was established in 1823 by a group of thirty artists to create a platform for aspiring artists to educate themselves and present their creations. The school focuses on architecture, painting, sculptures and visual arts and mainly focuses on the difference between traditional and a contemporary approach to arts. The gallery has exhibitions conducted both of local and international artists and also has a huge collection of paintings by Irish painters. The museum is currently managed by the Art Council of Ireland.
The Grand Canal is undoubtedly the better preserved of Dublin's two canals, and a stroll along its banks is like taking a wander through the essence of Dublin. The lush canal banks pass through working-class apartments, nouveau and not so nouveau-riche areas, business districts and red-light areas and culminates at the Grand Canal Basin. On one side of the basin you will find Misery Hill, so called because of the utter poverty it once witnessed, and on the other side you will find one of Dublin's newest and most exclusive penthouse apartment complexes. For those interested in angling, coarse fishing for roach, hybrids, perch, pike, tench and eels is free all year round.