I have been to so many countries and I've been in so many tours and this is one of the best, our…read moretour guide, Adam, just beautifully portrayed the story of the jail. He was so incredibly captivating. I'm not sure anyone spoke for the full hour of the tour we were all so fascinated in his stories. So sobering and poignant. For only €8 this is an absolute steal. We took the first tour in the morning which I recommend as you get to see everything, including the museum, before the crowds.

Such an incredible tour! As an American, I didn't know too much about the Irish revolution, but…read morethat didn't stop us from deeply appreciating the history and sacrifices of the people who spent time in this place. Definitely a great way to spend a few hours learning about the country.

What a fabulous tour of a castle still going through renovations. Most of the grounds have been…read morerestored and most rooms of the castle are restored and open to tour. There are additional outbuildings they will restore over the upcoming years. The gardens are beautiful with medicinal and culinary herbs, plus apple trees on the property. We didn't get to do the guided tour, but we got plenty of details from the owner on the history and some of the details. This was so much better than the Dublin Castle and it is the only functional moat around a castle anywhere in Ireland.

Had a guided tour here for €4.50. Excellent value. The castle has plenty of history and is well…read moreworth a visit. It is the only moated castle in Ireland. A duck named George lives in the moat. The gardens are beautiful and the tour guide was really really good. A number of movies used the castle as a location, such as Ella Enchanted and the Tudors. You can rent the main hall for occasions such as weddings and I'd imagine they would be spectacular. Really worth a visit.

Very quiet beautiful park. Run the dogs, turn your kids loose, enjoy a stroll at your own pace. AND…read moreIT IS FREE!!

I am a big fan of modern art and I feel very lucky that the museum is housed on spectacular…read moregrounds, also on those grounds are the War Memorial Gardens. They are dedicated to the 49,400 Irish soldiers that died during the 1914-1918 war. Sadly for awhile successive governments did not highlight this monument due to them fighting for the British. Thankfully we have moved on from that era in our history. The garden was designed by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. It truly is a masterpiece of design. It intrigues me how back then the goal was to tame nature so that it is as rigid as a reserved Victorian person. Another remarkable feature is that, 'The names of all the soldiers are contained in the beautifully illustrated Harry Clarke manuscripts in the granite bookrooms in the gardens.'

Staying at a nearby hotel, I spotted the Wellington Monument and had to walk over to check it out…read more Officially the Wellington Testimonial, it is 203 feet tall which makes it the tallest in Europe. It is a tribute to the victories of the Duke of Wellington. The structure is solid - there are no doors or entrances and you can't climb to the top. It is surrounded by an open grass area that's perfect for tossing a ball or having a picnic. There aren't any benches or seats facing the monument. [Review 1985 of 2024 - 166 in Republic of Ireland - 23007 overall]

The Wellington Monument is located in Dublin's Phoenix Park, and is the tallest obelisk in Europe…read more(which is appropriate, as the Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed park in Western Europe). The monument itself is impressive, and it is nice to sit on the steps and look out across the park on sunny afternoon. One might think it strange the monument was not renamed in the early years of this state, however, as the Duke of Wellington held Ireland and all things Irish in distaste. Born in County Meath, the Duke always insisted that he wasn't Irish, using the analogy that being born in a barn does not make one a horse. Asshole. Bad cess to him anyway, but nice monument, though.

"It's not that the Irish are cynical. It's rather that they have a wonderful lack of respect for…read moreeverything and everybody." -Irish poet Brendan Behan (1923-1964) This bronze monument is supposed to be a personification of Dublin's River Liffey and yes, I can see this fully reclined woman appears to be long and drawn out and perhaps could be a slow moving river. As the Irish tend to make nicknames for sculptures, this one caught the name "The Floozie in the Jacuzzi" and yes, I suppose that fits well. [Review 1984 of 2024 - 165 in Republic of Ireland - 23006 overall]

The proper name for this sculpture is the Anna Livia Sculpture, but I'm rather partial to two of…read moreits finer nicknames - "The Floozie in the Jacuzzi" and "The Hoor in the Sewer". It's located in Croppies Memorial Park in Dublin, more or less across the street from the Ashland Hotel. It's a very cool bronze sculpture created to honor Dublin's 1,000th year. You'll see an 18 foot-long sculpture of a woman with very long hair stretched out in a pool of water, said to represent the River Liffey which flows through the center of Dublin. Croppies Park is a nice little green oasis with some benches in a busy commercial area. When we visited, we saw three youngish locals sitting on one of the benches, passing around a bottle. We were disgusted, when we saw one of them toss the empty bottle right into the pool when they had finished taking their swigs. I'm sure the Floozie would not have approved.

The building was kind of cool. The exhibits were very bland and not many of them. Not to my…read moreliking. Quite disappointed. Granted I am from LA and really enjoy LACMA. It was free, but honestly not worth the time in my opinion.

I am still a huge fan of this spot, I do have a penchant for modern art so it makes sense…read more Yesterday I went to see the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit. Here is a quick tip, exhibitions like this as in temporary and from famed artists cost you money to view. Boo! Well then get there on Fridays as that is when its free. It was rather full and I rushed through the somewhat small exhibit so if you can, get there early.

I was drinking my coffee when along strolled a friend with her young one with the same idea, so we…read moresat and chatted whilst the lives of famous Irish figures of our past rested. Her little girl explored the many little paths and after awhile we followed her. She took us down a narrow path to a small door built into an old wall. Through the door was the Irish United Nations Veterans Association house and memorial garden. The onslaught of colour from the green of the cemetery was so stimulating. They tend to their garden expertly, lots of pinks and reds and a big green tank like machine among it all, aw so pretty. I'm sure you military experts will tell me that what I photoed was not a tank but something like I dunno a plane. I have no clue, but at least the flowers are pretty!

Dublin has many great and beautiful buildings. From Trinity to Kings Inns, from Leinster House to…read morethe Aras. But not since Ireland gained its independence has Ireland dared embark on a building so emblematic of where we are as a nation today as it has with the €300 million Dublin Criminal Courts. Prior to entering the complex you hear stories comparing it to the Colosseum or the Parthenon. You see RTE presenters reporting from the steps and you think that its very nice but nothing, nothing at all prepares you for the size and wonder of this magnificent building. Before I carry on, some of you may be wondering why Ireland needs a vast courts building when we already have the Four Courts. The reason is simple enough to be honest: The Four Courts simply couldn't handle it anymore. They are 200 years old and designed for 200 years old volumes when the only people who went to court were the 100 or so people who owned land and had money or peasants who were to be shipped off to some godforsaken hell hole to eat rocks for a living. This simply wasn't a situation that could be tolerated and so the Criminal Courts were envisaged. The new courts have dedicated press rooms, overspill rooms for popular cases, improved areas for juries, barristers, witnesses etc, very pleasant canteen and a fabulous Great Hall which greets you upon entering. Just a quick note here, you will have to go through security at the entrance. Nothing too taxing, just put your bag through the scanner, dump your metals etc in the box and hope you don't beep. Upon entering, might I recommend taking the lift to floor number 6 and then looking out over the main area. That is when you see the vastness of the complex before you. Also to your right you will then see a large full length window with a view over Phoenix Park and Farmleigh House. The courtrooms themselves are also v nice. The seats aren't that comfortable but hey, who said justice was soft :) If you should decide to go watch a case, and I would recommend it, just get the Luas to the Heuston Station stop and potter to the large round building that you won't be able to miss. Trust me.

What a place it looks more like a hotel then a court was called for jury service and the jury room…read morewas really nice and comfortable thankfully I wasn't call for a case and as gary pointed out in his review the views from the 6th floor of Dublin are amazing you would never know this place is a court

This memorial is in the Arbour Hill Cemetery. This Cedar tree was planted by the Lebanese…read moreAmbassador in July of 2003. It was planted in dedication to the Irish Defence Forces who gave their lives fighting in the Lebanon. I think it's a beautiful memorial and a great reflection on the capacity for different nationalities to empathise.