Wonderful museum. It is in the smaller side and a bit dark but it feels cozy somehow…read more The exhibitions tell a story of the history of Ireland. I wanted to visit to view the big bodies and I was not disappointed. They also had hordes of gold in display which were surrounded by beautiful jewelry. The museum is free.

My sons and I loved this museum. The building itself is gorgeous inside with hand carved wooden…read moredoors and amazing inlayed mosaic floors. The Bog bodies was my favorite exhibit. I didn't include images of the bodies on display since some people might find them too disturbing, but I did include one of the descriptions on what was found at a site. Lots of beautiful gold jewelry and iron weaponry as well. Admission is free, and we spent about 2 hours here.

The Famous Guided Tour at the Little Museum of Dublin is perfectly named. In just 30-ish minutes,…read moreGeorge delivered an awe-inspiring blend of storytelling, humor, and song that left me with a deeper appreciation for Ireland's rich history. I was completely intrigued by the number of stories packed into such a short tour, all made possible through the generosity by the people of Ireand who donated the museum's artifacts. The passion and pride of the staff shine through in every moment. This is an absolute cute, educational must-do experience in Dublin!

An old house from 1777 turned into a museum. Saul was an…read moreamazing tour guide. He had great energy w/ his storytelling & even danced a jig. Lots to see in this Little museum of history & pop culture. Prices were inexpensive as well. Guides can take tips too. Not a great place young kids.

The epic museum was another one of my favorite tourist attractions while in Dublin. For anyone…read morewho's interested in learning more about Irish history and culture this museum is definitely for you. What I really appreciated about the stop is that it's modernized and on the newer side (for a museum) so it does feel much more updated with the technology/exhibits so that it meets modern times. We purchased our tickets in advance, but they also allow you same-day/in person purchases. I don't know if we got lucky the day we came or if they have a cap on how many tickets they sell, but it did feel like the group/people allowed in was buffered, which kept the experience feeling more intimate/less crowded. There is plenty to see and multiple floors to explore so we were easily here three hours walking all about and taking in the different exhibits. My favorite exhibit was where they paid homage to the musical influences and artists of Ireland. I found this section to be the most interesting for me personally and it was well done. Honestly, there was so much to see, you could easily come back a few times to really take it all in. For the price it is worth it and a great way to spend a few hours in Dublin. I would highly recommend stopping here.

I am at the museum as a person who has no idea of Irish history or culture. Everything was new to…read moreme as an Asian-American. If you love history, you will love the epic museum. I accompanied my team for a group social event here that we got to learn so much about Ireland and the people and how much they went through. Also learned about how many Irish people are in the world. Since I am East Asian I am not very familiar with a lot of this in fact, I am probably the first in my family to ever visit Ireland. The museum is set up to be and walk-through at your own pace and you get a little passport that you can stamp to make sure you didn't miss any exhibits and take home as a keepsake for your visit Ireland.

Its a easy experience to go through, beautiful castle with free lockers to store backpacks.read more

Dublin Castle was originally built in the early 1200s as a medieval fortress under the instruction…read moreof King John of England. For centuries, it was the headquarters of English (and eventually British) rule in Ireland. In 1684, a large fire destroyed a large portion of the castle. Instead of matching the original Gothic style, most of it was rebuilt using a Georgian style, similar to what you'd find in the French Palace of Versailles! It's quite the contrast. When you visit Dublin Castle, you can choose to explore it in two ways: with a self-guided tour to the state apartments or with a scheduled guided tour that visits the Viking Excavation, the Chapel Royal, and the State Apartments. When you first enter the courtyard, you'll immediately see the newer Georgian architecture in the neat red brick buildings surrounding the square. From the 13th century to the early 20th century, the castle was under British control. It served from being a royal palace and parliament to a prison. Dublin Castle was eventually handed over to General Michael Collins on the 16th of January in 1922. Collins was a soldier and a politician who lead the Irish people through their fight for Independence Dublin Castle plays a huge role in Ireland's history and a walk around the grounds is time well spent. Today the castle is a government complex and tourist attraction. Stroll through the famous Chester Beatty Library if time permits

The Book of Kells is one of Ireland's beloved treasures. It's an illuminated manuscript from the…read moreninth century, a collection of the four gospels. That the Book is so well preserved given its age--approximately 1200 years old--and that the illustrations are so vibrant are amongst the reasons it's so extraordinary. Beyond simply being a work of art, its history is fascinating; it even survived a raid in which dozens of monks were killed! Maybe it does have a bit of divine luck. Its origins are quite mysterious, though it's suspected to have been at least partially created in Scotland before the aforementioned raid led the surviving monks to Kells. It's made of vellum, so quite delicate, hence the reason it's under such careful care. In fact it has been in the care of Trinity College since the 17th century in order to protect it. To view the Book of Kells, you will need to visit Trinity College Dublin. I can't recall if we bought tickets ahead of time or upon arrival, but you can buy them online. There's an exhibit about the book as you make your way toward the pages on display to provide context to what you'll see. There are only two pages from the Book open at any given time; they change every six weeks or so. And you get to leave through the Long Room on the way out, which IMO is itself worth the price of admission.

I've read about and admired the artwork of the Book of Kells since I was small, so to be able to…read moresee a small scrap of the real thing was exciting...but. The museum was small and crowded, and navigating from exhibit to exhibit was confusing -- I was attempting to listen to the audio guide, and kept ending up pausing to search around for the correct exhibit. (Maybe put arrows on the floor to guide visitors?) The enlarged illuminations, with discussions of all the symbolism, were likely the best part, as I learned a lot about the Book... but I'd almost prefer to buy a book *about* the Book of Kells, with high-quality close-up photographs. I'd be able to see more detail, suffer less crowding and frustration with the navigation, and sit down occasionally and use the restroom when needed. (There is nowhere to sit and rest, and no restrooms in the building.) So! If you love history, come see the single illuminated page on display (if you're patient enough to wait for a chance to get close enough), learn a bit about the creation and the history of the Book, then move upstairs to marvel at the Long Library, with its beautiful arched ceiling and weight of history. In the Long Library, there is ongoing work to restore and catalog the thousands of historical works on the shelves -- plus the shelves themselves. It's a glorious space, with a few benches where one can sit and admire without getting dizzy. The Harp of Brian Boru (the actual harp that is the symbol of Ireland, centuries old) is on display here, and was a real wonder: warm dark wood with delicate carving, worn through years of use, and inlaid gemstones (some missing). The final part of the tour is in a different building, where many of the most famous works from the Long Library are featured in a really creative interactive exhibit: images of busts of the authors talk to you, and to each other. There are representations of the digital archives as well, allowing you to appreciate how many important works are stored in the Long Library, and what a Herculean task is underway in restoring and cataloging them all. The exit is through the gift shop, which had a diverse and high-quality collection of souvenirs of the college and the museums (not just cheap tchotchkes and tshirts).

We enjoyed the story experience. You have a guide that takes you through multiple rooms where you…read moreget to interact and take pictures with props. We went in the morning before our flight but from what we heard there is a saucier night experience where the story is a little more naughty. We enjoyed our experience and would recommend it.

Gayle and I really enjoyed our Storytelling guide, as the physical property is merely a series of…read moresets to enhance the well presented folk tales being presented. There's a small, but well curated bookshop attached. The Disney Leprechaun construct that started it all was almost besides the point.

This isn't the most glamorous museum in Dublin, but it's worth a visit. If you really like seeing…read moreanimals from around the world, you can easily spend a couple hours here. It's several stories and a good way to pass the time between dining reservations, movie times, or just a rainy afternoon. The exhibits, of which there are over 10,000, are very old. The pelts on a lot of the animals are faded. A good portion of the animals were hunted, killed in a time when hunting wasn't as much of a hot button item (the museum was opened in 1857). I'm supremely creeped out by taxidermy, and there is an added level of creepiness and existentialism in viewing creatures that died up to 200 years ago. Still, it's a museum. The interest lies in seeing creatures native to Ireland, ones you haven't seen before, and ones you may never see again. It's not the happiest of museums to walk around in if you're sensitive to the plight of wild animals; however, you might just learn something, which I believe is the whole point of a museum.

Dublin has its fair share of museums that cater to many eclectic interests, but I have to say that…read morethe National Museum of Natural History really takes the cake for being one of the best. Not only is it free (thank you Irish tax payers!) but the sites inside are sort of incredible. Natural history buffs are going to enjoy all the different exhibits on both floors- some of which showcase species that have gone extinct like the giant Irish deer. You learn about the various creatures that once roamed this land and get a glimpse at how much evolution has changed the world. Mind you that it could feel a bit eerie inside given the amount of animals staring down at you, but it really places you in the heart of "Night at the Museum," which is totally what they were going for. Bring your family and stop by. It's certainly worth the half hour to at least roam the world inside!

This was my favorite activity while in Dublin. We paid for a whisky tasting and were guided to a…read moresmall room in which we learned the way the whiskey is made and the history of the distillery. Tried 4 whiskeys made by Jameson. The bar outside has the most delicious menu for cocktails. Be careful in the gift shop because you'll want to buy everything. We walked away with 3 bottles of Red Breast whiskey that cannot be bought in the US. Also purchased a beautiful warm jacket.

When planning our Ireland trip, there was a short list of absolute must visits and Jameson…read moreDistillery in Dublin was top of that list! As much as Jameson is synonymous with Dublin, you would think they take up several blocks of downtown space...however, this distillery is tucked away on Bow Street in the Smithfield area of the city. It is a little hike on foot from city centre, but on a good day, it is a nice walk that is well worth the reward! The distillery is absolutely gorgeous. The outside if classic Irish infrastructure, then you walk inside and are transported into a modern, rustic, elevated and exciting space dedicated to all things Jameson! We purchased tickets for our guided tour and tasting ahead of time, and I highly recommend you doing the same. Our tour started with a quick introduction to things, then up the stairs we went to the Daily Grog where we got to choose our cocktail, and of course, I went with the Jameson Ginger! From there the tour started where we got to see the inner working of the process, including the ingredients along with a sensory station for tastes, smells, etc...The final tasting allowed us to sample a few different varieties of Jameson, including one that was only available on site. The tour was informative and fun. Our tour guide was fun, engaging, entertaining and an overall joy to wander around and connect with. Clearly a very passionate person about Jameson! After the tour, we wandered directly into the gift shop where we of course picked up a few pieces of swag. Immediately following that, we bellied up to the gorgeous bar downstairs for a final cocktail before heading back out. Overall, Jameson Distillery was one of the most memorable experiences of our time in Dublin, and I highly recommend it!

What is not to love about art?…read more They have some of the greats like Picasso and and Renoir. Some of the exhibits were closed but this was still worth a visit. Free entry.

The Gallery is centrally located, right on Merrion Square just to the east of Trinity College…read more Located in the city centre of Dublin, the gallery first opened its doors to the public in January 1864. It hosts around 2,500 paintings and about 10,000 other works in different media including water-colours, drawings, prints, and sculptures. It also houses a prestigious collection of Irish art and is also notable for its Dutch masters and Italian Baroque painting. Inside the gallery there are 15,000 works of art! Amongst the paintings and other art works to look out for, there's the Taking of Christ by Caravaggio, For The Road by Jack Yeats and the Sick Call by Mathew James which depicts the suffering of the Irish population following the famine. Amongst them is 'A woman writing a letter with her maidservant' by Johannes Vermeer Free guided tours at weekends are performed, it is a good way to learn the story behind the paintings. Otherwise, the entry to the permanent collection is free, and children can have a special audio guide to explore the gallery. From paintings to modern art, sculptures to a giant wooden carving, we easily spent a few hours there. The museum has a good cafe offering food and beverages, and you can enter off of Merrion Square or on the street

This was such an informative and interesting 45-minute tour. Our tour guide, Matt, was funny,…read moreengaging, and incredibly knowledgeable. He taught us so much about the history of whiskey, where it originated, and how it's made today. We chose the classic tasting, which included three different whiskeys to sample. One of the most interesting things we learned was how adding just a drop of water can completely change the chemistry and flavor profile of whiskey. The tastings were all very distinct: **Skellig** (my personal favorite) - sweet, rich, and warm with a woodsy aroma and smooth flavor. **Fercullen Falls** (my husband's favorite) - smoky and peppery with a slightly sweet scent, followed by a spicy, woodsy flavor and a light vanilla finish. **Ardara** (not my favorite) - heavily peated and smoky. To me, it smelled like burnt rubber and old tires, with a bitter flavor and strong burnt aftertaste that lingered. Overall, this was a fantastic experience and a great way to learn more about Irish whiskey in a fun and approachable setting. Highly recommend for both whiskey lovers and beginners alike!

If you're interested in Irish whiskey--or just want a fun, fascinating break from Dublin's busy…read morestreets--the Irish Whiskey Museum is absolutely worth an hour of your time. Located just steps from Trinity College Dublin, the museum is easy to find and is an easy stop while exploring the area. There is a long, fairly narrow set of stairs to access the entrance, but it is accessible. There's an elevator, and the guide accompanies anyone who prefers it while the rest of the group takes the stairs and meets on the next floor. The pacing was excellent, and while the tour moves from room to room, there are benches available if you'd like to sit during parts of the presentation. The tour moves through a few themed rooms tracing the history of Irish whiskey and ends in a cozy bar. It's both entertaining and informative, touching not only on the craft of whiskey making but also the economics, trade, and history that shaped the industry and Ireland. Our guide, Andrew, was so delightful--engaging, knowledgeable, and clearly someone who enjoys bringing the stories to life. The whole experience takes under an hour and is a nice respite from the bustling crowds outside. And of course, the highlight: tasting several excellent Irish whiskeys at the end. I came away with a better appreciation for tasting than I had before. There's a small gift shop in the area where you purchase your tour ticket, including small merchandise bearing clan crests. Fun, educational, and well organized, the Irish Whiskey Museum turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and unexpectedly memorable stops of our time in Dublin.