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.

Highly recommend checking out this oddity! It is a tree eating a bench! You will never see anything…read moreelse like it!

This really is a fun landmark to check out. The hungry tree is named so because it is eating a…read morebench! It is found in the beautiful grounds of Kings Inn, it's makes for a great photo opportunity, just don't get too close to the tree or you could be gobbled up next... I know, cheesy but I had to get that in.

It's so lovely having this on my doorstep…read more I've never actually been inside the house itself but I love a good wander up around the grounds, especially on days where there's a market happening, or other event. (Check their website for their calendar of events, there's always something going on at the weekends) Even if there's not, there are horses in the fields, donkeys, a gorgeous walled garden, and lovely pathways to walk your dog, kid, BFF or granny. There's also a really cute little gallery which is currently exhibiting illustrated books; again, definitely worth a glance in. If you're going on a market day, make sure you haven't eaten first, cos there's some goooood eatin' to be had.

Located in the Phoenix Park, Farmleigh is the official Irish State Guest House, where visiting…read moredignitaries enjoy a fry-up every morning and get tucked in by Brian Cowen at night. When there is nobody booked in, it is open to the public, so you too can enjoy its extravangant interior, dating from 1752, which includes crystal chandeliers and a ballroom, and its beautiful landscaped grounds.

Rathfarnham Castle use to be really old and scary, well to me it was. I use to stare at the windows…read morewhilst waiting for the bus with my mam and I swore I saw a ghost in there one time! Honest mum I did! Not any more now because it is all cleaned up and given a lick of paint, sure you would hardly even know it was from the 1500's! The grounds have all been cleaned up and the grass cut and it is a lovely place now to go for a stroll, long the lake and watch all the dogs chase balls and ducks and check out the local running clubs who frequent the paths. Late evening is a lovely time for a stroll here as it is very quiet. During the day it is a little more lively especially now as they have built a new children's play ground, keep an eye and ear out for the ice cream van who swings by here every Sunday and elbow any under fives who attempt to buy their screwball before you! The Castle itself is open for a tour and has a tearoom. Sometimes there is even talks and concerts help here too.

Rathfarnham Castle is my second review today that was involved in the Battle of Rathmines in 1649…read more It's got a lot of history and doesn't look it's age, as it is believe to have bene built in the late 1500s. Tours are avaiable of the interior and there's a tea room if you're feeling a bit peckish. Make sure to check before you go for opening times as I went there once and they weren't open. One of the main draws as Melanie pointed out is the exapnisve grounds that they somehow managed to keep away from urban development. So if castles aren't your thing maybe the green open spaces will entice you.

Pretty building. Free tours on first Wednesdays. Had a little audio tour and got to learn some…read morehistory of the building.

Spectacular neo-classical 18th century building on the River Liffey. Today, it houses the…read moreDepartment of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government / An Roinn Tithíochta, Pleanála, Pobail agus Rialtais Áitiúil. But I had no business there. I simply admired a beautiful building. Originally used for customs collection due to its proximity to the Port of Dublin, it got other uses as the port moved further down river. Lovely to look at, up close or from across the River.

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.

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

Hellfire Club. What a fucking badass name. I bet all the other drinking societies wish that they…read morehad of come up with a bitchin' name like that. The origins of the cool name date back to the early 18th century, when a man named William Connolly built a hunting lodge on the site of a cairn, stones of which were used in the lodge's construction. When a storm blew the roof off, superstitious locals believed it to be some sort of divine retribution for the desecration of the cairn, and that the site would be forever cursed etc etc etc... What the Hellfire Club actually consisted of was a place where the English gentry could get sozzled and ride a few brazzers in the company of their social equals. The natives, no doubt suspecting that these English toffs were up to all sorts of Masonic shit as well, started telling stories of satanic rites, with black cats being sacrificed and allsorts. It's nice to see that Ireland's historical traditions are being revived by the young generations. Southside goths do this by having knacker drinking sessions in the ruins of the building, drawing demonic symbols that they learned from Buffy on the walls for the craic, then freaking out at the sight of those same signs later on, whilst on their second tab of acid. The syphilis-demented aristocrats of yesteryear would be proud of our nation's youths' exploits.

It's a Sunday afternoon and wifey decides to pull the kids away from TV and Lego to go on a quick…read morehike "I don't want to go.. .Scooby Do is on the TV and I want to play!!" My wife looks at me with undisguised distain, "look, the kids are happily getting ready to go, act you age and get ready too". Grumbling, I get out of my chair, turn the TV off and put my coat on. In truth I have always wondered what the place was like - having heard many rumours and stories when I was younger. lots of sadistic masses and naked women is what I was hoping for but after about 40 mins walking up hills and through forests we reached the old hunting lodge and not a naked woman was to be found. Instead we find a clearly very old building, completely open to the public (usually such places are barricaded up and closed), where you can wander around and marvel at the piles of broken bottles and used condoms. The view from the top of the mountain (and from the windows of the lodge) is spectacular - and well worth the trek. I can picture us doing it again in the summer for a picnic, it would be ideal. Worth noting - the car-park at the bottom of the mountain is very small, you'll probably end up parking on the side of the road, which is never particularly advisable!