The Custom House is probably the most familiar of Ireland's neoclassical buildings and, given its…read moreprominent location, is considered Dublin's most important architectural landmark. The Custom House was designed in the 18th Century by James Gandon, who is responsible for many of Dublin's more impressive buildings and can be considered the father of Irish architecture. The Custom House has been marvellously preerved, and still has most of its original features (including the emblem of the British crown, though history has rendered this obselete). One feature that has visibly changed is the roof, which was damaged irreperably when the IRA torched the building in 1921. This action gave the IRA little military advantage, but it did destroy the birth certs of half the population of Dublin, which proved very useful for people who did not want to let their true age be known, such as when applying for pensions ahead of time, or working past the mandatory retirement age (as in the case of Brendan Behan's father, who personally took part in the burning of the Custom House and later reaped the benefits). The domed roof is now made of limestone, and is visibly differnt to the rest of the building, which was constructed with Portland stone. One of Dublin's more historically important , as well as aesthetically pleasing, landmarks.

The Custom House was designed by James Gandon and was finished in 1791. It was destroyed by firs in…read more1921 during an event in the War of Independence. The Custom House was rebuilt, the interior was redesigned and further renovation work was carried out in the 1980's. The visitor centre is located in and around the Dome or Clock Tower area.

Ashtown Visitor Centre is located in old stable buildings beside the reconstructed Ashtown Castle…read morein the Phoenix Park. The visitor centre,which is free contains a small visual and written display about the history,geography and natural history of the Phoenix park. There are also some artifacts on display e.g a communion bowel from Pope John Paul II mass held in the Phoenix Park in 1979. Small children love to walk through the constructed cave which shows what animals live in the park. They can peer into the underground burrows and see where the animals live. There is also an activity area where small children can draw etc.Downstairs in the visitor centre a short film about the Phoenix Park is shown aprox every 30 mins. There is often art on display in the small gallery beside reception. Opposite the visitor centre is a lovely cafe where you can get some nice soups and salads. A nice place to end up after a brisk walk around the Phoenix Park! Outside the visitor centre is a restored Victorian walled garden, the reconstructed Ashtown castle and a new childrens playground. Small children also love to play in the box hedge maze beside Ashtown Castle. Plenty of parking available. It's a great place for people with small children and agreat place for adults to treat themselves after a good workout in the Phoenix Park :-)

An informative stop in the lovely countryside with plenty of walking paths. From the parking lot,…read morehead to the visitor center. The site is free since just reopening after covid July 19, 2021, but a timed reservation on their website is required. Free wifi at the site, but the their reservation system wasn't working so they let 4 of us in to view the dioramas and watch the well done video about the battle. Walled garden and tea house are open.

Super nice historic stop. Toilets are great. That's always important for a traveler. The cafe is…read morelovely. Lots of delicious options and you're going to have a view from your cafe table over the pretty gardens. Do you want to picnic? There are tables outside and you can bring the dogs. There's a ramp, so it's disabled friendly. Oldbridge house is well preserved and the battlefield is right there. Delightful for the history buff. Lots of parking. Just a super stop. Make sure to walk the garden or take a bench. There's a sunken garden too. Enjoy!

Although the bus tour only drove in, stopped for a rest stop, then left, the limited time looking…read moreout at this vast park in the city was a good experience. I would love to go back, there's an embassy residence on site, that I would like to explore. The roads around the center are narrow and tight. I wouldn't have wanted to drive the bus. If you have a young family, you could spend all day here.

Beautifully maintained walled and open Victorian gardens. We stopped to stroll and admire the…read moreluster - wishing our thumbs were as green. The visitors center is an educational experience for all ages & experience levels. The Cafe is especially nice with outdoor seating in the courtyard and inside. Make sure if you're a first time visitor look for the large evergreen tree just outside the watchtower gates. It's worth the time to walk inside her bows and experience to hidden charm of a Hobbit Lair.

Ashtown Castle was built in the 17th century under a Government initiative where they paid £10 to…read moreanyone who would build their own castle for security. The castle was hidden until the late 1970's by another building that had been built over it but was demolished revealing the castle. The adjacent visitors centre is free and there is a nice little coffee shop and a fantastic big playground. The walled gardens are great to visit especially in the Autumn when they grow massive pumpkins and squash. Everything is really well labelled so you can identify all the vegetables and herbs growing. They also have gardening / nature events for kids at the weekends There is lots of parking and quite a nice walk with picnic tables - a perfect spot on a sunny day

This is a really amazing experience if you value history or archeology at all. The visitor center…read moreis quite beautiful and very modern looking. You must book tickets in advance and they were sold out on the day we arrived. I booked about 4 weeks prior to our visit. Make sure you arrive at least 30 -60 minutes ahead of your booking time to enjoy the walk through the visitor center which is extremely well done and will provide a lot of background and important information about the tour locations. They also have a wonderful cafe with great food, including vegan and gluten free options with all allergens listed.

This is a well laid out Visitors Centre…read more Brú Na Bóinne Is a 5,000 year old burial site, that is older than the Pyramids in Giza, or Stonehedge by over a thousand years. Your visit will need to start at Brú Na Bóinne Visitor Centre which is nearly 10km away. Please don't do as we did and drive here. You will be turned away. The OPW operates a shuttle bus system and they limit the number of visitors each hour. They employed a "time sticker"s which you wear and the bus driver checks. The Parking Lot is huge and clear much thought went into this arrangement. The cafeteria had some well priced, tasty offerings, so we would recommend planning a stop there.

If you're visiting Dublin and looking for a free, relaxed tourist spot to visit I'd highly…read morerecommend coming to Phoenix Park, one of the largest public parks in Ireland. We taxied up from city center to Phoenix Park and it wasn't too far. There are local bars and such not too far from the park if you need a snack or brew before hitting the park. We were told that this park sometimes hosts concerts and some major events, even that Obama had visited and spoke during one of his trips. The park is lush, spacious and with lots of nature to see. My favorite thing about this park is the free roaming deer that you can see. They are extremely friendly and gentle. It's so unique to get an experience like this to walk with deer and to have them be so comfortable that you can approach them and that there were so many. A beautiful place to spend an hour or two in nature and not far from Dublin City, worth checking out.

I didn't explore too much of Phoenix Park, just the end near the Wellington Monument. But what I…read moredid see is super. The park is one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces in any European capital city. 1700 acres, it's home to the Dublin Zoo, the Flower Gardens and more. Lots of walking paths. Lots of monuments including the Wellington. Lots of meadows and woodlands and landscaped spots. The park is peaceful even with the buses running along its main avenue. There are a number of benches and lots of space for laying out a blanket for a picnic. Well worth the time to explore. [Review 1986 of 2024 - 167 in Republic of Ireland - 23008 overall]

Loughcrew cairns is the coolest thing we have done in Ireland. Tucked away on back roads in Meath,…read morethere is only a ranger here in high season. Otherwise, you pick up the key (conveniently attached to a torch) at the tearoom at Loughcrew Gardens. There is a deposit of €50 or your driving license. At the site, it's a steep, steep climb up a vaguely marked path. Wear good shoes or rubber boots. It's a mildly difficult climb, especially for a fat-ass American! Once you get to the top, there is an incredible view of what seems like the whole county. The cairns are unbelievable! If you have visited Newgrange, it's like that but without the 50000 tourists. Likely, you will be totally alone with the passage tombs and incredible art. Imagine if someone handed you the key to the Lascaux caves and said "have a look around and lock up when you're done" - that's what Loughcrew is. Places like this are why Ireland is the greatest country on Earth. The end.

After walking through Glasnevin Cemetery, it was time for some green and some bright. Not that the…read morecemetery isn't full of greenery, but let's see some without gravestones, mkay? The gardens dated back to 1795 when they were founded by the Dublin Society (later the Royal Dublin Society) and are a massive collection of some 20,000 living plants. And like the cemetery, it's free! Glass houses and gardens and walkways and benches and just beautiful flowers and blossoming trees and so much green. Even in early September as we're moving from Summer to Fall. I love that this is free and I think Dublin could do more to let people know that! [Review 1821 of 2024 - 80 in Republic of Ireland - 22843 overall]

A beautiful place with many different kinds of spaces and flowers. It was all free too! I can't…read morerecommend enough.

The Wicklow Mountains are a stunning expanse of nature. Everything is so green and due to the low…read moretemperature, it stays all green. There are so many outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, birdwatching, and scenic driving. A hike or walk here will ensure you some nature backed peace and calmness. the park is close to Dublin making for an easy 1/2 day or day trip. In my brain, mountains are supposed to be rock with no greenery: The Wicklow Mountains, however, are unlike many traditional mountain ranges and have lush greenery all over them. We did the Glendalough Lake upper and lower lakes hike.

If you have a few days to spend in Dublin, don't skip out on a visit to Wicklow…read more You'll need to rent a car or book a tour to get up here (about 40min from Dublin City Centre) but it was worth the trek. I had a friend drive me here and it was such an incredible experience. If you're visiting during the winter months, layer up. It gets cold and windy up there, but it's 100% worth it.