About Dublin

Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin Ireland's premier university was originally called the 'University of Dublin'. Covering over 40 acres of greens and cobbled squares, this institution was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I and is located south of the River Liffey, near Pearse Station. Trinity College is one of the most famous educational institutions in the world and was originally for Protestants only. This restriction was lifted in 1793, but the Catholic Church then forbade its youth to attend. Amazingly, this restriction was only completely lifted fairly recently, in the 1970s. With guided tours and one of the oldest books in the world in the Old Library - the elaborately illustrated famous 1,200 year old Book of Kells - Trinity College attracts over 500,000 visitors each year. There are also impressive grounds to explore, many interesting rooms to visit and a detailed 45-minute audio-visual all about Dublin, past and present.

St. Stephen's Green

Sir Arthur Guinness paid for this 27-acre / 10-hectare park to be laid out and planted in 1880 and it mostly remains in the same structure today, more than 100 years on. There are formal gardens, woodland areas, paths and a lake full of ducks, a popular attraction for children. There are also statues of James Joyce and W. B. Yeats, many benches set in peaceful, private areas, spectacular flower beds and nearby popular Grafton Street shops.

Temple Bar - Temple Bar, Dublin

Regarded as Dublin's cultural centre, Temple Bar has been recently transformed into an atmospheric and lively neighbourhood, full of history. No more are the buildings derelict and the streets badly lit. With new squares, re-built streets and unique buildings restored to their former glory, Temple Bar is now full of cafés, restaurants, pubs and most of all, a friendly atmosphere. There is a Book Fair and Food Market on Saturday and every evening the large concentration of Dublin pubs and bars turn this district into a party zone, almost every night of the year. There are several new cultural centres very nearby and in the summer there are often extra events, including children's entertainment and even the screening of films outdoors. In Parliament Square, Read's Cutlers at No. 4 claims to be Dublin's oldest shop - over 240 years old. Temple Bar is located between the River Liffey and Dame Street, west of College Green and the Bank of Ireland.

Guinness Storehouse - Ireland’s No 1 visitor attraction, slap bang in the middle of Arthur Guinness’s original 1759 brewery. It is a most impressive building with a 30 metres high glass atrium and celebrates almost 250 years of Guinness history. At the top is the Gravity Bar which appears to float above the city, like the ‘cream’ on a glass of the black stuff.

Dublin Writers Museum - 18 Parnell Square North, Dublin Situated on the north side of Parnell Square, this museum is the former home of George Jameson, a member of the famous Jameson whiskey family. Ireland is very famous for its many writers and this museum celebrates that notoriety, with collections of rare first editions, manuscripts, diaries and letters representing the works of W. B. Yeats, Joyce, Wilde and Beckett, amongst others. This vast 18th-century town house has been beautifully restored and at the centre is an enormous drawing room, which is full of wonderful paintings. Books on display include an 1804 edition of Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' and an 1899 first edition of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. There is also a bookshop, café and a highly rated restaurant in the basement.

National Museum - Kildare Street, Annexe, 7-9 Merrion Row, Dublin Opened in 1890, the National Museum is situated in the city centre and is home to a large collection of Irish artifacts, many dating from 7000 BC, right up to the present day. With marble columns, mosaic floors, detailed ironwork and balustrades, the elegant building exhibits the largest collection of Celtic antiquities in the world. This includes a wide range of gold jewellery, bronze tools, weapons and carvings. Other displays include The Treasury Collection, featuring some of the museums best known, priceless relics and The Road to Independence Room, which is full of items from the 1916 Easter Uprising and the War of Independence (1919-21), such as weapons and uniforms. Upstairs there is a permanent and fascinating exhibition about the Vikings.

James Joyce Martello Tower - Sandycove, Dublin Built in 1804, when Napoleon's invasion appeared imminent, the tower was one of 34 Martello towers around Ireland's coast. They were all demilitarised in the 1860s and this tower now houses the James Joyce museum, which was founded in 1962. James Joyce, a famous writer, once stayed here in 1904 and the exhibition includes many of his first editions and even some of his clothes.

Powerscourt Demesne - Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow Tel: +353 (01) 204 6000 Set in County Wicklow, Powerscourt House and Gardens are well worth a visit. There are 47 acres of landscaped gardens, which include many stunning Italian and Japanese features. The house has an excellent Terrace Café and also several craft shops. The spectacular Powerscourt Waterfall is also nearby. If you are not travelling by car, the best option is to book a bus tour.

Avoca and Glendalough - County Wicklow Situated south of Dublin, County Wicklow is often referred to as The Garden of Ireland. A day trip from Dublin is highly recommended and there are various coach tours that do both half and full-day trips.

Newgrange - Newgrange, Co. Meath. This is the oldest and largest Neolithic tomb in Europe, built some 5,000 years ago. It was designed so that the sun's rays can reach the central chamber at dawn on December 21st. Similar tombs are located nearby in both Knowth and Dowth. The garden can be reached either by car, one hour's drive west of Dublin, train or bus.

National Gallery of Ireland – Merrion Square West, Dublin This is one of Europe's finest smaller art museums and is the first in a series of major civic buildings on the west side of Merrion Square. With more than 3,000 works, spanning from the 14th to the 20th centuries, the National Gallery can be fully covered in a morning or afternoon. The paintings include famous artists Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Rembrandt, Goya and Caravaggio. The Yeats Museum is dedicated to the Irish family who were very talented in using a variety of mediums and includes paintings by the renowned 20th-century Irish artist Jack B. Yeats. The new Millennium Wing has recently opened and is a spectacular venue which is used to stage many major international exhibitions. Free guided tours are available on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Wicklow Coach Tours . After a drive along the coast, passing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the Martello tower in which James Joyce once lived and the historic town of Dalkey, we stopped for coffee at Avoca Handweavers, a craft centre. County Wicklow is known as the Garden of Ireland and it is easy to see why it has earned this soubriquet. It was May and everywhere was smothered in bright yellow gorse and creamy Hawthorne blossom. We enjoyed a walk at Glendalough, with its mountains and lakes, before a pub lunch (tasty, rib-sticking Guinness stew) and the return journey through ‘Braveheart’ country, all wild heather and barren boglands. Our knowledgeable and witty guide bore a remarkable resemblance to actor Jack Nicolson (and knew it!)

Guests feel welcome and comfortable in our efficient and friendly atmosphere. Spacious drawing rooms with soft refined colours and adjoining library provide a tranquil and serene atmosphere for all of our guests.