This former prison is one of Dublin's most historic buildings. Dating back to 1796, the Kilmainham Gaol is a massive building that housed men, women and even children prisoners. Most notably, the Gaol is known for incarcerating famous rebels and prisoners of war. Today the building serves as a museum with exhibits, artifacts and docent-led tours.
Sheathed in acres of rolling green expanses, Phoenix Park is one of the largest city parks in Europe. This massive verdant swathe lies nestled in the west of the city, and is a mixture of wilderness and formal landscape gardens. Dotted with tree-cloaked boulevards, pristine tracts of grassland and open recreational spaces, the park is also home to some monumental, nationally significant edifices, too. The Ashtown Castle calls the park home, in addition to the towering Papal Cross which marks the visit of Pope John Paul II back in 1979, the stately Áras an Uachtaráin, the Wellington Monument which is a soaring tribute to the Duke of Wellington, and the teeming Dublin Zoo, are all nestled in its scenic, idyllic expanse. Among the many recreational activities offered here are Gaelic football, polo and cricket. Also enclosed within its viridescent fabric is a vibrant burst of plant life, while a bird sanctuary and a herd of fallow deer coexist in peaceful harmony. Playing host to an array of events, festivals as well as racing events, Phoenix Park is a massive window into the unbridled natural beauty and strategic finesse of Ireland.
A short bus ride from the city center, the splendid Botanic Gardens and its many floral wonders are a stunning treat to the senses. Accentuated all the more by the glimmering waters of River Tolka, these Irish gardens uphold an assemblage of hundreds of thousands of plants, and a smattering of botanical specimens. In all their floral glory, the gardens are a wonderland for naturalists and botany aficionados, its verdant course dotted by a string of splendid greenhouses, like the impressive, structural and glass-clad Curvilinear Range and the Palm House. The great glasshouses full of exotica were constructed in the mid 19th century and designed by Richard Turner, who was also the man behind the glasshouses at Kew Gardens. The gardens are divided into distinct areas of interest, featuring long herbaceous beds, a rose garden, alpine houses, a vegetable garden, orchid beds, an arboretum, a yew-clad walkway along the river, and a wonderful area exhibiting the various natural habitats of Ireland. Also sheltering willows plunging gracefully over gleaming waters, the National Botanic Gardens are a luxuriant canvas of natural glory and luminescence.
To many, Guinness is one of the most important features of Ireland. Completed at the cost of EUR30 million, the Guinness Storehouse is a fine addition to Dublin's ever-growing list of purpose-built attractions. Set inside a converted 18th-century fermentation building, it consists of six floors linked by a giant atrium in the shape of a pint glass. Although the actual brewery is not open to the public, the storehouse's new exhibition space outlines the 200-year history of the company and reveals many brewing secrets. The models and displays of the exhibition are followed by a short film and a glass of the famous brew! The storehouse is also home to the stylish Gravity Bar.
Located at Stephen's Green, this little non-profit museum takes visitors through Dublin in the 20th Century. The limited scope means that visitors to the museum can relate directly to most of the exhibits. The little museum focuses among other things on the cultural transition that took place during the period. There's a surprising amount of things to discover here and it is a great way to acquaint yourself with how the great city has come to be in recent times.
Dublin's most famous park is steeped in history. It started life as common ground, not far from a lepers' hospital, and was eventually enclosed in 1664. The site of public hangings throughout the 18th century, it was not until Lord Ardilaun's patronage in 1880 that the park took on the landscaped form that we see now. Memorials are dotted around the flower beds, trees, and willow-fringed duck pond. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and W.B. Yeats are just some of the famous names commemorated, while the Three Fates smugly measure the thread of humanity's destiny from their fountain at Leeson Street Gate. Free concerts are held on summer days in the bandstand.
Balbriggan is a town with much to offer its visitors. This town used to be a fishing village before cotton manufacturing was introduced here. It is known as being the location where King William III and his troupes camped after the Battle of Boyne in 1690. During the Irish war of independence, the town was attacked by the British Blacks and Tans who destroyed several houses in 1920. Balbriggan caters to a wide variety of interests. Visitors who enjoy outdoor activities will be delighted by the towns beaches, fishing harbor and gold club. For the more culturally inclined, there are a number of historic buildings such as the Ardgillan Demesne and Castle.
The Grangegorman Military Cemetery is found on Blackhorse Avenue adjacent to Pheonix Park in the Irish city of Dublin. Opened in 1876, it is the largest war cemetery in Ireland and contains the graves of soldiers and their families from those killed in the Marlborough barracks and Crimea to soldiers of World War I as well as soldiers of the 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish War of Independence between 1919 and 1921. Graves of Dublin Fusiliers are of the highest number and many Sherwood Foresters and South Staffs are also found here. The Irish National War Memorial Gardens that commemorates the 49,400 Irish soldiers killed in World War I is found only a kilometer (half a mile) away.
The Howth Cliff Walk is among the foremost activities that one can set out to experience in the inviting village of Howth. Beginning at the Howth waterfront, the cliff walk takes you right around Howth Head, where your efforts are rewarded with fantastic panoramic views of the Dublin Bay. Comprising a fairly easy and mostly flat hike, the cliff walk can be attempted by children too, making it an adventurous family activity. Do begin your sojourn of the hamlet with the enticing Howth Cliff Walk.
Nestled in the eponymous coastal village, Malahide Beach is a haven for those looking to spend time in the company of scenic vistas and an inviting horizon. Running between the village and the estuary, the beach offers an expansive stretch for swimming or simply relaxing on the cool sand. Comprising a blend of dunes and a serpentine promenade, the beach is an alluring destination for the locals and tourists alike. When in Malahide, do go beachcombing at the Malahide Beach.