The rotunda is sometimes booked out for weddings on Saturdays – if you are unlucky enough to arrive on such an occasion then be prepared to have your access limited.
A Den of Vice
This site next to Dublin Castle at the top of Parliament Street was not always occupied by so prestigious and grand a building as the City Hall. In the mid-1700s a tavern called The Eagle became the sordid hangout of the Earl of Rosse’s infamous Hellfire Club, whose drunken, debaucherous and occasionally diabolical revelries became the stuff of Dublin legend. These days, the sex and satanism have been toned down but the location is no less widely renowned.
A Celebrated Restoration
Designed by Thomas Cooley and completed in 1779, Dublin City Hall marked the introduction to Ireland of the European neoclassical architectural style, and remains an exquisite example of it. When it was converted into a government building in the mid-1800s, the team tasked with overseeing the alterations to the building created a number of unsightly additions to the structure which ruined its overall aesthetic effect. Thankfully, an award-winning restoration program in the early 21st century has returned City Hall to its former Georgian splendour.
Trading Places
After paying a €4 entry fee, you are admitted into the rotunda, a spectacular entrance hall crowned by a large dome, which is supported by 12 marble columns. You can wander between the columns, over the gorgeous floor mosaics and around the ambulatory surrounding the rotunda, and your footsteps will follow those of the merchants who once discussed business in this place over 200 years ago.
In the vaults downstairs there is a multimedia exhibition detailing the history of Dublin from the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1170 to the present day. For an entry of only €2, it is well worth a visit.
Immerse yourself in the authentic Irish pub culture and discover traditional and friendly places where locals enjoy Irish music, sports, and homemade food while enjoying a pint of Guinness.
On this Irish Pub Culture Walking Tour, you will:
Get better acquainted with the culture, history and stories of the Irish capital whilst having a drink in some of the best pubs in Dublin!
Dublin is where pubs were born, each with its own unique atmosphere and long and varied history. Their authenticity has given Irish pubs a reputation for being fun, friendly and welcoming all over the world, but they quintessentially belong to Dublin. There is no other such suitable place to sip on a pint of Guinness. This tour is a mixture of novelty, history, literature, music and humour!
Venture to Dublin's true hidden gems --including the pubs which contributed most to the city's unique character. Not only will you learn how to savour a pint of beer, but also follow in the footsteps of Irish literary giants, seeing the haunts frequented by the likes of James Joyce.
You will also learn how to properly enjoy a Guinness while learning about the rich cultural heritage which led to its creation. And remember, most importantly: you should only drink your Guinness when you can see a clear division between the white foam and the dark beer. If the beer in your glass still looks murky and brown, your Guinness isn't ready yet!
Explore some of the most important sites of the Easter Uprising of 1916 in the beautiful city of Dublin, independent Ireland's capital city. See the scenes of fierce fighting, the statues of rebel leaders on O'Connell street and the rebels' HQ at the General Post Office – end at the moving Gardens of Remembrance.
On your private tour, you will:
While the fight for Irish independence or ‘Home rule’ had long been fought for, the Easter uprising of 1916 was a definitive moment in the history of Ireland and its long road to independence from the British. The rebellion took place in the middle of the First World War and was brutally suppressed by the British army. It paved the way for the election of Arthur Griffith as the president of a new nation six years later.
In this 2.5 hours private walking tour, you will explore the most significant sites of the Easter Uprising in Dublin, while learning all about the history of the Emerald Isle and its turbulent, often violent relationship with Britain. Hear about the events that led to the Easter Uprising, its defeat and the fallout from it.
Visit the General Post Office—the headquarters where the rebels declared Ireland a republic and raised the flag—to the City Hall, where fierce fighting took place. You will learn about the failed rebel attempt to capture Dublin Castle at the start of the conflict.
After walking up O’Connell Street, lined with the statues of those who made significant contributions to the fight for Independence, you will end the tour at the Garden of Remembrance, where the lives of all the Irishmen who fought for freedom are commemorated.
The memorial was placed on the site where rebel leaders of the Uprising were held before their execution. Above you’ll see the Irish flag, with the green colour representing Catholics, orange for protestants and white: a symbol of hope, that both can live together in peace. In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II visited the site, the first by a British monarch in 100 years. She laid a wreath of Remembrance and bowed her head. A deeply moving and healing moment for both countries.
Explore the highlights of central Dublin on this fascinating private welcome tour of Ireland's vibrant capital city. Situated on the Liffey River and the Irish Sea, surrounded by mountainous countryside, Dublin has a history spanning over a thousand years. The city has so much to offer from its beautiful architecture and famous literary heritage to historic tales of the Vikings and Normans, the long fight for independence from the British, and its modern contemporary culture with picturesque cobbled streets, cafes, pubs, and general 'good craic!'
On your private walking tour, you will:
Enjoy this welcome to Dublin private tour with an expert local guide, the perfect way to get your bearings and to get to know the historic heart of Ireland's vibrant capital city. You'll visit all the highlights of the city including the General Post Office on O'Connell's Street, the lively Temple Bar, Parliament Street, City Hall, historic Dublin Castle and Trinity College, and St Stephen's Green.
You'll learn all about daily life in modern-day Dublin, as well as its long history dating back over 1000 years, as you walk along its quaint cobbled streets, passing beautiful, grand Georgian buildings, crossing the Liffey River into the fun, artsy and bohemian district of Temple Bar.
At Dublin Castle, the historic heart of the city and still a working governmental complex today, you'll hear about the Vikings, and Normans, and the country's long struggle for independence from the English. One of the most important buildings in Irish history, you'll be able to admire its 13th-century tower and surviving medieval structures.
Dublin has witnessed everything from the Great Famine to the fight for Irish Freedom; today it's a leading country in the European Union, a thriving modern city with the annual St Patrick's Day Parade that attracts millions of revellers to the city to enjoy Irish folk songs, pints of Guinness and traditional Cèilidh dancing!
On this tour, you'll also visit the prestigious Trinity College - and hear about the academic excellence, and poetic and literary appeal of the city - which was the home of many luminaries like James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, and Oscar Wilde.
After a pretty stroll through St Stephen's Park, a popular green space in the city centre - with lots of history, your tour ends with a drink in a local pub on us, where you can ask your local guide anything about the city over a pint of Guinness or any drink of your choosing!
Slàinte!
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