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Tour of Dublin, Southern Ireland
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Dublin is the largest city, and
capital of Ireland. It is situated on the
east coast, at the mouth of the River
Liffey. Dublin was founded as a Viking
settlement in the 800s, becomming
Ireland's main settlement since that
time.
The currency in Southern Ireland since
2002 is the Euro. Food and drink prices
are compatible with the UK. Beer
Prices . Currency
Converter.
Flight times between UK Airports and
Dublin are about 50 minutes.
Ryanair
provide regular flights between Dublin
Airport and UK Airports such as:
Birmingham . Bristol . East Midlands .
Edinburgh . Glasgow/International . Leeds
. Liverpool . London/Gatwick .
London/Luton . London/Stanstead .
Manchester . Newcastle .
Most UK based Airlines and
International Airlines also provide
flights to Dublin Airport. For
information on what airlines and from
what airports, visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Airport.
Dublin Airport
is situated about 7 miles north of Dublin
centre. Aircoach
provide a good service with luxury
coaches waiting outside the main
terminal. Just pay the driver then you
are on your way to Dublin. The driver
announces each stop in Dublin with
information on what top hotels that stop
is close to. Returning to the airport,
just go back to the stop you got off at
and wait for one of the coaches that run
about every 20 minutes. Taxi prices from
the Airport to Dublin centre are about 25
Euro. Aircoach pirces are about 6 Euro
each way. Taxi/Coach
information . Google
Map.
Car Hire
Companies at Dublin Airport
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The Spire of
Dublin is situated in the
city centre on the main street
named O'Connell Street.
At 396 feet high, it is now
Dublin's most prominent
Landmark.
The Dublin Spire was the winning
entry in an architectural
competition to provide a
replacement for Nelson's Pillar,
that was blown up in 1966.
The Spike, as it is now normally
referred to, was erected between
December 2002 and January 2003.
This is now a favourite meeting
place, as it is so easy to find, is
on the main shopping street, and
situated only a few hundred yards
from the River Liffey and Temple
Bar. Most of Dublin's busiest Bars
are situated alongside the river
and in the Temple Bar area.
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The tour bus booking offices are
situated next to the spire.
More
Information . Ireland
Map . Google
Map . Bus
Tours.
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The college is open to visitors,
details of various visits can be
found under more information.
More
Information . Google
Map/Reviews
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Trinity
College, or University of
Dublin, is situated about 0.5 miles
south of O'Connell Street. On the
tour bus route.
The college was founded in 1591.
Famous authors that graduated at
Trinity were Jonathan Swift, Oliver
Goldsmith and Oscar Wilde. Its
library holds the 8th-century Book
of Kells, the famous decorated
gospel book made by Celtic
Monks.
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Dublin
Castle is situated about 0.7
miles southwest of O'Connell
Street. On the tour bus route.
The first fortified building on
this site was a Danish Viking
Fortress built around 930. The
Norman invasion of 1169 led to the
Normans strengthening and expanding
the existing town walls. The castle
was further expanded by King Jouhn
of England in 1204.
A fire on the 7th April 1684,
burned down a lot of the castle,
including the old Parliament House.
The rebuilding by King James at
that time, is what can be seen
today.
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More
Information . Google
Map/Reviews
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More
Information . Google
Map/Reviews
The present day looks of the
cathedral are from extensive
restorations carried out by the
architect George Edmund Street in
the 1870s. The Dublin whiskey
distiller Henry Roe funded the
restoration.
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Christ Church
Cathedral is situated about
0.9 miles southwest of O'Connell
Street. On the tour bus route.
The original Viking church on
this site was built around 1030. In
1152, that building was
incorporated into the Irish
Church.
In 1562, the nave roof vaulting
collapsed. Rebuilding work began at
that time.
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St Patrick's
Cathedral is situated about
1 mile southwest of O'Connell
Street, a few hundred yards south
of Christ Church Cathedral. On the
tour bus route.
St Patrick's Cathedral was
completed in 1254. The Lady Chapel
was added by Archbishop Fulk de
Saundford in 1270.
The original tower and part of
the west nave were destroyed by
fire in 1362. These were replaced
by Archbishop Minot by 1370.
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More
Information . Google
Map/Reviews
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More
Information . Google
Map/Reviews
Admission fee includes a
complimentary pint of Guinness in
the Gravity Bar (a bar situated
high above the old storehouse with
panoramic views of Dublin).
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The Guinness
Storehouse is situated about
1.6 miles southwest of O'Connell
Street. On the tour bus route.
Arthur Guinness founded this
business here in 1759.
Now Ireland's number 1 visitor
attraction, it is open 7 days a
week from 09.30 am to 17.00 pm
(remains open until 20.00 during
July and August).
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The Old Jameson
Distillery is situated about
1 mile west of O'Connell Street. On
the tour bus route.
The Old Jameson Distillery is
situated on the site of the
original Jameson Distillery founded
in 1780.
The visitor centre opened in
November 1997, allowing visitors to
the taste the whiskey, and learn
about the history of John Jameson's
Irish Whiskey. Tours are hosted by
professional guides.
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More
Information . Google
Map/Reviews
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Image by F. David Carmona-Lopez
More
Information . Google
Map/Reviews
The Irish
Presidents residense is also
situated in the park with tours
available every Saturday between
09.40 and 16.20.
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Phoenix
Park is situated about 3
miles west of O'Connell Street. On
the tour bus route.
Phoenix Park is nearly 2,000
acres (800 hectares) in size, with
a Zoo
and Racetrack.
This park is regarded as the
second largest enclosed park in the
world, only Yellowstone in the
U.S.A is larger. The memorial in
Phoenix park was built to
commemorate the victories of the
Duke of Wellington, who was born in
Dublin. This is the tallest obelisk
in Europe. Although originally
intended to be higher than it is, a
shortage of funds led to it being
completed in 1861 at 205 feet.
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Dublin
Bus operate the Dublin
Tour - North Coast & Castle
that travels along the north coast
of Dublin where many of the richest
people in Ireland live, and stops
at Malahide Castle for a tour of
this stately home.
Malahide Castle sitis in 250
acres of park land by the seaside
town of Malahide. The castle was
the fortress and private home of
the Talbot family from 1185 to
1973, until the last Lord Talbot
died.
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Website: Web
Page . Google
Map/Reviews .
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Website: www.powerscourt.ie
Google
Map/Reviews
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Dublin
Bus also operate the
Dublin
Tour - South Coast &
Gardens that travels to
Dublin's beautiful south coast.
The tour goes around Dublin Bay,
past Dun Laoghaire's promenade and
yacht-filled harbour, and to James
Joyce's Tower at Sandycove.
The tour then heads inland over
the Wicklow Mountains, through the
old-world village of Enniskerry,
then to Powerscourt House &
Gardens, as seen left.
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The Cork and
Blarney Castle Rail Tour
from Dublin is a popular tour that
starts at the Dublin Heuston Train
Station, where you meet the
guides.
You travel by train to Cork,
about 160 miles southwest, then
transfer to a coach for a tour of
Cork, Blarney Castle and Cobh
(formerly Queenstown) where many of
the Irish emigrant ships departed
from.
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Cork website: www.cork-guide.ie/corkcity.
Tour website: www.viator.com/Dublin
. Google
Map.
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Castle website: www.blarneycastle.ie
You have to lean out backwards
to kiss the stone, held by a guide.
Mind any change in your pockets, it
normally ends up on the ground far
below.
Tour website: www.viator.com/Dublin
. Google
Map/Reviews .
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Blarney
Castle was built nearly six
hundred years ago by one of
Ireland’s greatest
chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy.
Millions of tourists have have
visited Blarney recently, leading
to it becomming one of
Ireland’s greatest
treasures.
The famous Blarney Stone is
situated at the top of our Tower.
They say once you kiss it, you will
never be lost for words again.
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Queenstown, as it was
named for some decades, reverted to
its old Irish name in 1922 - the
Cobh (cove) of Cork.
From here, millions of mostly
poor Irish men and women left to
start a new life in America. The
Famine years of 1844-48 escalated
the migration.
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Many thrived and
prospered in the new country, but
many died on the crossing due to
the traveling conditions of the
time.
The Queenstown
Story is housed in parts of the
railway station at Cobh. The
visitor attraction tells the story
of emigration from Cobh in the
period of the famine to the era of
the Great Liners in the 1950s.
Cohb website:
www.cork-guide.ie/cobh.
Tour website: www.viator.com/Dublin
. Google
Map/Reviews .
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Website: www.viator.com/Dublin.
The tour then heads north to
Bunratty Castle and Folk Village.
After lunch, at the Doolin Pub, the
tour continues to the Cliffs of
Moher on the Atlantic coast.
Google
Map/Reviews .
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The Limerick,
Cliffs of Moher, Burren and Galway
Bay Rail Tour from
Dublin.
Explore Ireland's west coast
highlights on a coach and rail day
trip to the wild Cliffs of Moher,
the Burren and picturesque Galway
Bay.
You meet the guide at Dublin
Heuston Station, then catch a train
to Limerick with breakfast service
available onboard. You then have a
short tour of the Limerick
City.
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