Vacation packages to Dublin
Huge savings on Vacation Packages to Dublin this fall!
Dublin ("Town of the Hurdled Ford") is the capital of Ireland and its largest city. It is located on Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey. Dublin has long and rich history and as a result of it, the city has many landmarks and monuments dating back hundreds of years, which make it the most popular tourist destination in Ireland. Although over a third of the country’s population resides in Dublin, the old town is relatively small and can be explore by foot.
Dublin was founded by Vikings in the 9th century. Shortly after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, a castle with strong walls and good ditches was built on the order of King John of England to defend the town. Today Dublin Castle is one of the oldest castles in Europe. Located in Dublin Castle, Chester Beatty Library contains a wide selection of early books and manuscripts, including sacred texts.
There are two ancient cathedrals in Dublin:
- St Patrick's Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland that was founded in 1191.
- Christ Church Cathedral is the oldest building in the city that was erected in the 11th century with the crypt, which pre-dates the cathedral.
- Mansion House - has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1715.
- National Museum of Ireland - is the national repository for all archaeological objects found in Ireland.
- Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship Museum is a smaller replica of the original Jeanie Johnston ship, which sailed between Ireland and North America between 1847 and 1855, transporting Irish emigrants.
- Old Library at Trinity College & Book of Kells – The gorgeously illustrated original manuscript of the Book of Kells is Ireland's finest national treasure and a masterwork of Western calligraphy. The massive Long Hall of the Old library is extremely impressive.
- Kilmainham Gaol - the prison where the rebels from the 1916 Easter Rising were executed.
- The Custom House is a neoclassical 18th-century building located on the north bank of the River Liffey, which houses the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.