It's an hilarious Dublin guide filled with serious tips.

www.hidden-dublin.com

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Former Irish Parliament building - a good few minutes' diversion from the traffic outside.

College Green - opposite entrance to Trinity College

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Evocative photos of old Ireland in right-sized gallery. Other good places to pop in nearby include the Film Centre.

Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 +353-1 6030 200

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The Chester Beatty Library is a wonderful collection of old manuscripts and artefacts of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and a few of its offshoots.

The importance of the items and the background on them is very impressive, and the museum hosts a very elegant and complete display of the works (beautiful garden enclosed within the old Dublin Castle as well).

The Chester Beatty Library.
Dublin Castle,
Dublin 2,
Ireland
Tel: (+353 1) 407 0750
Fax: (+353 1) 407 0760
Email: info@cbl.ie
www.cbl.ie/

The Chester Beatty Library and Galleries are situated in the gardens of Dublin Castle in the heart of the city centre. They are a two minute's walk from Dame Street via the Palace Street Gate of the Castle and close to Christchurch Cathedral (enter via the Ship Street Gate of the Castle). Nearest DART Station: Tara Street.

Bus Routes
13, 16, 19 & 123 (from O'Connell St)

Open

October - April: Tuesday - Friday 10.00am-5.00pm
May - September: Monday - Friday 10.00am-5.00pm
Saturday, 11.00am - 5.00pm
Sunday, 1.00pm - 5.00pm
(Closed 1 January, Good Friday, 24, 25 and 26 December, Monday public holidays)

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Known locally as the Dead Zoo, the museum itself is a museum piece, with stuffed animals in glass cases, and hunting trophies everywhere and draws upon draws of butterflies and insects. The whole place is exactly like a normal Victorian museum. But without sideburned attendants.

Merrion Square West
www.museum.ie/naturalhistory/

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Ireland's National Gallery (not to be confused with the nearby National Museum sites!), tucked away near the Dail (Parliament) buildings, is home to a collection that's quite simply staggering.

There are over fifty rooms which take you through the ages of Irish art, from 17th century painters to the extraordinary work of Jack B Yeats - WB's brother. There's plenty of Italian Renaissance painting and Dutch masters to keep you going as well, and some great modern Irish portraiture. Add a fantastically-stocked shop and two great cafes to the mix and well, you've got the makings of a whole day's worth of wonder, and occasional repose.

National Gallery of Ireland
Merrion Square West
Dublin 2

www.nationalgallery.ie/

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Fantastic museum with exhibitions of Irish and international work. Set in the former Royal Kilmainham Hospital, the formal gardens are also worth a stroll.

www.imma.ie, Irish Museum of Modern Art Kilmainham

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The Life and Work of William Butler Yeats is a wonderful exhibition for anybody seriously interested in the story of this great poet. You can listen to many of the poems being recited, including one read by Yeats himself. The medal he got for the Nobel Prize is among the hundreds of exhibits on display.

Admission is free along with other famous buildings in the neighbourhood such as the National Gallery and National Museum.

The National Library, Kildare St, Dublin.
About 200 yards from Grafton St, the main shoppping street. See details in www.nli.ie

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Four is devoted to the development of an uninhibited artistic exploration of ideas, discourses and new trends in contemporary art and its practices. It sees its function as promoting, supporting and bringing contemporary art, curators and the artists who take part in its evolution to the public's attention.

11 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, near the Tara Street Dart station;
tel: 00 353 (0) 86 365 1256;
www.fourdublin.com

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The museum has impressive archaeological remains, such as jewellery, armour and so on. Ireland has 5,000 years of history.

Kildere Street next to the government buildings. It takes about three minutes from Pearse St DART on foot. Admission is free. Opening times: 10am - 5pm

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No 8 Merrion Square is the headquarters of the Institute of Architects. It has a bookshop on the entrance level. The door opens magically in front of you when you walk up to it - just go in and turn left into the reception and say you want to look at the books.

Often there are architectural exhibitions in the basement level. It's a great way to see the inside of one of the big houses on Merrion Square.

On the same side of the square, No 45 Merrion Square is the Irish
Architectural Archive - well worth a visit for anyone interested in
Irish architecture, and you get to see even more of the interior of an even larger 18th-century Georgian house.

www.riai.ie; www.iarc.ie

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You must go, if only to see the Charles and Di exhibit. The museum has moved from its Parnell Square location and will be relocated in the Smithfield area from March 2006 onwards.

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This is a real gem. The building itself is a museum piece, it's like stepping back in time to the Victorian era, you really expect to meet Conan-Doyle, Holmes or Watson peering at some exhibit around the next cabinet.

National Museum of Ireland - Natural History, Merrion Street, Dublin 2; www.museum.ie/naturalhistory/findus.asp

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Maybe it's all too, erm, "literary," but the trip down to Sandycove on the DART is a must. You can dive into the water at the legendary Forty Foot though, since women are now allowed at this gentlemen's bathing spot you need to keep those togs on. And right above you is the Martello Tower where Ulysses begins, preserved as a slightly overpriced but totally entertaining little museum. The ability to stand atop that stone tower, as Stephen did that long ago Dublin morning and look out on the bay is a wonderful thing for those who love Joyce's work.

Take the DART south from Dublin to Sandycove, walk down Adelaide Road to the water, turn right (east) and follow the shore to the Forty Foot (at Sandycove Point)

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Probably Dublin's finest museum in this writer’s humble opinion. It’s housed in the magnificent Royal Hospital in Kilmainham and boasts regular touring exhibitions, from Andy Warhol and Anthony Gormley to Yoko Ono and Joseph Beuys and all points in between.

The galleries are airy and spacious, sensitive to installation requirements and free of any overt pretentiousness. In other words, you don't have to have a deep understanding of art to enjoy the place. There is a good (if pricey) coffee shop on site.

The grounds surrounding the gallery are suitable for leisurely walking; the main avenue leads you directly to Kilmainham Gaol (about 10 minutes walk). War Memorial Gardens are nearby and the National Museum is one Luas hop away from nearby Heuston Station. Essentially, it forms the heart of the emerging museum district, and the Guinness brewery is close to hand also.

West of the city centre, 10 minutes walk from Heuston Station (Luas and Intercity services). Tour buses from the city centre include a visit on their routes, and regular bus services from city centre (nos. 68, 69, 78A, 79); www.modernart.ie/

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An intimate museum where all the great Irish writers are waiting for you. See the typewriter Lady Gregory used to type up the prospectus for the orginal Abbey Theatre while Willie Yeats dictated. Lovely tearoom in the back.

On the north side of the Liffey, a short uphill walk from Parnell Square.
www.writersmuseum.com

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One of Dublin's greatest surprises, tucked away behind Dublin castle. An amazing collection of ancient manuscripts, including some of the earliest texts of the Bible as well as Islamic, Chinese, Japanese and Indian art. A deserving past winner of the European Museum of the Year Award, even the most difficult to please can while away hours on its explorations of world religions. The Middle-Eastern influenced canteen is one of Dublin's best-kept secrets for a good-value lunch.

Tel: (+353 1) 407 0750; www.cbl.ie/

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No visit to Dublin can pass without a visit to this contemporary and modern art gallery. The exhibitions are always stunning, exciting and the selection of art is refreshingly innovative. There’s an excellent range of both Irish and international art on show. Admission is free. The exhibition catalogues are worth purchasing.

25 Ely Place - tucked away off the east and north corners of St Stephens Green; www.royalhibernianacademy.com/

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