Tourist attractions in Dublin highlights include Guinness Storehouse, The Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and The Irish National Gallery.
Guinness Storehouse (guinness-storehouse.com) is a Guinness museum, which has been divided into seven floors that surround a glass atrium, designed to resemble a glass pint of Guinness beer.
Among the museum “collections” are guidance to how Guinness beer is manufactured, the story of Guinness founder Arthur Guinness, and live installation of the modern process of making beer.
Each day, several visitors are selected to get to start this beer making process.
Among the Guinness museum sections is also a tasting lab, where the visitors not only learn how to taste Guinness, but also how to enjoy it.
The Book of Kells (www.bookofkells.ie), also called The Book of Columba, is often called the greatest national treasure in Ireland.
It is a magnificently illustrated Latin language work from around 800 AD, consisting of the four gospels of the New Testament, together with clarifying texts.
The book is a masterwork of Western calligraphy, and also represents a highlight for so-called “insular illustration”, which is typical only to the areas of Ireland and the British Isles.
There are a total of about 340 pergaments that make the book, showcased within the library of the most famous university in Dublin, Trinity College.
Dublin Castle (www.dublincastle.ie), on the other hand, was originally build as a defensive castle in the aftermath of the Norman attacks in 1204, by the English King John.
Today, the castle is one of the biggest tourist draws in Dublin, and also acts as a center for conferences, including many major European Union meetings and events.
Highlights in the castle include the King’s Throne room, Saint Patrick’s hall, as well as the Chapel Royal.
Saint Patrick’s cathedral (www.stpatrickscathedral.ie) is the biggest church in Ireland, and one of the two major cathedrals in Dublin for the Irish church.
One of the reasons for Dublin having two significant medieval cathedrals is that one of the buildings, Christ Church cathedral (www.christchurchdublin.ie), was within Dublin’s historical defensive walls, while the other was outside of it.
Both of these tourist attractions in Dublin, the major cathedrals, are worth visiting.
Finally, the Irish National Gallery (nationalgallery.ie) is located on a majestic neoclassical building, and contains a collection of European paintings from antique to the modern period.
Highlights among the national gallery collection include Renaissance masterworks from such artists as Fra Angelico, Mantegna, and Titian.
Caravaggio’s painting, which was found in Ireland, is also on display at the gallery.