Dublin Museums, Cultural, & Literary Attractions

Dublin is known for being a cultural hub in Ireland, with its many museums, historical sites, and literary attractions. Tourists are able to immerse themselves in the Irish culture while learning of the country’s background. This is an ideal location for those who deem themselves a literary or history buff, with these must-see attractions:

Trinity College and the Book of Kells

Trinity College was created in 1592 by a royal charter, at a time when universities were being established throughout Western Europe. The 690-page Book of Kells is the centerpiece of the “Turning Darkness into Light” exhibition which attracts over 500,000 visitors to Trinity College every year. Written around 800 AD, the Book of Kells contains a richly decorated copy of the four gospels in a Latin text, written on vellum (prepared calfskin). The script is embellished by the elaboration of keywords and phrases and by an endlessly inventive range of decorated initials and interlinear drawings.

Dublin Writer’s Museum

Situated in a magnificent Georgian Mansion on Parnell Square, the Dublin Writer’s Museum is an essential visit for anyone who wants to discover, explore, or simply enjoy Dublin’s immense literary history. The museum features the works of Dublin’s literary celebrities over the past three hundred years including Swift, Sheridan, Shaw, Wilde, Yeats, Joyce and Beckett.

The National Gallery of Ireland

Housing some 13,000 works of art, among the Irish artists represented are James Barry, Nathaniel Hone, William Orpen, Roderic O’Conor and Louis le Brocquy. The European Collection includes pieces by masters such as Fra Angelico, Titian, Caraviaggio, Rembrandt, Poussin, Vermeer, Goya, Murillo and Gainsborough.

Add a Twist!

Want to add a little twist to your vacation? Complement a literary tour of Dublin Museums with a Literary Pub Crawl. Enjoy some of Ireland’s best literature acted out as you travel from one famous Dublin pub to another.