God love him, he had a job on his hands trying to convert the Irish to sobriety. Born in 1790,…read moreFather Theobald Mathew was an Irish temperance reformer who invented "The Pledge", which involved making a promise to stay off intoxicating drinks forever - he was an all or nothing kind of fella. Unfortunately for Fr Mathew, his statue is on O'Connell Street. This means that he has a bird's eye view of the hordes of drunken revellers who roll out of nearby pubs every evening to order fast food and try to find a taxi. Occasionally, they congregate around his base, basically begging for a good smoting.

This is one of the many statues that stand on O'Connell street. It looks like a monk exercising…read moretraffic calming measures. I think it's slightly ironic that the statue is located here of all places. The reason for my surprised amusement is because Father Theobald Mathew started the abstinence from alcohol movement, or The Pledge as it's more commonly known. Seems a bit cruel to have him stuck in the middle of a street that spills out the messiest drunks in the city every weekend. It's like erecting a statue of a nun in Hugh Hefners grounds, surely you being very insincere with your gesture. But alas this is were the man has been placed, just put any alcohol bottles you see near it in the bin out of politeness.

The National Archives is in the old Jacob's Biscuit Factory, which was occupied by the rebel forces…read moreduring the Easter Rising in 1916. Unfortunately, a lot of records were destroyed in the Four Courts during 1922, but for all papers related to Governmental Departments, et al. They offer free Genealogical Services, which is great for people who don't know their way around the archives/ what exactly they're looking for. They've also put the Census of 1911 online, so now it can be accessed from anywhere in the world. The archives are quite disorganised when you're actually in there and I've gone in several times and located files that I wanted to look at and the files were nowhere to be found. Also the archives don't have their catalogue digitised so you have to search through different finding aids to locate the files that are of use. They do have a bit of a search engine on their website, but it is limited in the results it returns/ the search criteria you can set.

If you have never been here before you need a readers ticket just take along some photo ID and a…read morehouse bill and this can be sorted quite quickly. This is a great place for research and also genealogy. Although there is so much info here it can be difficult to find so go to the genealogy room first for advice first. Going to the NA is a little like going to a dress shop and telling them what you want and they bring one dress out at a time and ask if this is what you like! They could do with a few floating helpers as it would speed up your time for finding what you need. Some of the workers there are helpful some just point or refer you to someone else - which could be improved upon. I am one of these people who when given directions to find things can never find them - 'You cannot miss it' is a kiss of death to me! I am however a great map reader and there is no map in this place! Still it is all we have so I have to be a fan.

Yes , Teresa McLaughlin convinced me of suicide. All the thousands of dollars I spent on her family…read more, including Franz. Then I learned , she lied to me these years , she never gave her children or Franzen all my gifts ... Including custom built hand tri-gold. 15 PC's I designeded it. She smashed 2500.00 quartz I gave her , How does anyone do that ? Teresa ?

Looking for a pine table and chair set? Radiator? Microwave? Old typewriter?…read more Well, why go out and spend your money like a chump when these items and loads of other stuff can be had for free on the Dublin Waste website? Just type "Dublin waste free trade" into Google and have a browse. The Dublin Waste website is a little better than the Dublin section on Freecycle.org, which is a great idea, don't get me wrong, but at the moment a lot of posts seem to be for items wanted rather than items offered. Sign of the times, I suppose. So if you want to reduce our collective carbon footprint while easing the pressure on Dublin's waste management infrastructure, log on now and have a ball. You may even pick up that set of speaker brackets that you desperately require.

What would be like to live in the 1800's in Dublin?…read more Take a walk through this house and you'll know and feel what it would have been like... (encourage the guided tour). The tour, began with a 15 minute video about the history of the house and the area, and then we toured through all 5 storeys of the house. The guide really made the tour come to life - she made us feel just what it must have been like to live there both as the lady of the house and as one of the servants. It was a pity we weren't allowed to take photographs - but you can always buy a souvenir from their little shop. A great place to go if you have an hour to kill in the city centre and don't want to be bombarded with crowds of people and noise. Great for couples, not really a place for children.

The very out of date introductory film we were shown upon entering the museum really set the tone…read morefor what was to follow - the picture quality and mode of storytelling wasn't of a museum standard. It was busy so you could barely hear what was being said on the film at times over the sound of people coming in - this should be in a more cordoned off area. The house has a tearoom, very average with teas, chocolate bars on offer - very old fashioned. Be prepared for walking up and down a lot of stairs. The house actually contains some wonderful artefacts on loan from the National Museum of Ireland, but the ESB should be ashamed of the tired and outdated presentation of the place. With the info panels and gaudy mannequins it looks like it was lifted out of a museum design circa 1995. For far superior presentations of Georgian Homes I would recommend visiting the North-side of the city - to the Georgian Quarter. I was in and out under half an hour, as there really wasn't satisfactory information on the actual occupants of the house through the centuries, rather a general overview of how Georgian houses were used (which doesn't really do it justice of being a genuinely Dublin Georgian home) and it would have be interesting to explore its current context, as it was once part of the 'Georgian Mile', a row of fine 18th century houses which were controversially destroyed by the ESB in the 1960s.

What a fabulous tour of a castle still going through renovations. Most of the grounds have been…read morerestored and most rooms of the castle are restored and open to tour. There are additional outbuildings they will restore over the upcoming years. The gardens are beautiful with medicinal and culinary herbs, plus apple trees on the property. We didn't get to do the guided tour, but we got plenty of details from the owner on the history and some of the details. This was so much better than the Dublin Castle and it is the only functional moat around a castle anywhere in Ireland.

Had a guided tour here for €4.50. Excellent value. The castle has plenty of history and is well…read moreworth a visit. It is the only moated castle in Ireland. A duck named George lives in the moat. The gardens are beautiful and the tour guide was really really good. A number of movies used the castle as a location, such as Ella Enchanted and the Tudors. You can rent the main hall for occasions such as weddings and I'd imagine they would be spectacular. Really worth a visit.

I'm sure you know the story of Tristan and Isolde, the Irish princess and the man she falls in love…read morewith; but it is a love that can't be expressed. This adds drama to the story and gives Dublin a different type of romantic feel. In this city you feel truly grateful to be with your loved one. The tower isn't that easy to see but Dublin Castle (where it is) has many fascinating exhibits open to the public and the story of Isolde and Tristan is reverentially explained.

Nothing but a plaque. Developer promised public access and plans have been mentioned to open it…read morewith proper lighting and plaque...Nothing to see here folks but the plaque posted above.

Visited Howth Castle briefly while I was in the area. I didn't see all of the castle on parts of…read morethe front. I wish I had a chance to see everything. I always pictured an Irish castle to look like the castle in the move "Brave" where an Irish princess named Mèrida running around! Howth Castle is not as extravagant as other castles like in Prague but it's still beautiful. Worth a stop if you're ever in Howth!

The Rhododendeon Garden is the most magical and surprising woodland I've ever visited. Think Secret…read moreGarden mixed with Sherwood Forest and a sprinkling of Lilliput. It's truly special when all the trees are blooming (from May onwards). The trees are unexpectedly tall and because they grow along uneven paths, you're completely nestled in a blaze of colour. The skyline is a crescendo of magenta, violet and cream. The fiery hues shelter your journey along pathways and caves littered with silken petals. There are small copses where you can relax, and you never know whats around the corner. We were lucky enough to go on a warm day, and even then there were so few people around, it was bliss. You honestly feel like you're in a solitary, magical kingdom. View the photos to see what I mean.