Must See Attractions using Three Dublin Walking Tour Map and Guide
Walk 1 – Top 18 Attractions, using the Dublin Walking Tour Map and Guide to Dublin Center
- Dublin Self Guided Walking Tour Map and Guide -Walk 2 – Top 16 attractions, guide to attractions south of the River Liffey, including the Temple Bar Region, click HERE
- Dublin Walking Tour Map Walk 3 – Top 16 attractions, guide to Historic Dublin, click HERE
Use the Dublin walking tour map below to visit the attractions in Downtown central Dublin located north of the River Liffey. A complete self guided walking tour map and guide to Dublin attractions, including Monuments, Museums, and Memorials. Follow the walking route in purple below, to explore the city at your own place. Spend a few hours or two days depending on how you want to complete all three Dublin walking tours using the map of attractions. There are three separate walking tours: Tour 1- Downtown Central Dublin located north of River Liffey, Tour 2 – Temple Bar Region, St Stephens Green and Grafton Street located south of River Liffey and Tour 3 – Historic Dublin includes Dublin Corporation, Dublin City Hall (and includes parts of the Temple Bar Region)
Dublin Walking Tour and Map 1 – Start at O’Connell street, near the Charles Parnell monument. Break after national Leprechaun Museum and continue to Walk 2
Download the INTERACTIVE Dublin walking tour map HERE
Download the PDF Dublin walking tour map HERE
Start the Dublin walking tour guide and map – Walk 1
1. Charles Stewart Parnell Monument
Charles Parnell was a popular Irish politician who fell from the party ranks because of this affair and his eventual marriage to a divorced woman, Katherine O’Shea. This was frowned upon in the very Catholic community and his political party split over the “O’Shea Affair”. Tragically he died from stomach cancer four months after his marriage to Katherine. He was 45 years old
2. Sir John Gray Statue
This is the second stop in the Dublin walking tour guide and map. Sir John Grey, Physician, Politician and Social Reformer, his statue was sculpted by Thomas Farrell out of Portland limestone which resembled marble. Erected 4 years after his death in 1879, he was the owner of the nationalist Freeman’s Journal newspaper and chairman of the Dublin Corporation Water Works Committee. He was a great supporter of Daniel O’Connell and was instrumental in bringing fresh water supply to Dublin and its suburbs in 1868. His legacy includes the Irish Church and Land Bills, his support of the Home Rule Movement and his advocacy for tenants rights
3. O’Connell Street
The next step in the Dublin walking tour guide and map is the popular O’Connell Street. In the 17th century, O’Connell Street was a narrow street called Drogheda Street, named after the Earl of Drogheda, Henry Moore. The street was widened n the late 1700s and renamed Sackville Street after Lionel Sackville, Duke of Dorset. In 1924 it was been a once again renamed as O’Connell Street after the widely popular political leader Daniel O’Connell. O’Connell St. leads to O’Connell Bridge and onto other Dublin sights such as parliament hill and Trinity College
O’Connell Street is a popular and busy throughfare and was the centre stage for many events in Irish history. It tells the story of Ireland’s history, politics and spirit through the various attractions found on the street. Eclipsed by the popular shopping street, Grafton street, O’Connell street is a must visit street in Dublin. Today it contains prominent monuments, public art and is still the centre of public celebrations, parades, protests and demonstrations and it has major bus and tram routes
Video of O’Connel Street in 1916
4. St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral
St Mary’s Pro-cathedral is a parish church temporarily or provisionally elevated to the status of Cathedral hence the prefix Pro-Cathedral. It was a temporary solution as the two National Cathedrals in Dublin, St Patrick’s and Christ Church, were originally catholic but now serve the minority protestant population under the Church of Ireland. The Church of Ireland took control of the Catholic St Patrick’s and Christ Church following Henry VIII break from Rome and the start of the Reformation
The Penal Laws (1607-1778) prevented Catholics from worshipping publicly and as such, they worshipped “underground”. With the repeal of the penal laws the city was left without a Catholic church to serve the majority religion. In 1803 Archbishop John Thomas Troy purchased Lord Annesley’s townhouse in the city for the purpose of building a full Roman Catholic Cathedral. The Cathedral was opened in 1825 by the new Archbishop of Dublin, Daniel Murray and unofficially given the title of Pro-Cathedral. This title of Pro- Cathedral became official in 1886.
A symbol of Irish Nationalism, the Pro-cathedral of St Mary’s has hosted presidents, governments, foreign ambassadors and the location of some state funerals. In 2018, the Pro-Cathedral was visited by Pope Francis. Great debates over the decades have taken place to establish a full catholic cathedral in Dublin including locations at Merrion Park or revoking the status of one of the Protestant Cathedrals back to a catholic practicing cathedral. However none of these have come to fruition as the ideas have not received support from stakeholders. Today it is commonly referred to as the “Pro” a symbol of compromise for the peaceful Irish nation
5. Use the Dublin walking tour map to the O’Connell Bridge
Originally called the Carlisle bridge, construction started in 1791 and took three years to complete. It was designed by James Gandon and named after Frederick Howard known as the Lord Carlisle, the 5th Earl of Carlisle. A popular, well used bridge connecting Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street) to Westmoreland and D’Olier street to the south. It was so popular that it needed to be replaced in the late 1800s. In 1880 the old bridge was demolished and it was replaced with a new bridge at a cost of 70,000 pounds.
Made of the same material as the original bridge, Granite and Portland Stone, it replaced the three semi circular arches with three semi elliptical arches. The bridge was named after Daniel O’Connell referred to as The Liberator of Ireland. What is unusual is that the bridge is actually wider than longer, it spans 45 m across the Liffey river and is about 50 m wide
In 2004 a couple of jokesters brothers installed a plaque on the bridge dedicating the bridge to Father Pat Noise. Father Pat Noise is a play on words in Latin “pater noster” meaning “our father”. Nobody noticed anything unusual in the plaque until May 2006. At that time the plaque came to the notice of the Dublin City Council and the jokesters owned up to their prank reveling the dedication to their father. This is an interesting spot in the Dublin walking tour guide and map as the plaque is still there
6. Carleton Cinema
Located opposite the Savoy Hotel, the cinema was built in 1936. It opened in 1938 and the first film was “The Awful Truth”. Over the years, it has played to packed houses for plays, films and concerts. The cinema was last operated by MGM and eventually closed in October 1994. The plan has been put forth to redevelop the area around the Carlton cinema with the façade of the cinema restored. It will be used as retail space and many of the buildings around the cinema will be refurbished respecting its original fabric
7. Father Theobald Mathew statue
The only statue at that time to be sculpted by a woman, Mary Redmond, it is located on, O’Connell Street and it was erected in 1892. Father Mathew, the Apostle of Temperance”, he was born in 1790 near Cashel, County Kilkenny. He was ordained as a priest to the Capuchin Order in 1814. Serving most of his life in Cork he was known for leading the temperance movement (anti-drinking) establishing Temperance Societies in every parish in the country
8. Spire of Dublin
Dublin is known for nicknaming its statues and monuments. Nickname for the Spire is Stuffy at the Liffey or Stiletto in the Ghetto. This is a popular attraction in the Dublin walking tour guide and map
A 120 m Spire erected in 2002 to replace the Nelson’s Pillar, which stood on this site for 150 years. Nelson’s pillar was a landmark and considered the center of the city. The IRA destroyed it in 1966. The base of the spire is 3ms wide and it tapers to a tip, which has a 15 cm point. It is designed so that it will sway with the high winds and there are tiny holes that allow light to pass through. The tiny holes illuminate the Spire at night. There is a feature at the tip of the Spire providing a beacon in the night sky over the capital
9. James Joyce statue
Nickname Prick with the Stick
The James Joyce statue is just off of O’Connell street on North Earl Street near the Dublin Spire. It was sculpted by US sculptor Marjorie Fitzgibbon and erected in 1990. James Joyce was an influential poet and writer who lived most of his life abroad yet wrote of his home country. His characters resembled his family, enemies and his friends. His famous books include The Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Finnegan’s Wake and Ulysses, which was acclaimed as the “Book of the Century” (20th Century)
10. General Post Office (GPO)
The next stop in the Dublin walking tour guide and map is the a historic landmark, the GPO. It is a Georgian style public building built in 1814 at a cost of about £80,000, it is one of Irelands famous buildings. It was used a the headquarters of the rebels in the Easter Uprising of 1916. It was on the steps of the General Post Office that Patrick Pearse, one of the leaders of the uprising, read out the “Proclamation of the Irish Republic” or “Easter Proclamation”, on April 24, 1916 which proclaimed Irelands independence from Britain
The copies were printed in secret and distributed; only 30 original copies remain today. The proclamation was signed by seven signators, who were later executed for treason. The Easter proclamation is a revered Irish document and a copy is on display in the main foyer of the General Post Office
A ceremony commemorating the Easter Uprising is celebrated each year where the Easter Proclamation is read outside the GPO by an officer of the Irish Defense Forces
A museum in the basement of the General Post Office, the GPO Witness History, is dedicated to the Easter Uprising, tickets can be purchased online HERE
11. James Larkin statue is the next stop on the Dublin walking tour map
An Irish trade union leader, James Larkin was also a social activist. He founded the Irish Transport & General Workers Union to support unskilled workers living in deplorable conditions. He is best known for the most bitter labour dispute of 1914 referred to as the Dublin Lockout. He lost the dispute however, he did succeed in mobilizing a large labour force that was successful in other disputes. His most famous saying was “ The great appear great because we are on our knees: Let us rise”
12. William Smith O’Brian (Irish name: Liam Mac Gabhann O’Brien) statue
Our next stop on the Dublin walking tour map is the statute of historical, though not as well known, figure that influenced Ireland’s history. The statues and dedication to William Smith O’Brien. He was the leader of the Young Ireland movement and the second son of Sir Edward O’Brien, 4th Baronet of Dromoland Castle, in Co. Claire. William received an upper class education and studied law in Dublin and in London.
Just as influential as Daniel O’Connell, he was not as popular due to the mistrust stemming from his British accent. He led an unsuccessful rebellion at Ballingarry, County Tipperary against the British rule in 1848. He was convicted of high treason and sentenced to death by being hanged, drawn and quartered. Petitions of clemency resulted in his sentence being commuted to deportation and he spent five years in Tasmania/Van Diemen’s Land (present day Australia). He was eventually pardoned and returned to Ireland but he was never active in politics after that. The statue was sculpted by Thomas Farrell in 1870 out of Sicilian Marble
13. Daniel O’Connell Monument
Continue Dublin walking tour and use the map to this popular monument. the use of the Daniel O’Connell, born on county Kerry, he was an elected Irish political leader from County Clare, who could not take his seat in the British Parliament due to restrictions placed upon Roman Catholics. A lawyer by profession, he peacefully campaigned for catholic relief also called catholic emancipation within the British Parliamentary System. This was the removal of restrictions placed on Catholics by the Uniformity Act, the Test Acts, and the Penal Laws
The statue on O’Connell Street was unveiled on August 15, 1882 and was sculpted by John Foley. Foley died before it was completed and his assistant finished it off. The statue is known as one of families greatest and finest piece of work. The statue is in three parts; the base, the drum, above the base representing his triumphs and his statue at the top. At the base of the monument are four winged figures each representing a virtue attributed to O’Connell . These are patriotism, eloquence, fidelity and courage
On the drum, above the base, are statues representing labour and triumph. One of these is a statue of “Maid of Erin” standing on top of broken Shackle’s attesting to O’Connells being personified as a liberator. The monument is topped by a statue Daniel O’Connell pointing towards the parliament building. There are about 30 bullet holes in the monument including two to his right temple, one on the arm of Maid of Erin, one on the statue of Courage. These bullet holes were not filled in during restoration work on the monument, see if you can spot them all. The bullet holes were a result of the 1916 Easter Week Rising. At his feet lie a pile of books which symbolize the fight of an educated man who used his knowledge to free his people from oppressive laws and acts.
As per his wishes, upon his death his body was buried beneath a Round Tower at Dublin Glasnevin Cemetary and his heart was buried in Rome at the Saint Agatha dei Goti (known at the time as the Irish college)
14. The Famine Memorial
The next stop on the Dublin walking tour map and guide is a poignant reminder to Ireland’s past. The memorial is dedicated to those families forced to leave Ireland in the 19th century due to the Irish Famine. The first ship called “Perseverance” sailed on St Patricks Day in 1846 from Customs House Quay in Dublin (close to the Famine Memorial)
Directions: From The Famine Memorial, walk back towards Ha’penny Bridge
15. Two Irish Ladies statue found on the Dublin walking tour map
Nickname hags with bags
The statue is located near Ha’penny Bridge on Liffey Street Lower outside of The Woollen Mills restaurant. It is a Statue of two women sitting on a bench in conversation with their shopping bags at their feet
16. Ha’penny Bridge
There is a lot of history for this attraction on the Dublin walking tour map. Before the ha’penny bridge was built, the only way to get across the river was by ferry, by boat or sharing the road with horse drawn carriages. William Walsh, a city alderman, operated a fleet of ferries for people to cross the Liffey. The ferries were old and leaky. He was given a choice by the City to either build a bridge or fix his boats. If he built a bridge, he could recoup the costs by charging a toll for 100 years and was compensated an addition £3000.
The bridge was built in May 1816, and spanned 43 meters across the Liffey river. It was 3 meters wide and built 3 meters above the river. The bridge was the only pedestrian bridge that crossed the River Liffey until the millennium bridge which opened in 1999
The Ha’penny Bridge gets its name from the toll paid to cross the bridge. The toll was discontinued in 1922; however it is till commonly referred to as the Ha’penny Bridge (pronounce HAYP-nee). Over the years, it has been known as the Metal Bridge, the Liffey, the Triangle or Iron Bridge and the Wellington Bridge. When it opened, it allowed about 450 people to cross the bridge daily, today about 30,000 people cross the bridge every day
17. National Leprechaun Museum
A fun and unique stop on the Dublin walking tour map. The Leprechauns are depicted as little green men with pots of gold; however, Irish mythology shows them as little brown men who were cobblers for fairies. The museum which opened in 2010, displays a historical chronology of the how the Leprechaun image has changed in the media over the decades
What will you see at the Leprechaun Museum?
- A wooden replica of Giants Causeway
- A giant size room full of furniture so you are made to feel like a leprechaun
- Optical Illusions
- An illuminated map with an audio of the legends of the leprechaun
- A very funny tour guide with incredible knowledge of leprechauns
After the Dublin walking tour use the map to find Mulligans Pub – This might be a good time and location
18. Mulligans pub 1854
Opened in 1782, they moved the location several times and its final resting place is in this location, Poolbeg Street, since 1854 when. John Mulligan sold the pub to Mick Smyth in 1932. It has stayed in the Smythe family ever since. It has been mentioned in a James Joyce’s novel, has when been used as a filming location, entertained celebrities, media giants, the press, writers, tourists and Dubliners
Over 300 year’s old, caught in a time warp, it still has some of the original letters on the window and doors and is one of the oldest establishments in Dublin
Additional Ireland Attraction Guides:
- Getting around Ireland – Using Public Transportation in Ireland
- Cliffs of Moher – A very popular tour, a complete guide to the 16 attractions along the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk
- Doolin – A quaint popular village in County Clare. Stop overnight and walk to the Cliffs of Moher from Doolin or enjoy the many other attractions in and around Doolin
- The Ring of Kerry – A spectacular 111 mile scenic route on the Iveragh Peninsula. Start at either Kenmare or Killarney for a circular route of three hours without stops. Jaw dropping views of the Atlantic ocean, charming villages and wild sweeping mountains makes this a popular must see attraction in Ireland. Use the map and attractions for the complete self guided tour of the Ring of Kerry
- The Dingle Peninsula – It is a 30 mile long clockwise loop that takes about 4 hours to complete. The area is the bedrock of Irish culture with signs in many villages and towns indicating that Irish is the predominant language in the area. The picturesque landscape includes rolling hills, craggy shorelines and sandy beaches. The PDF map and attractions guide explores the attractions of the Dingle Peninsula
- The Ring of Beara – An 85 mile circular route, similar to Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula, however it is far less travelled. In that sense, it is a better drive as there are far less cars on the road. I found the Ring of Beara far more dramatic than either the Ring of Kerry or the Dingle Peninsula. It is not as popular because the tourist buses are not able to navigate the narrow roads with hairpin bends or the Healey Pass.
- Dublin: Explore central Dublin on foot with these three self guided walking tours and map:
- Dublin Walk 1 – Top 18 Attractions, guide to Dublin City Center, North of the River Liffey Dublin
- Dublin Walk 2 – Top 16 attractions, guide to attractions South of the River Liffey, including the Temple Bar Region
- The Book of Kells and Trinity College in Dublin. Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland with the historic Long Room,and the old library with over 200,000 of the very old books. It is the most impressive library in the world
- In Dublin visit the Little Museum of Dublin, Grafton Street, St Stephens Green and Kilmainham Goal (the prison where many rebels from the Easter Rising were held before their execution)
- Dublin Walk 3 – Top 16 attractions, guide to Historic Old Dublin
- Galway – Use the Galway Ireland guide for a flexible and personal tour of over 40 attractions Galway City
- Aran Islands – For a truly authentic Irish experience visit the Aran Islands. They are located at the mouth of Galway Bay. You can catch a ferry from either Doolin or Rosseeval port (Shuttle from Galway to Rosseeval ferry port)
- The Glens of Antrim – Driving route for the nine Glens of Antrim in Northern Ireland. The guide includes options for public transportation, walking trails in The Glens and Game of Thrones Attractions
- Over 100 Northern Ireland Attractions – Visit over 100 attractions along the east and north coast of Ireland along the Antrim and Causeway Coastal Route. Travel by car or public transport from the Mourne Mountains to Londonderry. Includes game of thrones sites, castles and walks along the route
- The Burren – Explore the karst moonscape bedrock of The Burren located in the southwest region and close to the Cliffs of Moher. Attractions in the Burren include ancient tombs, underground caves, walks on an unusual landscape and The Burren National Park
