Visiting Dublin over the course of 3 days, we had limited amount of time to see everything. Since it was our first time visiting Dublin, we decided that visiting the main attractions, including the Kilmainham Gaol Museum and the Book of Kells at Trinity College would be our goal for this trip. I am going to provide what I did at each attraction and what each of those experiences was like.
You will learn about two major sites – the Kilmainham Gaol Museum and the Book of Kells at Trinity College – in Dublin that attract many tourists throughout the year. You will get a glimpse of what each place has to offer that will help you decide if they will be part of your itinerary.
Kilmainham Gaol Museum
Website: Kilmainham Gaol Museum
Location: Inchicore Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 RK28, Ireland
Experience: Guided tour only (€8.00 for one adult ticket; price varies depending on type of ticket)
My Experience seeing the Kilmainham Gaol Museum
When I did my initial research of Dublin, Kilmainham Gaol Museum was one of the first places that came up in my recommendations. I had to book the tickets the moment the day that we wanted to visit was made available. The tickets sell out fast!
Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable regarding the history and advised us that we would get lost if we did not stick together. Of the many sections within Kilmainham Gaol, we were led down a corridor like the photo below.
He explained to us what each room and what the environment within the jail was like at that time. From one of the stories that he told us, the corridors did not have any windows, so with any inclement weather, the inmates felt them all. We were also told that many inmates caught illnesses from the others.
We got to see the Main Hall as part of the last few sections of our tour. Along with the history, our guide also mentioned several movies had been filmed here, including most recently Paddington 2!
We were given a few minutes to walk around the Main Hall, so I took a moment to take a look at Grace Gifford Plunkett’s former cell. We were told during the tour that she had painted a mural of the Madonna and Child in her cell.
The Book of Kells Experience (at Trinity College)
Website: The Book of Kells Experience
Location: Trinity Long Room, The University of Dublin Trinity College, College Green, South-East Inner City, Dublin, Ireland
Experience: Book of Kells Experience (Self-Guided; €25.00 for one adult ticket; price varies depending on type of ticket)
My Experience with Seeing the Book of Kells
We were not allowed to film or take any photographs of the Book of Kells. However, leading up to the room, we got to see an entire section that focused on the history and importance of the manuscript, as well as the symbolism and artistry of the manuscript.
We also got to visit Gaia in the Long Room. The Gaia is the artwork by Luke Jerram, and it was breathtaking to see in person. As you can imagine, a lot of visitors were in the room to see this in person.
OVERALL Thoughts 💭
As someone who did not know much about Ireland before visiting, I thought that both sites offered a lot of cultural value to learning about the Irish history. If I ever go back, I would enjoy completing a guided tour of the Book of Kells instead of the self-guided one to get more out of the experience. Both sites in Dublin provided considerable cultural insights to Irish history.