Castles and Historic Sites in Co. Dublin
4 places
1.Kilmainham Gaol
A 1916 execution site in a vast 1796 gaol
Opened in 1796 and closed in 1924, Kilmainham is one of Europe's largest unoccupied gaols — and the place where leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and executed.
- Highlights
- Europe's largest unoccupied gaol
- Access by guided tour only
- Stonebreakers' Yard — scene of the 1916 executions
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
2.Newbridge House & Farm
A Georgian mansion with a 30-acre working farm
One of Ireland's most intact Georgian mansions, still filled with the Cobbe family's original furnishings, sits at the heart of a 30-acre working farm with rare breeds, a 250-year-old walled garden and a deer-filled demesne.
- Highlights
- Ireland's most intact, best-preserved Georgian mansion
- 18th-century 'Cabinet of Curiosities' museum
- 30-acre working farm with rare and traditional breeds
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
3.Malahide Castle & Gardens
an 800-year-old castle and a butterfly house
An 800-year-old Talbot family stronghold set in 260 acres of parkland, with opulent state rooms, botanic gardens, Ireland's only exotic butterfly house, and a woodland fairy trail for children.
- Highlights
- Guided castle tours of 800 years of Talbot history
- Botanic gardens with rare Southern Hemisphere plants
- Ireland's only exotic Butterfly House
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
4.Dublin Castle
A 1204 seat of English rule for 700 years
Built in the early 13th century on a Viking site, Dublin Castle was the headquarters of English and later British rule in Ireland until 1922, and is now a working government complex and ceremonial venue. Important: the castle's own website says the campus is closed to the public until January 2027 while Ireland hosts the EU Council Presidency — confirm before travelling.
- Highlights
- State Apartments: Throne Room, Portrait Gallery, St Patrick's Hall
- Viking and medieval excavation beneath the Powder Tower
- Gothic Revival Chapel Royal (1814)
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access