Dublin - Day 2

Started the day with a tram ride out to Kilmainham Gaol, which is a little off the beaten track. The Gaol provides a fascinating insight into Dublin’s social history and Ireland’s political history…

First built in 1796, it served as an often-over-crowded prison for all kinds of lawbreakers, including children arrested for petty theft. It was a major processing point for deportation to Australia, and later held many of the most famous people involved in the campaign for Irish independence. The leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and executed here, and the last prisoner was Eamon de Valera:

The main entrance, above which were performed hundreds of public hangings

Where the Easter Rising prisoners were held

Used in a million films, including In the Name of the Father

Where the Easter Rising prisoners were executed by firing squad

The Four Courts, location of the Supreme Court, High Court, and Central Criminal Court of the Republic of Ireland. Seized during the Easter Rising in 1916, they survived the bombardment by British artillery but were gutted in the Irish Civil War 1922.

Christ Church Cathedral (The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity), the elder of the city's two mediæval cathedrals.

Dating back to 1198, The Brazen Head is Ireland's oldest pub and a favourite haunt for James Joyce (yeah, that guy). Went and had a nice lunch and a few drinks. Tried Guinness with blackcurrant (nice, but be careful not to overdo it or it’ll become sickly) and had a Jameson’s while watching a traditional Irish folk band.

The Spire of Dublin, known locally as the Millennium Spire. Standing at 120 metres high, this spike of burnished steel has a base only 3 metres wide and narrows to a point at the top. The site is considered the centre of Dublin and was occupied by a statue of Nelson – until it was blown up by the IRA in 1966.