The Dublin Pass Attractions
Dublin Writers Museum, photo by infomatique
Attractions to which the Dublin Pass gives free entrance are listed here in three groups.
- Free with or without a Dublin Pass Some of the attractions are free to enter for anyone, though the Pass gives additional benefits. You will have to judge the value of those for yourself.
- Free with the Dublin Pass OR a Heritage Card If you are travelling outside Dublin you will want to have a Heritage Card.
- Free with Dublin Pass Only 20 places that are free only to holders of the Dublin Pass, with some useful comments on each to help you decide whether they are of interest to you.
We have also graded each attraction as
- A: Must see
- B: Recommended
- C: Not for everyone – check to see if it’s of interest to you.
1. Free Without Any Pass
Although there is no admission charge to these places, the Dublin Pass does give holders some additional benefits. Only you can judge how much there are worth to you – bearing in mind that a discount on something you didn’t want anyway is not a bargain!
All of these are very good places to visit, highly recommended and enjoyable for just about everybody.
| Attraction | Extras with a Dublin Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| Chester Beatty Library | Free book worth €8.99, you have a choice from three. They are nicely illustrated and well worth having.10% discount in Silk Road Café, an excellent restaurant serving Middle Eastern food which is good value even with no discount. Highly recommended lunch stop. | A |
| National Gallery of Ireland | Free concise Gallery guide with Dublin Pass | A |
| The following three are all branches of the National Museum, and are in different locations. In addition to having very extensive holdings and well presented exhibitions, all of them cater particularly well for children – ask for activity packs on arrival. | ||
| National Museum – Archaeology | 20% off illustrated Guidebook or 4 free postcards plus a 10% discount in museum stores. | A |
| National Museum – Decorative Arts | As above. | A |
| National Museum – Natural History | As Above. | A |
| Irish Museum of Modern Art | Must see for art lovers and enjoyable for everyone. 15% off mid-morning coffee or afternoon special in the cafe – timing is a little restrictive.15% off a gallery catalogue with the Dublin Pass. There are a number of catelogues available, relating to current and past exhibitions, usually priced between €20 and €40. | A |
| National Botanic Gardens | Free guided tour and a souvenir gift. The tour adds considerably to a visit and is worth doing.Note: Tours are free at the weekend anyway, and can be booked in advance at other times for €2 per person. | B |
2. Free with a Dublin Pass OR a Heritage Card
If you are travelling outside Dublin, you need a Heritage Card, and if you already have one you don’t need a Dublin Pass for the following attractions.
| Attraction | Admission | Comments & Tips | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilmainham Gaol | €5.50 | Very popular and deservedly so – there may be lines in high season. | A |
| Phoenix Park Visitor Centre | €2.75 | Pleasant place, good café for lunch, relaxing after a Zoo visit. Fun for kids – there is a small castle (though it’s often closed), a little woodland with ‘secret paths’ and lots of space to run around. | B |
| The Casino, Marino | €2.90 | A bit out of the way but very well worth a detour. | B |
| Rathfarnham Castle | €2 | In rather an out of the way place and not near any other attractions, probably not worth the journey unless is of particular interest to you. | C |
| St Audoen’s Church | €2.10 | Free guidebook & tour with Dublin Pass. | C |
3. Free with the Dublin Pass ONLY
If there are many of these places on your personal must-see list, then the Dublin Pass will be a real winner for you.
| Attraction | Admission | Comments & Tips | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin Castle | €4.50 | Very worthwhile – the tours are free and are a must. | A |
| Christ Church Cathedral | €5 | Definite must-see. We highly recommend attending Evensong on Sunday at 3.30pm. Wednesday & Thursday at 6pm or Saturday at 5pm to experience a service and hear the excellent choir. Admission is free for those attending a service. | A |
| Chimney Viewing Tower | €5 | This is fun. Kids love it and the view from the top of the tower is spectacular. BUT it takes about 20 minutes max, so without the Dublin Pass is not good value. | B |
| No 29: Georgian House Museum | €5 | Interesting and impressively restored Georgian house. Some unusual and good items in the gift shop here which are not readily available elsewhere. | B |
| Saint Patrick’s Cathedral | €5 | There are sung services almost every day, sometimes twice a day – try to time your visit to coincide with these. | B |
| The Old Jameson Distillery | €8.50 | Even if you don’t drink this is an interesting tour and for our money beats the Guinness Storehouse for fun. If you like whiskey get your hand in the air quickly when they ask for tasting volunteers! Currently closed for renovation, re-opening April 2007 | B |
| Dublin Zoo | €14 | The Zoo is worth going to, especially for kids. However it will take a good half day, with lots of walking, so consider carefully whether your kids will be up to doing much else that day – and you would need to to quite a bit more to get value from the Pass. | B |
| All the attractions from here down are either of specialist interest or are in a location that is a little out of the way. Several are ones that will be must-sees for some people, but of little interest to others – judge for yourself. | |||
| Guinness Storehouse | €14 | One of Dublin’s most popular attractions, loved by many but ho-hum for others. You do get a free pint of Guinness though!You can also get a 10% discount for online booking. There will be lines here in high season. | C |
| Dublin’s City Hall | €4 | Not a whole lot to see but it is near the museums so worth visiting if you are in the area. | C |
| The GAA Museum | €5.50 | A GAA lovers paradise but not of that much interest to others. Entrance with a Pass does not include Stadium tour, on which there is a 12.5% discount. | C |
| Bram Stoker Dracula Experience | €8.50 | One for the kids, especially those who like the ghoulish and gory! | C |
| Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre | €6 | This is off the beaten track, but Dalkey and neighbouring Killiney are worth a visit anyway – if only to gawk at the multi-million Euro houses! – so it may be worth including. We recommend you do it at the end of the day and stay in Dalkey for dinner. | C |
| The following four attractions are on the Must See list for those with an interest in Irish Literature, and especially in James Joyce. For others, and for the vast majority of kids, there is less reason to visit them. A joint ticket for the last thee is available for €12.50 – good thing too, they are expensive places to visit. | |||
| James Joyce Centre | €5 | Not to be confused with the Museum below. This one is in central Dublin and is really of interest to Joyce fans only – if you are one it will be heaven to you. | C |
| James Joyce Museum | €6.50 | Again, mainly for Joyce fans, though it is in a Martello Tower which adds another dimension for the less committed Joycean. A bit out of the way.Closed late October to early March. | C |
| Dublin Writers Museum | €7 | Completely riveting for some, dull for others – if you love books you’ll love this place. It’s good for filling in the background of a lot of places you will see elsewhere in Dublin. | C |
| The Shaw Birthplace | €7 | Very interesting if you’re a fan of George Bernard Shaw. For others it’s a just a nicely restored Victorian house. | C |
| All of the next three are located at Malahide Castle, and really it seems a bit cheeky to charge three separate admissions – you could easily see all three in a couple of hours. The Castle grounds are a lovely place to stroll or have a picnic – entrance to them is free. | |||
| Malahide Castle | €7 | The castle is small and while the tour is interesting it is short. | C |
| Tara’s Palace | €2 | Like doll’s houses? You’ll love this. Closed October to April | C |
| The Fry Model Railway | €6.70 | HUGE model railway which will make hobbyists green with envy. Fun for kids. Closed October to April | C |
| National Wax Museum | Currently closed, was to reopen March 2006, then ‘Summer 2007′, now? …. | C | |
