Top 10 Government Buildings in County Dublin, Province of Leinster

July 21, 2021 Malia Yoakum

Discover the best top things to do in County Dublin, Ireland including Leinster House, Dail Eireann, Farmleigh House and Estate, An Post General Post Office, Dun Laoghaire Old Town Hall, The Custom House, Dublin Castle, Four Courts, City Hall, Government Buildings.
Restaurants in County Dublin

1. Leinster House

Kildare Street, Dublin 2 Ireland +353 1 618 3000 http://www.oireachtas.ie
Excellent
48%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 86 reviews

Leinster House

Built in 1745, this beautiful building inspired the making of the White House and now serves as the Irish Parliament.

Reviewed By StephenCr0ss - Dublin, Ireland

Very impressive building standing prominently in Kildare Street in the Centre of Dublin City. Recommended!

2. Dail Eireann

Leinster House Kildare St., Dublin 2 Ireland +353 1 678 9911 http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/visitsevents/visitleinsterhouse
Excellent
59%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
5%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 22 reviews

Dail Eireann

3. Farmleigh House and Estate

Phoenix Park, Dublin D15 TD50 Ireland +353 1 815 5914 [email protected] http://www.farmleigh.ie
Excellent
67%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 290 reviews

Farmleigh House and Estate

A former historic home of the Guinness family, Farmleigh House now provides premiere accommodation for visiting dignitaries and guests of the nation.

Reviewed By SueJ264 - Dublin, Ireland

Farmleigh is a beautiful place to take a walk around. It is the perfect setting for special occasions such as India Day and is the place where visiting dignitaries stay while in Ireland. However, the highlight for me is the Boathouse Cafe!! Good coffee, great brunch - the perfect finale to a long walk through the Park!

4. An Post General Post Office

General Post Office O'Connell Street Lower, Dublin D01 F5P2 Ireland +353 1 705 8833 http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/at+your+local+Post+Office.htm
Excellent
61%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
4%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 51 reviews

An Post General Post Office

Reviewed By johnmN5785EK - Lyon, France

Postage stamps can be hard to find in Dublin, and usually one is directed to the General Post-office (GPO) in the centre of O'Connell Street, where stamps can be bought directly over the counter during business hours, including Saturdays, and also through a stamp vending machine in the wall on the left, outside the GPO. Viewed from the outside this is a truly landmark historic building, featuring a wide portico supported by six huge columns, built in the neoclassical style; the GPO was completed in the short space of three years, in 1817. This is also where, on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, the rebel leader, Padraig Pearse, read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, on the steps of the GPO, which was occupied by the rebellion leaders at the time. We visited on a Saturday, when the normally heaving PO was less busy. On entering there was the option of going left to the package delivery section, and to the more ornate right side for stamps, and money orders etc. We had a small enquiry about mail pick-up and respectfully posed the simple question to the gentleman behind the counter on the left; well, the words “passive aggressive” were designed for this individual – just glad there was a wire mesh between us. However, we did purchase some just released pretty stamps, commemorating famous Irish Women and also a set that celebrates Love – a heady mix. Some light relief came from a very well-informed tour guide giving a history of the GPO and the Irish-English conflict back in the early 1900s, suffice to say Mr Churchill was not one of his heroes. Also, there was the charming scene of a mother showing her kids the statue of Cuchullain, the mythical Irish demigod, in the window. This impressive bronze monument depicts the death this Irish legend, installed in 2016, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. Next time we plan to visit the the Witness History visitor centre and museum, also opened to commemorate the 1916 Rising. Overall a beautiful fully operational post office in a historic setting and a fitting memorial to the 1916 leaders.

5. Dun Laoghaire Old Town Hall

Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire Ireland
Excellent
67%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 3 reviews

Dun Laoghaire Old Town Hall

Reviewed By StephenCr0ss - Dublin, Ireland

Almost feels like some form of Spanish architecture. Fabulous condition and nice to photo. At the end of Marine Road and opposite the Dart station.

6. The Custom House

Custom House Quay, Dublin D01 W6X0 Ireland +353 1 880 2000 [email protected] http://www.housing.gov.ie/corporate/1916-2016-centenary-programme/custom-house-visitor-centre
Excellent
22%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
25%
Poor
5%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 158 reviews

The Custom House

The Custom House, which has been a Dublin landmark for over two hundred years, was the architectural masterpiece of James Gandon. It was completed in 1791 after a ten-year construction period. This exhibition outlines the history of the Custom House. It describes events in the building during Easter Week 1916 and considers the history of the Custom House and its occupants from then until 1921, when the building was completely destroyed by fire during the War of Independence. The Visitor Centre itself is an example of some of the finest neo-classical architecture in Europe & ensures that this wonderful space is accessible by all. The Custom House makes up one of the many visitor centres and cultural attractions in Dublin's Docklands. Located nearby is EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, a digital museum that chronicles the amazing story of Irish emigration in 20 breath-taking interactive galleries, the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and Famine Story, and the Science Gallery.

Reviewed By PDM-Dublin-Ireland - Dublin, Ireland

The Custom House, on the river Liffey, is Gandon and Dublin's great architectural masterpiece, but is remains a largely unknown gem in the capital. In continual use for over 220 years, it has been an important witness to Irish history, from the beginings of the capital's global trade, to the Famine, to the Easter Rising. But it is the building itself, seen, perticularly, through the Visitors Centre, that is the real star of the show. It gives you some inkling of the genius that was Gandon. It is simply a beautiful space to be in AND its free to enjoy.

7. Dublin Castle

Dame St Dublin Castle, Dublin 2 Ireland +353 1 645 8813 [email protected] http://www.dublincastle.ie/
Excellent
34%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
22%
Poor
5%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 5,098 reviews

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was for 700 years the seat of British power in Ireland. Today you can still view the remains of the 13th century structure as part of the guided tour. The present Dublin Castle dates from the mid 1700's and today is used by the Irish Governemnt for state events such as the inauguration of the Irish President and state banquets for visiting dignatories. Amongst the highlights are the Ladies Drawing Room, the Throne Room and St. Patricks Hall.

Reviewed By cdnfamilytraveller - Toronto, Canada

We first came on a Historical Walking Tours (excellent!) but didn’t go in. We came back to take the tour. The guided tour was excellent and unlike the self guided tour takes you down to the Viking and Norman ruins which are fascinating. The chapel and the state apartments are really interesting to see. It’s a very good tour.

8. Four Courts

Inns Quay, Dublin 8 Ireland +353 1 888 6000 http://beta.courts.ie
Excellent
19%
Good
58%
Satisfactory
24%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 85 reviews

Four Courts

This historic building is home to Ireland's legal court system. The building was designed by Thomas Cooley and James Gandon and completed in 1796. It was almost completely destroyed during the Civil War in 1922 and reopened in 1931. You are welcome to visit the building to observe the courts in action during the legal terms. You can tour the building using a self guiding booklet available at the Information Desk off the Round Hall, inside the main entrance on Inns Quay. There is a permanent exhibition on the first floor and two coffee shops serving refreshments. You can complement your visit to this 18th century building by taking the LUAS to the Criminal Courts of Justice, a 21st century building, located near the main entrance to the Phoenix Park.

Reviewed By StephenCr0ss - Dublin, Ireland

Pity it’s under reconstruction but a very nice building none the less. Very commanding structure on the banks of the River Liffey.

9. City Hall

City Hall Exhibition Centre Dame Street Cork Hill, Dublin D02 NP93 Ireland +353 1 222 2204 [email protected] http://www.dublincity.ie/dublincityhall
Excellent
32%
Good
49%
Satisfactory
17%
Poor
2%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 333 reviews

City Hall

City Hall was built between 1769 and 1779. The build took ten years to complete. When they decided to build City Hall a competition was advertised and 62 submissions were made. The winner of this Competition was Thomas Cooley, a young architect from London. At the time, James Gandon would have been the primary architect in Dublin, but his designs came second in the competition. Thomas Cooley was also tendered to build the Four Courts, however at 44 years of age, he fell ill and died and therefore James Gandon became the primary architect in the building of the Four Courts. If you look to the ceiling you will see that there is a stained glass dome, initially this was meant to be left open, in the same vein as the Pantheon, however given that we are in Ireland and it rains so often, they decided to cover it in. The stone work was done by a German man called Simon Vierpyl, and the stuccodore responsible for the gilded work was a man called Charles Thorpe. Initially when City Hall was built, it was built as The Royal Exchange. This was where you would have come to exchange Irish Punt into English Sterling. This was where merchants and guildsmen gathered to discuss their trading affairs. If you look out the West door onto Castle Street, that was where the banks were located and if you look out the windows to the east, where the trading happened. Over by the Olympia Theatre was where debts were collected. This really was an epicentre of trade in Dublin for the later part of the 18th Century. The Wide Streets Commission used the building in the late 1780s and 1790s to meet to discuss the planning of the city. If you walk around the outer ring of the Rotunda, you will notice that there is a distinct echo, this was done intentionally. When Thomas Cooley was designing the building, he designed it so that the echo would muffle private conversations that were had when walking around the room. Upstairs, in what are now the Council Chambers, there were coffee rooms. Coffee House Culture in the Dublin in the 18th and 19th Century was quite popular. Coffee was a luxury item and therefore very expensive to buy, and this made it very fashionable in those days. In 1800 the Act of Union was introduced and this had a devastating effect on the economy in Dublin, and by 1827 the currency was amalgamated. The building fell into disuse and was then rented out. This was actually where O’Connell gave his first public address on the Act of Union and it is one of his most famous addresses. In 1852 this building was bought by Dublin City Council, and they had partitions put up for privacy. Since then, in 1998- 2000 Dublin City Council restored the building to it’s original state as part of a refurbishment plan for the millennium.

Reviewed By 235AndrewR - Crewe, United Kingdom

This is a great Building dating from 1779, the impressive architecture is almost Roman temple like, there is an excellent free museum inside. It was a very important location in the revolution of 1913, and there are still bullet marks in some of the stones on the exterior.

10. Government Buildings

Merrion St., Dublin 2 Ireland +353 1 619 4116 http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Work_Of_The_Department/Tour_of_the_Department
Excellent
38%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
22%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 50 reviews

Government Buildings

Reviewed By kingalfredofhyde

Excellent and informative tour - brief but just the right duration. Tour guide provided a raft of interesting and enjoyable facts, thank you!

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