What's On / Visitor Attractions
The university campus itself is full of historical interest. The Geraldine Castle at the south campus gate is open to the public. As you approach Stoyte House, where St Patrick's College was established in 1795, you pass an ancient yew tree under which Silken Thomas is reputed to have played his harp. St Joseph's Square, accessed via one of two impressive archways, is dominated by the Neo-Gothic facade of St Patrick's House, designed by A.W. Pugin. Enter the cloisters at the President's Arch to gain access to the splendid College Chapel, distinguished by a fine rose window, stalled seating and mosaic work in the aisle. The cloisters look onto the quadrangle featuring the Bicentenary Garden, developed in 1995 and themed on passages from the Book of Genesis. At the rear of St Mary's House, on the western side of the Bicentenary Garden, an extensive parkland features beautiful walks, impressive trees and quiet spaces. A Visitor's Guide is on sale at reception for those who wish to take a tour of the historic campus. The National Science Museum is also located on the south campus.
Horse Racing
Visit The Curragh, home of the Irish Classics, Naas or Punchestown racecourses for a taste of Irish racing at its best. The Irish Derby at the Curragh, the famous Irish National Hunt Festival at Punchestown and excellent facilities Naas Racecourse offer visitors a wonderful choice of racing.
Angling and Walking
A wide choice of rivers and canals, many with towpaths, are definitely worth a visit. There are also 2 long distance way-marked ways, the Barrow way and the Kildare way, and numerous looped walks and trails. There is also a walking tour of Kildare Town where you can learn about the mythology of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and St Brigid, patroness of the Gaels. Key stops along the route include St Brigid's Cathedral, a Norman tower house, the site of the Turf Club, and the twelfth century Franciscan Abbey.
Heritage and Gardens
If you enjoy seeing other people's beautiful houses and gardens then County Kildare is the place for you. From the grandest Palladian mansions to captivating, exotic gardens, we have a wide selection of wonderful places to delight and surprise you. For visitor information on Castletown House please visit the Castletown House website.
Newbridge Silverware, Newbridge, Co. Kildare
For 70 years, Newbridge Silverware has designed and produced homeware products. The unique history of the company provides a wealth of tradition craftsmanship and experience, while a contemporary and fresh attitude to marketing and design puts Newbridge Silverware on the cutting edge of modern living. The centre in Newbridge also houses the Museum of Style Icons containing items belonging to Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and many more.
Hidden Wonders of Kildare
The 'Hidden Wonders of Kildare' project invited nominations of 'Hidden Wonders' from inhabitants, workers and visitors of Kildare in an aim to find, acknowledge and raise the profile of their hidden wonders that are particularly unique to Kildare. In recognition of the transitional yet changing landscape of County Kildare, the project publicly acknowledges and profiles the hidden wonders that remain rural, hidden and sometimes overlooked. The project website is located at HiddenWondersofKildare.com
Theatre
The Gaiety Theatre - From the 23rd of June 2010 to the 28th of August 2010, Riverdance will be taking place at the Gaiety Theatre. An innovative and exciting fusion of Irish and international dance, Riverdance propels traditional dance and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. For further details see GaietyTheatre.ie
The Abbey Theatre - Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars will be showing at the Abbey Theatre from the 27th of July 2010. Now regarded as a masterpiece, The Plough and the Stars is one of the plays most closely associated with the Abbey Theatre. Set in a tenement house, against the backdrop of the Easter Rising in 1916, The Plough and the Stars is both an intimate play about the lives of ordinary people and an epic play about ideals and the birth of our nation. For further information see the Abbey Theatre website.
Libraries and Museums
National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 - The National Library has a ongoing exhibition on The Life and Works of W. B. Yeats. For further information see the National Library of Ireland website.
Chester Beatty Library, Little Ship Street, Dublin 8 - Described by the Lonely Planet as not just the best museum in Ireland, but one of the best in Europe, the Chester Beatty Library is an art museum and library which houses the great collection of manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and some decorative arts assembled by Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968). For further information see the Chester Beatty Library website.
National Museum - Housed in four locations the National Museum exhibits Decorative Arts and History, Country Life, Natural History and Archeology. Further information on permanent and temporary exhibits can be found at the National Museum website.
Irish Museum of Modern Art, Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin 8 - The Irish Museum of Modern Art is Ireland's leading national institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. For further information on collection and exhibitions see the Irish Museum of Modern Art website.
Kilmainham Gaol, Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8 - One of the largest unoccupied gaols in Europe, covering some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland's emergence as a modern nation from 1780s to the 1920s. Attractions include a major exhibition detailing the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration.
Further Information
For further information on what to see and do in Dublin, please visit some of the following websites:
