Page 74 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

72  DUBLIN AREA B Y AREA

q National Wax
Museum Plus
4 Foster Place, Temple Bar,
Dublin 2. Map D3. Tel 671 8373.
Open 10am–7pm daily.
Closed 24–26 Dec. & 9 0 =
∑ waxmuseumplus.ie
This museum offers a modern
take on the tradi tional wax-
works museum, with displays
over four floors that provide an
interactive experi ence. Georgian town houses overlooking Merrion Square gardens
Visitors are taken on a journey
through time with wax models Livingstone. Inside the front door Fountain. It was originally
of figures from Irish history, are three skeletons of extinct erected in 1791 for the sole
literature, music, film, science, giant deer known as the “Irish elk”. use of Dublin’s poor.
politics and more. The Grand Hall The Irish Room on the ground
is dedicated to stars of Irish rock floor is devoted to local wild life.
music and film, such as U2 and The upper floor illustrates the t Royal Hibernian
Liam Neeson. International stars range of mammals inhabit ing our Academy
such as Madonna and Elvis also planet. Among the most fascinat- 15 Ely Place. Map E5. Tel 661 2558.
feature. In the Recording Studio, ing exhibits are the primates, a Open 11am–5pm Mon–Sat (to 8pm
you can use the latest tech- Bengal tiger and skeletons of Wed); noon–5pm Sun.
nology to make a music video. whales hanging from the ceiling. Closed Christmas hols. 7
A children’s cinema and ∑ rhagallery.ie
characters such as Harry Potter
are the attractions in the e National Gallery The academy is one of the
Children’s Fantasy World. The of Ireland largest exhibition spaces in
basement Chamber of Horrors the city. Through its touring
is not for the faint-hearted. See pp74–5. exhib itions of painting, sculpture
and other works, the institution
challenges the public’s under-
r Merrion Square standing of the visual arts.
This modern building, does,
Map F4. ∑ merrionsquare.ie
however, look out of place
Merrion Square, one of Dublin’s at the end of Ely Place, an
largest and grandest Georgian attractive Georgian cul-de-sac.
squares, was laid out by John
Ensor around 1762.
On the west side are the y Fitzwilliam Square
impressive façades of the No. 29 Fitzwilliam St Lower Map E5.
Natural History Mus eum, the Tel 702 6165. Open 10am– 5pm
National Gallery and the front Tue–Sat, noon–5pm Sun & public
garden of Leinster House hols. Closed Mon, Good Fri &
(see p69). There are lovely mid-Dec–mid-Feb. & 8 ^
Georgian town houses on the 7 limited, call in advance.
other three sides of the square. ∑ esb.ie/numbertwentynine
The Wax Museum, located in the historical Many of the houses – now
Armoury building predominantly used as office This square, which dates from
space – have plaques detail ing the 1790s, was one of the last
the rich and famous who once Georgian squares to be laid out
w National Museum lived in them. These include the in cen tral Dublin. Much smaller
of Ireland – poet W B Yeats (see pp236–7), than Merrion Square, it is a pop-
Natural History who lived at No. 82. The play- ular location for medical practices.
In the 1960s, 16 town houses
wright Oscar Wilde (see p26)
Merrion St. Map E4. Tel 677 7444. spent his childhood at No. 1. on Fitzwilliam Street Lower
Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sat, 2–5pm The attractive central park were torn down to make way
Sun. Closed Mon, Good Fri, 25 Dec. once served as an emergency for the head quarters of the
7 limited. ∑ museum.ie soup kitchen, feeding the Electricity Supply Board. The
hungry during the Great Famine company has since tried to
This museum was opened in in the 1840s (see p223). On the appease public indignation by
1857 with an inaugural lecture northwest side of the park renovating No. 29 as a Georgian
by Scottish explorer Dr David stands the restored Rutland showpiece home.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp296–7 and pp308–11

072-073_EW_Ireland.indd 72 08/03/17 11:05 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2)
Date 14th November 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm