Page 121 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

DUBLIN  119

coins, pottery, and swords
excavated in the 1970s from
the Viking settlement,
discovered beside the Liffey
at Wood Quay near Christ
Church Cathedral (see p121).
The Museum has another
branch at Benburb Street,
west of the city center. Housed
in the vast Collins Barracks,
established in 1700 by William
III, is the National Museum of
Georgian townhouses overlooking Merrion Square gardens Ireland – Decorative Arts &
History. The principal exhibits
W.B. Yeats (No. 82). Oscar Wilde entrance to the gallery is via are the museum’s collections
spent his childhood at No. 1. the Millennium Wing on Clare of furniture, silver, weaponry,
The attractive central park Street. and scientific instruments, as
has colorful flower and shrub well as an exhibition on the
beds. In the 1840s, it served a 4 National Museum 1916 Easter Rising and events
grim function as a soup kitchen, of Ireland – that occurred in the decade
feeding the hungry during the Archaeology 1913–1923.
Great Famine.
Kildare St. Tel 01-677 7444. £ DART
3 National Gallery to Pearse. v Luas green line to St.
of Ireland Stephen’s Green. @ 15, 25, 38, 140 &
many others. Open Tue–Sat & 2–5pm
Merrion Square West & Clare St. Sun. Closed Good Fri & Dec 25. 8
^ - = 7 ground floor only.
Tel 01-661 5133. £ DART to Pearse.
@ 4, 7, 25, 44 & many others. ∑ museum.ie
Open 9:15am–5:30pm Mon–Sat (to
8:30pm Thu), 11am–5.30pm Sun. The National Museum of
Closed Good Fri & Dec 24–26. 8 ^ Ireland – Archaeology was
7 - = 0 ∑ nationalgallery.ie built in the 1880s to the
design of Sir Thomas Deane.
This purpose-built gallery was Its splendid domed rotunda
opened to the public in 1864. features marble pillars and
It houses more than 15,000 a zodiac mosaic floor. The
works of art from the 13th ground floor holds Ór –
century to the present day, with Ireland’s Gold, a collection of 7th-century plaque depicting the
a significant collection of works Bronze Age finds, including Crucifixion, National Museum
from the Italian, French, Flemish, many beautiful pieces of
and Dutch schools. The fine art jewelry. Objects from the later 5 Grafton Street
collection is made up of celebra- Iron Age Celtic period are on
ted masterpieces by the likes of display in the Treasury. There @ 14, 15, 46 & many others.
Rembrandt, Vermeer, Gains- are also many well-known
borough, Renoir, Picasso, and treasures from the era of Irish The spine of Dublin’s most
Van Gogh. The NGI also holds Christianity (see pp126–7). The stylish shopping district runs
the most important collection first floor houses Viking artifacts south from College Green to
of Irish painting, dating from and the Ancient Egypt gallery. the glass St. Stephen’s Green
the 17th century, plus a The Viking exhibition features Shopping Centre. This busy
section dedicated to pedestrianized strip, with
the works of Jack B. its energetic buskers and
Yeats (1871–1957). talented street-theater artists,
The gallery is boasts one of Dublin’s best
currently undergoing department stores, Brown
a major program of Thomas, and popular
refurbishment of its traditional pubs hidden
historic Dargan and along the side streets.
Milltown wings, which At the junction with Nassau
date from the mid- Street is a statue by Jean
19th century. The Rynhart of Molly Malone (1988),
work is scheduled for the celebrated “cockles and
completion in late mussels” street trader of the
2016. Until then, Vermeer’s Woman Writing a Letter, National Gallery of Ireland well-known Irish folk song.

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