Seeing the Sights - Dublin - page 105

GAA Museum On the grounds of Croke Park, principal stadium
of the Gaelic Athletic Association, this museum dramatically pres-
ents the athletic heritage of Ireland. The Gaelic Games (Gaelic foot-
ball, hurling, handball, and camogie) have long been contested on
an annual basis between teams representing the various regions of
Ireland. Test your skills with interactive exhibits, and peruse the
extensive video archive of football finals dating back to 1931. The
12-minute film A Sunday in September captures admirably the hys-
teria of the final match. Note that the museum is open only to new
stand ticket holders on match days.
Croke Park, Dublin 3. & 01/855-8176. Fax [phone]. www.gaa.ie. Admission
€ 13 ($16) families.

May-Sept daily 9:30am-5pm; Oct-Apr Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm. Bus:
3, 11, 11A, 16, 16A, 51A, or 123.

5 ($6) adults, € 3.50 ($4.20) students, € 3 ($3.60) children, €

Heraldic Museum/Genealogical Office The only one of its
kind in the world, this museum focuses on the uses of heraldry.
Exhibits include shields, banners, coins, paintings, porcelain, and
stamps depicting coats of arms. In-house searches by the office
researcher are billed at the rate of

€

56 ($67) per hour. This is the
ideal place to start researching your roots.
2 Kildare St., Dublin 2. & 01/603-0200. Fax [phone]. Free admission. Mon-Wed
10am-8:30pm; Thurs-Fri 10am-4:30pm; Sat 10am-12:30pm. DART: Pearse. Bus: 5, 7A,
8, 9, 10, 14, or 15.

Natural History Museum A division of the National Museum
of Ireland, the recently renovated Natural History Museum is con-
sidered one of the finest traditional Victorian-style museums in the
world. In addition to presenting the zoological history of Ireland, it
contains examples of major animal groups from around the world,
including many that are rare or extinct. The Blaschka glass models
of marine animals are a big attraction.
Merrion St., Dublin 2. & 01/677-7444. Free admission. Tues-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun
2-5pm. DART: Pearse. Bus: 7, 7A, 8, or 13A.

Number Twenty Nine This unique museum is in the heart of
one of Dublin's fashionable Georgian streets. The restored four-
story town house is designed to reflect the lifestyle of a middle-class
Georgian family during the heyday period from 1790 to 1820. The
exhibition ranges from artifacts and artwork of the time to carpets,
curtains, decorations, plasterwork, and bell pulls. The nursery holds
dolls and toys of the era.