Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ies. The harp's inspirational effect on Gaelic culture was so strong that Queen Elizabeth I
(1558-1603) ordered Irish harpists to be hung and their instruments smashed. Even today,
the love of music is so intense that Ireland is the only country with a musical instrument
as its national symbol. You'll see this harp's likeness everywhere, including on the back of
Irish euro coins, on government documents, and on every pint of Guinness.
Showing off the treasures of Ireland from the Stone Age to modern times, this branch
of the National Museum is itself a national treasure. The soggy marshes and peat bogs
of Ireland have proven perfect for preserving old objects. You'll see 4,000-year-old gold
jewelry, 2,000-year-old bog mummies, Viking swords, and the collection's superstar—the
exquisitely wrought Tara Brooch. Visit here to get an introduction to the rest of Ireland's
historic attractions: You'll find a reconstructed passage tomb like Newgrange, Celtic art
like the Book of Kells, Viking objects from Dublin, a model of the Hill of Tara, and a sac-
red cross from the Cong Abbey. Hit the highlights of my tour, then browse at will, aided
Cost and Hours:
Free, Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00, closed Mon, guided
tours offered sporadically (€2, mostly weekends, call in morning or check website), €2 au-
dioguide covers only Treasury room, good café, between Trinity College and St. Stephen's
Green on Kildare Street, tel. 01/677-7444,
www.museum.ie
.
(See “National Museum—Archaeology” map,
here
.)
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