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Oidhreacht Éireann

Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath

Meet the Curator

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Private Guided Tour

Réamhrá

Once the centre of British rule in Ireland, from 1204 to 1922, Dublin Castle is now the setting for some of the Irish nation’s most important state ceremonies.

Ascend the Castle’s grand Battleaxe Staircase and follow in the footsteps of world-famous figures, from Benjamin Franklin, Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens to Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy and Pope Francis. Experience the beautiful architecture and collections of this former palace, hear about the making of modern, independent Ireland, and see the grand hall where our head of State, the President of Ireland, is sworn into office.

View of paintings and chandeliers hanging in the Dublin Castle State Drawing room
The State drawing room

Dr Myles Campbell is our Collections Curator and is responsible for researching, displaying, interpreting and supporting the conservation of the Castle’s artworks and furnishings. He is passionate about the art and architecture of nineteenth-century Ireland and the lives of the people who shaped it. He holds a PhD in this field from Trinity College Dublin and has taught History of Art and Architecture at university level. His most recent publication, Vicereines of Ireland: Portraits of Forgotten Women, tells the untold stories of the women who once called Dublin Castle home. The book accompanied a landmark exhibition at the Castle in 2021.

William Derham is our Buildings Curator and is responsible for researching, presenting, interpreting and supporting the conservation of the Castle’s buildings and interiors. He has a particular interest in the life of the Castle during the twentieth century, from the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels and the last days of the Viceregal Court, through the revolutionary period of 1916–23, to the rehabilitation and use of the Castle in post-independent Ireland. He is a graduate of the Dublin School of Architecture, T.U. Dublin, and studied Building Repair and Conservation at Trinity College Dublin. His most recent publication, Splendour & Scandal, examined the colourful history of the Office of Arms at Dublin Castle.

Dr Myles Campbell is our Collections Curator and is responsible for researching, displaying, interpreting and supporting the conservation of the Castle’s artworks and furnishings. He is passionate about the art and architecture of nineteenth-century Ireland and the lives of the people who shaped it. He holds a PhD in this field from Trinity College Dublin and has taught History of Art and Architecture at university level. His most recent publication, Vicereines of Ireland: Portraits of Forgotten Women, tells the untold stories of the women who once called Dublin Castle home. The book accompanied a landmark exhibition at the Castle in 2021.

William Derham is our Buildings Curator and is responsible for researching, presenting, interpreting and supporting the conservation of the Castle’s buildings and interiors. He has a particular interest in the life of the Castle during the twentieth century, from the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels and the last days of the Viceregal Court, through the revolutionary period of 1916–23, to the rehabilitation and use of the Castle in post-independent Ireland. He is a graduate of the Dublin School of Architecture, T.U. Dublin, and studied Building Repair and Conservation at Trinity College Dublin. His most recent publication, Splendour & Scandal, examined the colourful history of the Office of Arms at Dublin Castle.

Courtyard of Dublin Castle at night

Meet the Curator and explore the collection of Dublin Castle

Highlights and hidden gems await you on this special visit to the Castle, in the company of one of our two expert curators. Beginning in the palatial State Apartments, you will go behind the ropes for a private view of key artworks and architectural features, including a portrait by the renowned master Sir Anthony van Dyck and the most important painted ceiling to survive in Ireland from the eighteenth century. Along the way, you will hear first-hand from the curator about the detailed research and conservation work that helps to safeguard these national treasures and bring their stories to life.

Moving to the soaring interior of the Chapel Royal, you will be brought behind closed doors for an exclusive visit to the gallery, with its velvet furnishings, jewel-like stained glass windows and array of sculptural ornament. As a memento of your time with us, you will be invited to choose a personally signed and dedicated copy of one of the curator’s Dublin Castle publications.

Group size: Min. 1 – Max. 10
Duration: 45 minutes
Mobility: Universal access to State Apartments and Chapel Royal, but not to Chapel gallery. Drop off and collect to front door of Castle.
Pricing: 1 person €200, 1-3 €150 per person, 4-10 people €100 per person. Suitable for children from 7 years, €50 per child.

Meet the Curator and explore the collection of Dublin Castle

Highlights and hidden gems await you on this special visit to the Castle, in the company of one of our two expert curators. Beginning in the palatial State Apartments, you will go behind the ropes for a private view of key artworks and architectural features, including a portrait by the renowned master Sir Anthony van Dyck and the most important painted ceiling to survive in Ireland from the eighteenth century. Along the way, you will hear first-hand from the curator about the detailed research and conservation work that helps to safeguard these national treasures and bring their stories to life.

Moving to the soaring interior of the Chapel Royal, you will be brought behind closed doors for an exclusive visit to the gallery, with its velvet furnishings, jewel-like stained glass windows and array of sculptural ornament. As a memento of your time with us, you will be invited to choose a personally signed and dedicated copy of one of the curator’s Dublin Castle publications.

Group size: Min. 1 – Max. 10
Duration: 45 minutes
Mobility: Universal access to State Apartments and Chapel Royal, but not to Chapel gallery. Drop off and collect to front door of Castle.
Pricing: 1 person €200, 1-3 €150 per person, 4-10 people €100 per person. Suitable for children from 7 years, €50 per child.
  • Private Curator Experience – 45 minutes with the Dublin Castle Curator.
  • Expert introduction to Dublin Castle and its collections
  • Exclusive access to the gallery of the Chapel Royal and to roped-off areas in the State Apartments.
  • Let the Curator know in advance if you are interested in a particular period in history and they can select appropriate items for you to view.
  • Drop off and collection at front door of Dublin Castle Upper Yard.
  • Private Curator Experience – 45 minutes with the Dublin Castle Curator.
  • Expert introduction to Dublin Castle and its collections
  • Exclusive access to the gallery of the Chapel Royal and to roped-off areas in the State Apartments.
  • Let the Curator know in advance if you are interested in a particular period in history and they can select appropriate items for you to view.
  • Drop off and collection at front door of Dublin Castle Upper Yard.
Booking Conditions: Bookings must be confirmed by email 2 weeks in advance.
Payment: Payment must be made directly to OPW on the day or by invoice for those who are part of the OPW TOVS scheme.
Availability: Mondays – Fridays and some weekends. Due
to the nature of this site, it may close at short notice due to government business and this is out of control of Dublin Castle staff, who will notify the buyer as soon as possible to arrange cancellation/ rescheduling if possible.
Languages: English only.
Facilities on site: Exhibitions, toilets, disabled toilet, gardens.
Guest toilet available for Unique Experience Visitors.
Access & Parking: Dublin Castle is accessed by Foot via: Dame Street and by Car via: Little Ship Street, Dublin 2.
Nearby: Dublin City Centre, Book of Kells, Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Walled Victorian Gardens, Dublin Zoo, Farmleigh House, Castletown House.
Booking Conditions: Bookings must be confirmed by email 2 weeks in advance.
Payment: Payment must be made directly to OPW on the day or by invoice for those who are part of the OPW TOVS scheme.
Availability: Mondays – Fridays and some weekends. Due
to the nature of this site, it may close at short notice due to government business and this is out of control of Dublin Castle staff, who will notify the buyer as soon as possible to arrange cancellation/ rescheduling if possible.
Languages: English only.
Facilities on site: Exhibitions, toilets, disabled toilet, gardens.
Guest toilet available for Unique Experience Visitors.
Access & Parking: Dublin Castle is accessed by Foot via: Dame Street and by Car via: Little Ship Street, Dublin 2.
Nearby: Dublin City Centre, Book of Kells, Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Walled Victorian Gardens, Dublin Zoo, Farmleigh House, Castletown House.

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