Dublin Castle
The nerve centre of historical power in Ireland
Site Closed
Dublin Castle
The nerve centre of historical power in Ireland
Site Closed
Site Closed
Beware of scams online and do not purchase tickets from other sites. This is the official Dublin Castle booking page.
In order to finalise preparations for Ireland’s hosting of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Dublin Castle campus closed to the public on Monday 15th June 2026.
For the six-month duration of the Presidency, the Dublin Castle campus will be closed the public in its entirety. There will be no public access, in particular, there is no through access from Dame Street (Palace Street Gate) to Ship Street for the duration. Dublin Castle will be the primary State venue for events during Ireland’s forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union with more than one hundred events taking place including conferences, meetings, dinners, cultural events and receptions.
We look forward to welcoming visitors back to Dublin Castle in January 2027.
Enquiries regarding group bookings for 2027 may be directed as follows:
For Guided Tours, please contact the Guiding Section at dublincastle@opw.ie
For Education Programme bookings (including Origami Workshops, Drawing Workshops, Irish Language Tours, ISL Tours, Autism-Friendly Tours, and Dementia-Inclusive Workshops) please contact the Education Section at dublincastleeducation@opw.ie
Dublin Castle
Just a short walk from Trinity College, on the way to Christchurch, Dublin Castle is well situated for visiting on foot. The history of this city-centre site stretches back to the Viking Age and the castle itself was built in the thirteenth century.
The building served as a military fortress, a prison, a treasury and courts of law. For 700 years, from 1204 until independence, it was the seat of English (and then British) rule in Ireland.
Rebuilt as the castle we now know in the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Dublin Castle is now a government complex and an arena of state ceremony.
The state apartments, undercroft, chapel royal, heritage centre and restaurant are now open to visitors.
Highlights
Gallery
Opening Times
**Dublin Castle will be closed to the public from 5 May – 31 December 2026 to accommodate the EU Presidency.**
Notice
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Getting Here
Situated in the City Centre off Dame Street, behind City Hall, 5 minutes walk from Trinity College en-route to Christchurch.
Click the relevant icon below to open Maps directions
Facilities
- Bicycle Parking
- Bike Trail
- Brochure
- Card Accepted
- Guided tours
- Toilets
- Wheelchair Accessible Toilet
Restrictions
- Limited Access
- Uneven Surfaces
- Uneven walkways
Nearby sites to visit
Dublin Castle
St Audoen’s Church and Visitor Centre
A medieval chapel at the centre of city life
Approx. 0.4 km from Dublin Castle
St. Mary’s Abbey – Chapter House – Cistercian Monastery
The ruins of one of the largest and most important monasteries in medieval Ireland
Approx. 0.5 km from Dublin Castle
St Stephen’s Green
A Victorian civic gem in Dublin’s greatest garden square
Approx. 0.6 km from Dublin Castle
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Resources
Social Guide
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting Dublin Castle. This will help first-time visitors, families and people with developmental and learning disabilities to prepare for a visit to Dublin Castle.
Download the Social Guide
Educational Resources
View our Educational Resources for Dublin Castle
(5 resources)