44 Te Travel Guide UK travel
Promotional Content • Saturday 29th January 2022
An architectural gem in Dublin city opens it doors
Opened on 15 November 2021, in the week that marked the 230th anniversary of the original opening of the Custom House, Minister Darragh O’Brien, Minister Patrick O’Donovan and Paul Kelly, CEO, Fáilte Ireland, officially cut the ribbon a new visitor experience exploring the building, burning and restoration of Dublin’s Custom House
T
he project has been developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage
in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW) and in partner- ship with Fáilte Ireland. Speaking at the launch, Minister
Patrick O’Donovan said: “Te opening of the Custom House Visitor Centre will enable everyone to experience and view up close the magnificence of this iconic landmark and learn about its involvement in Ireland’s history as it watched over the Dublin skyline for the last 230 years.” James Gandon’s architectural
masterpiece houses a fully reimagined exhibition created by award-win- ning designers whose previous work includes
exhibitions at Killarney
House and Dublin Castle, with contri- butions from leading Irish historians and academics, featuring a narrative journey revealing a story with many layers, of people, heritage and history, spanning over 200 years. Te archi- tect James Gandon completed the building, a masterpiece of European neoclassicism, in 1791. Visitors can
admire the decorative detail of Edward Smyth’s beautifully executed stonework carvings on the exterior and the famous carved keystones depicting the terrible heads of the river gods. Tere are 14 of these — one for every major river of Ireland. Te exhibition flows and develops
chronologically using each space to tell a chapter in the story, taking visitors from Dublin in the late 1700s through to the 21st century and giving them the unique and authentic experience of being inside the walls of one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Te Custom House Visitor Centre
will be a flagship visitor experience in the Docklands area of the city, featuring new and interactive exhibits telling the history of the building and showcasing its architecture. Te project was funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage with additional investment under Fáilte Ireland’s strategic part- nership with the OPW. Te visitor centre, which occupies the entire central area of the building,
uses interpretive methods to bring to life the story of the Custom House, which is the longest-serving purpose- built government building in Ireland. Te Custom House has been, and
continues to be, a centre for govern- ment and policy making since it opened in 1781, and for many years it was a hub for imports and exports. Te new visitor experience will
Te architect James Gandon completed the building in 1791
take visitors on a narrative journey through the building itself, high- lighting the magnificent architec- ture and using first-hand accounts, personal stories and artefacts to tell the story of the building and the city from the 1700s up to the present day. Te exhibition shows how the
building witnessed some of the most momentous events in Irish history, from the 1916 Easter Rising to the birth of the Irish Free State and eventually the Republic of Ireland. Te fulcrum of this story being the burning of the Custom House in May 1921, which is brought to life though captivating audio visual interpreta- tion and artefacts from the period.
Book your visit online
heritageireland.ie T: 00353 146 9407140
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
