National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology

The National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology stands on Kildare Street in Dublin and holds the country’s foremost collection of Irish antiquities. Galleries trace human settlement on the island from prehistory onwards, taking in gold work, early Christian metalwork and objects from the Viking and medieval periods, alongside material from ancient Egypt and the classical world.

The building itself, with its domed rotunda and mosaic floors, is part of the appeal. Admission is free, guided tours run through the day, and it is easily combined with the nearby national cultural institutions.