iWalk 01 Viking & Medieval Dublin - A self-guided ... - Visit Dublin

01 Viking &
Medieval
Dublin
A self-guided walking tour
iWalk
www.visitdublin.com

Welcome
to Dublin
We hope that as you take time to walk
around and explore Dublin you will discover
the Irish capital is at the very heart of Irish
culture and offers endless choices to our
visitors. Dublin’s real appeal is her people,
so don’t be afraid to stop and ask for
directions along your walk – Dubliners’
hospitality and wit will captivate you!
www.visitdublin.com/iwalks
Dublin Discover Ireland Centre 4
Parliament Street 4
Essex Gate 5
Isolde’s Tower 5
Church of Saints
Michael & John 5
Fishamble Street 6
View to Christ Church
Cathedral 6
Old City Walls, Cook Street 7
Brazen Head Inn 7
St Audoen’s Church 8
Winetavern Street 8
Fishamble Street
& Handel’s Yard 9
Cow’s Lane 9
Route Map 10

4
Stop 1: Dublin Discover Ireland Centre
The tour commences from outside the Dublin Discover
Ireland Centre on Suffolk Street.
Stop 2: Parliament Street
Commence walking along Suffolk Street towards the direction of the Post Office on Andrew Street
and cross over at the next junction and walk down the short, narrow street called Trinity Street. At
the pedestrian lights when you come onto Dame Street from Trinity Street cross over to the other
side of the road, turn left and head up Dame Street, leaving Trinity College at your back. Walking as
briskly as you can, continue along Dame Street for about 300m passing by, on your right, the Central
Bank and a series of intersecting streets which you will simply ignore. The district to your right is
the famous Temple Bar area, the former 18th century docklands now turned into an entertainment,
cultural and residential quarter. You will know when you have reached the next turning point as on
the opposite side of the road you will see a large classical building with a green dome. This is City
Hall and when you reach it then turn right to walk down Parliament Street. Walk all the way down
the street until you reach the riverside but don’t go any further. Now have a look around you.

5
Stop 3: Essex Gate
Retrace your steps back up Parliament Street until you
reach the pedestrian lights and cross over to the other
side and enter a short street called Essex Gate. Stop just
beyond the Turk’s Head pub.
Stop 4: Isolde’s Tower
Ever mindful of watching out for occasional traffic,
cross over Essex gate and turn to the right into
Lower Exchange Street. Walk down to a large iron
grill which allows you to look into a large hole
under an apartment block. This is the excavated
site, left permanently on view to the public, of the
base level of the 13th century Isolde’s Tower.
Stop 5: Church of
Saints Michael & John
Move forward 20 or 30 meters, passing a
café until you are standing on a small plaza
opposite to the former church of Saints
Michael and John.

6
Stop 6: Fishamble Street
Your next destination is reached by continuing
along Lower Exchange Street and turning left into
Fishamble Street. Cross over to the far side and stand
opposite to a Georgian-looking house with your back
to the entrance between two modern office blocks.
Fishamble Street, along with neighbouring High
Street, is the oldest street in Dublin.
Stop 7: View to Christ Church Cathedral
The passageway between the office blocks is usually open to the public so enter here,
passing a neat park and a performance amphitheatre where concerts and mini operas
are held for free during the summer months. This might be a good point to look up the
hill beyond the park and take in Christ Church Cathedral.

7
Stop 8: Old City Walls, Cook Street
When you exit the park and reach the next road, Winetavern Street, cross with the
pedestrian lights and enter into the opposite road, Cook Street. Walk up as far as the
gateway set into the stretch of an old city wall that will now come into view on the
left. With your back to the walls and looking to your right you will see a church on
the opposite side of the road whose entrance does not face onto the street.
Stop 9: Brazen Head Inn
Continue along Cook Street crossing over to the
opposite side when deemed safe to do so and turn
right into Bridge Street and stop in front of the
Brazen Head Inn, Dublin’s oldest pub.

8
Stop 10: St Audoen’s Church
You have reached the furthest point in your itinerary and now you will be
circling back via a different route. First proceed back up Bridge Street, cross Cook
Street but be careful, there are no pedestrian lights here and the junction is a bit
complicated. Then continue to walk along the curve of Bridge Street which will
bring you to Cornmarket and then High Street. Stop when you reach the Church
of St Audoen which lies below the level of the footpath on your left.
Stop 11: Winetavern Street
Continue along High Street until you reach the next major junction and
cross over towards Christ Church Cathedral, taking special heed of the traffic
as there are no pedestrian lights here, at least not at the time of recording.
Walk downhill past the West Front of the Cathedral and under the overhead
bridge which joins the cathedral with the Dublinia Museum across the road.
When you reach the next opening and a laneway step onto the raised paved
area. Here, set into the stones, is the outline of a Viking house marked out
with red-coloured paving stones.

Stop 12: Fishamble Street
& Handel’s Yard
With only two more stops remaining walk along the laneway
with the sheer bulk of Christ Church Cathedral rising above you
on your right. The area to your left, where the Civic Offices now
stand, used to be known as ‘Hell’ because in the 18th century you
walked in here under an arch supporting a statue
of the devil. When you come out onto Fishamble
Street turn left and cross over to the other side
and stop at an arched gateway set into a curve
in the street. Behind the gate was the site of an
18th century music hall and the venue for the
world’s first performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah’,
with the composer himself conducting.
9
Stop 13: Cow’s Lane
Continue a short distance down Fishamble
Street and take the next right turn into West
Essex Street and make your last stop at the
next intersection; the pedestrianised Cow’s
Lane, a modern street with a medieval name.

10
iWalk
route map
Parliament Street
Isolde’s Tower
Church of Saints
Michael & John
Cow’s Lane
Fishamble Street
View to Christ Church
Cathedral
Old City Walls,
Cook Street
Brazen Head Inn
Winetavern Street
St Audoen’s Church
Fishamble Street
& Handel’s Yard
HAMMOND
09
BRIDGE ST.
CHURCH STREET
CORN MARKET
INNS
MERCHAN
COOK ST
10
H
RA
Essex Gate
SWIFT’S ALLEY THOMAS DAV
FRANCIS STREET
Dublin Discover
Ireland Centre

HALSTON STREET
11
ANNE ST
GREEN STREET
BERESFORD ST CREEK ST
JERVIS LANE
WOLFE TONE STREET
JERVIS STREET
QUAY
TS QUAY
REET
IGH STREET
CK LANE
IS
DILLON ST.
MARY’S LANE
ST. MICHAN;S
CHANCERY STREET
08
CHANCERY RD WINE TAVERN STREET
CHARLES ST.
11 07
NICHOLAS ST.
ROSS RD.
BRIDE RD.
ORMOND QUAY
WOOD QUAY ESSEX QUAY
WEBURGH ST.
CHRISTCHURCH PLA.
ARRAN EAST
12
CAPEL STREET
05
06 13
LORD EDWARD ST.
CASTLE S.T
SHIP ST.
SHIP ST. GREAT
DAME LANE
STEPHEN ST.
DAME STREET
DRURY STREET
WILLIAM ST. SOUTH
TRINITY ST.
EXCHEQUER ST.
CLARENDON STREET
WICKLOW ST
GRAFTON STREET
HANNOVER
PATRICK STREET
BULL ALLEY
BRIDE STREET
CHANCERY RD
MARY STREET
CAPEL STREET PARLIAMENT ST.
04
03
ABBEY STREET UPPER
STRAND STREET GREAT
ORMOND QUAY LOWER
02
ESSEX STREET
WELLINGTON QUAY
TEMPLE LANE
EUSTACE ST.
GREAT GEORGE’S STEET
LIFFEY STREET
TEMPLE BAR
ABBEY STREET MIDDLE
LOTTS
BACHELORS WALK
ANGLESEA ST.
ST. ANDREW ST.
FLEET STREET
01
COLLEGE GREEN
SUFFOLK ST
TRINITY
COLLEGE
GOLDEN LANE
WHITEFRIAR ST
PETER ST
PETER ROW
AUNGIER STREET
MERCER STREET
YORK STREET
CHATHAM ST
KING STREET
NORTH
ST. STEPHEN’S
GREEN
SOUTH

We hope that you enjoyed this walk
which was narrated by its author,
Pat Liddy, who may be visited on his
website www.walkingtours.ie and
brought to you by Fáilte Ireland on
www.visitdublin.com
For the latest updates on walking
tours of Dublin, check out our website:
www.visitdublin.com/iwalks
Our offices are located at:
Suffolk Street, Dublin 2
14 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1
Terminal 1 Arrivals Hall, Dublin Airport, County Dublin
Terminal 2 Arrivals Hall, Dublin Airport, County Dublin
Thank you for visiting our city
© The copyright for this text is owned by Pat Liddy and such copyright has been asserted
by him. He has made this text available to be exclusively used by Fáilte Ireland.
FI-22487-13