The Lower Castle Yard is entered from Palace-street. It contains the Birmingham Tower, a modern structure replacing the fortress, some of the walls of which still stand, from which the fiery Red Hugh O’Donel, Prince of Tyrone, escaped.

The Castle Chapel is beside the Tower, and permission to visit it is easily obtained. Among the things of interest in the chapel are the emblazoned arms of all the Irish viceroys.

The wood work throughout is Irish oak, and there are ninety heads in marble to represent the sovereigns of England. St. Patrick’s Hall, the Throne-room, and the Long Drawing-room are the most important of the State apartments. While in the vicinity of the Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral should be visited. Founded so long ago as 1190, this cathedral, dedicated to the Apostle of Ireland, has had a chequered history.

Mostly Early English in architecture, modern styles have been grafted on the building without consistency or unity of ideal. The monuments are many. Dean Swift’s bears an inscription written by himself and breathing the hatred of oppression and love of liberty characteristic of the writer—

“Hic depositum est corpus
JONATHAN SWIFT, s. t. d.
Hujus Ecclesiae Cathedralis Decani
Ubi saeva indignatio
Ulterius cor lacerare nequit
Abe Viator
Et imitare si poteris
Strenuum, pro virili,
Libertatis vindicatorem,
Obiit 19° die mensis Octobris, A.D. 1745,
Anno Aetatis 78.”

Hard by is a white marble slab in memory of her whose name must be for ever associated with that of Swift—”Stella.” Ten minutes’ walk through Patrick-street will bring one from St. Patrick’s to the most interesting ecclesiastical structure in Dublin—Christ Church Cathedral.

An old Danish foundation, fire and time laid hands upon the original building. Its restoration is a triumph of architectural genius in the reproduction of thirteenth-century English Gothic. Strongbow’s tomb is the famous monument of the place.

The Crypt contains, besides other antiquities, the old City stocks, which is some three centuries old. Other places worth seeing in the city are the Four Courts, the Custom House, the Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough-street, St. Michan’s Church and Churchyard, and the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Gardiner-street.

The general architecture in the streets is incongruous, and the modern “improvements” not always desirable. In the back streets here and there the quaint gables as old as Queen Anne still survive, but the Dutch houses have almost entirely, and the Cage houses have entirely, disappeared.

The College Green, however, forms a natural centre from which to make a short tour. The magnificent portico of the Bank of Ireland—formerly the Irish House of Parliament—is characterized by surprising dignity of proportion.

Turning from the Bank we face the University, in front of which stand fine bronze statues of its distinguished sons, Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith.

The University, unlike its sisters, Oxford and Cambridge, contains but a single college—that of the Holy and Undivided Trinity—founded by Adam Loftus in Elizabeth’s reign. Visitors to the College should be shown the chapel halls, museum, and library, and grand quadrangles, including Lever’s notorious “Botany Bay.” While in the library the world-famous “Book of Kells” may be inspected, and the enduring qualities of its marvellous illuminations admired.

The College park is very beautiful, and during the College races at midsummer presents quite a gala sight.

The Tourist too often hurries away from Dublin to the south or west with but a superficial knowledge of the attractions of the city.

It will well repay a stay, and if the visitor happens to come at Horse Show week he can easily believe himself sojourning in the capital of one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. During that short carnival each autumn the tears are brushed aside, and Erin is all smiles and welcomes for her guests.

The hotels are good, the lodging-houses are clean, and moderate in price. The restaurants have much improved within recent years. Readers of Lord Mayo’s encouraging articles to would-be Irish tourists will do well to test his tribute to “The Dolphin” in Essex-street.

If anyone wants to see the ladies of fashion at their tea, Bewleys in Grafton-street is a sure find, and the well-equipped D.B.C. tea-houses, which are established in several parts of the city, will meet the requirements of moderate purses.

Map of Environs of Dublin.

To attempt to mention more than a few of the more important places worth seeing in this city would be beyond the intention of these pages.

Stretched beneath the beautiful Dublin Mountains the city scatters itself about the sides of the River Liffey. To get from one place to another in Dublin is simplicity itself. The electric-tram system is equal to any in Europe, and excels most in the cheapness of its fares.

The cars run through the principal streets and along the quay sides to the suburbs. A good view of the city may be had from the top of a tram on a fine day.

Those who wish to suit their own convenience, however, will always avail themselves of the outside car. The jaunting car is to Dublin what the gondola is to Venice—at least an imaginative Irish Member of Parliament has said so, and that settles the matter.

The Dublin driver is much maligned, he is generally courteous, and not without humour. The municipal authorities supply him with a list of fares and distances. He is bound to produce it should any difficulty arise as to the financial relations, which sometimes happens.