Courtyard in Dublin
Also known as Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest university, founded in 1592, and the campus grounds are free to enter. The cobblestone Parliament Square, the Campanile, and the 18th-century buildings form one of the most beautiful university settings in Europe. The Book of Kells exhibition and the Long Room library are paid but iconic. Budget travelers walk the grounds for free and decide whether the library ticket fits the budget.
Practical
On foot
Free and low-cost routes that stop at Trinity College and the Campanile.
The Dublin Georgian Quarter Walk is a self-guided route through Dublin's 18th-century residential core. Free. From Trinity College through Merrion Square, the National Gallery of Ireland, St Stephen's Green, and back via Grafton Street, it covers the elegant side of Dublin and two world-class free attractions in one walk.
The Dublin Free Walking Tour Intro to Dublin (Southside) starts at the Spire on O'Connell Street and crosses the Liffey to cover Trinity College, Temple Bar, and St Patrick's Cathedral in 2.5 to 3 hours. Groups are capped at 5 people, running since 2012.
Nearby
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
The Book of Kells Exhibition at Trinity College displays the 9th-century illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels, one of the most famous medieval manuscripts in the world. Entry is paid (includes access to the Long Room, a 65-meter barrel-vaulted library of 200,000 books and marble busts).
The Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle is a museum of manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, and rare books collected by Alfred Chester Beatty, an American mining magnate who made Dublin his home. Free.
Christ Church Cathedral is Dublin's oldest building (founded 1030), a medieval cathedral with a massive crypt (the largest in Britain and Ireland), the tomb of Strongbow (the Norman warlord who conquered Dublin), and a preserved cat and rat found in an organ pipe (known as "Tom and Jerry"). Entry is paid at a modest price.
Free formal gardens behind Dublin Castle featuring a Celtic knot pattern laid out in planting beds. The name recalls the "black pool" that gave Dublin its name.
Dublin Castle was the seat of British rule in Ireland for 700 years, from 1204 until Irish independence in 1922. The exterior grounds and the Chapel Royal (with spectacular carved stone and oak interiors) are free.
Glasnevin Cemetery is Ireland's national cemetery, where Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera, Daniel O'Connell, and many other figures from Irish history are buried. Free to enter (guided tours are available for a fee).
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