FROM TOWERS ERECTED the defend against Napoleon Bonaparte, to a crypt full of ancient mummies, Dublin has a few secrets up its sleeve you may have missed.
Everyone knows about the Guinness brewery, the Book of Kells or the National Gallery, but what about Dublin’s more hard to find secrets?
A new video from Tourism Ireland aims to highlight some of these lesser known attractions for people visiting the capital.
We’ve rounded up three of the more notable ones below.
The Martello Towers
Built at the beginning of the of the 19th century, the Martello Towers were designed to repel an invasion by the French army as commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte.
There were 50 erected all over Ireland, as well as ones built in England and other countries.
The towers were designed to repel an invasion by an enemy navy, but were never called into action for their initial use as Napoleon never invaded Ireland.
There are 26 across Dublin – can you find them all?
St. Michan’s Mummies
In the vaults of an old church on Church Street, you can take a visit to some centuries-old mummies.
The crypt in St Michan’s Church contains the remains of some prominent 17th, 18th and 19th century families.
It also contains the 650-year-old mummified corpse of the “Crusader”, who legend has it fought during the crusades (although doubt has been cast on this account).
Either way, the crypts are definitely an off-the-beaten-track destination in Dublin, but be sure to check ahead as they’re not always open!
The ghost of Marsh’s Library
Located close to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Marsh’s Library was founded in the early 18th century by Archbishop Narcissus Marsh.
It is a magnificent example of a late Renaissance and early Enlightenment library, and legend has it that the ghost of Bishop Marsh still stalks it’s halls.
Other featured attractions include the death mask of Jonathan Swift at St Patrick’s Cathedral, The Rock N Roll Museum in Temple Bar and more.
What do you think? Any hidden gems in Dublin or Ireland you think are worth mentioning? Leave your suggestions in the comments below
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