Dublinia (Synod Hall), Dublin

Whether you are a student or a family visiting Dublin, a great place to have much fun while learning about the city’s past is Dublinia – the former Synod Hall of Christ Church Cathedral.

This marvelous interactive museum, which opened in 1993, is full of workshops, activities, live-sized figures and a room with artifacts taken from archaeological digs around Wood Quay. You can walk through medieval Dublin or rub shoulders with Vikings to your heart’s content. There really is something for everyone here!

In the Viking World you will follow their history from the first Viking raids, through their settling in Ireland, to their ultimate defeat. You will learn about their trade and how they lived – will visit a typical Viking home, only to find that the loo is occupied by a Viking with a very uncomfortable expression on his face – something he ate, no doubt! You can squash together onto a Viking war boat and find out about conditions on board and perhaps understand why they were so keen to land! You can even “sell” your kids (or parents) to slave traders and see them in slave chains!

The History of Dublin takes over from the defeat of the Vikings and continues to the dissolution of the Catholic churches, monasteries and abbeys by Henry VIII between 1534 and 1539. In this part of the reconstruction of Dublin in the Middle Ages, you can visit a rich merchant’s house, take part in fun fair games and even throw softballs (representing rotten fruit) at the poor chap in the stocks. To see how the nobles waged war, you can try on a suit of armor, which will leave you wondering how medieval knights even got on their horses carrying all that weight.

The Dublinia experience is great fun and it brings history to life with its stories told around the campfire, its sounds and smells recreated through speakers and ventilation shafts (don’t worry, it’s mostly wood-smoke and roasting meat) and its attention to details that are based on real historic facts.

Opening hours:
March to September: Monday to Sunday: 10.00am-6.30pm.
October to February: Monday to Sunday: 10.00am-5.30pm.