Check out Dublin's oldest sights with a Viking and Medieval Walk.
Our Viking and Medieval Walk begins in the western quarter of Temple Bar on Parliament Street. As you stand at The Porter House Pub you will find yourself looking at the corner of Essex Gate. Essex Gate takes its name from one of the old city gates and has a bronze plaque to commemorate where it stood.
As you head down Exchange Street Upper you will find the Viking Adventure, a full scale reconstruction of Viking Dublin with performers who can tell you all about Viking Dublin. At the end of Essex St. West is Fishamble Street, which was laid down in the 10th century. It was the main thoroughfare from the Viking port to High Street the principal trading street. Before turning left onto Wood Quay take a look at the sculpture of a Viking longboat rising out of the ground.
Heading down Merchant's Quay and turning left into Bridge Street we come across one of Dublin's oldest pubs, The Brazen Head. The origins of the bar go back as far as 1198. We turn left into Cook Street and here we find the most significant remains of the old town walls and one of its gates, St Audeon's Arch. St Audeon's Gate is a fine example on one of the 32 gates and towers that covered the city walls when Dublin was a fortified city.
As we head up to High Street, we find Dublinia, a recreation of the street life of medieval Dublin. After Dublinia, we walk under Synod Hall Bridge, down Winetavern Street where on the path near John's lane are the outlines of two Viking dwellings, based on archaeological digs made nearby.
Now you enter the grounds of the famous Christchurch Cathedral. Christchurch Cathedral is a marvellous medieval building, founded in 1038 by the Norse King of Dublin, Sitric Silkenbeard and Donat, the first Bishop of Dublin. The Norman knight Strongbow and Archbishop St Laurence O'Toole replaced the original wooden structure with a stone building in the 1170s.
Next, we head down Patrick Street, to view St Patrick's Cathedral. St Patrick was reputed to have baptised converts at a holy well near this site and a small wooden church was erected in his honour. John Comyn, Archbishop of Dublin began building St Patrick's in 1011 and the church became a cathedral in 1213. Head around the corner to Kevin Street, where the Garda Station occupies the Episcopal palace of St Sepulchre, home to the Archbishops of Dublin from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 19th century.
Turn right onto Bride Street and keep going through Werburgh Street and turn right into Castle Street. Here we find, Dublin Castle, which features two original towers, one of which stand in the Lower Yard. Dublin Castle was built in 1204 and was the seat of the Crown's rule in Ireland for 700 years. As you come out of Dublin Castle, you can turn right and head back to Parliament Street, where we started our Viking and Medieval Walk, for some well deserved refreshments.
For more information check out Viking and Medieval Dublin
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