Until the middle of the seventeenth century, Dublin was a small, walled town with a population of 9000. Within one hundred years, its splendid Georgian architecture and rich cultural life helped make Dublin the second city of the British Empire.
For the Catholic majority, life was very different. From 1695 onwards, a series of harsh laws disenfranchised Catholics and restricted property ownership and entry to the professions. Simmering Catholic resentment against British rule finally erupted in 1916, when a small group of 1800 Irish republicans staged the Easter Rising. The revolt was a flop as Dubliners showed open hostility for the rebels, but the execution of fifteen leaders by the British outraged them. They quickly became martyrs.
The Irish Republican Army staged a successful campaign of guerrilla warfare against the British forces with the result that Britain handed control of 26 of Ireland’s 32 counties to DeValera’s republicans in the 1921 treaty. Not all members of the IRA accepted that the six counties in the north would stay British and a civil war broke out between pro and anti-Treaty factions of the IRA, in which Dublin suffered further violence before the pro-Treaty victory.
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Key Study Areas
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Location Click here to view map
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History Excursions
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Our best value sample itinerary from £217
3 Days to Dublin
Day 1:
Travel to Dublin by air. Arrival in Dublin and check in at your accommodation. Spend the afternoon at leisure exploring this vibrant city and walk around the lively Temple Bar district.
Day 2:
Full day exploring the city. Including Trinity College Old Library to admire the famous Book of Kells, visit Dublinia, the interactive exhibition about Dublin's medieval history. Continue towards San Patrick's Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland. In the afternoon visit the legendary Old Jameson Distillery or explore the famous Guinness Storehouse that will tell the history of one of the world's most famous beers.
Day 3:
Morning visit to Kilmainham jail and Oscar Wilde's House. Time for some shopping then meet your transfer back to the airport for your return flight.
