The 5 most important buildings in Dublin

The GPO has been the headquarters of the Irish Post Office since it opened in 1818, but it’s most famous for serving as the headquarters for the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. Destroyed by fire and rebuilt, very little of the original building still remains. There is a GPO Witness History tour that can be booked online.

Leinster House has been the seat of the Oireachtas (the Houses of Parliament) since 1922. It consists of Dáil Éireann (the Lower House) and Seanad Éireann (the Upper House). At the time of writing, guided tours are still unavailable.

The Supreme Court, the High Court and the Dublin Circuit Court are all housed in this building. (The fourth court is the Central Criminal Court but it no longer exists there.) The Four Courts was central to the 1916 Easter Rising and was almost completely destroyed in the 1922 Civil War.

A masterpiece of 18th-century neoclassical architecture, the Custom House is home to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. It’s one of the most impressive buildings in Dublin so you may just want to stand outside and take pictures, but there is a visitor centre and a free historical exhibition inside as well.

This is a must-see if you come to Dublin. Make time for it, because there is a lot to appreciate here. The castle hosts a number of events around the year including temporary exhibitions but it also has its own permanent tour, open daily, that includes a throne room, a number of state apartments and a collection of decorative art and priceless artefacts.