Dublinia

Many people connect Dublin with the Vikings and the Celts. There’s no doubt that the best way of experiencing medieval and Viking Dublin for yourself is at Dublinia, a very dynamic museum located inside the famous Christ Church Cathedral! Dublinia has three floors, all of which will undoubtedly entertain you, and is found within what is known as the old Synod Hall, which saw its construction completed in 1875. This is the type of museum that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age: you can come alone, or with your family, friends, significant other, and you will have just as much fun.

(A very ad hoc facade. To the right, you will find the famous Christ Church, which is connected to Dublinia by a Neo Gothic arch, found to the left of the photo. )

Dublinia is the property of Medieval Trust. But, what is that, you may ask? Well, it’s nothing more and nothing less than a private charitable trust that seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of the environment among both foreigners and Irish citizens alike.

Usually, we see the Vikings as vicious invaders, but, in reality, many of them exchanged goods and were traders. Within this museum, you are going to be able to: try on Viking clothing; learn about the wars that they took part in; you will be a part of the medieval market; you will be able to play medieval games; visit a typical Viking house; and, write hundreds of messages after learning the Viking alphabet, symbols called runes. Learning about the history of Ireland has never been so fun!

What will we find on the first floor? The Viking exhibition:

This exhibition is divided into four smaller exhibitions: the warriors, the camp, the merchants, and the Battle of Clontarf in Dublin. In the "warriors" section, you will be able to find replicas of the Viking war weapons, learn about how they used their craft to become sailors, warriors, artisans and merchants (and surely you thought that they just fight! ). Little by little, they were able to build their settlement in Dublin, which became the capital of Ireland just after they became independent from the British in the century prior. It's very fun learning about how the Vikings lived and what their houses were like; you will be able to find out more about their day-to-day lives, learn about what they ate, and even see recreations of how they cleaned themselves with moss every time they used the toilet... I am sure that we didn't want or need to know that, hahaha.

In "the camp", you will be able to see how the Vikings arrived in Ireland to plunder the monasteries that existed. It was very tiresome having to return to their native land every time winter rolled around, so they decided to settle themselves in a permanent fortified camp in the year 841, which, grew to be a walled city over the successive years.

In the "merchants" area, you will see how the fortified camp became a busy settlement, where active trade caused a large quantity of raw materials to be imported. However, this camp also sadly became one of the largest slave trades in Europe at the time.

(Here is an example of what a house was like in Viking times. What do you think of the replica? It's incredible, right? )

Finally, this floor exhibits the Battle of Clontarf, which took place right here in Dublin. This battle was very famous and decisive in the history and evolution of the country, as the power and influence of the Vikings was diminishing little by little. The Battle of Clontarf took place in 1014 and was a very famous battle because this decisively led to the disappearance of the Vikings from Ireland; their political power ended in 1169 when they were overthrown by Anglo-Norman troops from England. So, it was ever since then when British influence contributed to the development of the city of Dublin, continuing for several centuries more!

What better way to learn how the Vikings communicated than with their runes and alphabet! You will find some paper and several crayons shaped like stones (which were used to write with) so that you can write just like a Viking would have done. You can learn something new every day!

If you don't speak English, don't worry! Below each animation in the exhibitions, you will find six buttons that you can press to listen to the explanations in different languages. And, what's more, you can repeat the explanations as many times as you like.

The medieval exhibition on the second floor

This area was my favourite of all, as the recreations of the villages, the people and the Viking's history are very entertaining (much more so than the ones on the first floor). The first thing that you will find upon climbing the stairs is the "Main Room", where you will be able to see the aspects of urban life that existed in this period (which is a bit later than that of the first floor) and an enormous scale model of what Dublin would have looked like in the fifteenth century. The model lights up dynamically as the explanation goes along, and you will be able to see what the famous wall covering the city was like. A sweet-sounding voice explains how after the Anglo Normans from England overtook Dublin in 1170, who were led by Strongbow and Leinster, the city became a rapidly growing capital.

For those of you who know London, you are going to find Dublin to be very, very similar. In fact, if it wasn't for the absence of the huge skyscrapers, you would think that you hadn't changed country. It's true that the people here are much friendlier than they are in London... if you get lost, it's more than likely that they will take you to the place that you are looking for themselves. Ireland is a very friendly and extremely safe country.

On the first door to the left, you will find yourself in a recreation of what a house would have been like in the late medieval period. During the archaeological excavations, they found a will belonging to one Peter Higley, who numbered his belongings and suggested that this would be the house of a "wealthy" man of this time (although it honestly would seem like that of a very poor man). The streets that surrounded the houses were usually narrow, dirty, crammed, and smelled awful. The recreation is excellent because it is true-to-size, you will find dissected animals and straw, and it has special lighting which will literally transport you back in time without the need for a time machine!

If you wanted to know what trade was like then, you will be able to a "loading bay" through the second door to the left. This is just one example of the many docks that were built by the River Liffey during the thirteenth century. It was at these docks were the loading and unloading of ships that brought clothes, wool, salt, wine, and different spices was carried out. At that time, it was very common that high-value cargo shipments were victims of pirate attacks.

One of my favourite rooms is that of "the market", which located through the second door on the right. In this particular room, you can dress up as a merchant and pretend that you are one of the many spice sellers. Be a part of the big market trading that takes place once a year, generally on the outside of the city walls. This was the area known as "Fair Green", which is where traders coming from many different places met up to market their goods. Despite being very old, there were strict supervisions of the products in place, as well as severe punishments. In face, you can nominate yourself to "be punished at Dublinia" in the special courts called the "piepowder courts". You can also throw stones at a citizen who has behaved badly at the market (they aren't real stones, of course, just plastic balls! ).

Another very interesting area is that of "death", found through the first door to the right. During the medieval period, wars and violent feuds caused life expectancy to be very low, so it was extremely normal to die before 33 years of age, and infant mortality was a simple fact of life. Poor sanitary conditions didn't at all help the situation, nor did illnesses and epidemics, or lack of medical knowledge. Here, you will be able to see how they "cured" some diseases with spices like bad breath, which was extremely common amongst citizens, given that they never brushed their teeth. You will be able to see what a sick woman looked like in those times, as well as how truly impactful the Black Death was on the population size.

Sadly, Irish attempts to control Ireland were not enough, as several rebellions took place throughout the entire medieval period until the turn of the twentieth century, when they finally achieved their independence. This agitation combined with the political happenings in England led new religious laws from the English Reform to be imposed, which marked the end of the Middle Ages. All of this was caused by separation of Roman Catholic Church from the Anglican Church so that it could be "divorced" from the Queen... interesting, right?!

The children's favourite floor: History Hunters

On the third and final floor, you will not be able to take photos because this section of the building forms part of the church itself at Christ Church Cathedral. At the entrance, they will show you the discovery of the archaeology below the streets and buildings of Dublin. You are going to be able to see the cabin, an archaeological site, a research library, and a scientific laboratory. After this, you will able to find out how they know exactly how old a corpse was when it passed away, how it died, and, on many occasions, its state of health throughout its life.

Visit the "excavations"

After all these years, they have been constructing several buildings, especially after the Industrial Revolution, and many of these constructions have been done on top of older structures. Archaeologists must excavate in order to see what our ancestors left behind and, in this way, help to piece together history: not only do they think of ways to find the cadavers, but also how they would have been used during those years.

Library

Historians are aided by very old documents and maps to help reconstruct the past. In what other way could they investigate what Dublin was like in medieval times? For example, the first historical map of Dublin dates back to the year 1610, and upon finding it, it revealed that the Dublinia museum was, at one point in time, a very, very old church. Find the different maps of Dublin in the drawers and see for yourself how the city grew over the years.

(It's such a shame that I couldn't have included more photos for you all to see. )

Bones and skeletons

It may sound a little bit doom and gloom, but human skeletons can provide us with very important information about age, gender, diet and cause of death. For example, seeing a skeleton's teeth can help to explain whether there were periods of famine, or seeing the size of the bones can tell us whether the deceased was struck by diseases like polio, causing a foot or leg to be shortened. You will also be able to see war wounds... isn't it amazing?!

All of this is shown inside a laboratory, which, of course, is also a replica, where you can do the same work as an archaeologist of those times would have done.

Take a beautiful souvenir from the gift shop home with you!

If you liked the exhibition (I'm sure that you will have done), don't hesitate in taking a nice souvenir home for yourself or for those who couldn't join you there on the day. You will be able to find the gift shop at the end of the tour, where they give you thousands of products to choose from (you can't even imagine), from postcards to DVDs, jewellery to books, and even medieval costumes for children. I personally recommend that you buy some of the jewellery, as they promote the special Irish emerald stone, which you won't find in any other country. As you can probably tell, many of the souvenirs are reasonably priced; you will find items that will suit both all budgets and tastes perfectly.

(Above is a photo of the shop at Dublinia, well, this only really shows a small part of it. Here, you will be able to find literally any and every type of souvenir imaginable for your loved ones. I recommend that you buy something related to the theme of the museum, as, although there are many gift shops in Dublin, there are few where you are going to find medieval armour and Viking costumes. )

How can I get there?

If you are a tourist, I have incredible news for you: the location of Dublinia is unbeatable! The museum is located in a part of Christ Church Cathedral right in the heart of Dublin, which is known by many as the Viking or medieval area of the city. It's very easy to walk through the streets of Dublin without getting lost, and you aren't going to lose time nor money by walking from one tourist attraction to another, as they are all situated very close together. For example, Tailors' Hall, Dublin Castle and Dublin City Council are all located just a five minute walk away from Dublinia. Just a ten-minute walk away, you will find yourself at St. Patrick's Cathedral (the most important cathedral in the country), the Four Courts (home to the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the Dublin Circuit Court), the National Wax Museum, and one of the most important universities, which I'm sure you've heard of, Trinity College, Dublin.

To get there, you just have to walk along High Street, one of the most important streets in the city. At the roundabout, you will find many bus stops, restaurants, gift shops and tourist information offices.

How much does entrance to Dublinia cost?

Travelling is never cheap, but the cost of entry to this museum is not at all expensive. You can buy your ticket online (I left a link to the website above so you can check it out for yourself) for 9. 50€ (approximately $11. 11). The price of a child's ticket is 6€, which roughly works out at $7. However, it's not at all necessary to buy the tickets in advance, as you can also pay upon arrival at the ticket office on-site.

The third floor of the building connects Dublinia with Christ Church Cathedral by a Neo Gothic arch. All churches in Ireland charge a fee for entry, so if you want to continue your visit into Christ Church, I recommend that you buy a discounted combined ticket at the ticket office before you start your visit.

Although, you can also visit the cathedral during Mass to avoid having to pay an entrance fee. The rates usually charged for entry to the church and a self-guided tour are as follows:

• Adults: 7€
• Seniors (over 65) and students: 5. 50€
• Children (aged 5-15): 2. 50€
• Children aged 4 and under: Free

Another thing that I would recommend is buying a Dublin Pass, which includes entrance to more than 25 different attractions across the period of time that you choose. You are going to save a lot of time and money because it won't be necessary for you to queue and buy your tickets at each attraction. If you want more information about how the famous Dublin Pass works, head over to my blog, where I have explained everything you need to know about it in more detail.

Final recommendations:

• If you don't speak English, ask the staff at the entrance for a leaflet with information written in your mother tongue. Although the animations and audio can be listened to in many languages, some of descriptions do come written solely in English.
• Remember that you can only take photos on the first and second floors. Don't forget that photography and/or videography is prohibited on the third floor!
• Smoking is not permitted in any part of the museum's building.
• If you are interested in seeing more of Dublin, I recommend searching online for one of our Mexican friends who dedicates his life to travelling around the world. Search "AlanXelmundo" in YouTube and take a look at his adventures in Ireland for yourself: his visit to Dublinia is included in the fourth vlog.
• Dublinia is open every day (except 24th, 25th, 26th December) from either 10am to 5:30pm (October to February) or 10am to 6:30pm (March to September).
• The recommended length of your visit is approximately 90 minutes.