merrion street

The Office of Public Works is delighted to announce the official opening (today 6 April 2016) of ‘In the Shadow of the Castle – Dublin Castle in 1916’ – an exhibition on the role that the building played leading up to, during and after the Easter Rising.
In 1916, Dublin was a divided city, between rich and poor, educated and illiterate and at the heart of the city was Dublin Castle. This fascinating and evocative exhibition tells the story of the role the Castle played during this period – from officialdom in the Castle to the events during the Rising itself, including the attack on the Castle, the installation of the Red Cross Hospital when the Throne Room, Drawing Room and Portrait Gallery became hospital wards and “lavish carpets, antique furniture and the smell of fresh flowers were replaced with metal framed beds, medicine bottles and the smell of bleach”. The last days of James Connolly at the Castle before he was brought to Kilmainham Gaol are also illustrated together with the destruction of the city in the aftermath of the Rising.
The exhibition is open now until 21 September 2016 and admission is part of the self-guided option of the tour.

Notes to Editors:
Exhibition dates: 28th March - 21st September 2016 – State Apartments Dublin Castle
Opening hours:
Monday – Saturday: 09.45 – 16.45
Sunday and Bank Holidays: 12.00 – 16.45
Admission:
Adults - €6.50
Students/ Senior citizens – €5.50
Children - €3.00