Free, weird and wonderful Dublin

Fancy doing something a little different, secret and something that most backpackers won’t have seen in Dublin? Here are three weird, wonderful and most importantly FREE places to visit on your trip to Dublin’s fair city.

1. The Hand
The hand is a sculpture located on Marlborough Street in the gardens of the Department of Education and Science just minutes from Jacobs Inn and Isaacs Hostel. Great photo op and free to access between 9 am – 5pm.
(Surprisingly The Hand doesn’t have a nickname unlike the ‘The Flue with the View’,’ The poker near Croker’, ‘The Hags with the Bags’ ...)


2. The Tenements of Dublin
Dublin was a very different place at the beginning of the 19th Century, a place where abject poverty, poor housing conditions and disease permeated the lives of thousands.
The city was too densely populated for the amount of housing available and often as many as 100 people would live in an eight roomed building in what was known as the Tenements. (Records show that an incredible 835 people lived between 15 houses on Henrietta Street!)

The Iveagh Trust Museum Flat is a three roomed Dublin tenement in near original condition which is open to the public on Saturdays between 10am and 1pm.

If you don’t manage to get to the museum flat you can view the outside of the old tenements in their original condition at Henrietta Street which is on the same side of the city as Isaacs Hostel and Jacobs Inn close to the Four Courts. Ask at reception for directions. Totally free and completely worth a visit.


3. The Mummies of St Michan’s Church, Church Street, Dublin 7.
Dating from 1685, it is believed that George F. Handel played the organ in St Michan’s when he was composing The Messiah. But the really interesting part of the church happens in the vaults below the church. Descend the steep stone staircase into a limestone tunnel filled with ancient coffins, some of which appear to be bursting at the seams. At the very back are three open caskets exposing perfectly preserved, leathery skinned corpses- The nun, the Crusader and the thief. If you are feeling particularly brave they say that lightly touching the finger of the Crusader will bring great fortune.


It’s a creepy, dusty and surprisingly peaceful place. Not a tour for the faint hearted!


Tours from Monday – Friday 01st November to 17th March @ 12.30 and 15.30
17 March – 31st October @10.00, 12.30, 14.00 and 16.30.
Saturday all year round 10.00 & 12.30


Not open on Sundays due to religious ceremonies.