Historical buildings opened up all over the capital from October 4-6 as Open House Dublin celebrated its 8th annual celebration of unique Irish architecture.
With special ‘access-all-areas’ dispensations being given to visitors of some of the city’s most iconic architectural landmarks over the course of the weekend, patrons were given the opportunity to glimpse into historical venues such as Farmleigh House, Casino Marino, Uras an Uachtaráin plus 97 other buildings for free.
Organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation, guided tours were provided to give a fascinating insight into places of interest ranging from educational and political institutions to cutting-edge community and residential new-builds in what has been deemed by the IAF as the country’s largest celebration of architecture.
My tour took me to one of the most instantly-recognisable landmarks on the island in the form of the GPO on O’Connell Street before heading south over the river and getting a behind-the-scenes view into the Earlsfort Terrace complex, which now plays host to the National Concert Hall, and the adjoining Iveagh Gardens.