Passport to Family Learning
The Passport to Family Learning is offering Irish families either free or discounted entry into 8 different heritage sites around Dublin this summer. This is a joint initiative involving some of Dublin’s best but also often overlooked sites.
- When you visit one of the sites listed inside, you present your passport.
- This will allow your family either free entry or entry at a discounted rate.
- Each site will stamp your passport to show that you have visited.
- The idea is to try and collect all the stamps and of course to have some fun along the way!
How to get a Passport to Family Learning
The best part of all is that the Passport to Family Learning is completely free. However, only 1000 Passports have been issued so act fast! The Passports are available from the 1st of June and can be collected in 2 ways.
You can pick up a Passport in person from the front desk in St Patrick’s Cathedral or you can also apply for one through the post by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to:
Sites involved in the Passport to Family Learning
- St Patrick’s Cathedral (collect your passport here!)
FREE entry & tour for families = 100% discount (Saving €15)
Built in honour of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral stands adjacent to the famous well where tradition has it Saint Patrick baptized converts on his visit to Dublin. Today the Cathedral is open to all people as an architectural and historical site, but principally as a place of worship.
Address: Saint Patrick’s Close, Dublin 8
Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-18:00 Sat, 09:00-10:30, 12:30-14:30, 16:30-18:00 Sun
FREE entry for families & 10% discount in the giftshop
The Chester Beatty Library is an art museum and library which houses the great collection of manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and some decorative arts assembled by Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968). It was named Irish Museum of the year in 2000 and was awarded the title European Museum of the Year in 2002.
Address: Dublin Castle, Dublin 2
Opening hours: 10:00-17:00 Mon-Fri, 11:00-17:00 Sat, 13:00-17:00 Sun
FREE entry, family tour for €3.50 = 50% discount (Saving €3.50)
The National Print Museum collects, documents, preserves, exhibits, interprets and makes accessible the material evidence of printing craft and fosters associated skills of the craft in Ireland. Opened in 1996, the National Print Museum is a place for printers, historians, students and the general public to see and hear how printing developed and brought information, in all its forms, to the world.
Address: Beggars Bush Barracks, Haddington Road, Dublin 4
Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri, 14:00-17:00 Sat-Sun
FREE entry & tour for families
The original castle at Rathfarnham dates back to the Elizabethan period. The castle with its four flanker towers is an excellent example of the fortified house in Ireland. The collection includes family portraits by Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807), Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), and Hugh Douglas Hamilton (1740-1808). The castle’s Berkeley Costumes and Toy Collection offers a fascinating insight into social history.
Address: Rathfarnham Road, Dublin 14
Opening hours: 10:00-17:15 Tues-Sun
- St Audoen’s Church
FREE entry & tour for families
Sited in the heart of the walled medieval city, St Audoen’s Church is the only remaining medieval parish church in Dublin. It is dedicated to St Ouen the 7th century bishop of Rouen and patron saint of Normandy. The Guild Chapel of St Anne houses an award-winning exhibition on the importance of St Audoen’s Church in the life of the medieval city.
Address: Cornmarket, Dublin 8
Opening hours: 09:30-17:30 daily
- Marsh’s Library
FREE entry for children, €1 for adults = 60% discount (Saving €3)
Marsh’s Library, built in 1701 by Archbishop Narcissus Marsh (1638-1713), was the first public library in Ireland. It has remained unchanged for three centuries. The Queen Anne building, with its original bookcases, houses more than 25,000 rare and interesting books. The library is open to the public and children are particularly welcome. Scholars may consult our holdings by arrangement.
Saint Patrick’s Close, Dublin 8
Opening hours: 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00 Wed-Fri & Mon, 10:00-13:00 Sat
- Castletown House
FREE Children’s Tours at 12pm. (Tue-Sun & B.H July/August.) Booking essential
Castletown is Ireland’s largest and earliest Palladian style house. Built between 1722 and 1729 for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and the wealthiest commoner in Ireland. Through restoration, conservation, acquisition of parkland and development of visitor facilities, the long term objective is to preserve for future generations one of the most important houses in Ireland and one of significance in terms of European architectural heritage.
Address: Celbridge, Co. Kildare
Opening hours: Tues-Sun & Aug BH, last admission 4:45
FREE entry once you have 4 stamps! = 100% discount (Saving €13)
In continuous occupation since its establishment in 1204 AD, Dublin Castle has played a prominent role in Ireland’s history. Today, this prestigious city centre site is host to state-of-the-art conference and dining facilities. The State Apartments are among the most prestigious State rooms in the country and are open for guided tours. The Castle also has an ongoing programme of specialised tours and educational lectures.
Address: Dame Street, Dublin 2
Opening hours: 10:00-16:45 Mon-Sat, 12:00-16:45 Sun
The Passport to Family Learning Conditions
- The Passport is valid from the 1st June to the 1st September 2012
- You can only use the passport once
- Help by giving feedback on the passport on facebook/twitter
