The Little Museum of Dublin

A guide takes you through 20th-century Dublin in a Georgian house on St Stephen's Green, with rooms on The Irish Times and on U2. Pick it for a short, funny hour in the city centre: it's the easiest add-on to a Croke Park day.

About this experience

The Little Museum of Dublin fills a Georgian townhouse at 15 St Stephen's Green with objects from the 20th-century city, most of them given by Dubliners. On its own site the museum says entry is by guided tour only. The tour starts and ends in the first-floor collection on 20th-century Dublin.

The house goes beyond the tour room. The ground floor has an exhibition on James Malton's views of the city in the 1790s. Upstairs is the Editor's Room, a recreation of The Irish Times under editor Bertie Smyllie, and U2: Made in Dublin, with a Trabant car and a life-size MacPhisto. The listing gives an hour, which leaves time for those rooms after the guided part.

There is no GAA angle here, and that is fine. It is a light, short visit, a break between heavier history, and an easy walk from O'Connell Street and the bus to Croke Park.

Entry by guided tour, with stories more than glass cases
20th-century Dublin in one Georgian house
The Irish Times Editor's Room
U2: Made in Dublin, Trabant included
On St Stephen's Green, in the heart of the city

How the day runs

StartArrive at 15 St Stephen's Green
The museum is on the north side of the Green. Check your booking for the time.
Ground floorMalton's Dublin
Prints of the Georgian city in the 1790s.
First floorThe guided tour
The 20th-century collection, where the guided tour starts and ends.
Second floorThe Irish Times and U2
The Editor's Room and the U2 exhibition, at your own pace.
AfterThe shop and the Green
The Little Shop of Dublin, then St Stephen's Green across the road.

What's included

Included

A guided tour of the 20th-century collection
Entry to the museum

Not included

Croke Park and the GAA Museum
Food and drink
Hotel pickup

Who it suits

Book it if

You want a short, witty visit in the city centre
You like social history: newspapers, music, everyday objects
You are a U2 fan
You have an hour to fill between other plans

Skip it if

You want anything on Gaelic games: the GAA Museum is the one
You prefer to wander a museum alone with no guide
You are after big set-piece exhibits
Your group has toddlers who cannot sit through a talk

Tips before you book

The museum opens 9:30 to 17:00 daily, last entry 16:30. Check its site on the day for closures.
Combine it with the Book of Kells tour: Trinity College is a short walk down Grafton Street.
Book ahead. Entry is by guided tour only and groups are small.
Do not skip the U2 room upstairs, even if you are not a fan.

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Is it worth it?

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Little Museum of Dublin tour?

The listing gives an hour. The guided part covers the first-floor collection, and the rest of the time goes on the other floors.

Can you visit the Little Museum without a tour?

No. The museum says entry is by guided tour only.

Where is the Little Museum of Dublin?

At 15 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, on the north side of the Green.

Is there anything about the GAA?

It is a museum of 20th-century Dublin, not of sport. For Gaelic games, go to the GAA Museum on the Stadium Tour.

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Book Little Museum of Dublin

A guided hour through 20th-century Dublin in a Georgian house on St Stephen's Green.

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