Aras an Uachtaran in the Phoenix Park - President Michael D Higgin's new home

Susan outside the Aras an Uachtaran

Aras an Uachtaran, in the Phoenix Park is the house where the ninth Irish President Michael D Higgins, who was inaugurated on Friday in Dublin Castle, will live for his seven years in office.

Not many people know that you can actually visit Aras an Uachtaran yourself on Satrudays, unless it is being used for official state business, which means tours can be cancelled at short notice. While admission is free, tickets are limited to about 100 which are allocated on a first come first served basis from the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, close by at Ashtown Castle.

Visitors are then transferred by coach and given a guided tour of the state rooms and a short history of the building itself that used to be the Vice Regal Lodge when it was occupied by the then governing body of Englands various Lord Lieutenants, one of whom the Duke of Marlborough who was Winston Churchill’s father.

Elegant corridor at Aras an Uachtaran

It’s a wonderful opportunity to take a peak behind the familiar scenes being played out in the media today, to be part of a living history so to speak. The boardroom, where new governments are sworn into office, under the watchful eye of former presidents, whose portraits line the walls.

The dining room is laid out in crisp white linen with fresh flower arrangements (from the Aras’ own garden) mirrored under the crystal chandeliers.

The lounge used for meeting and greeting visiting dignitaries and royalty so familiar from news footage you almost feel at home, with a final glimpse into the President’s own office, which they are allowed to personalize for their term of office. In fact, I was amazed at how homely and lived in the Aras felt, with fresh garden flowers everywhere and polished brass fire irons beside the grand marble fireplaces set with peat briquettes waiting to be lit in welcome for the next guests, which could be you.

For more information visit www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/aras.html

Dublin Castle - a once forbidden visitor attraction

Dublin Castle is quite the fairytale inside and out. Massive medieval fortress walls protect an inner sanctum of majestic staterooms, filled with enough fabulous artwork, furniture and crystal to please any King or Queen ?

The only thing is we Irish don’t do royalty, we even managed to mislay the crown jewels! The nearest we got to a truly noble figurehead was Michael Collins who received the keys of the castle in 1922 ending some 800 years of British rule and tenancy. The question then was, what would we do with it?

Apart from being used as a centre of intelligence, Garda headquarters is still there it is now mainly used for elaborate state occasions. The last visiting dignitary to stay there was Dame Margaret Thatcher, who incidentally turned 85 last week just as the Chilean miners emerged from their incarceration......

And while it is open to the public with excellent informative guided tours conducted daily, including an underground tour of the Viking ramparts, not many Irish people seem to visit? Perhaps, because it has always being deemed more of an English institution then an Irish tradition, and an interest in anything with an English association was certainly frowned upon when I was a child. The chapel royal has only recently been reopened and has a very special ornate gothic interor. There is even an enclosed medieval knot garden on the site of the original Dubh Linn or black pool at the epicentre of the original city where the castle cat still reigns peacefully over his minions.....

But the real jewel in the crown, see I told you we still had some, is the Chester Beatty Library in the grounds of Dublin Castle. It houses a wonderful collection of oriental art and rare manuscripts and is a million times more interesting then the Book of Kells and its free! In the same building is the wonderful Silk Road Cafe whose cuisine is based on the delights of the Far East....its a 10 out of 10 place to eat or have mint tea, coffee and turkish delight.


For more information on Dublin visit http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/ or download my free iPhone app guide My Dublin by Susan Byron