I am a sucker for interactive museums. I mean it. They are truly my favorite. There isn’t much I love more than history and getting to have some first hand experience in how our ancient ancestors lived. The Dublinia connected to Christ Church Cathedral proved to have all of my favorite things and quickly became my favorite museum in Dublin. (I am sure this will change by the time I go to another one.)
The Dublinia is a museum that is dedicated to the Viking history throughout Dublin and its Medieval history as well. The three story building did not disappoint whatsoever. On the first floor you have the complete Viking history. It showcased how the Vikings got over to Ireland, what they wore, what kind of commodities they had, and the types of weapons you could find on their ships. It was completely fascinating. Every corner you turned was either a sample of the clothing they wore, the amazing weaponry they used, and the types of homes they lived in once they finally decided to settle in Ireland. It was wild to see how primitive yet technologically impressive. The museum truly shed a light on how cool vikings truly were; from how they ran their households to how they conquered the land.
As you walked through the remaining parts of the of the first floor you saw the downfall of the Vikings and the rise of Medieval Ireland. This showed you the Dublin fairs, merchant houses, and how they dealt with various ailments at that time. It showed the cargo ships that would come through on the Liffey bringing things into the city, and the things you could expect in living in Dublin at the time. It was so much fun. I loved being able to see all of the fun facts featured in each exhibit.
As we made it up to the third floor I truly believe it is the most educational of the bunch. It showed what it was like to be involved in an archaeological dig. It showed all of the various stages and lab rooms that were involved in discovering the relics of ancient Dublin. It showed pieces of remains, the coolest artifacts such as jewelry, pins, and bits of pottery. I have been to excavation sites before, but I am always intrigued by the history and mystery that is found within each of them.
My personal favorite part of the museum came at the very end. You were able to climb up all the way to the top of the bell tower to have a glimpse of the entire city from above. It was absolutely breath taking. The ability to see the entire city with the Dublin mountains as a background was absolutely perfect. I was up all on my own in complete silence. It was very zen.
The three floors of the Dublinia taught me loads about Irish history. It allowed me to see a glimpse into the Irish past and become educated on how awesome the Viking history was. This museum is definitely a must do if you ever find yourself in Dublin. It is fun and quirky. You get to learn all you can about this amazing history all while avoiding the stereotypical boring museum that only allows you to read. I know I will definitely go back on another visit!
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