What it is
Little remains of the thirteenth-century castle apart from the Record Tower; what you see today is mostly a Georgian palace around two courtyards. The State Apartments, where Irish presidents are inaugurated, and the Chapel Royal are visited on a ticket, while the courtyards and the Dubh Linn garden are free to walk through.
The Chester Beatty, behind the castle, is a free museum of manuscripts and books from Asia, the Middle East and Europe and is one of the best in the city.
Getting there by bus
The castle is on Dame Street, a five-minute walk from Trinity College and Temple Bar. Buses along Dame Street and Lord Edward Street stop practically at the gate (Lord Edward Street and City Hall stops).
Christ Church Cathedral is two minutes further up the hill, and St Patrick's Cathedral another ten minutes on foot.
