Discover the rich and turbulent history of the Custom House, Dublin

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delighted to announce a series of tours at The Custom House Visitor Centre, Dublin throughout October. The tours celebrates Ireland’s diverse and rich history of the Custom House which commemorate the history of the building and its relevance to contemporary Ireland.

At the Custom House Visitor centre, tours such as ‘The Dark Side of the Custom House Tours’ highlight the turbulent and, at times, disturbing history of the Custom House. Over the 230 year history of the building, dark times ensued on the desks of the decision makers, bringing anguish to Ireland’s people. Join our knowledgeable tour guides and learn all about the dark history of the Custom House.

The history of the Custom House is often considered male-centric. Women’s history, as it is labelled, is often omitted from the greater, accepted narrative. The ‘Women of the Custom House Tours’, showcase some of the women who have contributed to the history of the building. The smashing of the Georgian windows during the Irish suffragette’s struggle is just one of many Custom House women’s stories you will learn about on this tour.

Visitors can also attend the ‘Open House – Specialised Architecture Tour’. This specialised architecture tour of The Custom House explores Architect, James Gandon's architecture style and his architectural achievements. The tours showcase up close photos of the sculpture adorning the building, provides a detailed description of who sculpted what, and the features of all the individual sculpture. Visitors will also experience the only room inside the Custom House not destroyed by a fire during Ireland's War of Independence.

Minister of State with Responsibility for the OPW, Kevin “Boxer” Moran said: “It is fantastic to see such a wide variety of tours taking place in the Custom House Visitor Centre, Dublin. The tours will provide visitors with a unique insight into the rich and important history of the Custom House. I encourage people to pay a visit to the Custom House over the month of October and expand their knowledge of this historic building.”

For more information about the events, please visit www.heritageireland.ie

OPW spokespersons are available for interview upon request. Please contact pressoffice@opw.ie for more information and to arrange an interview.

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Tour Listing

The Dark Side of the Custom House Tours – link

Women of the Custom House Tours - link

Open House – Specialised Architecture Tour - link

Office of Public Works (OPW)

The OPW cares for 780 heritage sites, including national monuments, historic parks, gardens and buildings. It is the government’s principal engineering agency, providing an engineering service to the Flood Risk Management and Estate Portfolio Management functions of the OPW as well as to other government departments.