DIAS Dunsink Observatory

An observatory founded in 1785, about 8km northwest of Dublin city centre near Ashtown, and a centre for astronomical research in Ireland ever since. It is part of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, and Sir William Rowan Hamilton worked here.

It is a working research institute, so it is not open to walk-in visitors. It opens to the public for a scheduled programme of events through the year, announced and ticketed through its own events calendar. Check the calendar before you travel.

Getting in takes planning. The public events are small and infrequent, and they are the only way to see the building where Hamilton worked.