The Visitor Centre will be closed for one day on Thursday 26 April 2018. We regret any inconvenience caused.

The Visitor Centre will be open (Mondays to Sundays and Public Holidays) 10.00 to 16.30 from Saturday 17 March to Friday 31 August 2018. Admission is free.

This opening of the Visitor Centre is part of a longer term project to provide public access to one of the finest buildings in Dublin in the context of the Decade of Centenaries.

The Custom House, which has been a Dublin landmark for over two hundred years, was the architectural masterpiece of James Gandon.  It was completed in 1791 after a ten-year construction period.

This exhibition outlines the history of the Custom House.  It describes events in the building during Easter Week 1916 and considers the history of the Custom House and its occupants from then until 1921, when the building was completely destroyed by fire during the War of Independence.

The location and status of the Custom House would suggest a significant role in the Easter Rising.  It stands directly across from Liberty Hall (which was the base of the Irish Citizen Army) and beside Butt Bridge (the then last crossing-point of the Liffey), it’s a short walk from Trinity College and less than 400m from the GPO itself.  Nevertheless the Custom House does not feature strongly in the historical narrative.  The exhibition considers this omission and other fascinating links between the Custom House and a variety of historical events of the period.

In addition to the exhibition, the Visitor Centre itself is an example of some of the finest neo-classical architecture in Europe and the reopening ensures that this wonderful space is once more accessible by all.