The Heritage Council, under the auspices of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands aims to conserve Ireland's, and Dublin's cultural heritage. They are involved with the conservation, and preservation of historical buildings and landmarks and their painstaking restoration work can take several years and may never be truly completed. Just three of these buildings are detailed below. The Casino at Marino The Casino, designed by Sir William Chambers as a pleasure house for James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont, is held to be one of the finest 18th century neo-classical buildings in Europe.
Disabled access is limited as the only way into the interior is by a stairway.
The Abbey was founded in 1139 as a daughter house of the Benedictine Order of Savigny but became Cistercian in 1147. It was, until its suppression in the 16th century, one of the largest and most important monasteries in Ireland. The Heritage Service along with the Dublin Archaeological Society and the History of Art Department of Trinity College, Dublin, is responsible for putting together a detailed exhibition as well as maintaining the site. This is one of the largest unoccupied gaols in Europe, covering some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland's emergence as a modern nation from 1780s the 1920s. The tour guides can really make the whole Kilmainham Gaol experience come alive, and the struggle against 'British Occupation' somewhat romanticised but if you can take this in your stride it is a fascinating and compelling experience.