Dublin Castle , the seat of British administration from the 12th century to the 1920s, can be found on high ground west of Dame Street and Christ Church Cathedral , one of the city's finest historical buildings, located at the end of Lord Edward Street. Dublin has facilities for most major sports. There is horseracing at two suburban courses and at other venues within easy reach, rugby at Landsdowne Road and greyhound racing for most of the year on six evenings a week at one of the two Dublin tracks. The golfer has about 30 excellent courses to choose from. Sea bathing is available at nearby resorts, and there are municipal indoor heated swimming pools in the city and suburbs.
Theatre is always available in Dublin.
The principal theatres are the Abbey, Peacock, Gate, Gaiety, Olympia and New Eblana. The Gate is concerned mainly with producing the internationally recognised classics, and has a special feeling for the work of Irish writers of sophisticated comedy - such as Goldsmith, Sheridan, Wilde and Shaw. The New Eblana is a small theatre which has been acclaimed for its productions of modern plays. The National Theatre of Ireland is the Abbey, where the programme consists almost entirely of new plays by Irish authors interspersed with revivals from the repertoire, which includes Yeats, Synge, O'Casey, Boucicault, Behan and Beckett. In the same building, the smaller Peacock Theatre provides the Abbey Players with an opportunity for experimental work.