Discover Dublin’s ingenious inventions!
Available as an app, and an MP3 album. Did you know that the hypodermic syringe was invented in Dublin? Or that a Dublin man invented perforated stamps? And where in Dublin can you see a steam turbine, the ingenious engine that electrified the world? This fascinating guided walking tour of Irish inventions is packed full of surprises. We’ll tell you about great Irish scientists, a new material that could get you inventing, and finish with Alan Turing’s favourite song. And because milk chocolate was invented an Irish man, you also get 10% off at Butlers Chocolates. NEW! A free activity trail for young explorers, to make this a great family outing.
Listen to Extract: Inventing whiskey
For devices that do not support Flash, try this link.
Tour tracklist, route and info: click to download the leaflet
Highlights of our MP3 walking tour
The delightful Sweny’s Chemist — which also features in Joyce’s Ulysses — would have sold Sudocrem and so is one of our stops, and well worth a visit. Take the tour on a weekday and you can also see other hidden gems, including the engine that made the 20th century possible, and a rare manuscript. Perfect for everyone interested in the history of Irish science.
Route map, track list and info
The tour starts in Ireland’s most ingenious quarter, at TCD’s Science Gallery, and our stroll finishes at St Stephen’s Green. There are 10 stops along the way, so allow about 90-minutes for the tour. Click to download the free PDF colour map, track list and images, especially if you are buying the smartphone edition (the MP3 album includes the PDF).
Free activity trail for young explorers
This 4-page trail is for young explorers, with an activity at each stop along the tour. Suitable for ages 9+, it means younger people can accompany adults taking the audio tour. Download the PDF trail, pack some pencils, and start exploring!
The music: Molly Malone
The music for our tours of scientific Dublin is Alan Turing‘s favourite song, Molly Malone.Turing was a famous British mathematician and computer scientist, and his mother was Irish, making Molly Malone perfect for our geek’s guide to Dublin. It’s performed on our audio tours by Dublin musician Gary O’Connor.
Explore more in this audio guided tour of Dublin
For more information about the visitor centres we pass and the inventions featured in our geeks’ guide to Dublin, visit: Sugru for lots of ingenious ideas to get you inventing <> Science Gallery, TCD, for exhibitions, shop & café <> Parsons Building, TCD Engineering, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm <> Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, heritage tours by appointment <> Royal Irish Academy library to see historic manuscripts <> Celtic Whiskey shop for a wee dram and the best whiskey selection in Dublin <> Butler’s Cafe Grafton St.
Get 10% off Butler’s Chocolates
To get 10% off when you shop online at Butlers Chocolates simply use the discount code that you’ll hear at the end of the audio. (The discount applies to chocolate — milk and dark! — but not to shipping, vouchers or Chocolate Experience tickets.)
Practicalities and Disclaimer
Please take care crossing the streets, and always use pedestrian crossings where possible. Watch for any hazards, and uneven pavements. We recommend comfortable shoes, raingear, and some water. We have made every effort to ensure that the information for this tour is correct, but we assume no responsibility for any errors or any hazards along the route. You are responsible for your own safety at all times.
*iPhone users please note
The MP3 track usually streams in your player; to download the track, you may need a download manager, such as the MyMedia free app. (Note,we are not necessarily recommending this app, and cannot be responsible for 3rd party software.) We recommend downloading our audio tours over WIFI to avoid data roaming charges.
Made with a grant from Dublin City of Science 2012.
