Visit the Office of the Taoiseach - Tours of Government Buildings

**This event is now fully booked. There is a waiting list in operation. Please click on the booking link below to register on the waiting list**

This National Heritage Week, you have the opportunity to visit the Office of the Taoiseach and Government buildings. Get a unique insight into the places where the biggest decisions affecting the country are made.

Each 40-minute tour will be led by an expert guide from the OPW who will take you through the rooms at the heart of the Irish Government.

Highlights of the tour include:

The Cabinet Suite
This is the room in which, since 1922, the Government has made so many important decisions. It is often known as the Council Chamber, as the government prior to the 1937 Constitution was known as the executive council. On the wall of the room hang portraits of Ireland's greatest leaders and the architects of our nation.

An Taoiseach's Office
This is the office used by the Taoiseach for the day-to-day business of Government. The room contains a portrait of Michael Collins (1890-1922), which hangs over the Taoiseach's fireplace. The desk is also made of Irish oak along with the wall panelling.

The foundation stone for Government Buildings was laid on 28 April 1904 by King Edward VII. His son, King George V, officially opened the building as a college of science on 8 July 1911. The college was taken over by UCD in 1926. In 1989, UCD vacated the building and it was taken over by the Office of Public Works (OPW).

In March 1990, work commenced on the renovation and refurbishment of the building, and it was handed over to the Department of the Taoiseach in December 1990.

Tours are 40 minutes long.