Photos: William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 William Murphy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 William Murphy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Marino Casino: an 18th-century folly
Your local guide
Ruairí Kavanagh
View profile
Highlights
- Sixteen rooms hidden behind one facade
- Columns that double as drainpipes
- Roofline urns that are actually chimneys
- Disguised practical design, explained
- One of Dublin's strangest buildings
About this tour
This session looks closely at one of Dublin's strangest buildings, a small neoclassical folly that hides sixteen rooms and several disguised practical features behind an apparently simple facade. You see architectural tricks explained one by one, from drainpipe columns to chimney urns. It stays around the building's exterior throughout, moving slowly to let each detail register.
After a short sound check outside, I walk around the building stop by stop, pointing out each disguised feature before explaining how it works. I take questions live as they come and send a short note afterwards on the building's later restoration for anyone who wants to read further.
It suits anyone interested in architecture and clever design, and anyone who enjoys a building that rewards close attention.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Dublin before heading out.
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Marino Casino exterior 15 min
The camera takes in a small neoclassical building that looks like a single-room temple, and I explain how it actually contains sixteen rooms hidden behind a deceptively simple facade.
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The building's disguised details 15 min
You see urns on the roofline that are actually chimneys and columns that double as drainpipes, and I point out how every visible feature was designed to serve a hidden practical purpose.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Dublin: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Boxty and Temple Bar, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Dublin time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Dublin, showing you Marino Casino exterior and The building's disguised details live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Marino live with my phone.
Times shown in Dublin time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
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How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Sat 31 Oct · 8 seats left From 21,00 €
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