Leinster House was built in the mid 18th century by the Earl of Kildare, James Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald hired Richard Castle, the leading architect in Ireland, to create a Palladian country house in town with a double height hall and a picture gallery. Castle’s design, in particular the projecting bow on the north side, is said to have inspired the design of the White House, the residence of the President of the United States. The architect of the White House, James Hoban, was an Irishman who studied in Dublin, and would certainly have been familiar with the design of Leinster House.

Construction started in 1745 and continued for several years. Today, Leinster House is at the centre of a complex of buildings that accommodate the Oireachtas Members and staff. Over the years, extensions and modifications have adapted the space to the changing needs of the Parliament. For example, the Leinster House 2000 building reflects the increasingly important role that committees play in the Oireachtas and the impetus to provide public access to Oireachtas business. Leinster House 2000 provides four purpose built meeting rooms with sound and video recording facilities to enable meetings to be broadcast. A major conservation and restoration project on Georgian Leinster House was undertaken between December 2017 and August 2019.

Booking opens for these tours 14 September directly with Leinster House.

Wheelchair accessible
Accessible Toilets