Overview
You can pick up a 3D-printed replica of the original coin designs submitted for Ireland’s first money, and stand in front of the Ploughman and Series A ‘Lady Lavery’ notes that the new state actually issued. That’s the draw of the Central Bank Visitor Centre, a free, self-guided museum of Irish currency inside the Central Bank of Ireland’s headquarters on North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands. (Older listings still place it at Foster Place, the bank’s former Dame Street home; it isn’t there any more.)
It’s a small place and an honest hour, not a half-day attraction. If you like coins and notes, or you’re after a free indoor stop on a wet afternoon, it earns its keep. The one real catch: it’s open weekdays only, so it’s no use for a weekend city break.
What’s inside
Two exhibitions anchor the centre. Pounds, Shillings and Independence covers the birth of Irish currency after 1922: the design of the Series A banknotes and the Ploughman notes, and those 3D-printed replicas of the original coin design submissions. 75 Years of Change tells the story of the Central Bank itself, which dates from 1943, drawing on rare archive footage and photographs through decades of growth and crisis.
Alongside the Irish material there’s a display of now-obsolete eurozone banknotes, sections on euro coins, banknote security features and the wider history of money, and a kids’ corner for younger visitors.
Visiting
- Free, and no booking for individuals; you just drop in during opening hours, with staff on hand. Groups can book ahead by emailing visitorcentre@centralbank.ie.
- Open Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:30, closed weekends and bank holidays. Reckon on 45–60 minutes inside.
- Security screening applies, since this is a working financial institution: allow a few minutes at the entrance, and leave large bags and suitcases behind, as they aren’t allowed in. Photography is fine for personal use; flash and tripods are discouraged.
- Accessible throughout, step-free, with facilities for visitors with mobility, visual and hearing needs.
Getting there
- Luas – Spencer Dock on the Red Line is about a three-minute walk.
- Bus – Dublin Bus route 151 stops outside.
- Train – Docklands station is roughly a seven-minute walk; Connolly is about 15 minutes and Tara Street about 20 on foot.
- Bike – There’s a Dublin Bikes station directly across the road from the south entrance.
- Parking – There’s no on-site parking; the nearest public car park is at the Convention Centre Dublin.
Nearby
The visitor centre sits in the heart of the redeveloped Docklands, so it pairs easily with the bigger draws right beside it: EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and the Jeanie Johnston famine-ship at Custom House Quay are both a short riverside walk, with the 3Arena further east and the Custom House back towards the city. Go on a weekday and you can string several of them together in an afternoon.