One of Dublin's most striking 18th-century buildings, the Bank of Ireland on College Green was originally built in 1729 to house the Irish Parliament. It became redundant in 1800 when the Act of Union merged the Irish and British parliaments in London, making it one of the few parliament buildings in the world to vote itself out of existence.
The highlight is the former Irish House of Lords, which survived the conversion to a bank largely intact. The chamber still has its original Irish oak woodwork, 18th-century tapestries depicting the Battle of the Boyne and the Siege of Derry, and a sparkling 1,233-piece Irish crystal chandelier dating from 1765. Free guided tours are available on selected days. The former House of Commons was less fortunate -- it was gutted and remodelled into the main banking hall.