Ireland's archaeology museum on Kildare Street houses the finest collection of ancient Irish metalwork in the world. The two objects that stop visitors cold are the Tara Brooch — an 8th-century penannular brooch of breathtaking intricacy, with filigree work so fine it looks impossible — and the Ardagh Chalice, a 9th-century silver communion cup whose decorative panels have been called the supreme achievement of early medieval metalwork.
The Or — Ireland's Gold exhibition displays hoards of prehistoric goldwork including lunulae, sun discs, and torcs spanning thousands of years of craftsmanship. Equally arresting are the bog bodies — Iron Age men, preserved in peat, whose faces retain an unsettling immediacy.
Admission is free. Allow at least 90 minutes, more if you linger in the prehistoric galleries.