About Casino Marino
Tucked in Marino, a stone's throw east from Drumcondra's Clontarf Road, the Casino Marino is a neoclassical jewel box that's one of Dublin's hidden architectural gems. Built in the 1750s-70s for Lord Charlemont as a pleasure pavilion in his vast Marino Demesne (now Marino Park), this tiny 50x50-foot 'casino', meaning 'little house', is a masterclass in illusion and Palladian perfection. Managed by the Office of Public Works, it's restored to glory, revealing how every detail conceals clever storage and light tricks.
What to Expect
Step inside for 16 interconnecting rooms packed with surprises: shell-encrusted grottoes, marble-effect scagliola floors mimicking Kilkenny limestone, and Corinthian columns that look grand but house chamber pots! Upstairs bedrooms hide behind false doors; the saloon's dome floods light via hidden glass. Exhibits detail Charlemont's Enlightenment tastes, Irish Palladianism, and the building's near-ruin before 1971 rescue. Audio guides narrate saucy 18th-century gossip, while gardens bloom with period plants. From Drumcondra, spy it across the park from Malahide Road trams.
Insider Tips
Summer visits (main season) allow full access, winter's limited. Combine with a picnic in Marino Park, dodging kite-flyers near the coast. Locals know the back gate off Briarhill Road cuts queues. €5 entry's a bargain; free for Heritage Card holders. Walk from Croke Park in 30 minutes via Griffith Avenue's lime trees. Photographers love golden hour on the honey-hued limestone. Bring bug spray for evenings. This Drumcondra-area icon isn't a gambling den but a testament to 18th-century whimsy, perfect for history buffs seeking elegance amid suburban Dublin's green expanses.