Dublin Castle is the heart of historic Dublin. In fact the city gets its name from the Black Pool "Dubh linn" which was on the site of the present Castle Garden. The Castle stands on the ridge on a strategic site at the junction of the River Liffey and its tributary the Poddle, where the original fortification may have been an early Gaelic Ring Fort. Later a Viking Fortress stood on this site, a portion of which is on view to visitors at the "Undercroft". The Great Courtyard, contains the principal buildings of the post medieval Castle which formerly housed the vice-regal administration.

Open Air Music Concerts are held in the Upper Castle Yard every May Public Holiday Weekend.
Artists that have performed here in recent years include Aslan, The Beautiful South, Beck, Catatonia, Tracey Chapman, The Cranberries, Divine Comedy, The Frames, Iggy and The Stooges, Josh Ritter, Morrissey, The Streets, Texas, Travis and UB40.