Our Visit to Leinster House on February 10th 2026
Everyone was buzzing with excitement as today was the day we were going to Leinster House and meeting Emer Currie, our local TD. First, Ms. Connolly called everyone in the student council to come down as we were about to leave to catch the bus that would bring us to Leinster House. We all walked in pairs to the bus stop, and the bus only took five minutes to arrive, but it felt like hours as we were all practically bursting with excitement at that point. When the bus finally did arrive, we all clambered on while Ms. Connolly scanned her Leap Card quite a few times to pay for us all to go on the bus. The bus journey took around half an hour, and then we finally arrived.
We were a bit early, so we had some lunch while we waited to enter Leinster House. Soon enough, it was time to go inside. Before we could actually enter Leinster House, we had to go through security, where they gave us our own individual passes. We left the security office and began to walk up the path leading to the entrance when we briefly met Emer Currie. She said she was excited to see us and couldn’t wait for the Q&A session later. We met our tour guide, and she led us to where we would leave our bags during our time there. She also told us that before Leinster House was Leinster House, it was an actual house.
Our tour guide led us into a huge lift, and it brought us to the first part of the tour. We got to sit above the Dáil Chamber, and she told us about seating positions, microphones, and a lot of other cool things. She told us about the bell that signals when the Dáil will meet. She also told us that if you don’t get to the Chamber in time, then you get locked out and don’t get to participate in the vote. Another thing she told us was that politicians don’t control their own microphones, except for the chairperson of the Dáil or whoever is filling in for them. She then asked if anyone had any questions. Only a few people did, so answering them didn’t take too long, and we moved on with the rest of the tour.
For the next part of the tour, our tour guide took us to the Seanad Chamber, where the Seanad meets to propose new laws or bills for the Dáil to discuss. The Seanad Chamber used to be a ballroom, so the ceiling was beautifully decorated. The room was a bit smaller, and the seats were blue instead of brown, but other than that, the rooms were pretty similar.
Our tour guide took us around the rest of Leinster House and showed us the portraits of the past Taoisigh while explaining more about the man who owned the house before it became Leinster House. His name was James FitzGerald. He and his family owned Leinster House before selling it to the Royal Dublin Society, and now it is owned by the Irish State. He had 19 children with his wife, Lady Emily Lennox, but sadly only 11 survived childhood. After James FitzGerald died, his wife remarried and had three more children with William Ogilvie.
Finally, we were finished with the tour and got to do the Q&A with Emer Currie. As we entered the room in which we would be doing the Q&A, we noticed that someone had left crisps and drinks for us before we asked Emer Currie our questions. After a few minutes, Emer Currie entered the room. Before we asked her any questions, she explained a bit about what a TD’s job is and how our political system works. When she asked us for our questions, every hand shot up. We asked questions about supporting schools, maintaining nature, future plans for Castleknock, and much more. Just before we left, Emer Currie took us out to take a photo, even though there is no photography allowed in Leinster House. We were allowed to keep our passes, and we got mini versions of the Proclamation as souvenirs. Because we were outside Leinster House, we were allowed to take a photo on the stairs. We left feeling tired but happy, and this was a day we will never forget.
By AilÍs
Student Council Member