Sunday-Sunday, August 17-24, 2014
Dublin, Ireland
What a busy
city! Lots of cars, taxis, bike riders and pedestrians! We spent the day
getting organized for the week…getting the bike tires pumped, provisions in the
kitchen and just relaxing in our new home. After dinner we headed for the
Liffey River, to just ride along the calm waters. On the way we passed through the St.
Patrick’s Cathedral Park. Lovely!
St. Patrick’s, Ireland’s largest church and
known to be the Protestant Church of Ireland, was founded beside a sacred well
where St. Patrick is said to have baptized converts around AD 450. A stone slab
bearing a Celtic cross and covering the well was unearthed over a century ago.
The original building was just a wooden chapel and remained so until 1192 when
the cathedral was rebuilt in stone. Over the centuries, St. Patrick’s came to
be seen as the people’s church while the older Christ Church Cathedral up the street was more
associated with the British establishment.
We wandered
on down the street to the fantastic ornate City Hall, erected between 1769 and
1779 as the royal exchange. It was taken over by Dublin City in 1852 as a meeting place for the city council and
continues this tradition today.
Just beyond
the hall we saw the awesome Dublin Castle. For seven centuries Dublin Castle
was the symbol of English rule, ever since the Anglo-Normans built the fortress
here in the 13th century.
Parts of it, the Record Tower and the butt
of the Powder Tower, are the original creation with renovations of red brick in
the court yard giving way to luxury State Apartments.
A fabulous sand sculptor had left three
fascinating works of art for all to enjoy. They were very thought provoking.
Einstein with a black hole in the back of his head....
A color wheel that simulates making the color white
A breakup although the heart is still in tact between the lovers
Dublin Castle had a stunning courtyard
We continued
our bike ride through the area known as Temple Bar with lots of narrow streets,
pubs and colorful lights strung about. We spent some time weaving around the
walkways enjoying all the different themes to lure you in to experience their
pub. Our destination for the night was to find the oldest pub in Dublin….The Brazen
Head. We found the Liffey River at the foot of the hill in Temple Bar and
crossed it. What whimsical lighting across the bridge….reminded us of
Budapest.
We rode by the Four Courts (1796)...looking so majestic and grand lit up at night. This building was gutted during the early 1800's during Ireland's Civil War. In 1932 it was restored.
We rode by the Four Courts (1796)...looking so majestic and grand lit up at night. This building was gutted during the early 1800's during Ireland's Civil War. In 1932 it was restored.
We crossed the Liffey River intending to head back to our flat, but here we came
across the Brazen Head, Dublin's oldest Irish Pub! Established in 1198, it is still catering to the public every night so.....
we stopped in to find a four piece band playing mandolin, guitar, four and five string banjos, and occasionally a squeeze box. A lovely woman sang some heart wrenching Irish songs while playing a soft Irish drum. We got there just in time to find a seat.
we stopped in to find a four piece band playing mandolin, guitar, four and five string banjos, and occasionally a squeeze box. A lovely woman sang some heart wrenching Irish songs while playing a soft Irish drum. We got there just in time to find a seat.
The place quickly became packed with no standing room left. We whiled
away a couple of hours enjoying these special moments before heading home
around 11:00. As we went out the front
door, I heard a fiddle playing across the street so we wandered over to O’Shea’s
and went in to find a lively group of people dancing to a fiddle and according
player’s tunes.
We joined in and became one of the locals just enjoying the moments of Irish revelry. It is safe to say, we had no problem dreaming the night away when we finally went to bed.
We joined in and became one of the locals just enjoying the moments of Irish revelry. It is safe to say, we had no problem dreaming the night away when we finally went to bed.
Outside our flat we heard clip-clop the next morning...Carriage rides come down our street occasionally!
Happy Birthday to Larry…sweet 16…sort of in
reverse!
The sun was shining grandly on Tuesday so we jumped on our bikes and managed to
weave in and out of the traffic more prolifically. ..at least we got a little
braver at being right in the middle of all
the business of Dublin. We headed for St. Stephen’s Green, one of three ancient
parks in the southwest part of Dublin.
Enclosed in 1664, the 22 acre green was laid
out in its present form in 1880 using a grant
provided by Lord Ardilaun, family member of the Guinness family. The park
was beautifully landscaped with flowerbeds, trees, a fountain, and a lake. Swans
and ducks were abundant.
Along the paved paths we passed memorial monuments of
eminent Dubliners. We especially enjoyed the lavish flower gardens at the
Iveagh House, a town house once owned by the Guinness Family, but now by the Department
of Foreign Affairs.
I fixed Larry his favorites for a candlelight
birthday dinner….steak, potatoes, and salad. He has always prefered my cooking to going out….isn’t
that the sweetest thing!
After chocolate brownie pie and ice cream, we
biked over to Grafton Street , the hubbub of Dublin shopping.
This street act was good...even the pigeons liked him !
This took real team work to be so still!
Grafton Street looks so great at night!
Loved the colors in this gelato venue!
It is great to have so many places to see out on the town!
During the day we
noticed that it was packed with people and a great place to have the pickpocket
experience, but this evening it has just a few people strolling the avenues.
Many post cards show the tourist elbow to elbow walking this area. It is the home to sleek, trendy, high-end designer stores and cosmopolitan
cafes. What a great place to see original street acts and people watch.
We
enjoyed the area for a while before coming to the stately Bank of Ireland…all lit
up in the evening.
Bank of Ireland
It’s easy to pack a lot into a night out in Dublin. Most of the
best nightspots are situated close to each other. In the Temple Bar area alone
there are plenty of exciting places to try out so if one place doesn’t suit
your fancy, you can quickly dash into another. Tonight we were heading to The Palace, a
lovely old fashion pub that Tom and Vaughn had referred us to. Lots of wood in the bar and packed to the gills,
but no live music so we exited and walked deeper
into The Temple Bar area.
We were surprised at the number of people on the
streets and in the pubs at 9:30pm on a week night. We were on the hunt for some more traditional
Irish music.
Hard Rock Café had this cool car hanging upside down!
Dropping into a couple of other spots, we found rock and roll and
DJ music…I think you could find country music
to the latest dance sounds in the Temple Bar area.
On we walked coming
to the Original Temple Bar. Inside we found a lively group putting on
a great little show. The place was packed…. Standing room only!
After two songs
they finished their act and packed up leading the crowd out the door with them.
The waitress told us another group was coming so we grabbed a front row seat
and waited for a two man group to start singing with their banjo and guitar. It
was really lively and very entertaining.
The room became standing room only
again. Just after 11:00pm we called it a night. We pushed our way through the
crowd of people to find some cool night air and a quick 20 minute walk to our
flat. I had no problems jumping into bed
and dropping right off to sleep, but Larry read several chapters of the Barack
Obama autobiography. We both have enjoyed reading books that the presidents
and their first ladies have written….guess that’s the history buff in us!
Wednesday morning we went
shopping in the gorgeous windowed mall right off of Grafton Street.
After a
couple of purchases, we walked to
Trinity College, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.
Main entrance into Trinity College
Campanile...98 foot bell tower built in 1853
Gigantic door!
The manicured college
lawns and cobbled quads provide a pleasant haven in the heart of the city.
The major
attraction here is the Book of Kells, housed in the Treasury. The Book of Kells
is the most richly decorated of Ireland’s medieval illuminated manuscripts. It
is believed that monks created it in 806 AD and it was moved to Trinity College in
the 17th century. It contains the four gospels "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" in Latin. The scribes
who copied the texts also embellished their calligraphy with intricate interlacing
spirals as well as as human figures and animals. REALLY cool to see!
Throughout Dublin there are wonderful old
brick buildings. They really keep their charm as the years pass and require
little up keep. Brick was used instead of wood...they feared the chance of fire!
This one dated 1904!
These are 1901!
Red brick is all over the city!
Wednesday
evening Larry and I went to the Gaiety Theatre ( known for a mix of plays and
shows emphasizing the work of Irish playwrights) to see the 20th
Anniversary Performance of Riverdance.
The theatre was packed and the show was
EXCELLENT! What an Irish phenomenon! Such great dancers! The musicians were mighty
fine and the Disney sounding voices were heartwarming. Entertainment doesn’t come
much better than this and we felt so fortunate to have seen it as part of our Irish
adventure.
After the show
we walked down William Street and St. Andrew Street to the Molly Malone statue.
Molly was a silent film actress and lady of the night. A popular song (Cockles and Mussels or In
Dublin’s Fair City) was written about her and has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City.
Across the street we entered ‘OReilly’s Pub.
The
owner had piped the live music being played upstairs onto the street to draw
people in. My gosh! It was packed.
Upstairs we found a seat on the stairs to watch a bagpipe and guitar player
sing their hearts out.
On we went to the Bank….a prestigious uppity pub with chandeliers
and lots of ornamental Victorian looking objects with quiet classic music playing in
the background. It was very posh!
Very modern center bar and what a gorgeous ceiling!
Last we went into the The Stag Head.
This gorgeous Victorian pub has a long mahogany bar with original mirrors and
stained glass and a huge stuffed buck head center stage…but no music. People here
were strictly enjoying liquid refreshments and loud conversations...a very popular place to visit!
Do you think they are pondering...."one more pub?"
A show and
three pubs were plenty of excitement for one night so we moseyed on home with
thoughts of being in bed by 11:00pm…a rarity for us while in Dublin.
Thursday
we walked to the Guinness Storehouse, the number 1 tourist attraction in
Ireland.
The outside of the factory was a combination of brick and stone, built in 1904 covering 4 acres.
In 1759, 43 year old Arthur Guinness signed a 9000 year lease at an annual rent
of 45 sterling pounds to take over the St. James Gate Brewery. Guinness started brewing
ale but soon changed it by developing his own recipe for a black beer called porter stout.
The name changed to stout in the 1920’s. The switch was so successful that Guinness
made his first export shipment in 1769.
Oh me oh
my! What a professional tour! It was excellent!
Waterfall and wishing well in the factory!
For a self guided tour
there were six floors of pictures, videos, displays, and downright interesting
information. They even had a display of televisions progressing from the
50’s till today....showing the Guinness advertisements.
Do you believe this advertisement?
Guinness and
his wife had 21 children, only 10 survived during that time. He was quite a
philanthropher, refurbishing St. Patrick’s Cathedral and setting aside the land
for St. Stephen’s Park for the city of Dublin. Today Guinness is noted for
helping underpriviliged countries to obtain clean water.
From its
humble beginnings over 200 years ago, the brewery sprawls across 65 acres. It
is the largest brewery in Europe and exports beer to more than 120 countries
throughout the world. Larry and I
enjoyed the trip to Guinness tremendously.
The view of Dublin was phenomenal from the 7th floor!
From
Guinness we hopped onto the blue line Hop On Hop Off Bus Line touring a part
of the city that was across the Liffy River.
Liffey River
It was an interesting ride.
We passed many four story Georgian townhomes. These were more extravagant than the two story flats like the one we were staying in that seem to dominate Dublin. It is interesting that the top floor windows are always smaller than the rest of the home...due to at high tax on glass at the time they were being built.
We passed the remains of the once grand Dublin city wall...dating back to much earlier times.
Our flat is located outside the city wall area called the Liberties...an area that the king had no jurisdiction...as well as not taxation.
The bus took us out to see Croke Park, (Dublin’s Sports Arena), Botanical Gardens,
and the Glasnevin Cemetery….Long ago there was no cemetery for Dubliners who were not of
the Catholic faith so a gentleman started Glasnevin Cemetery for all religious beliefs
and it now contains 1.5 million graves….the same population as in Dublin today.
Monument to the man who started the cemetery....very castle like.
We passed down O’Connell Street, one of the
largest streets in Europe seeing the Needle and many statues of famous Irish
citizens.
The Needle
During the
evening we rode the bus back to O’Connell Street and walked down the Liffey River
to the majestic Custom’s House (1782) and modern Samuel Beckett Bridge
(2009).
Custom's House
What a contrast! The Custom's House stood beside this modern high rise. The sunset was reflecting on the glass.
Modern Samuel Beckett Bridge...modeled after a Harp...Ireland' emblem.
We walked back alongside the Liffey River
passing over the famous Ha’Penny Bridge (1816), a high cast iron foot-bridge
used by thousands of people every day linking the
Temple Bar area to Liffey Street. It
originally got its name from the halfpenny toll that was required to pass over
it until 1919.
Our final
stop of the evening was at The Clarence Hotel, renovated by an Irish owner from U2 fame, Bono. It had a wonderful
little pub and restaurant inside.
Too many late nights had finally caught up with us so
we had a welcomed early evening enjoying our current reads, Barack Obama
and The Book Thief.
Friday
morning we had a glorious day of beautiful sunshine. While walking we passed by a gigantic art show that had hundreds of pieces displayed on the fence around the outside of St. Stephen's Green. I just loved looking at the local talents. Here we passed the
lovely Shelbourne Hotel (1867)where many celebrities stay when coming to Dublin. Mel
Gibson is currently staying there while filming the new movie, “Vikings”. The grand entrance with a revolving door and six chandeliered foyer were worth popping in to take a peek. It was grand!
What an elegant place for a spot of tea!
Around the corner from the Shelbourne we entered
the National Museum.
Having an impressive entrance hall with a stunning dommed
rotunda, we toured the Ireland Treasury Room with one of the most extensive
collections of Bronze Age gold in Western Europe, dating back as far as 1800BC.
Rotunda
We enjoyed the elaborate collections of crosses, especially the Cross of Cong,
1123 AD.
A collection of church bells
was interesting as well as the stunning Egyptian Mummy of Lady Tentdinehu
925-716 BC. The Viking Room had some interesting swords and daggers that
had been discovered in the 70's dating the from Viking settlements here in Dublin.
What a collection of church bells!
A couple
of skeleton remains were so well preserved that you could see the face of them.
Many of the artifacts were interesting and well displayed for all to
enjoy.
After the National Museum we
walked toward the Liffey River. What sights!
We took a tour of the Jeanie Johnston tall sail ship, a
replica of the many ships that took 2.5 million Irish to Quebec, New York and
Boston during the Potato Famine around 1845. 1 million Irelanders died during the famine. The population of Ireland was 9 million. Today it around 6 million...the country's population has not recovered from the famine and massive immigration yet.
The
guide provided lots of stories and excellent information about life on the ship
and all the hardships that the passengers endured. This particular original
ship made 16 crossing with all Irish passengers surviving…an unbelievable record
when considering that 40,000 Irish lost their lives to disease and illness during their passage..
My captain at the helm!
Potato Famine Memorial
Saturday,
today is our final day in Dublin…and we would like to spend another week. It is a
wonderful city with so much to see and do! We headed to Merrion Park and came across several interesting spots along the way.
We passed a memorial to all the writers of Ireland...four of which have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize.
We passed a young man shoeing a horse. He comes only on Saturday to do this . Each city horse needs this done about every six or seven weeks.
We passed the art show again.
One of my favorites!
Larry's favorite....brings back some good memories!
We are heading for the Oscar Wilde Memorial
in Merrion Square.
Larry and Oscar
When we arrived at
the park there were police and military all over the place.
What’s going on? Inside the park was the National Memorial.
The National Memorial (2008) was a shrine dedicated to the members of the Defense forces who died in
the line of duty. Today there was a
ceremony in celebration of Ireland's Heritage Week….the reason for the Irish Flag
to be half staff....commemorating those who had served. It was a touching
ceremony with lots of little old men in uniforms with medals hanging from their
chests. Several wreaths were placed by the military and families.
Next we
walked over to the Irish Natural History Museum.
The first floor had all the insects, birds, fish, reptiles, and other animals
that were native to Ireland. The Giant Deer was GIGANTIC!
We got to see
what a badger looked like….we were calling them dead skunks on the side of the
road up in Ballyliffen.
The Ireland Natural History Museum was awesome. We really enjoyed seeing all the living creatures of Ireland....even though they were all dead!
Our final destination for the day was a cruise
down the Liffey River at 4:15pm. It was a smooth ride and we saw some major industries along the river...such as Facebook, and Google.
Taking a boat ride is my kinda day!
We took a final spin on the Red Line of the Hop On Hop Off Bus going out to the Phoenix Park where we spotted a miniature Washington Monument....a memorial to the Duke of Wellington, an Irishman who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
Larry and I went to our final Pub called the Cobblestone....in an area of all cobblestone streets. Inside we found three fiddle players, three banjo players, and two guitar players strumming the house down. What a way to end our final day in Dublin!
Our adventure in Ireland was downright AWESOME!
In the morning at 10:00am we fly off to Bristol, England on Aer Lingus. From there we plan to go to Somerset, England to enjoy the beaches of the United Kingdom.
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