"Dublin" in Irish. The entire city is dubbed in Irish. Luke and I got off the bus from the airport at about midnight, tired and travel weary, but not so much that we weren't excited about all the Christmas decorations that were still up.
General Post Office- home of the 1916 Easter Rising. Much of Dublin is reminiscent of the very recent independence from England.
The Custom House, Dublin's "grandest" building. We got a little bit of sun this day!
Trinity College is a famous school in Dublin. They are a main destination point within the city, because they have the Book of Kells. Renowned as the most beautiful book in the world, the Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript from around 800.
Unfortunately, Trinity's library was closed. No Book of Kells for us. :-( Luke was sad, too.
St. Stephen's Green is the largest garden in Dublin. It was full of people, with plenty of kids throwing bread at the ducks, gulls, and swans.
One of the swans tried to eat my boot. I wish I'd had bread, too!
Happy carriage driver. Right jolly looking fellow.
St. Patrick's Cathedral was constructed around 1100.
They had memorials and tombs within, many of famous people and interesting stories. My favorite was the Door of Reconciliation. It didn't look like much- just a few old boards and a hole in the middle, but the story was good. Two families were feuding in the late 1400s, and one of the leaders decided the fighting was going too far. He went to the other family in peace, but they refused him entrance. To prove his good faith, the visitor hacked a hole in the door and put his arm through it, showing his trust that they harm his defenseless limb.The floors were absolutely beautiful.
And the ceilings.
And the little kneeling pads.
Molly Malone is one of Dublin's famous statues. She's well known because of her scandalously low cut bodice. Apparently, it was even lower when she was first constructed, and the flounce you see now is an additional piece affixed in response to complaints.
Kilmainham Goal = lots of Irish history. The prisons in Ireland filled up in the 1840s and 1850s, people would commit petty crimes to be imprisoned. Prison life wasn't great- overcrowding meant disease and filth- but meager rations saved the lives of thousands of people during the potato famine.
One famous Irish nationalist who was imprisoned here was Joseph Plunkett. He married his sweetheart, Grace Gifford (another activist), in the Kilmainham Goal chapel only a few hours before he was executed."Darling Grace,
You will marry me and nobody else. I have been a damned fool and a blind imbecile but thank God I see I love you and you only and will never love anyone else.
Your love, Joe."
She never remarried. Both were important figures in the quest for Irish independence last century.
And, finally: tacky Irish gift store number 23901231. If you want a €15 sheep keychain that will fall apart next week, or a €12 Guinness mug that is already chipping, you can be quick
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