Dublin: Part 1

Today was Dublin.  We had a most excellent guide, Cormac Gordon, who walked us through as much of Dublin as our feet could handle, and then some.  We talked about history, culture, government, rivers, mountains, and wide open spaces.  Some of you might find it surprising that we set foot in NO churches, although we saw at least 4.

Dublin gets its name from the Irish for "dark pool."  The river Puddle, which runs through Dublin,  is a river dark with sediment.  In ancient times, it made a turn, forming a pool that was, well, dark.  We saw the park where this pool once was. 

No, it didn't dry up.  The city was built up over it, and the Puddle now runs underneath the city.  It comes out into the river Liffey at a really insignificant place., which we somehow didn't get a picture of.  Think of a plain Jane sewer grate.

We started with Trinity College, and the Book of Kells.

I have wanted to see this since, probably, high school, and almost didn't.  I had heard many say they were really disappointed by it.  But Cormac talked me into it, not that it took much arm-twisting, and got us there early enough to beat the crowds.  THAT seems to be the secret.  It was beautiful, as was the Long Room, which we also saw. 

The smell of old books.....
Among the interesting things we saw in the Long Room were an original copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic (think Declaration of Independence, my American friends)

and the Brian Boru harp, symbol of Ireland...and, yes, Guinness.

We left Trinity College, and saw the pre-Union Irish Parliament building, which is now a bank.  The House of Lords is still there.  The House of Commons was removed as a condition of the bank's purchase.

After a coffee stop, we walked through the walled part of the city, which was founded by the Vikings.  The pictures I took included the "footprint" of a Viking house.

We saw Dublin Castle, St Patrick's 

and Christchurch Cathedrals,  the place where Handel first performed Messiah, and the oldest pub in Dublin.  (I had ginger ale, John had a half pint)  

It was a gorgeous day, and there's more to tell.  But I'll let you chew on that for a bit.