Saturday, November 10, 2007

... Hoping to be officially Irish by association.

Our last day in Dublin, we trekked down to Dublin Castle.
A friendly little Irish man took us on a tour around the official rooms.

Liberty

Lady Liberty looks in on the Castle, the houses of parliament, and not out on the people of Dublin. They find that apt and amusing.



They shot him while he was strapped to a chair.

They had to strap him to a chair, but they still executed him.

Hallway in Dublin Castle

Chandeliers in Dublin Castle

It Used to have Large Lion Feet.

It used to have large lions feet. but it was too tall for Queen Victoria so they cut them off and added a footstool!

Inside Dublin Castle



The ancient river Poddle.

All that remains of the ancient river poddle.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

Reflected Clouds

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

Christ Church Cathedral

christchurchcathedral

Christ Church Cathedral

Angular

Ornate hinge on Christ Church Cathedral



Containing the heart of a Saint.

(Containing the heart of a Saint)

Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral

Did you know that Handel's Messiah was first performed in Dublin?
Neither did I.

13th April 1742

13th April 1742

Inside St Patrick's Cathedral

inside St Patrick's Cathedral

The Preist and the Technician

He came out shortly after a fire alarm saying "only a small fire. Nothing to worry about". Eep.

In the Garden

My first photo as a 24-year old.

Pigeons!

Pigeons!!
In London they have bird-spikes all over everything.

Poor broken bag

Poor sweet soldier bag. It started to split!

Giant Jesus statue

Giant Jesus statue.
Seriously, that thing was MY HEIGHT. Which, admittedly, isn't all that tall. But for an ornamental Jesus statue? pretty tall.

George Bernard Shaw's Birthplace

I had to run to the bus because I decided to find this little plaque.
But his blue door made me happy.

I'm sure it was the same colour back then. DON'T RUIN MY ILLUSION.

St Patrick's Cathedral

Craig on the bus

My poor broken bag. My poor blurry husband.

It took 6 hours travel to get home. Bus, plane, train and bus. But Ireland was lovely.


Next time I really want to visit for a couple of weeks, rent a car and travel around.
Pretty purple-heathered Ireland.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Thursday, November 08, 2007

'The Tart With The Cart', 'The Dish With The Fish' and 'The Trollop With The Scallops'

Our third morning in Dublin dawned as sunny as those prior.
I sat by my bag bemoaning my lack of temperate clothes (a jacket and 4 jerseys? useless. 2 spring weight tops? already worn. damnitall) while Craig looked at the map. And realised that (surprise!) we'd been walking the long way into the centre of Dublin so far.

Harcourt Street.

Harcourt Street.

on Harcourt Street

on Grafton Street

Grafton Street.



Outside Trinity College

Berks.

Berks.



Baileys

Mr O'Connell

They decided against "The Ring of Death house"

They decided against "The Ring of Death House" and "The Ring of Infidelity House"

A ... Saint. Probably Patrick

A ... Saint. Probably Patrick.



Street artist

(don't worry. We gave him euros as well)

Molly Malone!

She died of a fever, and no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone,
Now her ghost wheels her barrow, though the streets broad and narrow,
crying "cockles and mussells, alive, alive-o


My mother used to sing this to me at night when I was a child and trying to get to sleep. A ghost story.
She sang a ghost story to me every night and now marvels at how morbid I am.


Pond in St Stephen's Green



Yeats Statue

I fail to see the resemblence.

The dear countess

Slightly Gandhi-ish

Joyce Plinth

Crossing Stephens, that is my green


We sat in St Stephen's Green for quite some time. Watching about 1/3 of Dublin who were also there, walking and sitting in the verdure while the leaves changed colour around us.