Dublin, Ireland – My Irish Eyes Are Smiling
She’s gone now, but I felt her presence on a recent trip to Ireland. We lucked out with six days of sunshine out of seven, a minor miracle in normally wet Ireland.
Most of our time was spent in Dublin. Similar to London and Edinburgh, Dublin has the hop-on hop-off bus, stopping at major attractions in the city. The driver narrates as you ride along, so you’re bound to pick up a few interesting tidbits about the city. “Too touristy,” you may exclaim, but convenient and practical nonetheless. Renting a car in the city center is not recommended.
On the hop-on hop-off, you’ll hear about the famous statue of Molly Malone. The voluptuous Molly, celebrated in song, stands with her fishmonger’s cart at the corner of Grafton and Suffolk streets. Due to her nighttime occupation, locals call this statue the “dish with the fish” and the “tart with the cart.”
On a more scholarly note, The Book of Kells, on the Trinity University Campus, was number one on my Dublin must-see list. Having tried my hand at some medieval illumination, I was well aware of the labor and effort needed to create this form of artwork. We arrived 10 minutes early and a small crowd was already forming. The book is a lavishly decorated copy of the four gospels in Latin and was probably produced in the early 9th century.
Prior to seeing the actual manuscript under glass, visitors view a walk-through exhibit titled “Turning Darkness into Light.” The exhibit details the process of making such books, from the materials used to the creative styles. Enlargements of several pages show the minute details of The Book of Kells. That’s beneficial, since on any given day you can only see two actual pages. Also on display are two other manuscripts similar in style, selected from the library’s collection.
Vikings are credited with establishing the first settlement at this spot, more than 1,000 years ago. Among the long list of activities in Dublin is the Viking Splash Tour. We decided to give it a try. Since the starting and ending point of the splash tour is beside St. Patrick’s cathedral, we scheduled both for the same afternoon.
The splash tours take place on amphibious, open-air vehicles built for use in World War II. They can move both on land and in water. Our youthful guide passed around a few Viking helmets for the kids to wear. She then instructed us in the proper Viking roar, fists flung high in the air to accompany our loud growl.
Throughout the tour, primarily at stoplights, we roared at pedestrians. This brought sheepish smiles to the faces of unsuspecting tourists on the streets of Dublin, but all in good fun.
Our water time was short, just 10 minutes or so, but nonetheless the vehicle stopped first to allow us time to slip on our life vests. If you’ve never ridden in one of these dual-purpose vehicles, take the opportunity.
Just down from St. Patrick’s, Christchurch Cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in the city. A house of worship has stood on this site since 1030. The cathedral’s present shape dates from the 1180s, though many restorations have taken place since that time. If you’re into things medieval, Dublinia is just across from Christ Church, via a covered walkway.
Award-winning Dublinia uses recreations, life size figures and hands-on activities to portray medieval Dublin. A well-done diorama shows how the city appeared during those years.
If Dublinia whets your appetite for real historical artifacts, allow time for the National Museum of Ireland. I was fascinated by the Treasury room. It holds a collection of ancient objects dug up from Irish soil. How amazing to be digging potatoes one minute, then finding a priceless hoard of silver objects the next. Discovering a beautiful chalice beneath your shovel must be quite a feeling. For an overview of Irish artistic history, watch the short video in a room just off the Treasury.
Called the most popular attraction in all of Ireland, the Guinness Storehouse does draw crowds.
You see them especially at the final stop, called the Gravity Bar, where you get free samples after touring the facility. Rising several stories above the fair city, this round, glassed-in space offers a fine view of Dublin, but they could use a few more chairs. It was so crowded we had to sit on the tile floor. All mix of nationalities drink and mingle in the Gravity Bar, happily downing the world-famous dark beer.
The founder, Arthur Guinness, was generous to the city, and his employment practices were progressive for those early days. It was said if you got a job at Guinness you were set for life.
Our five days in Dublin allowed us one afternoon for a day trip along the coast to Malahide Castle, but many other day trips are available.
