Day one in Dublin

Monday 2^nd September

Today’s pedometer reading is 12.08 k’s.

Andrew had a full Irish breakfast this morning…just the same as an English one really however the one different thing on the menu was the option of Baileys Irish Cream on your porridge! The suggestion is that it will warm the cockles of your heart.

This morning we set off for Trinity College, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth 1 on the site of a monastery. The major attractions are the Old Library and the Book of Kells housed in the Treasury.

Both of us were underwhelmed by the Book of Kells. They are dated to about AD 806 and described as the most richly decorated of Ireland’s illuminated manuscripts. There are four double pages on display and they change them each day. I think we struck a day when the least remarkable pages were on display. The entry ticket included a visit to the Old Library and we were suitably impressed…

The spectacular Long Room measures 64ft (210 ft ) from end to end. It houses 200,00 antiquarian texts; marble busts of scholars and the oldest surviving harp in Ireland.

The harp is constructed from oak and willow with brass strings. As an emblem of early bardic society, this is the harp that appears on Irish coins.

As we left the library we passed by this rotating sculpture…such a contrast to see something so modern alongside such old buildings

Sphere within a sphere (1962) was given to the college by its sculptor Amaldo Pomodoro.

Next stop was the Guinness Storehouse and we LOVED IT…to be sure, to be sure. It was a fermentation plant from 1904 to 1988 and is now a seven storey visitor experience dedicated to the history and making of this world famous beer. Our favourite parts were the tasting experience and the final part of the tour where you can enjoy a free pint of Guinness panoramic views over Dublin in the Gravity Bar at the very top of the building.

We had lunch there and then set off for Temple Bar…on the way we saw a Leprechaun! Hmmm yes there are quite a few buskers dressed up in leprechaun suits and also plenty of buskers playing Celtic tunes on the Irish fiddle…we’re yet to see a combination of the two!

The cobbled streets of Temple Bar are named after Sir William Temple who acquired the land in the early 1600’s. The term ‘bar’ meant a riverside path. It is a maze of narrow cobbled streets & today this arts and entertainment district is filled with bars, restaurants, shops and galleries.

We decided to walk back ‘home’ via Grafton Street…it is a pedestrian mall lined with beautiful hanging baskets and alive with buskers and pavement artists. The shops are more up-market and we LOVED the Brown Thomas department store.

We then walked through St Stephen’s Green it is the largest of the parks in Dublin's main Georgian squares and is a tranquil oasis with well manicured lawns, flower beds and a lake complete with a variety of ducks and swans.

Dublin is an interesting place and we particularly like the Georgian architecture…there are lots of posters around of the Dublin doors, were planning to take some photos of them tomorrow…the door knockers are beautiful too and we’ve decided that one of them would suit our front door very well…only trouble is they’re made of solid brass and may be a bit heavy in the suitcase!