Ireland Day 9

Well, here's the final installment on Ireland!

Stay tuned for Desert Crossroads and the Himalaya

Day 9
Saturday March 20

We say our good-byes and head straight for Dublin, learning a lot about the fight for Irish independence and about current politics along the way (Current President of Ireland is Mary Mcaleese)

We have but one short day to see what we can of Dublin and we have narrowed it down to:

1. Kilmainham Gaol: 1797-1922.
Was built as a “reform jail,” separated prisoners by type, rather than throwing them all in together. Played a key role in Ireland’s struggle for independence, where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising were sent, and where many of them were executed. Old wing, with long rows of cells, new wing with “panopticon” design.















2 Phoenix Park: Beautiful expanses of green. Largest city park in Europe – twice as big as Central Park in NY. The homes of both the President of Ireland, Mary Mcaleese, and the American Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, are situated within the park.

3 Guiness Storehouse – This is Guiness’ visitors’ center. There’s a self-guided tour that takes you up about 7 levels to the “Gravity Bar,” where you look out over Dublin.
One of Guiness’ brands is “Harp” and we learned that the harp is a symbol of Ireland, having been played here (in one form or another) for over 2,500 years.




















4. Trinity College (essentially the University of Dublin(?). Founded 1592, home to a vast library of ancient manuscripts in the “Long Room.” [We weren’t allowed to take photos there, but I found one on line – an amazing library!] The most famous masterpiece in the collection is the “Book of Kells,” a handwritten and “illuminated” text of the Gospels that dates back to the 9th century.























Wandered around and took some more interesting signs, then had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Foley's, just around the corner from our hotel on Merrion Row. The next day we got up early and flew to London for the next "leg" of our grand adventure...