Travel Notes: Dublin — Day 4
Whole lotta walkin’ goin’ on
12 September 2009
Aloha Friends & Family,
Still beautiful weather in Dublin! I’m enjoying every minute of it—and my time here in Ireland.
After a lovely breakfast, I walked down to Trinity College Dublin for a student-guided tour of the campus. Our guide, Rory, is in his final year studying economics and hails from County Cork—a country boy. Well-spoken with a quick wit, he did a wonderful job, sharing stories of famous (in Ireland) graduates and even haunted dormitories!
Too soon, the tour ended at the Old Library, home of the famous Book of Kells.
The Book of Kells is a 1,200-year-old manuscript written on calfskin vellum by four monks on the Isle of Iona off the coast of Scotland. It contains the Four Gospels, all handwritten and elaborately decorated—and remarkably well preserved for a book of its age. The Book itself is hermetically sealed in a special steel-and-glass case, so visitors see only four pages at a time: two text pages and two illuminated ones.
Before you reach the manuscript, there’s a wonderful (and truly illuminating) exhibit explaining how it was made—where the pigments came from (arsenic for yellow, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan for blue), and even how it got its name. It really should be called the Book of Iona, since that’s where it was created, but the monks moved it to Kells in County Meath to protect it from Viking raiders—hence, the Book of Kells.
Next on my itinerary: find somewhere for lunch!
I wandered for quite a while, unsure of what I was hungry for. Grafton Street has a pedestrian mall with endless choices, but none that whispered eat here. So I decided to walk toward my next stop—the National Gallery of Ireland—and look for something nearby.
I found a pub called Kennedy’s Pub and decided to eat there. Pubs are the best place for good Irish food at a reasonable price. I chose steak—it would keep me fueled for an afternoon of walking—and since the menu proudly stated it was 100% Irish beef, I felt I was supporting the local economy twice. It was delicious, and the pub was a lovely place to relax, read the paper, and recharge. The lunch was excellent, too!
On to the National Gallery. I specifically wanted to see paintings by Jack Yeats, brother of W. B. Yeats. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all the National Museums of Ireland have free admission—what a bonus! I found Jack Yeats’s graphic work more engaging than his later, more abstract Impressionist-style paintings, but since admission was free, I didn’t mind lingering and exploring.
My most enjoyable visit of the day was the guided tour of 29 Fitzwilliam Street, a Georgian townhouse built in 1794 and restored in 1987 to reflect its original appearance. The Georgian period corresponds to the reign of the four Kings George of England, including George II, who ruled during the American Revolution.
During that era, Dublin was the second-largest city in the United Kingdom after London, and a time of great prosperity. This particular house is part of a long row of brick townhouses—basement plus four floors (and 87 stairs!)—facing Merrion Square, which was once a private park for residents and is now public.
The tour began with a short film about the first owner, Mrs. Beatty, a widow with seven children who lived there for twelve years. Our guide then led us through the house, starting in the basement, showing artifacts—many original to Dublin from the same period. It was easy to imagine daily life for the family, the housekeeper, the scullery maid, the manservant, and the governess. I left with a deeper appreciation for history—and for modern conveniences like running water, flush toilets, elevators, and microwaves!
Afterward, I set out to find the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History… only to discover it was closed for renovations. Oh well! That meant it was time to find Grafton Street again—and a pub—because it was Guinness time.
And then I promptly got lost. Something I rarely do!
It took about an hour to find my way back, but in the process I wandered through a lovely old neighborhood: a tree-lined street of Georgian houses, each with a brightly colored door—a very Dublin thing. I enjoyed the extra time, and when I finally arrived at O’Neill’s Pub, the Guinness tasted especially good.
I made my way back to my neighborhood via O’Connell Street, walking down the wide boulevard and taking photos of statues honoring heroes of the Easter Rising. Much of the uprising took place here, centered on the General Post Office. I’m headed there today to see the actual bullet holes in the GPO walls—left unrepaired as a reminder of that Easter Monday.
More later!
Love,
TJ