Roaming Dublin - Day 1
Armed with our rain gear, we set out to explore Dublin. A few blocks from the hotel is St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful, art-filled park that was the site of fierce fighting during the Easter Rising of 1916. Along the way we found the National Museum of Archaeology and the National Library of Ireland. And who could resist a stroll through Temple Bar?
Roaming Dublin - Day 2
With a whole day to explore before meeting our tour group, we headed out early. Our first stop was Christ Church Cathedral, founded in 1030 and rebuilt in the 1870's with funding from the Roe Distillery (competing with the Guinness family funding of St. Patrick's). Strongbow is buried at Christ Church - he's not just a cider! Other stops included the Chester Beatty Library and Dublin Castle, followed by another stroll through Temple Bar on the way back to the hotel to meet our group.
Wow Moment: The National Museum of Archaeology
This was an unexpected delight. Ancient Irish goldsmiths produced stunning work including jewelry and religious items. Jane was truly excited to see a small gold boat - she remembers a photo of it in the textbook of her Modern European History class in high school. Additional treasures are the Tara Brooch and the Cross of Cong (more on that later). And if you don't mind some gruesomeness, there's the Bog Bodies.
Kaleidoscope: Roaming Dublin |
|
Cover photo: Flight status map
|