Dublin
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The very first stop when we got to Dublin, even before the hotel, was the Guinness Brewery
Based on the supply on the walls, they were ready for us. The samples were great, especially since they let us draw our own.
See how happy Guinness makes everyone!
Our first dinner in Dublin was at Neon
which has complimentary ice cream cones. Since dinner was pretty spicy, the ice cream was enjoyed.
The first morning we took a walking tour of Dublin. One of the best stops was Trinity College. This is the geology building.
This is the pet elk of the geology college.
Beautiful building
The line for the Book of Kells Exhibit and the Long Room in the Old Library were long but both were more than worth the wait.
The Long Room in the Old Library of Trinity College is one of the iconic photos of Dublin. It was a terrific building and had a little of a Harry Potter feel to it. It seemed reasonable to expect a fire breathing dragon to make his way into the Library at any moment.
When the English invades Ireland, one of the first priorities was to build castles as a show of power and control. Dublin Castle was founded by King John in 1204. Most of the structure was rebuilt in the 18th century
The turret is part of the original walls of Dublin Castle.
This may have been my favorite door in Ireland. It opened at the end of the chapel connected to the turret at Dublin Castle. The sculptures at both sides of the door were incredible.
The Brazen Head Pub is the oldest pub in Ireland dating back to the early 1100s. It was also the ending point of our walking tour.
at the Brazen Head Pub
Lunch was fish and chips at the oldest establishment in Dublin. Lunch was delicious.
We ate our fish and chips on the grounds of Christ Church.
Another priority stop in Dublin was a tour of Jameson Distillery
Quite the fitting Chandelier!
The Jameson tour includes an interesting comparison of different whiskeys.
We also enjoyed the Archeology Museum
The museum had a great exhibit related to the battle of Clontorf in 1014, when the Irish, led by Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland and certain Viking allies rose up against the Viking armies of Dublin and certain viking mercenaries from Iceland and Normandy. The Irish were victorious but Boru lost his life.
The Cross of Cong, made in 1123, represents the peak of Irish metalwork. It was constructed to encase a fragment of the True Cross, which would have been seen behind the polished rock crystal.
Many important ancient relics have been found in the peat bogs in Ireland but some of the most unexpected were mummified people, popularly known as Bog Bodies
The Needle is a landmark in downtown Dublin
Dinner at the Market Bar was really great.
It was located in an old shoe factory.
I had to move quickly to get a picture of the cheesecake. It was pretty popular at our table.
A highlight of Dublin was St. Patrick's Cathedral.
St. Patrick's was beautiful. The Cathedral was founded in 1191 and is the largest church in Ireland. By the 1800s, the Cathedral was is serious disrepair. Portions of the Cathedral were in ruins. In the 1860s, about the time of the American Civil War, Sir Benjamin Guinness, head of the famous brewery, agreed to undertake at his own expense the restoration of St. Patricks's Cathedral. Guinness, whose father had died in 1855 was the richest person in Ireland having inherited the Guinness Brewery from his father, spent £150,000 to restore the Cathedral.
