Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Wednesday 21 May
Early bus to the city to hit the usual Dublin sights – Trinity College and the Book of Kells – the latter is just amazing as is the old library with 2 storey of bookshelves to the ceiling. We walked all about Merrion Square and St Stephen’s Green and Temple Bar, taking in the Georgian buildings, Cathedrals, Castle and countless pubs and bars. The city is very alive and busy with both locals and tourists, lots of buskers and human statues, music and animation everywhere. We managed to finish gift shopping and came home to pack as tomorrow night we are booked for the Abbey Theatre to see Twelfth Night.
Thursday 22 May
It’s hard to believe that we spent more than 5 hours at the Glasnevin Cemetery today. What a fascinating place! For one thing there are more than 1.5 million people buried there, more than the current population of Dublin in fact, and it seems all the most important political notables in Ireland’s struggle for freedom are to be found there. Our guide was extremely informative and warmly human with his anecdotes and references to the major players in Ireland’s history. The museum houses an excellent account of Daniel O’Connell's life and a special section on the role women played in the fight for the Republic. There is genealogical info available and interactive displays giving the profile of all the significant people buried there and their role in the conflict. We found a Richard O’Gorman who was involved in a local uprising in Tipperary and who was a contemporary of my great-great-grandfather – possibly a nephew or cousin – we are still researching. Ray found references to Lowes on the protestant side but has no details to help with the search.
Tomorrow we fly to Amsterdam but tonight we are excited to be going to the Abbey Theatre to see Twelfth Night.
- comments