Ireland - Dublin - Tue & Wed 17-18 Nov 2015

This trip has been fantastic!  A wonderful pilgrimage with Bishop Hying of Gary, Indiana, a wonderful visit with our son and a chance to explore Edinburgh & Mainland Orkney, now two days to just poke around and explore.  Rick Steves and maps.me will guide us!  These photos are from the two days and are not necessarily in chronological order.  Some are from Tuesday, some from Wednesday - whatever seemed to tell the story best. 

The Dublin Convention Center is just across the Liffey River from our hotel

This night view shows how delightful our view was in the evening when we'd return to the hotel

The Samuel Beckett Bridge & Convention Center

The Samuel Beckett Bridge is a swing bridge meaning it pivots to allow vessels to pass. The cable-stays from the arched boom completely supports the bridge from the base end.

Turns out Argentina owes it's Navy to this Irishman, Adm William Brown born in County Mayo 

This diving bell was placed on the floor of the bay and men would climb down the ladder in the center of the long neck to work on the floor of the sea below!  By comparison, the street lights are probably 20-25 feet tall.

This modern vessel is the James Joyce P62, a Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV)

MV (motor vessel) Cill Airne is now a restaurant but was one of two identical "tender ship" that took first class passengers to their liners. They were the last riveted ship ever built.

The Jeanie Johnson was a "Famine Ship" that transported desperate people to other areas of the world to escape the famine in Ireland in the 1850's.  We were told Jeanie Johnson had a perfect record in that they never lost a passenger to starvation (or any other malady)

The Sean O'Casey bridge is one of several pedestrian only bridges linking the north side and the south side of Dublin

This memorial remembers all merchant seaman who have lost their lives.

The Liffey River bisects the city but is also one of the main the reason for the prominence of Dublin as a city.

Another pedestrian bridge

The Clayton Hotel was all ready for Christmas!  We booked the Clayton through the Aer Lingus Vacation Club. We got the hotel for 3 nights for a very slight (less than $100) increase over the base air fare!

Tuesday morning found us at St Andrew for daily mass

The church was beautiful, especially the relief in the center o fthe ceiling that depicts the coronation of Mary

The statuary was very beautiful

The Stations of the Cross are paintings.

The Gospel writers are prominent - here St Matthew

Here St Luke

St Andrew's is just across from Trinity College's back door. So we entered through a commuter gate next to the metro stop. Before long, we came to the athletic field with the Pavilion (left) and the Moyne Institute of Preventative Medicine (right)

The Library (where the Book of Kells is displayed)

The figures on either side of the Campanile are George Salmon (left) and William Lecky (Right)

The Sphere Within A Sphere

Atoms and Apples

Didn't want to pop for $15 to see the Book of Kells, so we settled with shooting a photo of a poster of the Book of Kells

After a bit of a walkabout, we came across St Theresa of Avila Church. St Theresa reformed the Carmelites and this indeed is a Carmelite monastery. 

The main altar is gorgeous with splendid statuary

Including this Corpus of Jesus under the main altar.  (Many non-Catholics do not understand why Catholics have so many depictions of the dead or dying Jesus. It is to remind us every time we look upon such a statue how much Jesus loves us.)

St Terese of Lisieux was a Carmelite nun at her death

The Infant of Prague

Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Earth

Looking across the church from the door where we entered. The main altar is on the right half way down.

St Joseph with Jesus

St Anne with her daughter Mary, mother of Jesus

Mary

St Patrick

Beautiful stained glass windows

This beautiful Pieta sits in the courtyard

The Castle is just a short walk. It sits at the confluence of teh Liffey and the Poddle Rivers. A black pool (dubh linn) formed there and gave the city its name.

The entrance to the gift shop sports some armor

The courtyard

The seat of British Government was in this castle and it represented oppression to the Irish

The statue of Fortitude - the warrior and lion epitomizes British rule

Even Justice - note she has no blindfold and is admiring her sword.  Dubliners were wont to say "There she stands above her station, with her face to the palace and her arse to the nation!"

But the sentry was very cute!

The remnants of power

Immediately behind the castle are the Dubh Linn Gardens

Veronica Guerin Irish crime reporter murdered in 1996 by drug lords. Her death caused significant reforms in law enforcement.

This monument remembers the Special Olympics Games

The Light Shard sculpture

The Glass Snake

Just to the side of the gardens sits the Chester Beatty Library

Chester Beatty was a wealthy American who loved to travel and loved antiquities. Upon his death, his collection was given to the Irish people in this library.

This atrium cafe is a splendid place to day dream and people watch!

A fragment from a 1st Century Old Testament

Ancient Jewish scrolls and books

A fragment from the Gospel of John from the 2nd Century

Art depicting Christian symbols

Ancient Korans

Buddhism was represented as well

Chester Beatty was awarded many honors by the British government

Even though it was undergoing a huge renovation (only 25% of the Gallery was open), we spent and hour in the National Gallery

This nice cafe is just inside the doors

Wonderful religious art - here Jesus during his passion

Here David slays Goliath

This archway honoring the Royal Fusiliers leads into St Stephen's Green - one of the larger parks in Dublin

The Three Fates - Past Present and Future

James Joyce memorial

Theobald Wolfe Tone, the leader of the 1798 Rebellion against British rule in Ireland who is widely regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism

Famine - a sculpture just behind the Wolfe Tone

 Back to the Liffey - in the background is the main bridge - the O'Connell Street Bridge

The O'Connell Street Bridge has the distinction of being one of the only bridges whose width exceeds its span

Daniel O'Connell, one of the great leaders of Irish Independence, often called the Great Liberator

Just across the bridge on the south side is the Lafayette Building

Continuing north of the river on O'Connell, we next encounter William Smith O'Brien, an Irish nationalist Member of Parliament and leader of the Young Ireland movement

Next, John Gray Knt MD JP, active both in municipal and national government for much of his life, he had nationalist ideals

Big Jim Larkin - Labor activist, he founded the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, the Irish Labour Party, and later the Workers' Union of Ireland

At the very north end of O'Connell Street is this beautiful monument to Charles Stewart Parnell - an Irish landlord, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party. He was one of the most important figures in the 19th century United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

At the center of everything is the Spire of Dublin soaring nearly 400 feet in height!

The Main Post Office

Rotunda in background - Ambassador Cinema in front

Gate Theater

Parnell Heritage Pub

Further north yet, the Abbey Presbyterian Church

But just south of Abbey is this somber memorial to those who died in the cause of Irish independence

This animated sign is titled Suzanne Walking in a Leather Skirt

Further north yet, alerted by maps.me. we found this statue of Mary in a housing project

James Joyce Center (it was closed by a computer problem)

I grew up listening to radio with my Mom. She always enjoyed Fibber Magee & Molly.

Have no idea what this building is but loved the murals!

Continuing the walkabout on the South Side of the River (keep in mind, these are not in chronological order) we find Grafton Street - a pedestrian only street where Theresa found a delightful gift shop!

The Irish National Bank (right across from Trinity College)

On a building top nearby "Erin go Bragh" meaning loosely Ireland Forever

St Patrick's and the "Liberty Bell" so named because it is in the section of Dublin known as the Liberties (at least that's what it said on the internet!)

Tombs line the walls of St Patrick's Park

Dublin City Council Hall

These odd pieces were embedded in the sidewalk around the City Council - no idea what they are

Nice amphitheater behind City Council building 

Christ Church Cathedral right up the hill from the City Council building

Christ Church Cathedral from other side

The former residence for the Bishop

We chatted with a traffic cop across from Trinity College and he recommended O'Neill's if we wanted Smithwick's

Irish Stew with sides??  But it included soda bread so Theresa was happy!

Our barkeeper

Please note - Bob DID NOT TAKE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS OF THE LADIES LOO!

The French Association with the Tricolors at half mast - this was shortly after the Paris terrorist attacks

Just liked the name!

What's not to like about a confectioner named Hansel & Gretel!  

Oscar Wilde reclines in Merrion Square

National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces_An Dun Cuimhneachain - Merrion Square

Did you know an Irishman named John Field is credited as Creator of the Nocturne?

Countess Constance Markievicz and Poppet, Irish Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil politician, revolutionary nationalist, suffragette, socialist (the Countess, not Poppet)

Viking Longboat Sculpture - I found this piece fascinating!

Boston College - Dublin
It supports study abroad students in Ireland and offers summer study and internships

This set of row houses was fascinating in that they each had a relief above the door sets.  Very nice touch.

D'Olier Chambers building

The Smock Alley Theater

We're in the Temple Bar area, so why not find the Original Temple Bar?

Turns out is has nothing to do with a temple, but was started by Sir William and Lady Martha Temple!

I must admit, I was a little partial to "Bad Bob's Temple Bar"

Gogarty's made a big thing about James Joyce - I figured it was like "George Washington Slept Here" ads.

So we ended up at O'Shea's Restaurant - not even a bar!

A pretty little hole in the wall where we could get a meal and a pint for 10 Euro.

Theresa had Irish Stew while I had my last Irish fish & chips!

It looks dark but its only like 8PM!

Theresa spotted this pub and suggested one last pint o' Smithwick's!

Tomorrow, it is all history. We fly back to Chicago. 

We bid farewell to the "Emerald Isle"

As we catch one last glimpse of the west coast where we were just 3 weeks ago!

We cleared US Customs in Dublin (very nice) and boarded the flight right on time! Landed in Chicago a tiny bit early. We'd parked in a Hilton by the Convention Center near O'Hare for $7/day in a covered garage!

We headed south and cleared the region before the traffic hour. Stopped in Lafayette for a light snack and were home in bed by 10 PM!
I hope you have enjoyed this blog as much as I have enjoyed preparing it.  Leave me a comment if you enjoyed it. Skip that if you hated it.
Until next time - au revoir