Things to do and car hire in Dublin
There are so many things to do in Dublin, that the best way to explore this fascinating city and its surrounding areas is to hire a car from Dublin Airport.
Sightseers who prefer cities won't be disappointed in Dublin. The capital of Ireland is a very European city of low profile buildings, many of them outstanding examples of 18th century architecture. Birthplace and inspiration of great authors, Dublin is pervaded by contrasting moods which can affect even the transient visitor: sweeping avenues and intimate side streets, chic shopping and Smoky pubs, distinguished museums and colleges along with sports galore. In this appealing melting pot of old and new, the traditional lace curtains still mask the windows of modern apartment blocks, and a policeman riding a bicycle reports to headquarters by lapel radio.
The name of Dublin comes from the Irish Dub inn, meaning dark pool. But you'll also see a much older Gaelic name on buses and signs: Baile Atha Cliath, the town of the hurdle ford, which explains why Dublin was originally settled centuries ago as a place to ford the River Liffey near its exit to the sea. The river, a system of tranquil canals and the nearby Irish Sea all contribute to Dublin's special atmosphere. Seagulls frequent the centre of town; so do the ghosts of Vikings, Normans, Viceroys ... and Leopold and Molly Bloom, late of Eccles Street.
Where to go in Dublin
O'Connell Street to St. Stephen's Green The main street of Dublin, O'Connell Street is worthy of a major capital, a lasting monument to the Wide Street Commissioners of the 18th century. It is 45 metres (150 ft.) across and as straight as the morals of Father Theobald Mathew, the 19th-century priest known as the Apostle of Temperance.
You'll find him commemorated in one of the four monuments down the middle of the roadway. There used to be five. As an anti-British gesture in 1966, unidentified citizens removed the imposing Nelson Pillar erected in 1808. Many Dubliners admired the panache and technical skill of the demolition crew that blew it up in the middle of the night.
The best known landmark of O'Connell Street, the General Post Office, has a significance far great than its postal predominance. The GPO (as it is known) was the command post of the 1916 Easter Rising and badly damaged in the fighting. A plaque on the front of the building, in Irish and English, and a statue in the main hall mark the historic event.
At the south end of the street, facing O'Connell Bridge, stands the monument to Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), The Liberator, after whom the street and bridge are named. From the three-arched bridge, almost as wide as it is long, you can look up and down the River Liffey and along the embankments. To the east, beyond the skyscraper headquarters of the Irish trade unions, rises the copper dome of the majestic 18thcentury Custom House.
Like many buildings along the Liffey, it was all but destroyed in the civil war fighting of 1921, but has been fully restored. Some of the most interesting old buildings in Ireland, including disused churches, are now occupied by banks. But it may come as a surprise that the momentous white stone building facing College Green on the south side of the Liffey is the headquarters of the Bank of Ireland company. It was built in the 18th century for the parliament of Ireland, but when parliament was abolished (by the Act of Union of 1800), the bank moved in. The grand portico has 22 Ionic columns.
Places to visit in Dublin
Behind the curved railings at the entrance to Trinity College are the statues of two famous alumni the philosophers Edmund Burke and the playwright Oliver Goldsmith. Founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1591, Trinity remains a timeless enclave of calm and scholarship in the middle of a bustling city. For centuries it was regarded as an exclusively Protestant institution; as recently as 1956, the Catholic church forbade its youth to attend Trinity under pain of mortal sin. TCD, as it is generally called, is now integrated.
The campus is mostly a monument to the good taste of the 18th century, and visitors will enjoy roaming the cobbled walks among trimmed lawns, fine old trees, statues and graceful stone buildings. But Trinity's greatest treasure may be found in the vaulted Long Room upstairs in the Old Library. Here the double-decker stacks hold thousands of books published before 1800, and priceless early manuscripts are displayed in glass cases. Long queues of students and tourists reverently wait for a look at the Book of Kells.
This 340-page parchment manuscript, handwritten and illustrated by Irish monks in the 8th or 9th century, contains a Latin version of the New Testament. The beauty of the script, the decoration of initial letters and words, the abstract designs and above all the saintly portraits constitute the most wonderful survival from Ireland's Golden Age. The leaves of vellum on display are turned once a day to protect them from the light and to give visitors a chance to come back for more.
Some of Europe's finest Georgian houses face Merrion Square, once the proposed site for a Catholic cathedral, now a public park. The discreet brick houses have those special Dublin doorways, flanked by columns and topped by fanlights, and no two are alike. In a complex of formal buildings on the west side of the square stands Dublin's largest 18thcentury mansion, the home of the Duke of Leinster. Today Leinster House is the seat of the Irish parliament, consisting of the Senate (Seanad in Irish) and the Chamber of Deputies (the Dail, pronounced doyle).
At the entrance to the National Gallery of Ireland is a statue of George Bernard Shaw, a Dubliner known locally as a benefactor of the institution. The National Gallery displays some 2,000 works of art, but holds 6,000 more in reserve. Irish artists, reasonably enough, receive priority but important Dutch, English, Flemish, French, Italian and Spanish masters are also well represented. Among those on display: ha Angelico, Rubens, Rembrandt, Canalctto, Gainsborough and Goya.
Rounding out a prize collection of medieval religious art is the gallery's most recent acquisition, two glorious frescoes of the lith or 12th century, delicately lifted from the walls of the Chapel of St.Pierrede Campublic, in Beaucaire (near Avignon), France. The main entrance to the National Museum, another important Dublin institution, is reached from Kildare Street.
The museum's collection of Irish antiquities contains all manner of surprises, from ancient skeletons and tools to exquisite gold ornaments of the Bronze Age. The most famous exhibits are the 8thcentury Ardagh Chalice, the delicately worked Tara Brooch from the same era and the Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell (12th century).
You can also examine ancient Ogham stones with inscriptions of what might seem a childish way of encoding Latin. And if you don't have time to make a tour of churchyards and faroff monasteries, you can admire replicas of the greatest carved stone crosses from the early centuries of Christian Ireland.
South east Dublin Ireland
The southeast part of central Dublin is unusually well endowed with breathing space, thanks to a number of pleasant squares and parks. The biggest, possibly the biggest city square in Europe, is St. Stephen's Green. In the 18th century it was almost surrounded by elegant town houses, some of which survive; conservationists despair at the dwindling number. Inside the square is a perfectly delightful park with flower gardens and a manmade lake inhabited by waterfowl.
The square contains many sculptures and monuments in varied style, including a memorial to the poet and playwright W.B. Yeats by Henry Moore. Nearby is a bust of Yeats friend, Countess Constance Markievicz, the legendary defender of St. Stephen's Green during the 1916 insurrection and the first woman elected to the British House of Commons. Another statue honours the man who paid for landscaping St. Stephen's Green in 1880. He was Lord Ardilaun, son of the founder of the Guinness Brewery. Some thirsty sightseers might be inspired to find a nearby pub and raise a toast to the stout hearted benefactor.
Medieval Dublin
Dublin Castle was begun in the 13th century on a hill overlooking the original Viking settlement on the south bank of the Liffey. It was largely rebuilt in the 18th century, which explains why it no longer looks like a medieval castle. Over the centuries it served as seat of government, prison, courthouse, parliament and occasionally as fortress under siege most recently in 1916. Many a visiting head of state has been feted in the lavishly appointed State Apartments, once the residence of the British Viceroy.
Around the corner from the castle, Dublin's City Hall (formerly the Royal Exchange) was built in the late 18th century in neoclassical style. It contains ancient royal charters and the municipal regalia. Dublin has not one but two noteworthy cathedrals. And though it is the capital of a predominantly Catholic country, both cathedrals belong to the Protestant Church of Ireland. The reason for two cathedrals is easily explained if you have the time to sift through 12th century political and religious rivalries.
In any case, Christ Church is the older of the two, dating from 1038. One unusual architectural touch is the covered pedestrian bridge over Wine tavern Street, linking the church and its synod house. This was built in Victorian times but doesn't spoil the overall mood. Otherwise, Christ Church has Romanesque, Early English and neo Gothic elements. The crypt, which extends under the whole church like a vast wine cellar, is a remnant of the 12th century, when the cathedral was expanded by the Earl of Pembroke, whose remains were buried here. However, the authenticity of the present Pembroke tomb the statue of a recumbent cross legged knight in armour in the southern aisle is discounted.
St Patricks Cathedral Dublin
A short walk south from Christ Church leads to Dublin's newer and larger cathedral, St. Patrick's, dedicated to the national saint. It is said that St. Patrick himself baptized 5th-century converts at a well on this site; a stone slab which covered the well is displayed in the northwest corner of the cathedral. This church was consecrated in 1192, but the present structure dates mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries.
The cathedral is best known for its association with Jonathan Swift, the crusading satirist, who was appointed dean in 1713 and served until his death in 1745. Many Swiftian relics may be seen in a corner of the north transept, and a simple brass plate in the floor near the entrance marks his grave. Next to it is the tomb of the mysterious Stella, one of the two great loves of his life. Over the doorway to the robing room is his own bitter epitaph, in Latin: ... Savage indignation can no longer gnaw his heart. Go, traveller, and imitate, if you can, this earnest and dedicated defender of liberty.
The talented choirboys of St. Patrick's Cathedral lift up their voices and the spirits of the listener sat services every day except Saturday. The Cathedral Choir School was founded in 1432. A joint choir from both cathedrals was first in the world to sing Handel's Messiah when the composer was in Dublin in 1742. The original handwritten score may be seen in Marsh's Library, next to St. Patrick's. This was Ireland's first public library.
The North Bank in Dublin
The most impressive building on the north bank of the Liffey is the domed home of the Four Courts (originally Chancery, Common Pleas, Exchequer and King's Bench). It's the work of James Gandon, the 18th-century English born architect who also designed Dublin's Custom House. The courthouse was quite seriously damaged during the civil war in 1922. St. Mithan's. Church, around the corner from Church Street was founded in 1095 and rebuilt several times since.
Among curiosities on view is a so called Penitent's Pew in which sinners had to confess to the congregation. In the vaults, wood coffins and many a mummy can be seen in a remarkably healthy state of preservation. Some of them have been here for over 200 years, saved from normal deterioration, perhaps, by the dry air or its high methane content. It's all a bit spooky.
The last great official building designed by James Gandon, the King's Inns, is the headquarters of the Irish legal profession. It contains an important law library and a magnificent dining hall decorated with the portraits of judges. On the north side of Parnell Square is Charlemont House, one of Dublin's best 18th century mansions. Now the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, it includes pieces from the superb collection of Sir Hugh Lane. He was drowned in the Lusilania disaster of 1915, provoking a long legal struggle over custody of his paintings.
For 20 years pictures shuttled back and forth between Dublin and London. The latest agreement assures the Municipal Gallery three fourths of the contested legacy, including works by Corot, Courbet, Manet, Monet and Rousseau.
Phoenix Park Dublin
The Phoenix Park provides Dubliners with nearly three square miles of beautiful parkland on the western edge of the city. The most conspicuous monument , overshadowing flower gardens, forests and sports fields, is an immense obelisk commemorating the military victories of the Duke of Wellington. He happened to be born in Ireland but later quipped ungraciously that although a man may be born in a stable ,that doesn't make him a horse.
Among the buildings discreetly planted in the park is the residence of thc president of Ireland (Aras an Uachlarain). On the northeast side of the park, the Dublin zoo provides education and diversion. If you can't distinguish an ostrich from an emu, the informative signs will remove all doubts. The zoo is noted for successfully breeding many generations of lion cubs in captivity.
In Kilmainham, a half mile south of the park on the South Circular Road, a stone towergate in a style sometimes reviled as gingerbread gothic guards the grounds of the Royal Hospital. The building within, Dublin's principal 17th-century monument, was a home for army pensioners. An ugly, forbidding structure, Kilmainham Jail has bcen painstakingly restored as if it were a work of art. But its relevance is historic not aesthetic. The prisoners who lived and died within its walls include many heroes of Irish nationalism. Guided tours are organized every Sunday afternoon. The central cellblock now features exhibitions from Irish revolutionary history.
The Guinness Brewery Dublin
Jails are unlikely tourist attractions, and so are factories. But many a pilgrim makes his way to the biggest industrial enterprise in Dublin, the Guinness Brewery at St. James's Gate. The firm has been on this site since 1759 and its dark, full-bodied stout is known far and wide. Visitors are shown a film about the manufacturing process and invited to sample the finished product so much a part of Irish life. Connoisseurs say it tastes best of all, from the keg, in its native Dublin.
In the Balls bridge district of southeast Dublin are the spacious grounds of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). A green and golden privet hedge surrounds the fields on which one of the world's great horse shows is held every August. The RDS complex is also the site of agricultural and industrial exhibitions as well as conferences and concerts.
This area of parks and large residences contains many foreign embassies, especially in Ailesbury Road. Around the corner in Shrewsbury Road is the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art. The collection is known for its priceless manuscripts and literature from thc East: jade books from the Chinese imperial court, early Arabic tomes on geography and astronomy and a sampling of korans from the Middle East. The collector and donor was Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968), an American retired in Ireland.
Eating out in Dublin Ireland
LIke most Anglo-Saxons, the Irish prefer honest meat and potatoes heaped high on their plates. Not for them the esoteric sauces and spices of European cuisines. Following is a selection of specialities. Irish soups are usually thick and hearty: vegetables and barley and meat stock and a dab of cream, for instance. Look for potato soup made of potatoes, onions and carrot.
Fish fresh from the Atlantic or the Irish Sea or the island's streams is sensationally good. Keep an eye out for these great Irish delights: fresh salmon (poached or grilled), smoked salmon, sole, trout from sea or stream. Dublin Bay prawns are a famous natural resource, as are Galway oysters (often washed down with a bottle of stout). With luck you'll be offered local mussels or lobster, though the bulk of the catch is exported to appreciative clients on the Continent.
Meat of the highest quality is the centre-piece of Irish cuisine. The beef is excellent but there is little veal. You'll have a choice of sumptuous steaks (T-bone, sirloin or filet mignon) or roast beef. Lamb appears in tender chops or roast or as the main ingredient in Irish stew, a filling casserole with potatoes, carrots, onions, parsley and thyme. Irish pork products bacon, sausages, chops, Limerick hamare also famous. Dublin Coddle is a stew of bacon, sausages, onions, potatoes and parsley, a favourite Saturday night supper in the capital.
Vegetables as basic as potatoes and cabbage play a big role in Irish cooking. Potatoes have been a mainstay of the Irish diet since the 17th century. Mushrooms, which thrive in the cool and humid atmosphere, are Ireland's biggest horticultural export.
Desserts are often similar to English pudding trifles, gateaux and generally very sweet sweets, often fruity, with a scrumptious topping of thick sweet cream.
Drinks in Dublin
The Irish drink nearly 500 million pints of beer a year, mostly a rich creamy dark brown version, stout. Irish lagers and ales, much less filling, are also worth trying. A unique Irish drink, Black Velvet, combines stout and champagne; it is said to be helpful in the event of a hangover. Pot stilled Irish whiskey is matured in wooden casks for at least seven years. It's drunk neat or with a little water. Never with ice. Irish coffee, served in a stemmed glass, consists of hot coffee laced with whiskey and sugar with a tablespoonful of thick cream floating on top. Two Irish liqueurs merit a try: Irish Misthoney and herbs in a whiskey base tingles the palate, and Irish Cream Liqueur contains whiskey, chocolate and cream, like a leprechaun's milkshake.
Shopping in Dublin Ireland
Friendly, low-keyed sales personnel help make shopping in Ireland such a pleasure. Shopkeepers and assistants are full of informed advice, and sincere they're likely to advertise a competitor if they think he's selling something better or cheaper. The most appealing products here are made by Irish craftsmen in traditional or imaginative new styles. Some ideas for shoppers, in alphabetical order:
Aran sweaters. The elaborate stitches in this fisherman's sweater, knitted of undyed wool, can easily be recognized. Demand so far exceeds the supply that they are made in mainland factories as well as in the cottages of the Islands of their origin. Be sure t examine the label to find out whether the Aran sweater, scarf or cap is handknit.
Connemara marble, rich green in colour, made into book ends, bracelets and brooches. Crosses. Especially reproductions of ancient Christian crosses, and St. Brigid crosses of straw. Dolls, dressed in traditional regional costumes. Enamel dishes, plaques and pendants by local craftsmen. Fishing flies from Donegal and Tipperary.
Glassware. Waterford crystal, world renowned until the industry succumbed to 19thcentury economic pressures, is again a going concern. Jewellery. Ancient Celtic designs and illustrations from the Book of Kells inspire some of today's goldsmiths and silver smiths. Kinsale smocks. Stylish cotton wind cheaters for sailors. Not to be confused with Kinsale cloaks, traditional local dress now revived as chic eveningwear.
Lace. Convents in Limerick and County Monaghan have kept this industry alive. Linen. Weaving goes on in Northern Ireland but the finished product from handkerchiefs to table sets is sold everywhere. Peat. The turf of Ireland is now compressed and sculpted into reproductions of ancient religious and folklore symbols.
Pottery. Traditional and modern designs in tableware and ovenware.
Records. Individuals and groups sing or play traditional tunes.
Rush work. In this land of thatched cottages, the makers of woven baskets and similar wickerwork are still in business.
Smoked salmon. The souvenir you can eat is specially packed for travelling, on sale at the airport. So are Irish sausages, and butter, if it comes to that. Tweed. Handwoven Irish fabrics come in a considerable variety of colours and weights, fit for winter overcoats or light shawls or drapes. Whimsical souvenirs. Leprechauns in all sizes, worry stones of marble, Irish coffee glasses and shillelaghs (cudgels).
Sightseers who prefer cities won't be disappointed in Dublin. The capital of Ireland is a very European city of low profile buildings, many of them outstanding examples of 18th century architecture. Birthplace and inspiration of great authors, Dublin is pervaded by contrasting moods which can affect even the transient visitor: sweeping avenues and intimate side streets, chic shopping and Smoky pubs, distinguished museums and colleges along with sports galore. In this appealing melting pot of old and new, the traditional lace curtains still mask the windows of modern apartment blocks, and a policeman riding a bicycle reports to headquarters by lapel radio.
The name of Dublin comes from the Irish Dub inn, meaning dark pool. But you'll also see a much older Gaelic name on buses and signs: Baile Atha Cliath, the town of the hurdle ford, which explains why Dublin was originally settled centuries ago as a place to ford the River Liffey near its exit to the sea. The river, a system of tranquil canals and the nearby Irish Sea all contribute to Dublin's special atmosphere. Seagulls frequent the centre of town; so do the ghosts of Vikings, Normans, Viceroys ... and Leopold and Molly Bloom, late of Eccles Street.
Where to go in Dublin
O'Connell Street to St. Stephen's Green The main street of Dublin, O'Connell Street is worthy of a major capital, a lasting monument to the Wide Street Commissioners of the 18th century. It is 45 metres (150 ft.) across and as straight as the morals of Father Theobald Mathew, the 19th-century priest known as the Apostle of Temperance.
You'll find him commemorated in one of the four monuments down the middle of the roadway. There used to be five. As an anti-British gesture in 1966, unidentified citizens removed the imposing Nelson Pillar erected in 1808. Many Dubliners admired the panache and technical skill of the demolition crew that blew it up in the middle of the night.
The best known landmark of O'Connell Street, the General Post Office, has a significance far great than its postal predominance. The GPO (as it is known) was the command post of the 1916 Easter Rising and badly damaged in the fighting. A plaque on the front of the building, in Irish and English, and a statue in the main hall mark the historic event.
At the south end of the street, facing O'Connell Bridge, stands the monument to Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), The Liberator, after whom the street and bridge are named. From the three-arched bridge, almost as wide as it is long, you can look up and down the River Liffey and along the embankments. To the east, beyond the skyscraper headquarters of the Irish trade unions, rises the copper dome of the majestic 18thcentury Custom House.
Like many buildings along the Liffey, it was all but destroyed in the civil war fighting of 1921, but has been fully restored. Some of the most interesting old buildings in Ireland, including disused churches, are now occupied by banks. But it may come as a surprise that the momentous white stone building facing College Green on the south side of the Liffey is the headquarters of the Bank of Ireland company. It was built in the 18th century for the parliament of Ireland, but when parliament was abolished (by the Act of Union of 1800), the bank moved in. The grand portico has 22 Ionic columns.
Places to visit in Dublin
Behind the curved railings at the entrance to Trinity College are the statues of two famous alumni the philosophers Edmund Burke and the playwright Oliver Goldsmith. Founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1591, Trinity remains a timeless enclave of calm and scholarship in the middle of a bustling city. For centuries it was regarded as an exclusively Protestant institution; as recently as 1956, the Catholic church forbade its youth to attend Trinity under pain of mortal sin. TCD, as it is generally called, is now integrated.
The campus is mostly a monument to the good taste of the 18th century, and visitors will enjoy roaming the cobbled walks among trimmed lawns, fine old trees, statues and graceful stone buildings. But Trinity's greatest treasure may be found in the vaulted Long Room upstairs in the Old Library. Here the double-decker stacks hold thousands of books published before 1800, and priceless early manuscripts are displayed in glass cases. Long queues of students and tourists reverently wait for a look at the Book of Kells.
This 340-page parchment manuscript, handwritten and illustrated by Irish monks in the 8th or 9th century, contains a Latin version of the New Testament. The beauty of the script, the decoration of initial letters and words, the abstract designs and above all the saintly portraits constitute the most wonderful survival from Ireland's Golden Age. The leaves of vellum on display are turned once a day to protect them from the light and to give visitors a chance to come back for more.
Some of Europe's finest Georgian houses face Merrion Square, once the proposed site for a Catholic cathedral, now a public park. The discreet brick houses have those special Dublin doorways, flanked by columns and topped by fanlights, and no two are alike. In a complex of formal buildings on the west side of the square stands Dublin's largest 18thcentury mansion, the home of the Duke of Leinster. Today Leinster House is the seat of the Irish parliament, consisting of the Senate (Seanad in Irish) and the Chamber of Deputies (the Dail, pronounced doyle).
At the entrance to the National Gallery of Ireland is a statue of George Bernard Shaw, a Dubliner known locally as a benefactor of the institution. The National Gallery displays some 2,000 works of art, but holds 6,000 more in reserve. Irish artists, reasonably enough, receive priority but important Dutch, English, Flemish, French, Italian and Spanish masters are also well represented. Among those on display: ha Angelico, Rubens, Rembrandt, Canalctto, Gainsborough and Goya.
Rounding out a prize collection of medieval religious art is the gallery's most recent acquisition, two glorious frescoes of the lith or 12th century, delicately lifted from the walls of the Chapel of St.Pierrede Campublic, in Beaucaire (near Avignon), France. The main entrance to the National Museum, another important Dublin institution, is reached from Kildare Street.
The museum's collection of Irish antiquities contains all manner of surprises, from ancient skeletons and tools to exquisite gold ornaments of the Bronze Age. The most famous exhibits are the 8thcentury Ardagh Chalice, the delicately worked Tara Brooch from the same era and the Shrine of St. Patrick's Bell (12th century).
You can also examine ancient Ogham stones with inscriptions of what might seem a childish way of encoding Latin. And if you don't have time to make a tour of churchyards and faroff monasteries, you can admire replicas of the greatest carved stone crosses from the early centuries of Christian Ireland.
South east Dublin Ireland
The southeast part of central Dublin is unusually well endowed with breathing space, thanks to a number of pleasant squares and parks. The biggest, possibly the biggest city square in Europe, is St. Stephen's Green. In the 18th century it was almost surrounded by elegant town houses, some of which survive; conservationists despair at the dwindling number. Inside the square is a perfectly delightful park with flower gardens and a manmade lake inhabited by waterfowl.
The square contains many sculptures and monuments in varied style, including a memorial to the poet and playwright W.B. Yeats by Henry Moore. Nearby is a bust of Yeats friend, Countess Constance Markievicz, the legendary defender of St. Stephen's Green during the 1916 insurrection and the first woman elected to the British House of Commons. Another statue honours the man who paid for landscaping St. Stephen's Green in 1880. He was Lord Ardilaun, son of the founder of the Guinness Brewery. Some thirsty sightseers might be inspired to find a nearby pub and raise a toast to the stout hearted benefactor.
Medieval Dublin
Dublin Castle was begun in the 13th century on a hill overlooking the original Viking settlement on the south bank of the Liffey. It was largely rebuilt in the 18th century, which explains why it no longer looks like a medieval castle. Over the centuries it served as seat of government, prison, courthouse, parliament and occasionally as fortress under siege most recently in 1916. Many a visiting head of state has been feted in the lavishly appointed State Apartments, once the residence of the British Viceroy.
Around the corner from the castle, Dublin's City Hall (formerly the Royal Exchange) was built in the late 18th century in neoclassical style. It contains ancient royal charters and the municipal regalia. Dublin has not one but two noteworthy cathedrals. And though it is the capital of a predominantly Catholic country, both cathedrals belong to the Protestant Church of Ireland. The reason for two cathedrals is easily explained if you have the time to sift through 12th century political and religious rivalries.
In any case, Christ Church is the older of the two, dating from 1038. One unusual architectural touch is the covered pedestrian bridge over Wine tavern Street, linking the church and its synod house. This was built in Victorian times but doesn't spoil the overall mood. Otherwise, Christ Church has Romanesque, Early English and neo Gothic elements. The crypt, which extends under the whole church like a vast wine cellar, is a remnant of the 12th century, when the cathedral was expanded by the Earl of Pembroke, whose remains were buried here. However, the authenticity of the present Pembroke tomb the statue of a recumbent cross legged knight in armour in the southern aisle is discounted.
St Patricks Cathedral Dublin
A short walk south from Christ Church leads to Dublin's newer and larger cathedral, St. Patrick's, dedicated to the national saint. It is said that St. Patrick himself baptized 5th-century converts at a well on this site; a stone slab which covered the well is displayed in the northwest corner of the cathedral. This church was consecrated in 1192, but the present structure dates mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries.
The cathedral is best known for its association with Jonathan Swift, the crusading satirist, who was appointed dean in 1713 and served until his death in 1745. Many Swiftian relics may be seen in a corner of the north transept, and a simple brass plate in the floor near the entrance marks his grave. Next to it is the tomb of the mysterious Stella, one of the two great loves of his life. Over the doorway to the robing room is his own bitter epitaph, in Latin: ... Savage indignation can no longer gnaw his heart. Go, traveller, and imitate, if you can, this earnest and dedicated defender of liberty.
The talented choirboys of St. Patrick's Cathedral lift up their voices and the spirits of the listener sat services every day except Saturday. The Cathedral Choir School was founded in 1432. A joint choir from both cathedrals was first in the world to sing Handel's Messiah when the composer was in Dublin in 1742. The original handwritten score may be seen in Marsh's Library, next to St. Patrick's. This was Ireland's first public library.
The North Bank in Dublin
The most impressive building on the north bank of the Liffey is the domed home of the Four Courts (originally Chancery, Common Pleas, Exchequer and King's Bench). It's the work of James Gandon, the 18th-century English born architect who also designed Dublin's Custom House. The courthouse was quite seriously damaged during the civil war in 1922. St. Mithan's. Church, around the corner from Church Street was founded in 1095 and rebuilt several times since.
Among curiosities on view is a so called Penitent's Pew in which sinners had to confess to the congregation. In the vaults, wood coffins and many a mummy can be seen in a remarkably healthy state of preservation. Some of them have been here for over 200 years, saved from normal deterioration, perhaps, by the dry air or its high methane content. It's all a bit spooky.
The last great official building designed by James Gandon, the King's Inns, is the headquarters of the Irish legal profession. It contains an important law library and a magnificent dining hall decorated with the portraits of judges. On the north side of Parnell Square is Charlemont House, one of Dublin's best 18th century mansions. Now the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, it includes pieces from the superb collection of Sir Hugh Lane. He was drowned in the Lusilania disaster of 1915, provoking a long legal struggle over custody of his paintings.
For 20 years pictures shuttled back and forth between Dublin and London. The latest agreement assures the Municipal Gallery three fourths of the contested legacy, including works by Corot, Courbet, Manet, Monet and Rousseau.
Phoenix Park Dublin
The Phoenix Park provides Dubliners with nearly three square miles of beautiful parkland on the western edge of the city. The most conspicuous monument , overshadowing flower gardens, forests and sports fields, is an immense obelisk commemorating the military victories of the Duke of Wellington. He happened to be born in Ireland but later quipped ungraciously that although a man may be born in a stable ,that doesn't make him a horse.
Among the buildings discreetly planted in the park is the residence of thc president of Ireland (Aras an Uachlarain). On the northeast side of the park, the Dublin zoo provides education and diversion. If you can't distinguish an ostrich from an emu, the informative signs will remove all doubts. The zoo is noted for successfully breeding many generations of lion cubs in captivity.
In Kilmainham, a half mile south of the park on the South Circular Road, a stone towergate in a style sometimes reviled as gingerbread gothic guards the grounds of the Royal Hospital. The building within, Dublin's principal 17th-century monument, was a home for army pensioners. An ugly, forbidding structure, Kilmainham Jail has bcen painstakingly restored as if it were a work of art. But its relevance is historic not aesthetic. The prisoners who lived and died within its walls include many heroes of Irish nationalism. Guided tours are organized every Sunday afternoon. The central cellblock now features exhibitions from Irish revolutionary history.
The Guinness Brewery Dublin
Jails are unlikely tourist attractions, and so are factories. But many a pilgrim makes his way to the biggest industrial enterprise in Dublin, the Guinness Brewery at St. James's Gate. The firm has been on this site since 1759 and its dark, full-bodied stout is known far and wide. Visitors are shown a film about the manufacturing process and invited to sample the finished product so much a part of Irish life. Connoisseurs say it tastes best of all, from the keg, in its native Dublin.
In the Balls bridge district of southeast Dublin are the spacious grounds of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). A green and golden privet hedge surrounds the fields on which one of the world's great horse shows is held every August. The RDS complex is also the site of agricultural and industrial exhibitions as well as conferences and concerts.
This area of parks and large residences contains many foreign embassies, especially in Ailesbury Road. Around the corner in Shrewsbury Road is the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art. The collection is known for its priceless manuscripts and literature from thc East: jade books from the Chinese imperial court, early Arabic tomes on geography and astronomy and a sampling of korans from the Middle East. The collector and donor was Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968), an American retired in Ireland.
Eating out in Dublin Ireland
LIke most Anglo-Saxons, the Irish prefer honest meat and potatoes heaped high on their plates. Not for them the esoteric sauces and spices of European cuisines. Following is a selection of specialities. Irish soups are usually thick and hearty: vegetables and barley and meat stock and a dab of cream, for instance. Look for potato soup made of potatoes, onions and carrot.
Fish fresh from the Atlantic or the Irish Sea or the island's streams is sensationally good. Keep an eye out for these great Irish delights: fresh salmon (poached or grilled), smoked salmon, sole, trout from sea or stream. Dublin Bay prawns are a famous natural resource, as are Galway oysters (often washed down with a bottle of stout). With luck you'll be offered local mussels or lobster, though the bulk of the catch is exported to appreciative clients on the Continent.
Meat of the highest quality is the centre-piece of Irish cuisine. The beef is excellent but there is little veal. You'll have a choice of sumptuous steaks (T-bone, sirloin or filet mignon) or roast beef. Lamb appears in tender chops or roast or as the main ingredient in Irish stew, a filling casserole with potatoes, carrots, onions, parsley and thyme. Irish pork products bacon, sausages, chops, Limerick hamare also famous. Dublin Coddle is a stew of bacon, sausages, onions, potatoes and parsley, a favourite Saturday night supper in the capital.
Vegetables as basic as potatoes and cabbage play a big role in Irish cooking. Potatoes have been a mainstay of the Irish diet since the 17th century. Mushrooms, which thrive in the cool and humid atmosphere, are Ireland's biggest horticultural export.
Desserts are often similar to English pudding trifles, gateaux and generally very sweet sweets, often fruity, with a scrumptious topping of thick sweet cream.
Drinks in Dublin
The Irish drink nearly 500 million pints of beer a year, mostly a rich creamy dark brown version, stout. Irish lagers and ales, much less filling, are also worth trying. A unique Irish drink, Black Velvet, combines stout and champagne; it is said to be helpful in the event of a hangover. Pot stilled Irish whiskey is matured in wooden casks for at least seven years. It's drunk neat or with a little water. Never with ice. Irish coffee, served in a stemmed glass, consists of hot coffee laced with whiskey and sugar with a tablespoonful of thick cream floating on top. Two Irish liqueurs merit a try: Irish Misthoney and herbs in a whiskey base tingles the palate, and Irish Cream Liqueur contains whiskey, chocolate and cream, like a leprechaun's milkshake.
Shopping in Dublin Ireland
Friendly, low-keyed sales personnel help make shopping in Ireland such a pleasure. Shopkeepers and assistants are full of informed advice, and sincere they're likely to advertise a competitor if they think he's selling something better or cheaper. The most appealing products here are made by Irish craftsmen in traditional or imaginative new styles. Some ideas for shoppers, in alphabetical order:
Aran sweaters. The elaborate stitches in this fisherman's sweater, knitted of undyed wool, can easily be recognized. Demand so far exceeds the supply that they are made in mainland factories as well as in the cottages of the Islands of their origin. Be sure t examine the label to find out whether the Aran sweater, scarf or cap is handknit.
Connemara marble, rich green in colour, made into book ends, bracelets and brooches. Crosses. Especially reproductions of ancient Christian crosses, and St. Brigid crosses of straw. Dolls, dressed in traditional regional costumes. Enamel dishes, plaques and pendants by local craftsmen. Fishing flies from Donegal and Tipperary.
Glassware. Waterford crystal, world renowned until the industry succumbed to 19thcentury economic pressures, is again a going concern. Jewellery. Ancient Celtic designs and illustrations from the Book of Kells inspire some of today's goldsmiths and silver smiths. Kinsale smocks. Stylish cotton wind cheaters for sailors. Not to be confused with Kinsale cloaks, traditional local dress now revived as chic eveningwear.
Lace. Convents in Limerick and County Monaghan have kept this industry alive. Linen. Weaving goes on in Northern Ireland but the finished product from handkerchiefs to table sets is sold everywhere. Peat. The turf of Ireland is now compressed and sculpted into reproductions of ancient religious and folklore symbols.
Pottery. Traditional and modern designs in tableware and ovenware.
Records. Individuals and groups sing or play traditional tunes.
Rush work. In this land of thatched cottages, the makers of woven baskets and similar wickerwork are still in business.
Smoked salmon. The souvenir you can eat is specially packed for travelling, on sale at the airport. So are Irish sausages, and butter, if it comes to that. Tweed. Handwoven Irish fabrics come in a considerable variety of colours and weights, fit for winter overcoats or light shawls or drapes. Whimsical souvenirs. Leprechauns in all sizes, worry stones of marble, Irish coffee glasses and shillelaghs (cudgels).
Labels: Shopping in Dublin Ireland
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