Day 19 — Our Ireland Adventure

We’re in the Republic of Ireland for the last full day of our wonderful adventures in Great Britain (London, Scotland, Northern Ireland) and the Republic of Ireland. This was the trip we’ve always hoped and dreamed we could make one day. We hope you have enjoyed coming along with us vicariously!

We spent the day exploring spirited Dublin with its thousand year history, immortalized by James Joyce.

We visit Phoenix Park, one of Europe’s largest walled city parks, home to the official residence of the President, the Dublin Zoo, and the US Ambassador’s home (rent $1 per year).

Next visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the National Cathedral of Ireland founded in 1191. Unfortunately, according to the tour guide, on about 50 folks are still members and attend weekly services.

Below, left to right, the stairs to the organ, the pulpit, and the choir.

One of their most famous pastors was Jonathan Swift. Do you recognize the name?

Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), Gulliver’s Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language.[1] He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms.

On O’Connell Street, admired the handsome buildings that line the city’s main thoroughfare. Including what is reputed to be the oldest still-operating pub in the world.

And one of the most famous breweries in the world.

Notice the harp above the name Guinness above. It’s been the symbol of Guinness since it was founded in Dublin in 1759. However, when the Republic of Ireland wanted to use the harp as the national symbol of Ireland, the family granted permission, but only if the symbol was reversed, which you can see here on the royal pew in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

During an afternoon at leisure, we spend time independently discovering famous sites throughout the city, including Dublin Castle, the National Gallery, and Trinity College to see the celebrated Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript and the Long Room (the Library). Amazing.

The main chamber of the Old Library is the Long Room; at nearly 65 metres in length, it is normally filled with 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books and is one of the most impressive libraries in the world. When built (between 1712 and 1732) it had a flat plaster ceiling and shelving for books was on the lower level only, with an open gallery. By the 1850s these shelves had become completely full; largely as since 1801 the Library had been given the right to claim a free copy of every book published in Britain and Ireland. In 1860 the roof was raised to allow construction of the present barrel-vaulted ceiling and upper gallery bookcases.

We had our last Pub lunch and this evening have a final dinner with our group. Then tomorrow morning we’re to the Dublin airport early and, Lord willing, will be home just after dark tomorrow.

I hope you enjoyed going on this trip with us. It’s been fun to share the highlights with y’all.