A Wee Bit Irish!
We arrived in Dublin last night. We knew we were in Ireland as soon as our taxi driver spoke...Patrick was the real deal. Sometimes hard to understand, but a real nice Irish man. The weather was perfect and he told us that yesterday (Thursday) was their hottest day in 45 years - 90 degrees (see today's newspaper)!
For us, it felt like home, except the sun doesn't set until 10:30 pm. Once settled in at The Shelbourne Dublin, we managed an evening walk after flying 14 hours before a good nights sleep.
This morning, before a long day of touring, we needed a hearty breakfast and The Shelbourne really provided that without charge. A really nice start to the day - and today's high was a pleasant 75 degrees!
Then off to our 9 am tour to see the Book of Kells & Old Library exhibition at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is Ireland's greatest cultural treasure and the world's most famous medieval manuscript.
The tour included the beautiful 'Long Room' as it's called, full of thousands of very old books to include a valuable copy of the Irish Declararion of Independance signed by men who were all killed by firing squad for doing so!
We were happy we purchased tickets several weeks ago to "skip the line" as it was getting long by the time we left.
Next, we stopped in a small sandwich shop for a tasty lunch then strolled through the local area.
Along the way we crossed the Ha'penny Bridge built in 1816. When built, they charged a half penny to cross it.
We walked around the Temple Bar area where there were many shops and pubs before heading to Saint Patricks Cathedral.
St. Patricks Cathedral was a short ride on the bus and the interior was very ornate.
Our last stop on today's agenda was the Tour of Kilmainham Gaol - a historic jail. We toured the museum to learn about the gaol and its roll in Irish history. We also learned an interesting historical fact about our hotel. In 1916 it was occupied by British troops and later was the location of the drafting of the Irish Constitution in 1922. In modern days, many famous movie stars and world leaders stayed here to include JFK and Jackie.
By now we were pooped! We jumped back on the Hop-On Hop-Off for a full circle tour of Dublin and got off at our hotel. Dinner tonight was here in the hotel pub. Of course, Bill had to have Ireland's most famous beer. BTW, the brewery covers over 64 acres in the middle of town.
After dinner a stroll through St. Stephens Greens - a massive park directly across the street, then off to bed - afterall it's almost 10 and it will be dark in 30-45 minutes.
For us, it felt like home, except the sun doesn't set until 10:30 pm. Once settled in at The Shelbourne Dublin, we managed an evening walk after flying 14 hours before a good nights sleep.
This morning, before a long day of touring, we needed a hearty breakfast and The Shelbourne really provided that without charge. A really nice start to the day - and today's high was a pleasant 75 degrees!
Then off to our 9 am tour to see the Book of Kells & Old Library exhibition at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is Ireland's greatest cultural treasure and the world's most famous medieval manuscript.
The tour included the beautiful 'Long Room' as it's called, full of thousands of very old books to include a valuable copy of the Irish Declararion of Independance signed by men who were all killed by firing squad for doing so!
We were happy we purchased tickets several weeks ago to "skip the line" as it was getting long by the time we left.
On our way to Christ Church we stopped in and toured the Dublin Castle.
Next stop - Christ Church Cathedral. We even had the opportunity to listen to a choir practice as they prepared for a recital later today.
Along the way we crossed the Ha'penny Bridge built in 1816. When built, they charged a half penny to cross it.
We walked around the Temple Bar area where there were many shops and pubs before heading to Saint Patricks Cathedral.
St. Patricks Cathedral was a short ride on the bus and the interior was very ornate.
Our last stop on today's agenda was the Tour of Kilmainham Gaol - a historic jail. We toured the museum to learn about the gaol and its roll in Irish history. We also learned an interesting historical fact about our hotel. In 1916 it was occupied by British troops and later was the location of the drafting of the Irish Constitution in 1922. In modern days, many famous movie stars and world leaders stayed here to include JFK and Jackie.
By now we were pooped! We jumped back on the Hop-On Hop-Off for a full circle tour of Dublin and got off at our hotel. Dinner tonight was here in the hotel pub. Of course, Bill had to have Ireland's most famous beer. BTW, the brewery covers over 64 acres in the middle of town.
After dinner a stroll through St. Stephens Greens - a massive park directly across the street, then off to bed - afterall it's almost 10 and it will be dark in 30-45 minutes.
Looks like you are off to a good start! Great pics.
ReplyDeleteThat last comment was from the Clarkes. It finally let me post but didn't identify me. Hope I can respond some more. Have fun!
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