Walking around Dublin - Day 2

Headed over the Ha'Penny Bridge (built in 1816) across the River Liffy this morning, to the Temple Bar area, which is Dublin's cultural quarter.

Walked through the gates into Dublin Castle, a cluster of buildings built around a square, which is now used for government offices as well as museums and the Chester Beatty Library, that housed a collection of art from eastern and Islam religions, illuminated manuscripts as well as pieces of several of the letters of St. Paul.

We proceeded to Christchurch Cathedral, which was built over a period from 1036 to the mid 12th century in the original Viking settlement of Dubh Linn.

Sitting in this space reminded me of Ken Follett’s “Pillars of the Earth”. How did thy build so high, so ornately, without any machinery? One of the answers is provided here – this cathedral contains the Leaning Wall of Dublin – out of perpendicular by 18 inches. Nobody’s perfect! The windows are high and small and OLD.

The crypt below was DARK and displayed a mummified cat and rat, removed from the pipe organ in the 1860s. The Peace Chapel of St. Laud contains a reliquary of the heart of an Archbishop who died here in 1180. Prayers for peace in the world are offered here daily. Below is a photo of Jim standing next to a tomb within the sanctuary where people come to swear oaths.

Had lunch at a Lebanese restaurant (you may notice we are not going out of our way to find Irish food - tip of the hat to my grandmother's cooking...), and then toured the National Museum, which contained several well preserved Bog Bodies, thought to have been noblemen offered as sacrifice by the Druids and thrown in the bog, which preserved even clothing, skin and hair. The schoolkids were notably impressed!

Walking along the River Liffy, we came upon a series of statues honoring the victims of the Irish famine in the 1800s. Sobering.
We ended the day at the national Library, which has an extensive genealogical research area, which did not garner me one new piece of data about my O’Keeffe ancestors from County Cork. Jim spent the time in a multi-media exhibition of the works of William Butler Yeats. We celebrated the end of the day with our first pint of Guinness at the James Joyce pub (it turns out that I really like Guinness!) Tomorrow, we travel to start our hike!