Dublin

The first indication that we were in the Republic of Ireland were the bilingual Irish/English road signs and place names. Reading these signs as they flash past is challenging! We arrived in Dublin during a very heavy shower, a feature of the weather which has continued since Edinburgh. Our hotel was in this lovely Georgian street. Again we had only one night here but managed a walk in the evening & a city tour the next morning – hardly doing justice to a city about the size of Auckland. A few snippets are below.






Whelans on both sides of the bar.












Impressive memorial in St Patricks Cathedral (Church of Ireland), erected by Richard Boyle to his wife in 1632. (What is Mike going to do for Kay?)


Guiness Brewery – a large presence in the city. Begun by Arthur with £100 in 1759. Now the world's largest stout brewery producing 3 million pints/day.

Ireland's first hospital, privately built in 1808

Statue of Daniel O'Connell (1882) who won emancipation for Catholics in 1829 (only the beginning!)

General Post Office (1818) in O'Connell St, HQ for 1916 uprising.

Kilmainham Gaol (1796) where executions of leaders & others took place after the uprising.

Trinity College (university) begun by Elizabeth 1 in 1592.

Ha'penny Footbridge – the old cost of using this.

Famine ship & George Bernard Shaw Bridge (shaped like an Irish harp).


We would like to have spent more time exploring historic Dublin.