Downtown Dublin

What trip to Dublin would be complete without stopping to pay quiet homage to the refugees of the potato famine? The pictured sculpture is along the walk next to the River Liffey, and was a very somber reminder of the sacrifices many of these families made to survive—like leaving their homeland. Many died from mass starvation and disease in Ireland between 1845 and 1852.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest in Ireland, and deserves both exterior and interior photos, which strive, but fall short, of doing it appropriate justice. It’s a massive place, impressive, dark and foreboding, although a statue of Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels) sits on the lawn, belying the solemn oppressive feeling inside… Until you learn that he served as Dean at the Cathedral and was buried there in 1745.

During our regularly scheduled city tour, I had an opportunity to get up close and personal with a photo op of a decorated door front. The craftsmanship was amazing! 

I saw many of the things on this city tour as I’d seen the day before (but my memory appreciated the reinforcement!), and I opted to get off the motor coach in front of Trinity College so that I could go inside to see The Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is a dark ages masterpiece, in which four monks illustrated and embellished an illuminated copy of the Bible. It is a magnificent work of art. No photos are allowed in the viewing room, but you can Google it!

After that, I walked to the Temple Bar District and went looking for lunch. I like that the menus of almost all restaurants are posted outside the entrance. I stopped at Gallagher’s Boxty House and had a boxty… “a traditional Irish food.” A boxty is a potato pancake (like a crépe), into which vegetables and meats are rolled. Mine was chicken, came smothered in a delightful potato/leek cream sauce, and was accompanied by a small side salad. Delicious!

Then I crossed the Ha’ Penny Foot Bridge and walked “The Bachelors’ Walk” along the River Liffey, and made my way back to the hotel. Everyone’s out to make a buck, and this guy (I’m assuming it was a guy) dressed as a Leprechaun was scaring more kids than he was posing with—can you blame them?