Solo trip to Dublin (museums must be seen at one's own pace!)
1 hour and 15 minute flight from Glasgow to Dublin, then a 1 hour bus trip into the city centre arriving mid afternoon.
I planned everything ahead of time, even the restaurants and pubs. And I also pre-booked timed tickets for the Book of Kells, the EPIC Emigration Museum, and Dublin Castle.
Tom, Dick and Harriet's Guest House
Good location for walking to every place I wanted to visit. Clean and comfy and a good price because I booked far ahead. But I got stuck in a room facing a busy road so it was noisy almost all night.
Day 2
The Book of Kells (c. 800 CE) is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the Christian New Testament
The book gets its name from the monastery of Kells, County Meath, Ireland. The book is believed to have been brought to Kells following a Viking raid on the monastery on the island of Iona, Scotland, in 806.
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The tour was informative and impressive. However, at least 200 people were booked for the 8:30 tour (and I'm guessing for all tours). It was hard to move around or see anything with all the people crowded in.
Photos of the actual book were not allowed.
National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology
Special temporary exhibits I especially wanted to see:
Glendalough where St Kevin lived in the 5th century (I've been there 3 times)
Colmcille (St Columba) Sacred Objects of a saint - 1500 years of devotion. He was based on the Isle of Iona in Scotland where I've visited many times.
Fascinating museum which just seems to go on and on. I kept discovering more rooms and exhibits around every corner and up every staircase.
Just a few of the items in the museum:
The Archaeology Museum is right next door to Parliament
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The Irish potato famine (1845-1852) was the most catastrophic even in Ireland's turbulent history. It is also regarded as being one of the worst famines in history (deaths as a proportion to population). The use of the word 'famine' in this context is controversial, for Ireland at the time was part of the richest empire in the world (the British Empire). There was sufficient food in the country throughout the famine years, yet over a million people died from starvation and disease, and millions more were forced to flee.
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The exhibition was not huge but was worth a visit.
The exhibition is in St Stephen's Green shopping mall:
Until 1663, St Stephens Green Park was a marshy common at the edge of the city, and it often served as a venue for public executions and witch burnings.
Built between 1220 and 1260.
Too crowded with tourists but a lovely building.
According to the lyrics of the undeniably catchy tune – also known as Cockles and Mussels – Molly was a young and beautiful fishmonger who sold her yield from a cart on the streets of Dublin. The song’s final verse states that after she died of a fever, she began haunting the city.
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Yes, her boobs are all shiny because frequently tourists pose for photos with their hands on one or both. There were crowds around this statue all waiting to have their photo taken with her. While there it started pouring rain so I popped into O'Reilly's pub for a Guinness. There were 3 young Japanese boys ordering beer, two of which had never had beer before. I advised them. 😊
Day 3
Over the centuries more than 10 million people emigrated from Ireland – at EPIC you can find out why they left, where they went and how they shaped the world. The museum was founded on the belief that emigration is one of the most interesting ways to fully understand a country. As you uncover the stories of our emigrants, you’ll realise that emigration is not about what people leave behind, but what they bring with them.
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Fascinating museum! Sections on sports, politics, entertainment, etc and the influence the Irish have had around the world. At least 70 milion people outside of Ireland have some Irish heritage.
I had submitted my gggrandfather's name and info to the museum website. I did a search on his name but this is what came up:
GPO (General Post Office) Museum
The museum is an immersive and interactive experience telling the story of the 1916 Easter Rising and modern Irish history.
The GPO was the communications hub of Ireland and headquarters of the men and women who took part in the 1916 Easter Rising. The historic and tumultuous Easter Rising set into motion an unstoppable chain of events which would ultimately lead to the creation of the Irish Republic.
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Interesting history and included a film.
Constructed in the early thirteenth century on the site of a Viking settlement, Dublin Castle served for centuries as the headquarters of English, and later British, administration in Ireland. In 1922, following Ireland’s independence, Dublin Castle was handed over to the new Irish government. It is now a major government complex and a key tourist attraction.
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Except for the room where James Connolly was laid up with his injured foot, I saw nothing showing the history of the rebellion. It was basically a palace of the type I've seen dozens of times before.
Famine memorial statues on the River Liffey
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