Bodies and Mud

Today we decided to explore several of the historical sites and museums in the city. Despite our best efforts to design an itinerary, we failed to visit each place, but were amazed nonetheless by the treasures that this city holds.

First stop was Dublin Castle, the site used by the British until the declaration of the Irish Free State in 1922, as the center of their dominion over Ireland. Overtime, the original Medieval structures have given way to 18th Century buildings, save the Record Tower, a round structure linked to the newer Royal Chapel and State Apartments. The grounds of the Castle are free to explore, so we entered the Chapel to see magnificent wood carvings of the family crests of important individuals during the building's construction. Despite a style that mimics the Christ Church in its exterior, the interior was markedly less ornate beyond the wood carvings.

From there we visited the upper courtyard, which is surrounded by the Bedford Tower and the entrance to the State Apartments. The tower formerly held the Irish Crown Jewels, until there (still unresolved) theft in the early 20th Century. It is flanked by two gates named for the statues that adorn them, Fortitude and Justice. The State Apartments are used for formal functions, and were at one time the official residence of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Today, you may tour the Apartments for 3.50 euro (student price), but we decided not to wait for the next tour (an hour from when we arrived).

Instead, we went around to the courtyard behind the Apartments, which houses the Dubh Linn Garden. Today the garden consists of various memorials and monuments, including one for all Irish Royal Constabulary and Garda members killed in service, as well as one for the 2003 Special Olympics - held in Ireland, and the first not in the States. The centerpiece of the Garden is a enormous circle of grass with narrow brick pathways that swirl in a Celtic pattern. Before the founding of Dublin, it is said that the place now occupied by the Garden was that of the "Black Pool" for which the Vikings named their settlement.

Dubh Linn Gardens with State Apts, Record Tower, and Chapel in background

Besides the Garden is the Chester Beatty Library, housed in an otherwise generic older building. Despite the exterior, we decided to venture inside - perhaps because of the free admission. It is fortunate that we did, as the Library houses two magnificent exhibit halls. The first temporary exhibit, was for the Persian Epic, Shahnama, first written in 1000 AD. Hundreds of manuscript pages covered with vibrant illustrations by various artists are displayed (until this April) to depict the lives of 50 kings of Persia and mythical warriors. The tale is retold by various authors, so each scene is portrayed in several different styles. The exhibit told a story of which I was not familiar, with a collection of priceless manuscripts that I never expected to see in Ireland.

The second exhibit, titled "Sacred Traditions" houses artifacts and manuscripts from Eastern Religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese Philosophic traditions, and various branches and sects; Islam, and Christianity. The collection contains pieces from the early days of each tradition, including Gospels from the 3rd and 4th centuries. It is crucial to note that all of the displayed works are from one man's collection, an American, Chester Beatty, who donated his works to Ireland before his death. Unfortunately, the age of the pieces proscribed photography.

Following Dublin Castle, we headed to the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology (again FREE). The Museum hosts collections stretching throughout Ireland's ancient, Viking, and medieval history. In addition, there are collections from Rome, Egypt, and Cyprus. The artifacts occupy nearly every space in the Museum, with each display more astonishing than the last. One gruesome display, was four ancient bodies found in bogs, following their sacrifice to support the crowning of a new king. I snapped a couple pictures of them, before I realized that photography was again prohibited in the Museum.

Ancient (Sacrificed) Bog Man

With everyone feeling exhausted, we veered from our itinerary and did not visit the Natural History Museum nor National Gallery. While John, Kathyrn, and Maggie left for Tesco, Brittany, Sean and I headed for Goldsmith and lunch. On the way, we noticed that the Dublin University Football Club (Trinity's Rugby team) was playing a match, so we walked down to the crowded sideline to watch the game. DUFC was playing Bective Rangers (of Dublin), and by halftime we were leading 13 to 12. At that point we left for lunch, and returned only to see the closing minutes, and our muddy loss of 23 to 16. Seeing the match, convinced me that Rugby makes for a far more dynamic and interesting game than that of the frequent stoppages in American Football.

A throw-in during DUFC vs. Bective

Full Dublin Album

Feeling more revitalized after the game and lunch, Sean, Brittany, and I decided to explore the central park named St. Stephen's Green. Inside we passed by a large pond, complete with ducks and swans. Unfortunately, the place closed at 4:30pm, so we were soon ushered out by a security guard wielding a large hand bell.

Tonight we will likely visit MacTorcaill's, with a trip to the fishing port of Howth (north of Dublin) scheduled for tomorrow.

Things that are Different: Hot and Cold water don't mix in the faucet
Stores that are Not: American Apparel