Ireland - Dublin and the Giant's Causeway, 2015

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May 6 - I had breakfast at the guest house for the 1st time. Service doesn't start until 8:00 am which I thought was somewhat late. I ordered the vegetarian breakfast: eggs, baked beans, and a slice of tomato. The regular breakfast includes sausage, black pudding, and white pudding. I am not sure what that is but I am never adventurous with food in the morning. On a side table there was a selection of breakfast cereal, fruit, and yogurt. I had a short conversation with a table mate. She is from Scotland, here on business for a few days and also has a single room. She has a few problems with her room. I guess I am lucky. The owners are doing some renovations so perhaps she has a room that has not been updated yet.

Unfortunately it is raining but could stop at anytime? I debated whether or not to do a just a museum day or to complete my original plan that involves quite a bit of walking. I thought it was likely that I would only be outside for short periods and so proceeded with my walking tour. I made it to St Patrick's Cathedral for the 9am service. There was hardly anyone there. I think the few of us that were there were all tourists. Along with the priest, there was a procession of choir boys who looked about 10 years old. I thoroughly enjoyed their voices as they sang various hymns. The high ceilings created fantastic acoustics so I now understand the concept of "soaring voices". St. Patrick's is the largest cathedral in Dublin. Legend says St. Patrick baptized converts at a well on this site in the 5th century. Oliver Cromwell's troops used the nave as a stable in the 17th century. Buried here is Turlough O'Carolan the last of the Irish bards and reputedly one of the finest harp players. Jonathan Swift (best known as the author of Gulliver's Travels) is also here, his death mask on display. The church is large enough to contain a surprising number of bodies.

Marsh's Library is located next door. I barely pulled my camera out of my bag and I was being told that photos were not allowed so I bought a couple of postcards as I was leaving. The library is divided into stalls or units on each side of a central walkway. They are similar to a train compartment without doors. Each is approximately 5 ft x 5 ft. There are bookshelves to the ceiling on the walls. A few ft up is a horizontal shelf and a bench to allow someone to study a book. So each unit would enable 2 people to work back to back. There are also ladders on each side to reach the upper shelves. Each stall or unit backs onto another section, also like a train compartment. At the very back of the library are 3 sections that have metal and wire doors. When someone wanted to study a valuable book, they were looked into one of these stalls so they couldn't walk out with the volume. I would continually breathed deeply as I wandered through the library. There is a lovely smell of books and old wood. A number of extremely old volumes were on display in glass cases. At the back of the library was a table with quills and ink for visitors. I found it relatively easy to write with a quill but I really mucked up the blotting process. There must be a knack. I smudged my writing so badly it became illegible.

Next was the Chester Beatty Library housed in the clock tower building of Dublin Castle. Along the way the wind became quite gusty and my poor umbrella turned inside out many times. There were moments when I could barely hold it aloft. I finally gave up plus it was just a light rain. It turned out that this library is actually a museum displaying books. Big books, tiny books, ancient books, old books, plain books, elaborate books and scrolls. Books with elaborate bindings and displays of books from all religions. A scholar's paradise, a reader's paradise! Also, photos not allowed. There was a book from 1593, the reader could lift the skirt of the illustrated courtesan to see her long undergarment. All that was on display were her bare calves and her chopines. (Really high heels are not new. Chopines were a type of platform shoe that was popular in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. They could be up to 20 inches high! They were originally used to protect the feet and long dress from the detritus found on the streets.)

Next door is the Dublin Castle proper. It is a 13th century structure that was the centre of British power for more than 700 years. In the great courtyard is the reputed site of Black Pool (Dubh Linn, pronounced dove-linn) for which the city got its name. I had just missed the guided tour and the next wasn't for 2 hours! The tour is primarily of the apartments. They are supposed to be quite opulent so perhaps on another visit. The guidebook said the tours took place frequently. It may be too early in the season. I wandered around the courtyard taking some photos then headed on my way.

I had another fight with my umbrella and eventually decided to retire it. Christ Church is another large and beautiful cathedral. There is some scaffolding on the outside. Again, 2 hours until the next tour!! Not having good luck. It was easy enough to go around on my own. It is a protestant cathedral begun in 1172 by Strongbow, a Norman warrior who is supposedly buried here. There is a "coffin" with his likeness. There is a large crypt with 12th & 13th century vaults that are supposed to be Dublin's oldest surviving structure. There isn't much down there other than some sculptures. The church once display the preserved heart of St. Laurence O'Toole (12th century) but it was stolen in 2012!!

I next went to St. Audoen's Church, a designated national monument. It is the earliest surviving medieval church in Dublin with an intact 15th century nave. At the back of the churchyards are steps leading down to St. Audoen's Arch, the only remaining gateway of the old city and restored sections of the 13th century walls. I walked around the block to see the arch and wall.

From here I walked to the Liffey River, deliberately passing by the Brazen Head pub, the oldest pub in the city. I continued on along the river to see the Ha'Penny Bridge, pronounced Hay-penny. Built in 1816, it is one of the earliest cast-iron bridges in Europe. It is actually a pedestrian bridge and officially the Liffey Bridge, but became known by the toll once charged to cross. The toll was eliminated in 1919.

My walk ended in the Temple Bar area, concentrated with pubs, restaurants, and tourists. By this time I was dragging my feet and hungry. I located Cow's Lane and went into the Queen of Tarts Restaurant. It is widely known for its baking. I ordered tomato and lentil soup which came in a very large bowl. I find the coffee strong wherever I go and that included here. I was tempted to order the GF cheesecake but the soup was so filling I decided against it. I passed another pub called the Hairy Lemon. I always wonder about the origin of the names.

I was going to visit one more church but instead I made my last stop of the day at St. George's Arcade to do some shopping. The guidebook recommended it as a place to get away from touristy junk but I was extremely disappointed. There was very little that held any interest for me. I was looking for local arts and crafts. I was close to Grafton St so headed for St. Stephen's. By this time the weather had cleared so I stopped and rested on one of the benches. There are always people and families in the park sitting, walking, strolling, laying on the lawns. After battling the wind and drizzle all day, I can only imagine what I look like. Anyway, it turned out to be a day of churches and libraries that I thoroughly enjoyed even if I am exhausted.

May 7 - A very early wakeup today - 4:30 am - I had to be at the meeting point at 6:20 am for my bus tour to the Giant's Causeway. It's on the northern tip of Ireland, a long way away. Walking to the meeting point I saw people sleeping in doorway. Only a handful but sleeping outside. They all had sleeping bags which I discovered are given out by the government. They all had them pulled over their heads so I was unable to see if they were male or female. There was a large group of people gathered requiring one of the largest coaches. The driver/guide's name is Robbie. As we were leaving Dublin, we drove past the famine statues. These are statues of tall, thin men, women and children in tattered clothing. Nearby on the river is a full replica of the ship Jeanne Johnson. It was the only ship that did not have any deaths among the people crossing the ocean to North America. Robbie mentioned that all the street and highway signs are in Irish first then in English. I did notice this on the street signs, although not all streets have signs! Once we got onto the highway a lot of passengers went to sleep. I like watching the countryside; to me it's part of the tour. When we crossed the Boyne River, Robbie spoke of the large battle between James II and William the Orange at King John's castle. He also talked of the Treaty Stone which was part of my first bus tour. Robbie says the treaty was the beginning of all the struggles in Ireland. An hour out and blue sky started to appear. There are many rolling hills and small mountains in the background. At 7:45 am we crossed into Northern Ireland. The crossing used to be an ordeal because each vehicle was first searched by the British then searched by the Irish. Coming into Belfast we passed Black Mountain. During the troubles no one was allowed to climb it because there were fears that someone would begin shooting down at people in the city. Basically the west side of the city was Catholic and the east side Protestant. After the peace agreement in 1998 a large spherical monument was erected as a symbol of peace. The locals refer to it as the "Balls on the Falls" - on a main road called The Falls. There are still a small number of skirmishes that take place. The Protestants still collect old wooden flats and other items to burn on July 12 every year to celebrate the defeat of the Catholics during the Battle of the Boyne. Last year was the first year that there wasn't any trouble on that date. I cannot believe the government allows the celebration to continue in this manner.

In Belfast there are 2 huge yellow cranes by the docks that were used to move the newly built Titanic into the water. They are called David and Goliath but are not used anymore. There is a large Titanic museum that has a replica of Titanic's grand staircase. It is often used for wedding photos. As we were leaving the city we passed the long "Sleeping Giant" mountain. So named because it looks like a man lying on his side. It is said to be the inspiration for Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

We stopped in the town of Larne, at the harbour we were only 19 km from the Lower Dumphries in Scotland which could be seen across the water. We drove along the Causeway Coastal Road, one of the top 10 best drives as voted by Top Gear. All along the ocean is black volcanic rock. A lot of towns in the north start with "Bally", a gaelic word meaning home. Scottish gaelic is similar to Irish gaelic. We passed through a town called Carnlough where Churchill used to holiday. All the houses facing the road and ocean in these villages are immaculate - hedges and lawns trimmed. We eventually left the coastal road to cross the glens (which means hills). Some of these hills are quite steep. Out over the ocean, we could see a rain squall. As someone who doesn't live by the sea, it was quite a sight. We passed through a town called Cushendun where Liam Neeson has a home and stays there when in Ireland. There are so many sheep on the hills. Northern Ireland used to be 70% old forest but between the British and the Vikings, there is not much left. On this trip as well as the 1st bus tour I saw an awful lot of gorse growing wild - bushes with golden yellow flowers and thorns. It is actually quite pretty. It dies out by fall and then the purple heather replaces it. When I first saw the gorse bushes appearing again & again, I wondered what they were. The word gorse popped into my mind. I don't know why or where it came from because I am positive I have never seen it before. We passed a bit of old forest and some bogs with lots of (currently) brown heather. We also passed the "vanishing" lake. The bog causes water to collect forming a lake on both sides of the road that at times dissipates and vanishes. Next we passed through Ballycastle at the top of Ireland and a favourite vacation spot for the Irish people. An island called Rathlin can be seen off the coast. It is a sanctuary for Puffins so cats and dogs are not allowed on the island because they could harm the birds. When Scotland and Ireland were deciding who the island belonged to, Ireland won because there are not any snakes (harking back to the St. Patrick tale). People can take a ferry to get over to the island.

My eyes were searching the landscape as we finally reached Carrick-a-Rede. From the parking lot there was a walk .62 km up hills and down stone steps to reach the bridge under a bright, hot sun. There were magnificent views with waves crashing against the cliffs about 100 ft below. The rope bridge is not very long and although it was a blustery day, it did not really move much. It was scarier climbing up and down narrow metal steps at the beginning and end of the bridge than it was walking across. The bridge connects the main land to a small island that used to be used by local fishermen. It spans a chasm 18 m (59 ft) wide and 24 m (79 ft) above the sea. I enjoyed the pleasant walk back to the parking area.

By the time I got back to the coach I was starving. We drove to a nearby village to have lunch at the Fullerton Arms in Ballycastle. I had potato and leek soup that was very good. I sat with a young woman from Germany. She said she was on holiday before her final exams. When I asked what she was studying at uni, she was surprised and stated she was finishing high school. I thought she was brave travelling on her own at such a young age. After lunch we drove onto Giant's Causeway, a UNESCO-listed geological wonder formed about 60 million years ago. It was a fairly long walk from the coach, long enough that there is a small shuttle that takes people back and forth. I think it had to be about 1 - 1.5 km. I chose to walk because it was such a nice day. There was a lot of people climbing all over the site. Enough that it was hard to get close and hard to take photos. The site is a mass of tightly packed, mostly hexagonal pillars of volcanic basalt that are clustered together. The tops form perfect stepping stones which is likely why there were so many people walking around on it. We stayed for about 1 1/2 hours. I was going to take the shuttle back to the parking lot but in the end decided to walk back.

On the way back to Dublin, we stopped in Belfast city centre for about an hour. I took some photos of and around the city hall. The stores in the area were all the same as those on Grafton St in Dublin so instead of shopping I stopped and had a latte. It has gotten cloudy again and cooler. I saw another countryside sculpture. This one was great. It was a metal-sculpture crooked house, 3 levels. Each level was off centre from the one below. On the ground in front of the house were a metal-sculpture couple. I liked it a lot. The trip today covered about 500 km which was a long day. I finally got back to the hotel just before 9 pm.

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Photos

St. Patrick's
Bust of Jonathan Swift

St. Patrick's
Carolan, the last of the bards

Dublin Castle
Upper yard