Dublin - Day 3 - Custom House, General Post Office, James Joyce Centre and Chester Beatty Library Galleries

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We started early this morning with a short walk back to the gardens at St Patrick’s Cathedral before breakfast. Bernie was keen to put the drone up to take a photo of the cathedral after starting it up yesterday and having it tell him that he COULD fly it in the area but needed to exercise caution. He chose not to fly it yesterday as there were too many people about but learnt last night that the gardens open at 7.30am.

So, there we were at about 7.35am and the gates were not open. Damn! We walked down Bull Alley Street with Bernie planning to fly the drone over the fence to take a couple of photos. As he was unpacking it, I noticed that there were people inside the garden, and I offered to walk back up to the corner to check if the gate was now open. Yes! we were in! Up the drone went and some shots of the cathedral were taken from a different perspective than those we took yesterday afternoon. With the early morning photos done we headed back to the apartment to have breakfast.

After breakfast, we headed towards the Custom House Quarter of the city. On the way we managed to walk into the quadrangle at Trinity College for a quick look. We will explore the college in more detail when we return to Dublin next month and do the ‘Book of Kells Experience’ that we had booked for Wednesday but had to reschedule due to the student protest.

We continued along College Street before turning into Pearse Street past the Garda Station and Fire Station Tower. Whilst the tower remains, the building now houses a hotel. We turned down Tara Street to walk towards the river. Still on the southern bank we walked along George’s Quay to take photos across the River Liffey to Custom House. We crossed to the northern side of the river on the Talbot Memorial Bridge (1978). Noticing a bridge downriver that looked somewhat like an Irish harp we started walking east to the Sean O’Casey Footbridge to take photos. On our way we passed the poignant Famine Memorial dedicated to the people who made pilgrimages from rural areas to the city hoping to take ships to America for a better life.

Arriving at the Sean O’Casey Footbridge (2005) we photographed the spectacular Samuel Becket Bridge which was constructed in 2009. Beside the bank sat the tall ship the Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship another memorial to the refugees of the potato famine of 1845 to 1852 as is the Irish Emigration Museum also located in this area.

We walked back towards Custom House via George’s Dock which is now dry. Entering the Custom House Visitor Centre, we were able to use our Irish Heritage and English Heritage cards saving ourselves €10.00/couple. The building dates to 1791 and has had a turbulent history being almost completely destroyed by fire on the 25th of May 1921 during the Irish War of Independence.

The exhibits on the ground floor start with the early history of the building designed by architect James Gandon. Heading upstairs the exhibits start to explain Custom House being a target for nationalists increasingly frustrated with British rule. Several first-floor rooms are devoted to The Easter Rising (Irish nationalist armed revolt against British rule) in April 1916. We then returned to the ground floor where the exhibits provided detailed information about the burning of Custom House, the end of the War and the aftermath, the rebuilding and how the Custom House is used today.

From the Custom House we made our way around to the General Post Office which was built in 1818. While the Custom House was the focal point of the War of Independence in 1921, the General Post Office was used as the nationalist headquarters during The Easter Rising in 1916. Because the two events are inextricably linked much of the information in the two museums is repeated. Between the two we have certainly gained a greater understanding for the complexities of Ireland’s relationship with Britain and how the Two Irelands that exist today were formed.

Going into the GPO we noted a really, REALLY tall stainless-steel column out the front. Whilst we were inside, we learnt that The Spire of Dublin, alternatively named An Túr Solais (Monument of Light) was erected in 2003. The spire is 120 metres in height and replaces Nelson’s Pillar which was bombed by former IRA members in 1966. It took many years for agreement to be reached on a suitable replacement.

From the post office we made our way down O’Connell Street, the main thoroughfare of Dublin, to the Parnell Monument raised in 1911 to commemorate Charles Stuart Parnell (1846-1891) who was the leader of the Irish Party in the House of Commons in London. We walked past the Rotunda Maternity Hospital which has been helping bring babies into the world since 1757 before continuing to the Garden of Remembrance.

The magnificent garden was designed by architect Dáithí Hanley and dedicated to the memory of all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom. The garden was officially opened in 1966 on the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. The focus point is the beautiful sculpture by Oisín Kelly.

Next, we ventured into the Hugh Lane Dublin City Gallery in Charlemont House on Parnell Square. The gallery houses modern and contemporary art but quite a few rooms were empty at the moment as temporary exhibitions are being changed over. The plan was to make our way a few doors down the street to the Writers Museum, but it is permanently closed so that was not to be.

Since we were already in the North Georgian Area of the city Steve lobbied to go to the James Joyce Centre. We agreed to go but had to find some lunch first. Bernie Googled and found 147 Deli that was conveniently located just around the corner from the James Joyce Centre. Their sandwiches looked delicious on the internet but when we arrived it was only a hole in the wall take-away not a proper café. Aaarrgh! Damn you Google Maps. We decided to order our sandwiches/rolls anyway as they really did sound great. And they were fantastic even though we had to eat them perched on the edge of a garden bed on the side of the street!

Hunger sated we made our way to the James Joyce Centre. Steve was like a pig in mud spending a-g-e-s in the exhibition by Suzanne Freeman titled ‘Ulysses: An Odyssey’. The exhibition is a visual introduction to the story, characters and themes of James Joyce’s book ‘Ulysses’. Each episode (chapter?) of the book is recreated in a series of 18 display cases that reference prominent motifs, objects and locations in the book. With our eyes glazing over Cathy, Bernie and I found some seats upstairs and made ourselves comfortable.

We headed back past the maternity hospital to Moore and Henry Streets, Dublin’s pedestrianized shopping district before crossing into the Legal Quarter where we walked past the derelict Fruit & Vegetable Market. The classic old market was built in 1892 and operational until 2019 when it was closed for refurbishments. Unfortunately, five years later it shows no sign of re-opening any time soon.

We finally reached St Michan’s Church which was another destination requested by Steve. I think it was mentioned that there are more bog bodies exhibited at St Michan’s when we were at the Museum of Archaeology earlier in the week? Which interested Steve. Unfortunately, St Michan’s is not open on Fridays!!

We headed back to the south of the river via Father Mathew Bridge and walked past the Brazen Head Inn again! Since it is literally just around the corner from our apartment, we decided to visit the Chester Beatty Library Galleries that Cathy and Steve popped into yesterday. Although I breathed in something that set off a coughing fit and nearly peed myself in the street, we made it! First thing on the agenda was the loo and a bottle of water!

It was definitely worth the effort. The gallery’s ‘Arts of the Book’ permanent exhibition of around 600 items was impressive. The exhibition celebrates the richness of East Asian, Islamic and Western manuscript and printing traditions. The illuminated manuscripts were outstanding. The ‘Sacred Traditions Gallery’ on the second floor displayed sacred texts, more illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings from across multiple religions. All of the items provided fascinating insights into Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Confucianism, Daoism and Jainism.

Phew, we had hardly put our feet up before it was time to head back out to dinner. Tonight, we walked to The Hairy Lemon, the pub where ‘The Commitments’ movie was filmed.



Steps: 18,936 (12.14kms)

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