Our Big Adventure

DUBLIN – AN LAR

Dublin like most ancient cities lies alongside a river. The Liffey has divided Dublin into north and south for more than 1000 years. It’s old and polluted, not pretty or romantic but as in years long gone when it divided Viking from Celt and Norman from Norse it still remains the centre of this city. Dublin is also a city steeped in literary personalities, and has a fascinating museum dedicated to it’s famous writers. Personal manuscripts and mementos belonging to James Joyce, who’s chronicle Ulysses, was set Dublin in 1904, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and Jonathan Swift, best known for Gulliver’s Travels and of course the poetry of William Butler Yeats. We were unable to enter Dublin Castle as it is at the moment being used as a film set for ‘The Tudors’ a series now being shown on BBC. Kilmainham Gaol has played an important part in Irish history and it’s struggle for independence from British rule. Many political prisoners, including those of the Easter Rising were incarcerated, tortured and executed between 1796 and 1924. This goal housed many of the convicts, some as young as 7, before they were shipped off to Australia. No trip to Dublin would be complete without a trip to the Guinness Brewery Located in the heart of the city this site has been the home to the black stuff since 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a lease for 9000 years on the brewery. It’s visitor centre was once the fermentation plant, is seven floors and shaped around a giant pint, which if full would hold 14.3 million pints of Guinness. You finish the tour in the Gravity Bar, with it’s 360-degree view of the city and a free pint. It was raining so the view was obscured and we gave our pints to some fellow Aussies who I’m sure enjoyed them much more than we would of. When we left the Guinness brewery we saw a church was right inside the walls of the brewery, not sure if the staff pray before, during or after work, maybe that’s why the brew is so good. Dublin is an interesting and vibrant city, full of friendly and fun loving people. But we must move on to a town renowned for it’s glassware, Waterford, our next destination

posted by Brian and Julie @ 2:56:00 AM