Barnett Vicarious Adventures: July 28 and 29, 2013

We found out that the Dublin airport is only a 1.5 hour bus ride from Belfast. Since Belfast has very limited air service, most people take the express bus to the Dublin airport and fly out of there. The bus stops at the airport then at the rail station in Dublin so we decided to take the bus rather than the train between the two cities. The bus had Wi-Fi and was very comfortable. It was also a double decker so we were able to sit up high and see the countryside. Our friends Joseph and Dianne Ace decided to fly over to Dublin and meet up with us for a few days. Dianne is Irish, but had never been to Ireland.

Above three photos, the famous Temple Bar area of Dublin where there are dozens of pubs with live entertainment featuring Irish singing and dancing. Looks a bit like Bourbon Street in New Orleans and almost as crowded.

Trinity College, the most famous college in Ireland. Actually, its official name is Dublin University, but is has been called Trinity College for so many years that the name has stuck. As we have found here so often, once you give a site a name, it sticks regardless of what you do later.

Trinity College is home to the famous Book of Kells. The books were created by Irish Monks in the 12th and 13th century. They are elaborately illustrated books of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). The colors are so vivid and the text so precise it is hard to believe these were done using quill pens and under candle light. It is said that one monk could spend a lifetime completing a copy of the books. Of course, they are too precious to be photographed, but perhaps the picture of the page below will give you an idea of how beautifully illustrated the pages are.

Left, Edward and Dianne in one of my favorite rooms. It is the Trinity College Library which contains stacks and stacks of ancient texts. It is said that the Irish monks and Irish writers kept literature alive during Europe’s Dark Ages. Below, the Irish Declaration of Independence from England issued on Easter Monday, 1916.

Below, examples of the ancient Irish texts that are on display under glass. It takes a special application to be able to read one of the original texts from the shelves of the old library room.

The double stacks of ancient leather bound texts. Each bay has texts on both sides on both levels.

Edward with a bust of Jonathon Swift a former Dean of Trinity University. Below, more books and more displays.

We arrived at the famous statue of “Molly Malone,” the most photographed statue in Dublin. Now, lets all sing the song: “In Dublin fair city, where the girls are so pretty, where I first set eyes on sweet Molly Malone. She wheeled her wheel barrow, through streets broad and narrow, crying, “cockles and mussels alive alive-o!” Now, Molly was a fictional character, but most people think she is real. Below, Dianne Malone being photographed with Molly Malone.

Below, Edward, then Edward and Joseph with Molly.

Below, busts of the seven signers of the Irish Declaration of Independence who were all tried for treason and executed by the English after the failure of the Easter Uprising. The Easter Uprising was lousy timing. The signors of the Declaration thought that they would catch the English off guard since there were busy fighting World War I. However, there were approximately 150,000 Irish soldiers fighting with the English at the time and many people were not interested in fighting against their own soldiers.

And here is the group at Temple Bar all with a glass of Guinness.