As we have done in all the large cities we have visited, we took the local, Hop On, Hop Off” tour bus that allows you 48 hours to ride the bus and get on and off as much as you like.
The Garden of Remembrance dedicated to all Irish soldiers who have fought for Ireland. Instead of having the normal reflecting pond, this one is in the shape of a giant cross.
Left, wording on the walls of the Garden of Remembrance.
Edward having a lite brunch sandwich. This was the largest club sandwich I have ever seen and it came with a full bucket of very chunky fries and a salad.
Above, the Millennium Spire on O’Connell Street the main street of Dublin. Well, it was built for the Millennium but only completed 3 years later. It seems there have been several late completion dates in the UK and Ireland.
Statue of John O’Connell for whom the street is named. O’Connell was one of the signors of the Declaration of Independence and was noted for having been severely wounded in the Uprising. Gangrene and sepsis had set in his wounds while he was held in prison and even though he was near death, the English revived him enough to strap him into a chair to be executed by the firing squad since he could not stand. This act finally turned the world’s view of the English occupation of Ireland and is perhaps the act that lost Ireland for the United Kingdom. Ireland had no interest in being a part of the United Kingdom after it finally won its independence from England in 1922.
The Liffey River which flows through the heart of Dublin.
The famous General Post Office on O’Connell Street from which the Declaration of Independence was read on Easter Monday, 1916. There are still bullet marks on the building from the English attack on the Irish rebels.
The front of Trinity College (Dublin University).
The Grafton Street shopping area in Dublin.
Crowds around the Molly Malone statue. Below, various scenes from the Dublin streets.
Above and below, old Dublin Georgian Era townhouses.
We hopped off the bus to tour Dublin Castle. The castle sits on the site of a Viking fort from the 800’s era. It was actually the Vikings who founded the city of Dublin. A fort and a small village were built a few miles up the Liffey River. Much of the present city of Dublin is actually built on landfill east of the old Viking village as land was reclaimed from the sea. Dublin Castle was begun in the Norman Era to control Ireland. Yes, the English began their occupation of Ireland just after the Norman Conquest of England and it lasted for over 800 years. Ireland was the first English colony followed shortly by Wales and Scotland.
Dublin Castle was improved over the years and became the heart of English administration. It was badly burned by a fire in the 18th century and rebuilt in a modern design. But, the “Records Tower” (above) where the official records of Ireland were kept still survives as a part of the original Norman castle.
Left, the former pond where the Vikings moored their boats. It was fed by a river which now runs underground through a channel. Below, a tour of the staterooms of the Dublin Castle. Not much is left in the way of furnishings because, of course, the English carted everything off in 1922 when Ireland became independent.
A throne built for King George V. Now George was a very large man. He was just over 6’ tall and had a 51” waist so it is a large chair. Note the small stool below the chair which had to be hurriedly built for Queen Victoria for her visit to Dublin so that she could gracefully get into the chair.
Sand sculptures in the castle courtyard being prepared for an event.
Below, the magnificent stateroom where formal ceremonies are still held. It was last used for the G8 Summit.
Below, beneath the walls of what remains of the gunpowder tower, remains of the old castle have been excavated.
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