Dublin 22 to 25 May

Sunday 22 May 2011

Given the rainy weather we decided to make it a museum day. First up was the Georgian House Museum where we were taken on a guided tour from the basement to the attic, through rooms which have been furnished with original artefacts as they would have been in the years 1790 to 1820.

 

The first occupant Mrs Olivia Beatty and her seven children moved in in 1794. Her husband was a successful wine merchant but at the age of 33 she became a widow.

The furniture, glassware, ceramics, and paintings on display were particularly interesting because they were mostly Irish from the late 18th century or early 19th century.  There were a number of pieces that I could see sitting rather nicely in my shop!

The afternoon was filled with the Natural History Museum, a venue that we had been trying to get into since 2006.  It was closed in 2006/7, then it was closed last Monday when we arrived and it was closed this Sunday morning when we tried so it was a matter of principle that we finally get inside. A comprehensive display of Irish animals, birds and insects met us on the ground floor.  Upstairs were examples of animals from around the world.   

Monday 23 2011

Gale force winds, with potential structural damage, and highs of 10 to 13 were the forecast for today.  We decided that shopping was the best option so headed to Liffey Valley centre. 

Barrack Obama was in town so the Garda or security in their infinite wisdom decided to lock down almost the entire city.  The roads were closed 7 kms out from the city; the equivalent of closing the South East Freeway at Mt Gravatt to ensure the protection of someone standing in Queen St!  Chaos, pandemonium and lengthy delays were the result.  It was just annoying for us but we could only imagine trying to run a business during the visit and this comes on the heels of the Queen’s visit where the same restrictions applied.  What a week we chose to come! 

In addition we experienced the windiest May day ever recorded in Ireland with wind gusts at 132kms per hour! 



Rathfarnham Castle



Looking for another inside activity we fought the traffic to Rathfarnham Castle.  It doesn’t look like a castle as such; more like a fortified house with four towers.  It was built in the late 1500s and has had many owners including Jesuits. We saw the fine 18th century interiors with beautiful plasterwork molded ceilings. The building is undergoing conservation and we saw layers of the castle's earlier existence including 18^th century wallpaper.



Castle ceiling

 Unbelievably in 1985 it was facing demolition until the state purchased it in 1987. One of the most chilling stories about Rathfarnham Castle is that of a skeleton found in one of the hollow walls in 1880. She was there for over 130 years.  The story goes that she was locked into a secret compartment in one of the rooms during a ball. Two suitors were arguing over her love and they decided to sort out their differences by a dual. The successor would then rescue the fair maiden from the wall. But as it happened, both died - one from drowning and the other from his wounds. 

The whole affair was conducted in secret so the beautiful maiden was left there entombed in the wall, where she died.  Does she walk the halls at night?

Stained glass window
Rathfarham castle



Clone lace work



The castle also housed an exhibition of Irish lace making.  There were pieces of Clones lace, named after the town where it was created in 1847. It was inspired by Venetian point lace, and undertaken as a famine relief project in the small region of West Monaghan and Southeast Fermanagh, at the height of the Great Irish Famine. The Clones people made it their own by adapting it to include many local flowers. It is very delicate work.  

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Headed south to the green lush Wicklow countryside stopping in at Avoca and having lunch at the Meeting of the Waters.  The sun cooperated and gave us a lovely afternoon as we drove along under arches of lime coloured leaves. It is a very tranquil part of the world.

Wednesday 25 May 2011



Loughcrew Cairn



Drove north passed Kells to visit Loughcrew Cairns, ‘the best kept secret in archaeological Ireland’, so the brochure said. The tourists that came off the bus that parked next to us must have read the same brochure.  

The cairns at Loughcrew form the largest complex of passage graves in Ireland. The Cairns are megalithic structures originally built about 4000 BC as burial chambers. We had a steep walk up slippery grass to see one of the cairns.  The wind was so strong it was almost pushing us backward and the rain was icy. The Cairn was roofed and the walls had excellent engravings which we could just see with the torch.  Just like Newgrange the backstone of the chamber is illuminated by a beam of light at sunrise on the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes.  Regardless of the archaeological significance it was just nice to get out of the wind for a minute.  The view from the top of the Cairn was stunning and would have been brilliant on a sunny day but that was not to be so hot tea and scones at the Loughcrew garden and coffee house was the order of the day.


We circled north and then headed for the coast road home via some interesting diversions thanks to the sat nav taking us on the most direct route but not necessarily the one with the best roads.  On a couple of occasions the roads got narrower and narrower and then grass appeared down the middle of the road, then taller grass and then less bitumen.  Time to turn around – if only we could find a spot to do that!  Regardless it was enjoyable travelling through the greenest fields imaginable, passed ruins and little farmhouses.  When we went through little towns we were continually amazed at the size of the churches.  They would be cathedrals back home and seem out of proportion for the little villages in which they stand. 

Dinner was at Paddy and Helen (Elaine’s parent’s) house.  We had a lovely BBQ which we had to eat inside thanks to the weather.