We are in good company today in Dublin for Queen Elizabeth of England is also visiting today. Maybe we can have tea together. Well, on second thought, I don’t want to have tea with her as she has royally messed up all my plans for the day—because of her, Trinity College and the Book of Kells is Closed!!! I feel so sorry for those on this ship who won’t ever get another chance to see it. We are lucky in that our cruise returning home also goes to Dublin when we can return and do Trinity College with the Book of Kells and the Guinness Storehouse. She’d better not schedule a return visit for that date.
It was so blustery today. The winds were blowing the flowers from the trees so strongly that it looked like it was snowing flowers. We took the shuttle to Custom House Quay and walked to our destinations.
At the harbour, the statue of Our Lady of the Port is said to protect those who sail. There are many other statues in town also. The statue of the Famine Immigrants near the Customs House Quay shows them walking to the ships. Many of the statues have nicknames given to them by the citizens. For example, Molly Malone’s statue on Grafton St. is called the “tart with a cart.” James Joyce on North Earl St. is the “wit with a stick,” and Oscar Wilde in Marian Sq Gardens “the lad on the crag,” as he sits upon a rock.
Other interesting sites are the Milleniun spire, which stands 400 ft. tall, the Ha’ Penny Bridge, so named because it used to cost a half penny toll to cross over the Liffey River, and the new James Joyce Bridge. Every June 16, scholars from the world over take to the streets to retrace the paths of James Joyce’s characters in the novel Ulysses, set on June 16, 1904. I think some of the brass markers in the sidewalks with pictures such as needles, canoes, footprints, and ropes have something to do with this.
The majority of the people here are Catholic. As far as history goes, in 350 AD Christianity arrived, in 432 St. Patrick showed up, the Vikings invaded in 792, the Great Famine occurred in 1845-8 (causing millions of Irish to leave the country to start new lives in America, Australia, and elsewhere) and in 1920-1 Northern Ireland was created.
Dublin castle uses a mix of architecture and is from the 12th century, begun by King John. The springs and marshes near the castle have black pools, black from the peat. In Gaelic, black pool is “dubh linn,” hence the name of the town.
Christ Church Cathedral was originally built by Vikings and dates to 1038 when Sitric, the Danish king of Dublin, built the first wood here.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is from 1191-1270, but its spire was not completed until
1749. Handel’s Messiah was first performed here. The cathedral was founded beside a sacred well where St. Patrick baptized converts around 450 AD. There is a stone slab here with a Celtic cross that was unearthed in the 20th century and is now in the west end of the nave. This is Ireland’s largest church. Writer Jonathan Swift was Dean of St. Parick’s from 1713-45 and his grave is at the west end of the nave. Also here is his spitaph and bust, his death mask, a selection of his writings, and his friend Stella (Esther Johnson) who is also buried here. His epitaph reads: “He lies where furious indignation can no longer rend his heart.”
Once back on the ship, we watched the Folkloric Show “Gaels Afloat’” a traditional music and dance program before going to dinner. At the show was a man/woman who looked JUST like Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie.” After-dinner entertainment for the evening was Jonathan Kane (as Sir Elton John). He is the only tribute act endorsed by Elton. And he did “Your Song,” the song I have been trying for years to get my girls to believe Elton wrote for me long ago. And would you believe, that at the end of the song tonight, “Elton” stood up from the piano, looked straight at me, and said, “That’s for you.” Aahhh, I am finally vindicated.
pictures from top: Irish Immigrants Monument in Dublin; love the doors here; Jonathan Swift tomb inside St. Patrick's Cathedral; stairs up to organ loft; brass sidewalk marker for James Joyce's Ulysses.
