DUBLIN, IRELAND

                                     A Busy City

       Approaching Dublin we arrived into the world of traffic lights and where motorists were nowhere as pleasant as in the country. Approaching the city we noted a McDonalds—the first we’d seen in nearly two weeks.

      Dublin started as a Norse trading post in the 8^th century and is an older Viking settlement than Stockholm, Sweden or Oslo, Norway.  Dublin, a city of Georgian elegance, gets its name from the Black Pool—Dubh Linn that was on the site of Dublin Castle. Dublin, the Fair City with over a million people, is thought to be the friendliest capital on earth. It is a large city but lacks the high rises of most metropolitan areas and might be referred to as low high-rise city. By the late 17^th century Dublin was the second city of the British Empire.

      The River Liffey runs through the city and many bridges link the north and south parts of the city.  Starting at Sally Gap in County Wicklow the river travels 125 kilometers through the center of Dublin, into Dublin Bay and finally into the Irish Sea. The bar is a walkway along the River Liffey. Compact and easy to get around, Dublin is a walking city with interesting alleys, nooks and crannies.

      The 18^th century was Dublin’s golden age. Colorful doors grace lovely Georgian homes. The city has many graceful squares. Now a boomtown, half of the country’s population lives in the capital city. The city is 10 miles north to south and 6 miles east to west. There are over 10,000 pubs n the city.

      In 1728 the corner stone for the Parliament building (Leinster House) was laid and then in 1801 the Act of Union put Ireland under English rule until its independence in 1921.  In 1970 an old Viking village was found and excavated. The city’s largest private home, built in 1745 by the Duke of Leinster is a rather unusual building as it has a different façade on the front and rear sides. On the Merrion St. side the style is of a country home, on the Kildare St. side it resembles a town house.

     Temple Bar is considered Dublin’s cultural center. Developed in the 19^th century and situated in the heart of the city, its narrow cobbled streets run close to the banks of River Liffey. After years of neglect a massive redevelopment took place in 1991-92. The streets now are pedestrian walkways meant for strolling.  Artists, designers, and young entrepreneurs with creative ideas have set up small art galleries, cafés, theaters and colorful shops.

     Government Buildings are the last buildings in Dublin built by the British. In 1904 they were the College of Science, then the College of Engineers and later British headquarters. By the 1940s the buildings had become blackened and in disrepair. In the 1990s a huge restoration took place using Irish craftsmen and all Irish materials.

     The Ha’Penny Bridge is Dublin’s oldest pedestrian bridge crossing the River Liffey and is a symbol of the city. Built in 1816 as the Wellington Bridge, it acquired its nickname because of the halfpenny levied on all users of the bridge until 1919. It is one of the earliest cast iron bridges of its kind.  A 2001 restoration returned the Victorian Bridge to its original sparkling white. It was the only pedestrian bridge until 2000 when the new Millennium Bridge opened. Temple Bar is on the south side of the bridge and Mary and Henry Street on the north side. The bridge is very pretty and to me much more attractive than the modern Millennium Bridge. There are several bridges across the River Liffey that handle motor traffic.

      The Molly Malone statue, located at the end of Grafton Street opposite Trinity College, always drew a crowd and often a fellow who played the bodhran drum. It was very difficult to get a good picture of Molly Malone, the semi-historical-legendary figure who was commemorated in the song Cockles and Mussels. The fishmonger-working girl died in one of the cholera epidemics, which regularly sweep through Dublin. The statue is affectionately nick named ‘The tart with the cart’, ‘Trollop with the scallops’ or the ‘Dish with the fish’.   

    

 POSTS: Trinity College & Book of Kells  2-5-14

MORE ABOUT IRELAND

    Daniel O’Connell, 1775, is considered the liberator of Ireland. After securing the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829 the lawyer was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin. As a young boy he watched the British shoot his uncle because he owned a horse worth more than the allowed five pounds which he refused to give up. This event was no doubt a big factor in his drive for Catholic emancipation. There are several memorials and statues around Dublin of O’Connell who died in 1847. His heart is buried in Rome and his body is buried in Glasnevin.

 

  The 305 foot-long St Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 450 A.D. and built in 1192, is the largest church in the country and is the National Cathedral of Ireland. The church was restored in 1860 with Guinness monies. The organ dates to 1902. The present structure dates from 1254. Inside the floors are done in geometric designs using 4-inch tiles. The lectern is of ornate brass involving an eagle perched on top of a large world globe representing the word of God around the world. Jonathan Swift was Dean of the church 1713-1745 and is buried there. He was responsible for building an alms house for women who could no longer take care of themselves.

 

   From City Hall it is a short block to Christ Church. Standing in the heart of Viking Dublin and on the site of a wooden church built by a Danish king in 1038, it is one of two protestant churches in the city. It is one of the oldest and most recognized landmarks in Dublin. By 1152 it was incorporated into the Irish church. King James was protestant and King William catholic so the church switched religions a couple of times.

     In 1562 the nave roof collapsed and emergency rebuilding lasted until the 1870s. The church declined in the 19^th century so Henry Roe, a wealthy distiller hired a gothic expert to restore the building. After the 1895 renovation the church appeared Victorian. A two-year restoration of the cathedral roof and stonework was undertaken in 1982. A new organ was installed in 1984. Christ Church was the first church in Ireland to have English spoken.

    The crypt, under the church is the actually the oldest building in Dublin, and the largest crypt in Europe. During the 16^th and 17^th centuries the crypt was used as a market, a meeting place for business and at one point a pub. Reconstruction between 1870-1878 was accomplished with monies from the Guinness brewery. Today the 900 year old crypt is open to the public. New lighting recently has been installed in the crypt floor. Several display cases hold outstanding rare church silver including the stunning royal plate given by King William III in 1697 as a thanksgiving for his victory at the battle of the Boyne. Also on display are candlesticks used in 1689.

  Just before we were about to descend down into the large crypt I looked up and saw a sign on the wall that said in bold letters “CAT and RAT”. Moving my eyes upward I saw a shadow box with a mummified cat and rat. The written explanation stated that the animals were trapped in one of the organ pipes in 1860. I guess that cat really wanted that rat!

                       

St. Patrick's Day is time for the wearing o' the green and dodging leprechauns.     So, tip your tam o'shanter jauntily to the side, take a wee step forward into the land where Irish eyes are smilin’ for some St. Patrick's Day History.

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and many miracles have been attributed to the bishop, including the driving of the snakes from Ireland. His sainthood derives from his conversion of the Irish Celtic pagans to Christianity. He used the native shamrock as a symbol of the holy trinity when preaching and brought the Latin alphabet to Ireland. March 17 is the feast day of St. Patrick.

The custom of imbibing alcohol on St. Patrick's Day comes from an old Irish legend. As the story goes, St. Patrick was served a measure of whiskey that was considerably less than full. St. Patrick took this as an opportunity to teach a lesson of generosity to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper that in his cellar resided a monstrous devil that fed on the dishonesty of the innkeeper. In order to banish the devil, the man must change his ways. When St. Patrick returned to the hostelry some time later, he found the owner generously filling the patrons' glasses to overflowing. He returned to the cellar with the innkeeper and found the devil emaciated from the landlord's generosity, and promptly banished the demon, proclaiming thereafter everyone should have a drop of the "hard stuff" on his feast day. This custom is known as Pota Phadraig or Patrick's Pot. The custom is known as "drowning the shamrock" because it is customary to float a leaf of the plant in the whiskey before downing the shot.

St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in America in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737, and is now celebrated nationwide with parades and as an opportunity to wear green and consume green libations. One reason St. Patrick’s Day might have become so popular is the fact that it takes place just a few days before the end of winter; one might say it has become the first green of spring. The celebration in Ireland is more of a religious matter. The wearing o' the green is a symbol of Ireland's lush green farmlands.

also.see posts 9-22-13,  6-9-14,  8-12-12

IRISH FOOD

                                            Filling and Nourishing
      It is said that in rural areas food is simple, but in Dublin the food is spectacular. However pub food tends to be simple everywhere and usually includes fish, salmon, and Irish stew.

     Potato is a staple of the Irish diet and potato dishes are popular. Boxty, champ and colcannon are all variations on mashed potato.

     Seafood, especially oysters and mussels, are popular. Ireland has some of the best smoked salmon in the world. It is served on soda bread with lots of butter.

     Coddle is a boiled stew of bacon, sausage and smoked meat; it is a favorite in Dublin.

      Irish coffee and Guinness are favorite drinks. A whiskey called Lageuvlin is known for its strong peaty taste.

      Breakfast is called fry and consists of bacon, fried egg, sausage (black and white pudding) and baked beans. Often breakfast is preceded with coffee or tea, juice, a muffin or pastry or a bowl of cereal.

      I always wondered just what made stew Irish stew. Irish stew is a filling, flavorful peasant dish made with the cheapest, most readily available ingredients. Also called ballymaloe or stobhach gaelach in Gaelic, the stew traditionally is made of lamb or mutton (less tender sheep over two years old), potatoes, onions, carrots and parsley. Often, only lamb or mutton neckbones, shanks, and other trimmings were the basis for the stock. Yet, these would-be discards still hold enough flavor after a long simmering process to do justice to a hearty bowl of stew. The root vegetables also add flavor and thickening, as well as a filling sustenance. Some cooks add turnips or parsnips, carrots, and barley when available.

      When Irish people began immigrating to the United States, fleeing from the ravages of starvation caused by the potato famine, they naturally brought along their wonderful hearty food traditions. The stew evolved and adapted to include local offerings. Sheep were not as plentiful, so other types of meat often were substituted. When made in the traditional manner, the result is very thick and hearty, not a thin soup. The recipe has evolved to often include Guinness stout. Some variations have exalted this original peasant dish to near gourmet status.

      I expected to see Irish stew on every restaurant menu. Not so. It is often on a pub menu though. We had stew that was thick enough to eat with a fork and some that was broth-thin. Sometimes the vegetable chunks were large, other times small.  It was always good.

      The Irish raised primarily sheep and root crops for subsistence. The sheep provided wool for warm clothing, milk for drinking and making cheese, and eventually food. Potatoes were the main food crop, prior to the potato famine.

ANCIENT SITES

                                         Something Old 

     At Craggaunowen we picked up a docent who showed us around the recreated medieval ecomuseum. She told us, “John Hunt bought the property in 1965 and initiated this project. He and his family lived in this 1550 castle for several years.  This 16^th century tower house is restored with furnishings of the 14-17^th centuries. McNamara built the castle to fortify the town and used it as a town house. Cromwell destroyed it leaving only the walls.”

      Entering the castle there was a distinct aroma of burned peat, which reminded me of the incense aroma of Tibetan monasteries. Among the utensils were some turtle shells that were used as serving dishes or as covers for others. I walked up the 60 narrow pie-shaped spiral stair steps leading to the top of the tower where there was a pretty good view of the area below. The whole setting is a lovely wooded area.

     We crossed a narrow wooden footbridge leading to an island in the lake where replicas of early Celtic–style dwellings are housed. The Bronze Age clay and wattle Crannog (Lake Dwelling) stands on a man-made island in a small lake as it might have in the 6-7^th centuries when Celtic influence dominated Ireland. Canoes provided transport to and from the island. Often rocks just under the water’s surface provided a ‘secret’ path to the mainland.

      Reconstruction of a small Ring Fort showed how ordinary farmers lived in the 5-6^th centuries. Underground passages provided storage as well as an escape route.

      We also viewed an Iron Age Roadway of oak, which was covered with peat for preservation and an outdoor cooking site. After a successful hunt the men would cook the animal in a deep water pit. A huge fire was lit behind the pit that heated stones. Enough stones were thrown into the water to make it hot to cook the meat. I wonder how well done that meat got!

      A clay storage pit was new to me and I was fascinated with a foot controlled and driven lathe for turning wood.

     One day on a drive in the countryside we detoured to see the Cahergal stone fort. This 1000 year old ring fort was in excellent condition. These forts are also referred to as fairy forts. There are some 40,000 of them in Ireland. Most of them are overgrown, but 200 have been excavated. People lived in the round stone walled forts and grazed cattle outside during the day. At night the cattle were brought inside. The forts were common in the 5-6^th centuries but go back as far as the Celts. Now the forts are national monuments and it is illegal to destroy them. People believed fairies lived in them.

      On another day we were on a narrow two-lane paved road that passed right by some beehive huts. Of course we stopped to visit. The huts were made of stone in the shape of a beehive and also date back to the 5-6^th centuries. They were in remarkably good condition and amazingly large inside.        

Sometimes life is amazing and it’s awesome to see and learn about such ancient things.