20130528 In Dublin Mostly sunny!! Warm(high 60’s)!!!..... Photos-Owen Photos-Dolores

We had our breakfast at our own time in the hotel dining room. It was quite good. Then we walked to the corner & bought tickets for the hop-on hop-off bus. After a few minutes it came along.

We boarded and did the entire circle to get an idea of the place. Then we started around again but hopped off at Trinity College Dublin. Trinity is one of the big 3 schools in the UK and Ireland the other two being Cambridge and Oxford.

We did a walking tour with Marcus Bradshaw, who had his line down pat. He's just taken final examinations to graduate and will go to Columbia in NYC in the fall to continue studying arts, especially directing. He showed us the highlights of the place with considerable humor. The university was established in 1592 by Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII. About 15,000 students study here, but only 700 can get on-grounds residency.

He released us to enter the old library. We waited a bit in line then went in to see the Book of Kells and two other old manuscripts. Very impressive. We continued up one floor to see the Long Hall, some 200 feet, full of books. Other libraries organize their books by alphabet or by the Dewey Decimal System, but this library organizes books by size. That makes for efficient shelving. I have no idea how one finds anything but obviously they must. We bought a few small things in the library shop.

We left the premises and walked up to Grafton Street, a big shopping-only (no auto traffic) place. After a few blocks we'd seen all the name stores we would see in any of our major cities so we went west. We got lost, which is fun. We saw a Rick's Hamburgers and did one to satisfy that urge. It was interestingly different but good.

We found ourselves again and hiked through Temple Bar to the Liffey. We crossed it at Ha' Penny Bridge and walked up to Henry Street, another shopping area. We saw nothing there we wanted so we went to Carroll's (of which there must be 20 stores) and paid our dues by purchasing a Jamie present and some other stuff.

Onward then to change some traveller's checks into real cash (both Euros and Pounds) for the next few days. Always easier in a big city. The Bureau de Change around the corner obliged.

We returned to the bar in Wynn's Hotel, where I had my pint and D her glass. Then we went up to the room to put things away and to sit for a while to rest.

Then we'll go out for dinner and whatever.

We recovered and put away the returned laundry. Then we set out again.

D thought she'd found in Google a DVD shop that might have a very recent one that she wants. So we hiked to the south side over the O'Connell bridge and along the Quay westward. No luck. If it was ever there, it has gone.

So we crossed the Liffey by the Ha'penny footbridge to the north side and to Abbey Street. We set out for a restaurant I'd seen in the Dining in Dublin magazine, located some three or four blocks east of Wynn's Hotel. We arrived in the neighborhood but never did find it.

Finally, we hiked back to the Grand Central Cafe next to our hotel and ate pub food there. D had roast chicken and I had chicken kiev. Not bad at all.

We hiked next door and to our room. We'll read and relax and prepare for our car tour of County Meath tomorrow.


20130529 Dublin, Ireland Beautiful day, sunny & warm.

We had our great set breakfast in the hotel dining room once we got going. We got our stuff together and went to the street.

Where we met Michael Fox, our guide & driver for today. He does business as Boyne Valley Tours. As he drove out of Dublin he gave us some options for the day and we agreed on the general outline of the trip.

Because he wanted us to get in before the crowds we went first to Newgrange to view the ancient passage tomb there. I can't possibly give all the details here so I've provided a link to their web site. We did take the bus to the tomb, very predominant on a hill. After an introduction and background talk, our tomb guide (very droll, quite interesting) led us into the tomb. The passage is very low and restricted, much more so that the submarines I served on.

On the 21st of December, the winter solstice, light from the sun will shine down the passage to the interior of the tomb, shining on the floor for about 15 minutes. This happens also for a few days on either side of the 21st. So the people of 5,000 years ago (older than the pyramids) were really in touch with the natural world. Standing under 20,000 tons of stone, all moved there by hand, perhaps some distance by boat on the River Boyne, is incredible.

We left to visit the site of the Battle of the Boyne on the same river a few miles east. Here, two kings vied over the crown of England in 1690.

Then Michael showed us into Drogheda, his home town for a time, and the ancient Norman town gates, the only parts of the old walls still extant.

Then we went to a local supermarket and purchased sandwiches. Michael drove us to his home near Ardcath, a lovely house with outstanding gardens (yards) very well groomed. His wife Bernadette came along about that time, and the two of them set the table. We enjoyed their tea and our sandwiches and we passed around the strawberries we had purchased. We chatted about education through most of the meal.

Then we went outdoors where Michael challenged us to walk his open labyrinth. One can walk into it between lines of brick and eventually come to a vertical stone where one can pause and meditate or whatever; then you walk back out. We came to the house cat there, so I petted it. I accidently touched a sore ear, so it scratched. Michael showed us around the garden pointing out nice parts. Just beautiful.

Then he took us for a walk down his road (lane) to a neighbor's house to show us the old stone embedded in the wall. It's engraved but well worn and not very readable, called a “sheela na gig” (Google it). Apparently there are quite a few in Ireland. This one had been in the wall facing into the wall until the wall was partially torn down for reconstruction. Then it was turned around to face out to be viewed.

Back at the house, we were shown Bernie's art designs. D was struck with two, so we bought one. Then we departed.

Next on Michael's tour was the megalithic tomb at Fourknocks, not far from his house. This one was not as big as Newgrange and is not well known, so we had it all to ourselves. Micheal took us into this one and showed us the carvings and interesting parts of this tomb, which is not aligned with any sun feature.

Then we were transported to the Hill of Tara, site of the crowning of early kings of Ireland. It's on top of a hill from which you can see for miles all round. Again, this dates from around 5,000 years ago according to the carbon dating scheme. We walked up the avenue people of high place might have walked to the top and all around the top. It is far too complex, so here's a link to a place where you can read more.

At Tara we were introduced to Michael's daughter, working in the visitors center for the summer until entering her “degree year” at college.

Then we headed for Trim, but came across the Bective Abbey so we stopped there. This structure was sold to a private owner after Henry VIII “dissolved” the abbeys and took their wealth for his own. The owners down through the years revamped the place many times, so it's a real mishmash of styles.

At Trim, we viewed old castle there, which formed part of the town walls. We saw a little more of the town walls on the other side of the Boyne (we crossed it many times today). There were a couple dozen youngsters playing or laying on the grass in the warm sun, just enjoying themselves.

After Trim we went to try to track down the Nolan I found in Ancestry.com who may be one of D's mother's ancestors. The baptismal record only notes the date in 1843, but the parish is Kilclone, Batterstown, and Kilcock. So we went to Kilclone and wandered through the cemetery only to find no Nolans. We took pictures and moved on.

As we passed through a district Michael thought might be Batterstown, we found a St Bridget's well that he knew nothing about. We stopped and encountered an Irish gentleman, well worn, and asked him about Batterstown. He only knew about the village of Batterstown, some five miles away but he called out his wife and the five of us talked about the map. She was of the opinion the Batterstown meant the district or region. Then they gave us directions to the nearest Nolan.

We went to look at the well, a spring-fed thing said to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The reconstruction (2000) committee was found by Michael to be headed by one of his priest instructors when he was young. He took notes and pictures for future use. One of the interesting things left at the springs was an arm-brace crutch; I wonder if the owner drank and walked away whole.

We knew any search for Nolans would be futile so we traveled through Kilcock, the largest of the three. D gave us the opinion that she had all she needed of the region and that she could easily envision her mother in the settings we saw.

So Michael drove us down the M4 motorway to our hotel. He picked us up at 0830 and returned us at 1913, so he gave us a long day and a long distance for our money. He was very much worth the cost.

We ate pub food in the hotel bar dining area - quite good. Then off to pack and do chores.