Dublin 30th - 31st July 2014
A few photos from the sights we visited in Dublin. We only had two nights and that was cut short a bit as one day AR had to get a 2hr train to Belfast to bring a rental car back that cost $A530 for the 21 day hire. It was worth the effort as it was over $A 1070 cheaper than the first car we had booked from Dublin and dropping in Belfast at $A1447 plus $A150 one way fee.
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| Dublin Castle |
The worst problem was the hotel's internet was so slow it wasn't useable and we had places to book and of course business things to attend to in Australia. AR went over to the hotel over the road Temple Bar Inn and asked if he could pay to hook into their internet which had a good signal in our room. They didn't want any money and were just happy to help so that saved a big problem as our hotel said the internet is never any good when they are full!
We did three main tours the first was the Chester Beatty Library which was great but NO photos. It has a massive and amazing collection that was donated to the Irish government provided it is never split up and is free for the public to visit. We took a guided tour and it was excellent. There are only guided tours at 1pm Wednesday and then Sunday at 3pm & 4pm. Our guide showed us around mostly the religious artifacts from every religion and she was very knowledgeable.
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Trinity College Bell Tower
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The next morning we caught the red tram to the Kilmainham Jail and we were in the queue at 9:15am for a 9:30am opening time as it get very busy. The tour was excellent and we learnt a lot about all the Irish struggles with England and amongst themselves. On the way out the queues were massive so go early is the secret.
On checkout day we were up early as again we had picked a busy place and we were packed up, breakfasted and in the car at 8am to head to the Bru na Boinne Visitors Centre to tour Newgrange & Knowth. The Trim Castle was next on the list after lunch.
Our English Heritage passes were GBP 86 for both of us and great value for our SW England tour but they also allow free entry to the Irish sites so Newgrange & Knowth at 11 Euros each was free and also Trim Castle at 4 Euros was free.
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| Magnificent sculpture at Trinity College - it spins too |
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| This building at Trinity College has carved plants around the bottom and no two are the same |
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| Trinity College old library |
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| Might be hard to concentrate on the poker at this place advertised in Fleet Street - Temple Bar - Dublin |
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| Some great pubs with live music even at lunchtime |
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| Kilmainham Old Jail |
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| Our tour guide at Kilmainham Jail did a great job |
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| If you had money you could pay and get this room in the jail complete with your servants |
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| You even get gas lighting in your paid for cell |
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| The newer part of the jail had a dumb waiter from the kitchen |
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| Art from Grace one of the wives of the men executed for an uprising who painted this Madonna on her wall. She was married to him the night before he was executed and it was one of the things that turned the public towards wanting independence from England |
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| Note the 'To Let' sign above the door |
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| The 14 men executed for organizing a rebellion and they are credited with turning public sentiment |
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| All the 14 men were shot here except one who couldn't walk from gangrene and he was shot at the other end. The story of a sick man being executed was also another thing the public didn't like and contributed to the turning of sentiment |
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| The queue at the jail when we left |
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