In Dublin Fair City, We Look Tall and Thin

OK, that is one fit pair of senior citizens, folks. Not bad if you consider the steak and Guinness pie I had for lunch and the jacket potato drenched in beans and cheese that Sheelagh had.

Anyway, we have begun our stay in Ireland with 3 days and 4 nights in Dublin. None of us have ever been here and, after Iceland, our first response is, "Look at all the people!".  We took our rental car to the airport in Reykjavik and caught the Easyjet to Belfast without any problems. The cab to the Belfast bus depot went smoothly and the ride through your typical Irish rural landscape dropped us on O'Connell Street in central Dublin. When Sheelagh and Von were looking for accommodations here they seemed quite expensive. Well, it turns out that we have chosen the weekend for the semifinals of the All Ireland Football, and the finals of the Irish Hurling championships. "The Superbowl of hurling we were told. There were 82,000 at both events. That was why there were all those people.

We found our way to Jacobs Inn, a decent hostel not far away and slept the sleep of the just. On Sunday Sheelagh and I went to Grace Church, a community church that works with the people struggling with addictions. It was very good. J&V went on a 2 hour walking tour that turned out to be a 4 hour walking tour. Then they hustled off to Christchurch Cathedral for evensong. 

After our church service we took a stroll past the Abbey Theatre, the Customs House and the Post Office buildings that figured in the uprisings of the 19 teens and twenties.

This is the Abbey. We are hoping to go here on Monday night to see a play in this world famous facility.

This is the Customs House was burned down in the 1921 uprising. It was seen as a symbol of the British Tyranny.

 This Post Office was used for rifle positions in the fight against the Brits in 1916. England bombed it in response.

Needing a break from the bombing, we went to O'Shea's for the above mentioned lunch. Then we walked over and had a wonderful time in the Hugh Lane Art Gallery. This man bought an extensive collection of art which he then handed over to Dublin. Dublin did not come up with a suitable site to house it so he gave it to The National Gallery in London. I thought that was cheeky of him. Then Dublin responded with this gallery space and the fight was on. He drowned when the Lusitania was torpedoed and it was finally decided that the collection would be traded back and forth every 5 years.  Luckily for us, this is one of Dublin's years.We both liked this gallery for its manageable size and light. 

Then we strolled along North Great George Street to see the refurbished Georgian terrace houses. 

Very nice too, in my opinion. Sheelagh held her head and moaned,"The Triffids!The Triffids!"

That was it for our first day. Oh, except for the tea and scone and walnut cake.