England

Around the Town
Spire of Dublin
Molly Malone Statue
Ha'penny Bridge
Guinness Storehouse
Out with Friends

Baby Guinness
Temple Bar
Drinking Guinness
Christ Church Cathedral
The Cat and the Rat
St. Patrick's Cathedral

John's Lane Church
St. Ann's Church
St. Audoens Church
Synod Hall
Trinity College
Book of Kells

Guinness Storehouse

This was our first trip to Ireland. Dublin is about an hour flight from London. Chris and I flew over with Jill and Keith. One evening we met up with Mkwama, a friend from our Langley office and Aideen from our Dublin office. We all had a great time and it was nice to see some friendly faces while we were there.

We stayed two nights in Dublin and that was enough to see some of the major sites in the city. We also rented a car one day and spent the entire day outside the city in the country. We would like to return to Ireland and see some more parts of the country. We may plan a bicycle ride through the Cork area in the South.

Around the Town: Various photos from around the city of Dublin.

The last photo shows Eddie and Keith enjoying an Irish Hot Dog.

Spire of Dublin: The Spire of Dublin (also known as the Monument of Light) is a large, pin-like monument 120 meters (393 ft) in height. The Spire, is an elongated cone, having a diameter of 3m (10 ft) at the base, narrowing to 15cm (6 in) at the top. The world's tallest sculpture. It was originally intended that the Spire be completed by 2000 in honor of the new millennium, but construction was delayed because of difficulty obtaining planning permission and environmental regulations. It is constructed from eight hollow tubes of stainless steel and features a tuned mass damper to counteract sway.

Molly Malone Statue: The Molly Malone statue otherwise known as "The Tart With The Cart", "The Dish With The Fish" and 'The Trollop With The Scallops" is located at the end of Grafton Street, opposite Trinity College. Molly Malone was a semi historical/legendary figure who was comerated in the song 'Cockles and Mussels', a Dublin anthem. She worked as a fishmonger but also as a working girl and died in one of the outbreaks of cholera that regularly used to sweep the city of Dublin.

Ha'penny Bridge: This is the best known of Dublin's bridges. It was built in 1816 and was the first iron bridge in Ireland. It is a single span structure with cast iron railings and decorative lamps. It was originally named the Liffey Bridge but is now called the Ha'penny because until 1919 to cross it there was a half-penny charge.

Guinness Storehouse: The Guinness Brewery, Guinness Harp, 6th floor lounge overlooking the city and the old Guinness Windmill.

Out with Friends: We met some friends at the Auld Dubliner Pub one evening. Some of the photos show the inside of the pub. The bunnies were a group of girls passing by that we had our picture taken with.

Second photo: Chris, Jill, Aideen, Mkwama and two friends in the front with Keith in the back.

Baby Guinness: A Baby Guinness is a delicious little shot consisting of Kahlua liquor and Bailey's Irish Cream floated on top.

Temple Bar: Temple Bar (Barra an Teampaill in Irish) is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin. Unlike the areas surrounding it, Temple Bar has preserved its medieval street pattern, with many narrow cobbled streets. It is Dublin's cultural quarter and has a lively nightlife that is popular with tourists.

Drinking Guinness: One of our many Guinness stops. Chris not being a beer drinker gave it a try. I eventually had to help her out.

Christ Church Cathedral: Standing on high ground in the oldest part of the city, this cathedral is one of Dublin's finest historic buildings. It dates back to 1038 when Sitric, the then Danish king of Dublin, built the first wooden church here. In 1171 the original simple foundation was extended into a cruciform and rebuilt in stone by Strongbow, although the present structure dates mainly from 1871 to 1878 when a huge restoration was undertaken. Only the transepts, the crypt, and a few other portions date from the medieval times. It is the mother church for the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough of the Church of Ireland.

The last photo shows a casket on the wall of the St. Laud Chapel containing the heart of St. Laurence O'Toole.

The Cat and the Rat: Located in Christ Church Cathedral - The cat presumably chasing the rat, were trapped in an organ pipe in the 1860's and became mummified.

St. Patrick's Cathedral: St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland. Unusually, Dublin has two cathedrals belonging to the Church of Ireland, which act effectively as co-cathedrals. The Archbishop of Dublin has his official seat in the other one, Christ Church Cathedral. The site of St. Patrick's Cathedral is said to be the earliest Christian site in Ireland, where St. Patrick baptized converts. A wooden St. Patrick's Church stood on the site from the 5th century to about 1191, when the church was raised to the status of cathedral. The present building, the largest church in Ireland, was built between 1191 and 1270. The church officially opened in 1874. It contains a number of memorable design features, most notably the white Carrara marble altar and the shrine to Our Lady of Good Counsel.

John's Lane Church: This church was officially opened in 1874. It contains a number of memorable design features, most notably the white Carrara marble altar and the shrine to Our Lady of Good Counsel. The church also features some magnificent stained-glass windows.

St. Ann's Church: St. Anne's Church: This church was built in 1707, but the impressive roman facade has just been added in 1868.

St. Audoens Church: St. Audoens Church: This is one of the oldest existing churches in Dublin. A Norman church to St Ouen was built here in 1190 to replace an earlier structure dedicated to St Colmcille. It is said to have the oldest bells in Ireland with three bells dating from 1423 hanging in the tower. In the main porch is stored an early christian gravestone known as the Lucky Stone which has been kept here since before 1309 and has many strange legends connected with it.

Synod Hall: St Michael's Church dating from the 12th Century is embedded in the Synod Hall of Christ Church Cathedral. It is not commonly known that until the restoration of Christ Church, they were two unrelated buildings. Synod Hall was designed around the original church tower of St Michael's. The building is now the venue for a display on medieval Dublin.

Trinity College: Trinity College, Dublin, corporately designated as the Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Ireland's oldest university.

Book of Kells: The Book of Kells (Dublin, Trinity College Library, less widely known as the Book of Columba) is an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by Celtic monks around AD 800 in the style known as Insular art. It is one of the more lavishly illuminated manuscripts to survive from the Middle Ages and has been described as the zenith of Western calligraphy and illumination. It contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin, along with prefatory and explanatory matter decorated with numerous colorful illustrations and illuminations. Today it is on permanent display at the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland.

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