| ~ Dublin ~ | ||
| Dublin is a very cosmopolitan city, but with a rich history and friendly
citizens. The Celtic Tiger economy has brought a large immigration from other
parts of the Eurpean Union, so any kind of ethnic food can be found in the
city.
At right: the historic General Post Office, where the Easter Rising took place in 1916. Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Republic outside of the GPO, which claimed an Irish Republic independent of Britain. The uprising did not succeed, but it lay the seeds for future Irish independence. On the day we were visiting, a demonstration was taking place in front of the GPO by the Chinese group Falun Dafa, which has been banned in China. |
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At left is a statue of Daniel O'Connell, appropriately centered on O'Connell
Street. In the 19th century, O'Connell campaigned for Catholic Emancipation
under British rule.
Below is the likeness of trade union leader Jim Larkin in front of the Millenium Spire. Situated near the River Liffey and none too popular with the local residents, the spire has also been called "the stiffy on the Liffey."  |
| The Temple Bar area, south of the Liffey, was originally a center
for craftsmen and merchants. These days, it's an artsy cultural area with great
bars, interesting shops, and lots of live music. (It's unfortunately also full
of high prices and tourists.) Bob got some great microbrews at the Porterhouse,
but other than a brewery in Kinsale that is looking for a brewer, there weren't
many microbrews on the trip. (There was, however, great Guinness, Smithwicks
and Bullmers.) |
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 Bob and Diane in front of the famous Temple Bar in Temple Bar. |
 A street in Temple Bar. ("Bar" means a walkway along the river.) |
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 The courthouse. |
 The Garden of Remembrance, which honors the victims of the 1916 Easter Rising. |
 The Henry Street pedestrian mall. |
A full spectrum of lifestyle...Below are two street scenes in Dublin: the Communion Shop on the left, and Condom Power on the right. |
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 Two young girls were looking into the windows, reviewing the First Holy Communion outfits. |
 Condom Power. No kids looking in the windows, however. |
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| ~ Kilmainham Gaol ~ | ||
| Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) was opened in 1796 as a debtors' prison, but it was
frequently used by the British to incarcerate leaders of the rebellion and
fight for independence. It was closed in 1924, and the last prisoner released
was Eamon de Valera, who later became the president of the Republic of Ireland.
Touring the jail is a powerful experience. During the famine, people committed petty crimes so they could be put in these dank cells for several days, hence getting several days with meals.  In the courtyard. The small cross indicates where some of the
political prisoners were executed.
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 The entrance to the jail. |
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 A dank hallway in the original section of the jail. |
 Inside one of the cells. |
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 A plaque honoring those who were exectuted after the Easter Rising in 1916. There was also a cell with a memorial of Robert Emmet in the older part of the jail. |  Inside the "newer" part of the jail. |
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Content Copyright © 2007 Bob & Diane Zormeir. All rights reserved. |
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