The Rocky Road to Dublin

Days in Dublin: 5
Kilt sightings: 93

And we didn't count the tourists.



Here we have a view of the famous Ha'penny Bridge.

And here is a view of the River Liffey from the Ha'penny Bridge.

It's officially known as the Liffey Bridge or Droichead na Leathphingine, but everyone calls it the Ha'penny because that used to be the toll to cross it: a half-penny. And it's easier to say than Droichead na Leathphingine. It was originally named the Wellington Bridge, but I suppose everyone thought that he had enough things named after him (monuments, rain boots, tenderloin roasts...) so they changed it to Liffey. It's a pedestrian bridge made out of cast iron and was built in 1816 as a solution to easing up on the overused, quickly deteriorating ferries. It was cheaper to build a bridge than repair the ferries. The toll was dropped in 1919, and was later repaired and renovated by Harland and Wolff, makers of the RMS Titanic. I'm not sure if that's a comforting bit of information...


A hobbit door! Or at least a hobbit door handle. They're all over Ireland and the UK. I don't understand the logic behind them--it's easier to open a door the farther one is away from the hinge. Is it some form of early pre-alarm anti-burglary device--confuse people as to which way the door opens?


This is just a mall, but the architectural details were really neat, at least in person.


A street artist's work, near our hostel.


Dublin has beautiful parks! Above, Kassy and I celebrating spring break.


Another park, this one called Merrion Square. The photograph doesn't do the colors justice.


Look who we found in the park: Oscar Wilde! Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854, and is best-known for his sparkling wit, his plays (such as The Importance of Being Ernest and Lady Windermere's Fan) and his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.


A very playful cat we found near the statue. We named him Oscar.


The Wellington Monument, where we practiced our Spider-Man wall-climbing skills. That's Kassy way up there--I clambered up shortly after.


Trinity College

More of Trinity College. The building to the right houses the Book of Kells and the Long Room.

The Book of Kells is one of the most elaborate, gorgeous illuminated medieval manuscripts in existence. It is considered to be the pinnacle of Insular illumination. It was created by Celtic monks around 800 CE and contains the four Gospels. Here are some examples:



Here is a close-up of some of the borders. The level of detail is incredible; I don't know how they had the patience long enough, or the quills sharp enough, to do such intricate work.

And this above is what heaven must look like. This is the Long Room of Trinity College Library. The first story was built between 1712 and 1732, and the second story was added in 1860. It is 210 feet long and houses over 200,000 of the country's oldest books. It also houses the oldest harp in Ireland, dating from the 15th century. It has served as the model for Ireland's national emblem.