Dublin - Day 8

Friday, July 21, 2017

The forecast was cool and windy today and Ed was not feeling well. So we cancelled our trip to New Grange to have a more relaxing day. Ed stayed in while I took in some sights I might otherwise miss.

First stop was Dublin Castle, the seat of English rule in Ireland for 700 years and the place where Brits handed over power to Michael Collins and the Irish in 1923. Today it is used for fancy state and charity functions.

It was built as a castle by King John of England in 1204, on the site of the first Viking fortress. However, it burned down in 1684 and was replaced with a Georgian-style palace, which was in vogue, beginning in the 16th century and beyond. (Royalty were less concerned now with defense and more concerned with showing off.) The palace does correspond with the rectangular footprint of the former castle.

The castle had self-guided or guided tours for 6 or 8 euros. I opted for guided which included more.

The first place was underground to see some remains of the old castle. What we saw was the foundation of the powder tower, where the gunpowder was stored, and some portions of the old moat where the Poddle River runs underground. One of the archways and part of the 15 ft. wide wall still exist today.

Then we walked across an open area where we saw the Record Tower, the sole surviving tower of the Medieval castle dating from 1228, which was used as a prison. To its left is the Gothic Revival style Chapel Royal which was added in the early 19th century to provide a place of worship for the viceroy's household.

Now we entered the State Apartments, which is where the viceroys and their families lived and which are still used today for state functions. First we went up the Grand staircase,  built in 1749, to create an imposing first impression.Next was the drawing room, where, originally, ladies would adjourn after dining (men to billiards). Then the throne room, where the monarchs would hold court.The Portrait Gallery was next, which is basically the dining room for Viceregal banquets. In the 1700s they were quite lavish with up to 36 different dishes that might include puffin, pig, lark, and badger.St. Patrick's Hall is a ballroom, but also a ceremonial room where the Irish President is inaugurated every 7 years.The last room was the James Connolly Room. For the Irish, this is the most important room in the castle. It is dedicated to one of the military commanders of the 1916 Easter Rising. He had been injured and taken to the castle which had been temporarily converted to a hospital. He was court martialed in this room for treason. Later, because of his injuries, he could not stand, so he was tied to a chair for his execution by a firing squad. His treatment and death galvanized the Irish people to continue to fight for independence.I took one more walk around the courtyard before leaving, photographing the iconic clock tower.Then I picked up Ed and we went to lunch at the hotel. He was better, but not entirely, so he stayed in and I decided to spend the afternoon at the National Museum of Archeology. It is a wonderful treasure trove of Ireland's history - from the Stone Age to modern times. The soggy marshes and peat bogs of Ireland have preserved many ancient artifacts, including bog mummies and gold jewelry.

Overall, it is an interesting place to visit, but a little lacking in the modern amenities of museums. The building itself is grand, but old, and the interior reminds me a little bit of the Smithsonian "castle."

There is no visitors' guide (but the museum is free), so you just wander around the various exhibits and rooms. I did see most everything. Highlights include the 4,000 year-old gold jewelry. In particular, are the crescent-moon shaped necklaces also known as a "lunula" or "gorget" from 700 BC, made from the modest gold deposits panned by early settlers. Another accessory I had never seen before were gold belts or "dress fasteners" that you would slip into button holes to secure a cloak. These were included in a special exhibit called "the Treasury" which exhibited many examples of gold and silver from the last 15 centuries. I did see the bog bodies - but no photos. Too creepy.

As always, I am primarily interested in the clothing and textiles of other times. Here are some weaving tools I have never seen before and an illustration of how they are used.

Also a variety of spindles and needles.And the shoes! "Pattens," made with leather tops and high wooden soles to keep feet above mud and water, were popular in the Late Middle Ages. And buckles. I don't think about them much, but they must have been very useful in the 13th century when there were no zippers or Velcro!By now Ed was fine and we proceeded with our plans to see a play at the renown Abbey Theater. However, when we arrived, it turned out that our tickets were for a play in another city that was promoted on their website. They were very apologetic and refunded our money...but now what to do. I had seen that the musical "Once" was playing near our hotel in another old historic theater -- The Olympia. So we quickly walked to the next venue and snagged 2 seats on an end in the middle. We even had time to dash across the street to Chez Max for a delightful dinner of beef bourguignon and make it back in time to socialize with the cast on stage, the play was wonderful and the music delightful. So nice it all worked out!