Sheep, Saints, and Scholars (Part Two)

Russborough House

About one o’clock we reached our next destination Russborough House, which was vaguely reminiscent of Downton Abbey. Built between 1741 and 1755 by the first Earl of Milltown Joseph Leeson (Leeson Street in Dublin, where I sometimes catch the bus is named for his family), it is now a museum. In 1952, Sir Alfred and Lady Beit bought Rossborough to house their extensive art collection, and in 1977 created the Alfred Beit Foundation that now manages the property. We were given a tour of the house, allowed to go through the maze, and then given a sheep herding demonstration. There have been four art robberies from the house so most of the Beit’s collection is now in the National Art Museum, though some of the art is still in the house. It was absolutely lovely.

Centre of Maze

When we had arrived we were supposed to have a picnic, but as it looked like it would rain again we ate in the parking lot. The sandwiches were delicious, and as it began to rain we all ran to the café adjacent to the house where we all got a hot drink to warm us up since most of us were soaking wet. They took us through the house in small groups and then we were all directed toward the maze, which we all thought would be easy…it was not. My friends and I made it to the centre easily enough, but it was a bit of the struggle getting back out again. As we waited for our classmates to finish the maze we sat by the playground, and as people came out, they began playing on the jungle gym…with the five year olds. It was quite funny, but we felt bad for the little Irish children that wanted to play on the equipment that college students had occupied.

 

Once all out we were taken by our drivers to a small field with Farmer Michael and his border collies, Flash and Dell, gave us a sheep herding demonstration. I love sheep, you might not know that, but I adore farm animals. These dogs were so intelligent, it was extraordinary. They knew dozens of commands and responded to whistles as well as words; it was amazing. Seeing the sheep run around was so cute and the way they were herded by the dogs was adorable. Near the end Farmer Michael asked for a few volunteers to show us why the dogs were so important, to humorous effect. Luckily I got some of that on video, for your entertainment as well as mine. That was our last activity of the day, and we all loaded onto the bus about 5 o’clock to make our way back him. I might think of myself as a city girl, but I will admit it is hard not to love Ireland’s beautiful landscape.  

Farmer Michael and his sheep. There was even a baby one.

Some people got to hold the baby lamb! So jealous!

Sheep, Saints, and Scholars (Part One)

  

       At the beginning of the program at UCD we were given the opportunity to sign up for cultural programing events. These events are essentially field trips that UCD offers that will show us something of Ireland and its culture, all we had to do was give a 10 euro deposit that we will get back if we go to all the ones that we signed up for. Belfast was the first of these events, and on Friday after having our internship class and our elective (Irish History) class we were taken on a Mystery Tour.

The Monk's Round Tower

County WIcklow

This tour turned out to be the Dublinia and Christ Church Cathedral; both of which I have seen, and was to be followed by a three course meal. Though I had already been to both these places, I went along—mostly for the free food if I am being honest. I am actually quite glad that I had went to both the museum and the cathedral on my own, because going in a group of fifty people, some of whom are not as mature as you might wish a twenty-something to be, is not terribly enjoyable. We toured from about four o’clock till six, though we had commandeered a Luas bus at three to take us into the city. The restaurant that we went to was called Millstone, and we had selected our food from a set menu a few days before. For my starter I got the baked Portobello mushrooms, which were lovely. My main course was the oven baked Irish Salmon and lemon sole, absolutely delicious. And, for dessert I got the Bailey’s and chocolate chip cheese cake…amazing. It was a wonderful dinner and afterward we all made our way home because the next day we were going to Glendalough.

The two gates to enter the Monastic City.

If you managed to get through the two gates and touch this cross you could be given sanctuary.

 At nine o’clock we all loaded onto a bus that would take us to County Wicklow, known at the Garden of Ireland for its amazing scenery. Luckily, our bus drivers were Barry and D from our trip to Belfast, and it was quite nice to see them again and they gave us wonderful information about Ireland during the one hour drive to Glendalough. It is the Valley of Two Lakes, and quite mountainous. Our first stop was the Wicklow Mountains National Park, which has a monastic site that was founded by St. Kevin in the 6^th century.

The Lower Lake

Barry gave us a brief tour of the runes which are all that remain of the monastic city, and then we were given some free time to explore. While the rest of Europe was suffering in the Middle Ages, the monks in Ireland kept learning alive, and wrote down their nation's history. These monastic cities were places of learning and religious reflection, and though originally built in isolated locations, towns and cities formed around them. After visiting the ruins all of us made our way down the trail towards the Lower Lake and the Upper Lake. Words absolutely fail me in trying to describe how beautiful this area was, you will have to see my pictures and judge for yourself.

After loading back onto the bus we were drive up the mountain and through Wicklow Gap, where we encountered some very brave and very slow bikers that we pedaling up the mountain, much to the dismay of our bus driver, who had to stay behind them. As we stopped and took pictures of the Gap it began to get windy and sprinkle a bit, which Madeline—our UCD chaperone—informed us meant we were getting the true “Irish Experience.” Apparently we have been spoiled by the heat wave that was over Ireland for the last few weeks. We had been told to bring rain and hiking gear, so I had come outfitted on our field trip in my rain boots, rain coat, and with an umbrella.

The Upper Lake.

St. Kevin's Church

Wicklow Gap

Libraries and Cathedrals in the Rain

The atrium and cafe

The Gardens outside of the library

      Today I had a half day at my internship, so at noon I took off and got some lunch to eat in St. Stephen's Green. I am sorry that I do not have pictures of the Green, but it is a lovely park that is near the center of the city that happens to be right by where I have my internship. Having utilized the wifi at the place I was eating, I looked up some places that I would like to go in Dublin, since I had the afternoon off and did not want to waste my time sitting in my apartment. The first place that I decided to go was the Chester Beatty Library, which is situated behind Dublin Castle and right on the Dublin Castle Gardens. Though it is technically a library, it is also a museum. It houses the collections of American miming mogul Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, who lived in Ireland in his later years and was actually Ireland's first honorary citizen. There are two collections: the Sacred Traditions collection and Artistic Traditions collection. The first collection is dedicated to the great religions of the world (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism), and has texts, sacred books, and art from all of them. The second collection is of books from the ancient world, including an Egyptian Book of the Dead, illuminated European manuscripts, and Islamic calligraphy, along with Japanese picture scrolls. They were all truly lovely to behold, and though I had no idea the library existed till I saw it in a guide book, apparently it was the European Museum of the Year in 2002. No pictures were allowed to be taken of the collections, but I will give you a sample of what I saw through the wonder of the internet.

An ornate book cover

Drawings

Japanese Scroll

     Next, I headed right down the street (in the rain as Ireland's nice weather and heat wave has ended) to Christ Church Cathedral. Christ Church is Dublin's oldest cathedral and people have been coming to worship there for nearly a thousand years. The Cathedral has undergone many transformations, and has passed through many hands, from the Norse to the English to the Irish. It was, for me, an immensely powerful place, and I found it quite breathtaking at times, though I am not sure why precisely.
     So, when I walked into Christ Church, there was apparently a choir presentation going on, and I filmed you all a bit of the hallelujah chorus that they did as I entered. Absolutely wonderful (though I am sorry, a man gets up from the pew during the middle of it, and blocks the view for a moment). It really was fabulous, and added to the whole experience.

  

Christ Church Cathedral

The Altar

Lady Chapel, where weekday Eucharists are celebrated.

In the Crypt there is an exhibition on the treasures of Christ Church, from gold and silver, to statues. There is also a small exhibition with costumes from the show The Tudors, which was filmed in Ireland and did some filming in the cathedral. It was a wonderful show about Henry VIII, and started Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

The tomb of Strongbow. Strongbow was the leader of the Anglo-Normans who captured Dublin in 1170, and he was buried in the cathedral in 1176.

View of the altar through the choir

 Not wanting to walk too far in the rain, I journey farther down the road to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is the national cathedral of Ireland. Unfortunately, St. Patrick's did not fill me with as much emotion as Christ Church, perhaps because they have their gift shop set up in the back of the church and it is the first thing you see when you walk in. It cannot be denied though that it is quite stunning. It is said that St. Patrick baptized converts in the park alongside the Cathedral, which is why the Normans built the church there in 1191, though it would be rebuilt in the 13th century. Jonathan Swift, which is best known as the author of Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal, was Dean there in the 18th century. Like Christ Church, St. Patrick's is now an Anglican (Church of Ireland) Cathedral, though both are claimed by the Catholic Diocese as well.

Plaque honoring Jonathan Swift

Lady Chapel

The North Transept, where those that died int he British Army are honored. If you look on the left hand side of the picture, you can see Union Jacks. Strange to see that in the Irish national cathedral. 

Statue of St. Patrick

Foreign Invaders

Christ Church Cathedral

      Dublin is very much a touristy city, which becomes evident from Friday to Monday every week, when thousands of people from all over the world descend upon it. I am one of those people, though I try to act like a local. After going to the coast on Friday, and going out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant on Saturday, my friends wanted to relax. I, on the other hand, like being out and about in the city. So, after going for a run (which has really helped me learn the city), then going to church, I set off toward the city centre. Rathmines is only about a 20 to 30 minute walk from the Liffey River, which separates the downtown area, and though I could take the bus, I usually try to walk. Since there are so many tourists, I tried to get out early, but it is also a Sunday, so nothing in Dublin opens early. At about 10, I began my walk to the city, and I got there at about 10:30. Before I had left I had made a list of all the places that I would like to see in Dublin and have not yet, and what time they opened. The one that opened the earliest was Dublinia, which is connected to Christ Church Cathedral by a bridge and is about the vikings, who were the first settlers of Dublin. As I walked down Dame Street to the museum, Christ Church's bells rang out into the morning silence. Christ Church Cathedral is 'officially' claimed by both the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland (Anglican), but it only performs Anglican masses. The first cathedral was founded around 1028 but the Hiberno (Irish)- Norse king of Dublin, which is why the Dublinia has its museum in the adjacent building. Dublin was founded by the vikings around the 9th century, and they held control of it until the Norman Invasion of Ireland. As you can see, Ireland is always being invaded. Fun Fact: Ireland was settled by the vikings even before they settled Iceland, which would not be settled until later in the ninth century.
       Normally, you can buy a dual ticket for both the Cathedral and Dublinia, but as it is a Sunday and there are morning masses, that was not an option. Excited--because I really have not had enough history in my life this week-- I strolled into the museum and bought my ticket. The museum is three stories high, and on each level there is a different aspect of the viking era. On the first level they talk about the vikings in general, why they came, their clashes with the native Irish, and daily life. On the second level they look at how the vikings mixed with the Irish, and then were joined later by the Anglo-Normans, and how Dublin became an international city. On the top level there is an exhibition on the on going excavations and archaeology work going on in Dublin.
    

A recreation of the inside of a viking home. It does not look very pleasant in my opinion, but I suppose it was liveable, and certainly the Irish winter would have been better than a Scandinavian one; it is hard to blame them for settling in Ireland.

Like the rest of Europe, Ireland was hit hard by the Black Death in the 14th century due to its trade connections. The Black Death was spread through the rats, fleas, and humans that carried it across the trade routes that connected the Medieval world. It would have catastrophic effects on the population.

View from the tower

At the end of the tour, before you go through the gift shop, you have the opportunity to climb St. Micheal's tower. It is not a part of the museum really, but they promise that if you climb up the 96 steps to the top you will get a panoramic view of the city. So, being young and able, I opted to climb up to the top, and it truly was a grand view. Back down I went then, and crossed over the bridge to Christ Church Cathedral, where I could hear mass taking place. It was about noon then, and nothing else was open yet, so I walked down Dame Street looking for a cafe to sit in. As I passed an alley I noticed the Queen of Tarts, a bright firetruck red shop whose name I remembered seeing in the little notebook that I had gotten from Aunt Val for my birthday which had been Catherine's from when she was in Dublin. I walked in and immediately knew that it was a magical place because there were pastries all over the shop that looked amazing. I was seated by the window and after looking at the menu I ordered a pot of tea and a apple scone (not gluten free, but we only live once). It was all fantastic, and I will definitely have to go back there, especially since I noticed that they have some gluten free desserts.

Dublin Castle

Bedford Tower

       I had spent a relaxing half hour in the cafe, and after checking my list I noticed that Dublin Castle, which had once been a symbol of British rule, was now open. I had often passed the 'castle' (I put the word in quotation marks because it does not really look like a castle) as it is right off of Dame Street, but I had never entered the complex. Dublin Castle was the seat of British rule until 1922, when it was handed over to Michael Collins (remember our old friend?). True to history, they actually filmed a bit of the movie in the courtyard in front of Bedford Tower. The buildings were quite British looking (as expected) and the inside revealed how British it really was, with Queen Victoria, and various King Georges decorating the walls. I opted for the self guided tour as the next guided tour was not for another hour, and with the map provided I wandered through the various rooms at a leisurely pace.The Castle was first founded as a major defensive work on the orders of King John of England in the 1200s (the same King John that the legendary Robin Hood fought against). In the 17th century, the fort was destroyed by a fire, and was then rebuilt and modified to be a place of government. During the Anglo-Irish War (called the Irish War of Independence by the Irish), it was the nerve center of the British effort against Irish nationalism. After the war, it was converted once again and has state apartments that are used by the Irish government.

The Drawing Room. Most of it was destroyed in 1941 when a fire broke out, but it has been recreated to look as it would have in the 1830s, with Louis XVI style furniture and carvings of Hercules and the muses, along with portraits of lords and ladies.

St. Patrick's Hall. This former State Dining Room features portraits of thirteen of the 19th century Viceroys of Ireland. Though you cannot tell there are two massive paintings on the ceiling.

The ceiling, which has three paintings. One is of St. Patrick introducing Christianity to Ireland, another is of the coronation of King George III, and the other of King Henry II receiving submission of the Irish Chieftans.

Palm Trees in Ireland?

Dun Laoghaire

 Since Ireland is currently experiencing a heat wave, and we only work our internships Monday to Thursday, me friends and I decided to go to the coast for the day on Friday. The before mentioned heat wave means that Ireland is experiencing temperatures in the mid to upper 20s ( the 70s in Fahrenheit). Though you would never know it, Dublin is actually fairly close to the sea. Meeting at UCD at 11, Camella, Nicole, Alyssa, Julie, and I took the 46a bus all the way t

Dun Laoghaire

o Dun Laoghaire (pronounced don leary). This east coast town is on the water and has a beautiful trail along the ocean that you can walk, along with two piers. When Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom Dun Laoghaire had been a major port, but now the only ship going to Britain really is the ferry.

Walk from Dun Laoghaire to Sandycove

          Knowing that our professor had mentioned that the town right next to Dun Laoghaire, Sandycove, was also quite pretty, we walked along the shore all the way to the little town. In this town there is the James Joyce museum because it is the home of Martello tower that Joyce featured in the first chapter of Ulysses. Next to the tower is a swimming hole, and despite the cold water people were actually swimming, which we all thought was rather brave. There was also a small sand beach (Ireland's shore is mostly rock beaches) and there were a lot of children frolicking on it. The town was tiny so we began to make our way back to Dun Laoghaire, stopping on the way at St. Michael's Church which we had noticed on our walk to Sandycove. It was one of Ireland's stunning Catholic churches, and Camella--who has studied in Rome and is a art history minor--informed us all of its architecture. We were in the town now, and as it was about 1 (which is when the Irish lunch hour begins) we found an adorable cafe called Weafer and Cooper with great food to have lunch.

People braving the Irish Sea

James Joyce Tower

St. Michael's Church

         Finishing the walk back to Dun Laoghaire we stopped at Teddy's Ice Cream, which Julie had heard from a coworker was delicious. Teddy's is the 'home of the 99', which is soft serve ice cream with a stick of chocolate stuck in it. Why it is called a 99, we have no idea, and we did not want to ask. It was delicious though, even if we did not really understand it; it is apparently a Dun Laoghaire institution. With our ice cream in hand, we walked toward the pier--and saw the before mentioned palm trees. There are two piers in Dun Laoghaire, East Pier and West Pier. On one of these piers a scene from Michael Collins was filmed, but we never found out which one. They are exceptionally long, the piers, so we only walked the one that led us out to the lighthouse. Though no longer in use, the lighthouse use to house soldiers that protected the harbour and light the way for ships that were entering it. Now there is just another Teddy's Ice Cream.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour

The Lighthouse

  

 Bray

Town of Bray

By four o'clock we were done wandering the town, but had decided that it was too early to go back to Dublin. On a whim we checked the Dart (train) schedule, and saw that it would only be 5 euro to get a round trip ticket to Bray, which was another town that had been recommended to us. Buying our tickets, we got the next train and enjoyed the twenty minute ride along the picturesque coast. It was truly spectacular, and when we got off we were at a resort town that the Irish often go to holiday. The town was not big, but it was quite nice walking along the rocky beach, sipping coffee, and (attempting) to skip rocks. At about six, we made our way back to Dun Laoghaire and then got the twenty minute bus ride back to UCD (I stayed on the bus and headed back into Dublin). It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we would all wake up to sunburns on Saturday, despite having to wear jackets during part of the day due to the cold.