On our first night in Dublin, we managed to get into Boxty Restaurant in the Temple Bar area. I say managed because when we arrived the hostess desperately tried to hold her laughter when we told her no we did not have reservations. We gave them a story of being Americans, that we really didn't take long to eat (it was actually a funny conversation) and that we were really looking forward to eating there. No one was more shocked than us when they then squeezed us in at a table for two. The dinner was exceptional. We both split two of their 'Boxty's'. Both dinners were deliciousness wrapped in a sort of pancake (though not sweet). The filling for one was chicken, smoked bacon and creamed leek sauce, the other was beef fillet medallions in an Irish whiskey and mushroom cream sauce. Wow, what a great start to our first night in Dublin.
The Temple Bar area has an interesting history. At one time it was considered central Dublin. In 1707 a customs house (where the paperwork for imports and exports were processed) was located in the Temple Bar area. The customs house brought many shops, pubs, and brothels too. As a side note, Temple is believed to have originated from Sir William Temple (the provost of Trinty College 1600s) who had owned a house in the area. Bar refers to a barrier, not a pub. The term bar is believed to have originated from the word given to the main toll gate into London in Medieval times. Well, by 1791, the customs house moved to a larger area across the river and the Temple Bar area immediately fell into serious decline. By the 1960s it had become an inter-city slum and there was no interest from anyone to touch the area. In the 1980s, a bus company planned to build a bus depot there. They rallied various business to come with the lure of low rents, thus creating a rebirth of the Temple Bar area. Interestingly enough, the bus station never happened and the locals are said to often mutter that this charming area could have been nothing more than a giant bus station. The amazing thing is that this inner-city slum/ghost town, due to disinterest, managed to maintain all of its original architectural foundations.
The Ha' Penny Bridge was built in 1816. Prior to the bridge construction, seven ferries carried Dubliners across the River Liffey every day. To fund the bridge construction, a halfpenny or ha' penny was charged to everyone that crossed for 100 years, when the turnstiles were removed in 1919. While the bridge is officially the Liffey Bridge no one calls it that. I imagine it will always be known as the Ha' Penny Bridge.
On our first morning in Dublin, our bus took us on a short overview tour of the city. Our first stop was St. Patrick's Cathedral. St. Patrick's Cathedral is designated as the National Cathedral of Ireland. Interestingly enough, however, St. Patrick's lacks the one thing one always finds at a cathedral, a Bishop. The church instead is headed by a dean. Still, the Cathedral is the largest and tallest cathedral in Ireland. One of the unusual things to see in the cathedral is the door with the hole. This door is where Lord Kildare literally risks his arm to shake hands with his enemy Lord Ormonde. Thus, the origination of the saying 'to chance your arm'. If you are interested in viewing the inside of the Cathedral her is an interesting video, taken using a drone of all things. Inside the Cathedral
The Garden of Remembrance commemorates all Irish uprisings and rebellions from 1798 to the 20th Century. The large statue is of the 'Children of Lir'. The statue is based upon the famous Irish myth that tells the story of how the daughters of the king were transformed into swans by their evil jealous stepmother, then exiled then returned. In 2011 Queen Elizabeth II made a very controversial move of placing a wreath in the Garden of Remembrance (Controversial because Ireland was now its own country, separate from Britain rule). There were protestors, black balloons and more, however, the move worked out as the Queen was later heralded by the Irish media.
Trinity University was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth. The library at the university is the largest in Ireland and it holds every book ever printed in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The book of Kells Book of Kells , considered an Ireland treasure, is located at the university. Superstitious students never walk under the Campanile as it is believed that if they are under it when the bell rings they will fail their final exams.
Once the site of a Danish Viking Fortress in the 930s, the Dublin Castle was completed in 1230 at the direction of England's King John. The castle was used as a city defense, royal treasurer and an administration of justice. The castle acted as the center of English rule in Ireland until the last Viceroy of Ireland handed Dublin Castle over to the government of the newly independent Republic of Ireland in 1922. Our tour passed through the State Apartments, the Throne Room, The Drawing Room, and St. Patrick's Hall.
Dublin Chapel Royal, first known as the Anglican Chapel of the Viceroy, first opened in 1814. It first came to be known as the Chapel Royal when King George IV attended services in 1821. Following Irish independence in 1922, the church laid vacant until 1943 when it became a Catholic church. Chapel Royal
Epic, The Irish Emigrant (not Immigrant) Museum tells the story of the impact that the Irish have had on the world. Through various personal stories, we learned how those that were forced to leave Ireland became world leaders, scientists, politicians (at least 22 presidents have Irish roots), artists, and yes even outlaws, all over the world. This was not a typical museum, yet we found it interesting.
We finished this very bust day with a delightful dinner at Taylor's Three Rock Irish Cabaret where we were treated to a great dinner along with Irish songs, Irish dance, and a very funny Irish Comedian, Noel V. Ginnity. Taylor's Three Rock Cabaret
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Close-Up of Ceiling in St. Patrick's Hall
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