gollygoshgumgoonz: More of Dublin than we would ever have known

On our second day in Dublin, our host Barry (cousin’s wife’s brother) gave us another full day of new sights and experiences with a wealth of information to boot. He should definitely, as his sister Ger says, be a tour guide. Or go on Mastermind or something.

Anyhoo, we went for a drive around the city and out to the docklands passing among other things;

The Christ Church Cathedral
St Patrick’s Cathedral
Merion Square and the statue of flamboyant Oscar Wilde
Merion Hotel which isn’t much to look at from outside but which is very very posh, aparently
The government buildings opposite the Irish archology museum
St Stephen’s Church known as the Pepper Pot
Google headquarters
Facebook headquarters

The Samuel Beckett Bridge in Docklands was impressive. It’s a bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava, who also designed the Turning Torso tower in Malmo featured in one of my posts back in April. The bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in the shape of a beautiful Ireland Harp. What’s more, it swivels out of the way so tall ships and sails can go past.

We then drove to out to Dún Laoghaire harbour via the very posh area of Ballsbridge where all the embassy houses (mansions) are. Not that we saw any sign of a NZ embassy.

Just past Dún Laoghaire, is Forty Foot which is an iconic promontory that people go to all year round to swim. The story goes that only men were allowed to swim here and swam nude until women protested and barged on in. Now anyone can go if they are mad enough to swim in all-weather on all days, including freezing cold winter days like this day was.

Next to Forty Foot is the Martello tower (towers used for gun emplacements during the war) that James Joyce once stayed at and which featured in his famous book, Ulysses. We climbed to the top of this.

Barry then took us to the gorgeous Heritage town of Dalkey and the hills where the likes of Enya and Bono are said to live, with stunning views out to the Ocean

We then went all the way over to the other side of Dublin to Clontarf where Barry and Ger’s father came from, and out to Howth. We walked along the cliffs overlooking Baily Lighthouse and sugarloaf hill in the distance before walking along the docks of Howth and having a cuppa at the doghouse where the old railway tunnels used to be.

Great day and fantastic commentary from Barry.