July 11, 2024

July 11, 2024

I tossed and turned last night while Aimee slept like a baby. We were both up early with the time change. After it stopped raining we got out and took a walk for exercise across the Liffey River to Dublin's large Phoenix park. On one end sits the Wellington Monument, a 200-foot obelisk, the tallest in Europe. This is a great tie-in to the movie Napoleon that I watched on the flight here. The 1st Duke of Wellington was born in Dublin back when it was the second city of Britain and ruled by the Anglo-Irish elite. Wellington, a war hero, was probably Britain’s greatest general who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. With the English long gone, this monument is an historical anachronism.

Later in the morning we walked a mile east to St James Gate to visit the Guinness Brewery. I bought pricey tickets while waiting in-line. Instead of the standard brewery tour, it was a Disney-like self-climb up a repurposed old fermentation plant. The only interesting part was the vintage video of how the original wooden kegs were painstakingly made. Brewing the beer was the easy part. Even the explanation for why Guinness uses nitrogen to create its distinctive head was weak. The highlight of the tour was the pint of stout we received on the top floor while enjoying 360-degree views of Dublin. Fortunately the weather obliged. Both Aimee and I thought it was way too early in the day to be drinking a heavy beer.

Leaving the brewery we caught a cab downtown to visit the National Museum of Ireland. For a small country that spent most of recorded history as an agricultural backwater, Ireland must have had a significant pre-history based on the wealth of artifacts discovered. The abundance of gold jewelry on display indicates the ancient pre-Celtic Irish must have been wealthy and skilled metalworkers. For some unknown reason much of it was unearthed while digging up turf or peat for fuel. It is thought the gold may have been ritually discarded in the bogs!

Ireland was obviously also a violent land because of the abundance of bronze weaponry, especially swords and spear tips. Bodies have also been unearthed. They are in remarkable shape because of the acidity and low oxygen of the bogs. There is also a large section on Viking Dublin. Interestingly after raiding, the Vikings quickly pivoted into overseas trade and commerce. They introduced the first balance scales and standard weights.

We are reaching Aimee’s limit in archeology, so we fly through the medieval periods and exit the museum to get some exercise and fresh air. In Merrion Square Park we pass a colorful statue of Dublin-born poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. Nearby we stopped for a Thai lunch.

Crossing the Liffey River, we see a harp-shaped bridge, a replica Famine (or Coffin) ship, and a memorial to the Great Famine. We stop in the Neoclassical Palladian-style Custom House. There is a small museum about its role in the Irish War of Independence. To the indigenous population this building was the epitome of English Rule, so it was purposely burnt down despite the heavy loss of life. Tragically for me and others of Irish heritage, we also lost a lot of irreplaceable historic genealogical documents.

Afterwards we walked past the General Post Office, which was the epicenter of the 1916 Easter Rising, and then back across the Liffey to the Temple Bar area. From there we taxied back to our hotel. We are exhausted from all the walking on hard pavement.