Irish summer. Ha! It doesn't exist.

I have been in luck (of the Irish) to only have been briefly rained upon. But it has still been bloody cold, and I refuse to go outside without my borrowed coat and scarf and an umbrella.

On my first afternoon in Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), I visited many parts of the city on the south side, the more affluent area of the city. I walked around St Stephen's Green (Faiche Stiabhna), which is a lovely park with grass, trees, a garden and a lake, as well as some monuments dedicated to the potato famine and the struggle of Éire to free itself from British rule. It was owned, and then given to the city, by the Guinness family. It is a very pleasant park to sit in, but the weather could make it more enjoyable! I also walked to the cathedral of the patron saint of Éire, St Patrick. I pretended I was a Viking while I strolled down Viking/medieval Dublin, past Dublin Castle (Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) and Christ Church Cathedral, and then walked alongside the River Liffey (An Life). The Viking area of Dublin was where the Vikings first settled themselves; it's just by the An Life, and because of the boggy and wet terrain they were generally protected from being attacked. Trinity College was another place that I visited, and I though it was a beautiful campus, and that maybe I would like to study there, until a gust of wind reminded me that I would be all rugged up, and couldn't enjoy the grounds in summer. I went into the National Archaeology Museum, but wasnt really in the mood for artifacts, so instead I went to the National Gallery of Ireland, and looked at some art by some of Éire's most famous artists, notabley Jack Yates, brother of W.B Yates.

 Faiche Stiabhna

St Patrick's Cathedral

 a rose in the cathedral garden

Christ Chirch Cathedral

 The path leeding in to Viking Dublin

Trinity College

My second day was mostly filled up by a 3 hour walking tour and beef and guineas stew afterwards (all that history and walking made me hungry). I was up and ready way before the tour started, though, so I went for  walk around and came across St Audoens, a more modest C12th church. I fell in love with this church, and its garden out the front; full of wild flowers, and looking a little untame, but it really fit in with the grey stone of the church. Then it was time for the tour, and our guide, Eoghan (Owen), was hilarious! It is so far the best of my free walking tours. He was a very enthusiastic and knowledgable guide, who made us all laugh out loud. We were fed a lot of information about Éire's history; from the ice age when it broke away from Europe to become an island, to the Vikings, St Patick and the shamrock, Strongbow, the Flight of the Earls, the potato famine, Daniel O'Connell (the Liberator), both world wars, U2, it's fight to be independent and joining the EU, the Celtic Tiger (raw)... Lots! After the tour, we went to a better Irish pub (not in Temple Bar) for beef and Guinness stew.

St Audoens, which I came across in the morning.

Dubh Linn garden (Gaelic for black pool, from where Dublin got its name)

 Christ Church Cathedral

 the outling of a typical Viking house

O'Connell Bridge- the only bridge wider than it is long

I wanted to get out of Dublin; I didn't love Éire yet. The walking tour helped me understand the country and Dublin better, and like it more, but I knew that Dublin wasn't truly what the rest of the island was like. I went on a day trip to Wicklow and Glendalough, where out awesome bus driver/guide Stephan drove us down the coast to Sandycove (Cuas an Ghainimh),  through the hills and past deer, glacial rocks and lakes, and where William Wallace married his wife in secret in 'Braveheart', over the 'Ps. I love you' bridge, to the Guinness Lake (Loch Tay), and then we had lunch. All the way to Wicklow, Stephan gaves us a very engaging and funny commentary on everything Irish, from driving on the road, the sheep, James Joyce, the Gaelic language, gypsies, plantation... Nearly everything we saw were were told something about it. After a stop off for lunch we walked through a medieval monastery, through a park, and to some very beautiful lakes, that were filled with Guinness, not really, the water is just the colour of Guinness from the iron in the ground. Everything was so green! It was so peaceful that no one wanted to leave. It was also a very nice walk, as the weather became a lot nice (on the hills in Wicklow National Park it was extremely cold!) On our way back to Dublin we warmed the morsels of our souls with some Irish whisky, whilst singing along to some fine Irish music- The Dubliners, and U2.

 Sandycove

 Wicklow National Park

 The river flowing with Guinness!

 P.S, I love you

 Loch Tay (the Guinness Lake)

 C12th Monastery

The Lower Lake at Glendalough

 Upper Lake at Glendalough

Stephan also suggested that we take a visit to Howth, which is a marina town only 30 minutes out of Dublin centre. When I got back to my hostel that evening, I took the DART to Howth. It was such a beautiful village, and my heart melted with love. I walked to the lighthouse, and along both piers; boats were sailing in what I guess to be permanently perfect conditions (windy), and fishermen trying to catch their dinner, because really, the fish restaurants were so expensive! I didn't want to leave Howth, despite it being very cold! I looked over the ocean to Ireland's Eye, an island off Ireland, and could see the sun beginning to set behind the clouds over Dublin city. I took the trim back home after about 2 hours admiring this small fishing village.

 Ireland's Eye

beautiful Howth

My last day in Dublin was spent seeing things that have been recommended to me. The Book of Kells in Trinity College Library is a book containing the four gospels, and was scribed a long time ago with lavish decorations and intricate detail. Eoghan said it was great, but a bit of a waste of money, but Stephan said to definitely go see it; even the Queen went to see it! It was very beautiful, and very old, but the Chester Beaty collection was just as beautiful, with even more books, and was free! Also in the library at Trinity was the 'long room', and it is magnificent! I am a fan of libraries, and this one didn't disappoint! There was an exhibition on in the Long Room about medicine and science of the body, which was fascinating. They also have the oldest Irish harp on display in the library (sadly I couldn't take photos).

The National Archaeological Museum is another of free museums with in Dublin, and I was ready to take advantage of it. Since the walking tour and the Wicklow tour, this museum appealed to me more; I now knew a bit of Viking history. Sadly, many Viking artifacts were destroyed when the new city council offices were being built next to the An Life, because archaeologists said that it would take a while to excavate all the artifacts, and one councillor wasn't content with waiting, so he bulldozed whatever was left in the ground. What was excavated, was put in the museum, along with some very well preserved 'bog-men', who were found in the Wicklow National Park (the composition of the soiled allowed for amazing preservation).

Now I am happily sitting in Faiche Stiabhna, before I go to the airport to fly (on an aeroplano, not a broomstick) to where Harry Potter was born: Edinburgh!

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