Chasing Ireland... Chasing Heritage...
I went to Ireland after I spent a week in Paris. I went alone. I did meet up with a friend of mine who was already traveling through Europe. The journey was about chasing my heritage.
I was raised by a loving father that adopted me when I was a year and a half old. I love him more than anything. One day I will visit Switzerland, the land of the heritage that raised me. Biologically, I am half Irish. I do not have a relationship with my bio-dad, but have always sought a connection to my roots and my paternal grandmother I never met. It is her Maiden name that I carry.
Going to Ireland was a journey to find a piece of me that was missing. It was never a way to disrespect the father and Swiss heritage that raised me. It was to chase answers to who I am.
(Here's some Irish music. Enjoy!)
As I flew into Ireland from Paris, I saw the green patchwork of Ireland. It was so green, so beautiful.
I began to weep, a good weep, as I saw the land before me come into view. I felt like I was coming home; like I was meeting a birth mother for the first time. The sight of Ireland was very welcome. I felt a shift in my consciousness and seemed aware of everything, my emotions, my intentions, my joy.
As I waited for the bus, I grabbed an apple and sat in the rain. It felt wonderful.
The bus took me through downtown Dublin. You can see the old centuries of stonework with new industry built around it. Most of Dublin was this way.
The bus dropped me off a mile from where I was staying. Apparently, I cannot hitch a ride on the right bus.
So, as I walked through the neighborhoods, I took my time, and embraced the fact that I was lost. Cobblestone, ivy and a small number marking someone's home. I was born on the 20th of November.
This book store was on the corner across from my guest house I was staying at. It just appeared out of nowhere as I was meandering through the streets.
Waterloo Lodge
This was the front of my guesthouse. Very charming. It felt like visiting instead of lodging.
The view from my room. All the outlining streets of Dublin looked like these townhomes.
As soon as I checked in and put my bag in my room, I headed out toward the heart of Dublin and got lost. Literally and figuratively I got lost. It was fabulous. I relied on the locals to help navigate me around town.
National Gallery of Ireland
The art at The National Gallery of Ireland was lovely. This one is a Van Gough; the only one I appreciate. It is calm and serene; maybe his only moment of sanity. The National Gallery of Ireland was free and I loved that they offer you a pad, pencils and an artists chair so you can go through the gallery and sit and draw, copying the masters. They also offered a children's workshop for little ones to explore different forms of art.
National Museum of Ireland
The wheel and boat are pictures from the National Historic Museum of Ireland. Also free and an amazing museum which is also family friendly. They have the "bog men" which are the 1,000-2,000 year old men found in bogs, perfectly preserved. I loved the Viking boat and the Celtic wheel. So much archaeology to be seen (but you can't take pictures). This is a must see in Dublin. The gift store is a cute little site to peruse as well. I found my last name on a magnet! It was awesome.
The Little Museum of Dublin
This was one of those museums/sites that I thought, "well, it's little, how much time can this take?" It was getting dark and nearly time for dinner and to head back to the lodge. But, I decided to take the tour. It was a happy thirty minutes I spent inside and I enjoyed every second of it.
This site of the holy water gave me the giggles. Everything thing in this museum had a story to tell. It was so well placed, displayed and organized that it made you feel like you knew Ireland and were seeped into the culture and history of the people just by being in the tiny little room.
Randomly throughout the streets, there are beautiful stairs, brickwork and historic buildings.
This is Grafton street. This is the shopping promenade in Dublin. It takes you down into the Temple Bar area. Very charming. I bought all my souvenirs in this area.
Hatch & Sons
Below the Little Museum of Dublin is Hatch & Sons. They were closing but since it was just me, they said I could come in and eat, as long as I didn't mind that all they had left was Guiness Lamb Stew. I was happy at the thought of eating anything since all I had the entire day was a green apple. And I love stew!
I have Celiac, so I didn't eat the bread, but the stew was amazing. They paired it with a glass of wine and I was in heaven. There was a slice of carrot cake on the counter calling my name. I shouldn't have, but I did.
I ate this delicious piece of carrot cake, along with a hot latte and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. This cake gave me ulcers and made my nose ring swell the rest of my trip from the allergy, but it was SO worth it!
I headed back with my map and circled everything I wanted to see and tried to get my bearings after getting deliberately lost. I was so excited to start the next day, I tried to get to bed and sleep.
Before I went to bed, I "tried" to wash my face. Two spouts and a plug. I thought this was a great way to conserve on water. I couldn't wash my wash! I got water everywhere, got soap in my eyes and hit my head on the mirror above. The rest of my stay, I took showers to wash my face and brush my teeth. This was an epic fail on my part, but funny nonetheless.
The lodge provided porridge with Bailey's cream and coffee every morning. I then grabbed two apples each morning and headed out to explore.
This is Christ Church. This was taken from the bus in a rain storm.
When walking around Dublin, there is metal, stone and ivy everywhere. It's beautiful.
I have a thing for doors, wherever I go. I can't help it. These were just random doors on a random Abby in a neighborhood.
While venturing and getting lost, I got the backside of Christ Church, without the rain storm. Beautiful!
This is St. Patrick's Cathedral. Yes, the grass really is that green!
This is a row of resident's houses. I love the colors after the rain.
Across from St. Patrick's Cathedral was this run down building, with old signs and graffiti.
I ran into this little Cathedral Cafe across from St. Patrick's Cathedral for Mulled Cider. It was this woman's front room, part of her home. It was a great feel to be taken care of in someone's home they work out of for a living.
There is green everywhere in Ireland. There is moss growing in every damp crevice.
This is inside the Dublin Castle. It cost a few Euros, but was a great tour.
These are pictures from inside the chapel at the Dublin Castle. Very beautiful. Around the wood are families crests and names dating back to the 14th century.
This is the antique district. Whimsical pub arms and women casually window shopping. Very charming area.
This little chapel was called St. Myra. No land mark, not on the map. It was just casually in a neighborhood.
The entrances to the little chapels and Abbys in Dublin are so charming.
This is a store front window for a whiskey store. I loved all the colors.
St. Stephen's Green park in the morning. Very lovely and quiet park.
Irish Museum of Modern Art
At this museum, you cannot take pictures. That's okay. I DO NOT appreciate modern art in the slightest. It is free to go in except the special exhibit, which I had no desire to see. I really wanted to go to the museum because it is the old Ireland hospital. And, it looked just like an old hospital inside. White walls, white floors, white doors. Very clean and boring. There were signs everywhere to not touch and not take pictures. The torture of modern art and all the signs made me feel like it was more an asylum than museum.
The best part of the museum was the cobblestone.
Kilmainham Gaol
Front gates to the jail. The bolt works, too. I tried it out. Heavy and haunting. This building is the most important historical site in Ireland. It is the epicenter of all the transition that Ireland has been through the last few hundred years. I took the tour after paying the well worth 4 Euros. I received an hour of Irish history that sent chills down my spine. I felt so connected to Ireland, the people, the history and a connection to the human condition. Everyone I met in Ireland asked if I had toured the jail. I was pleased to always answer yes and had a reason to converse with the locals. This is a must see and must tour. One would think that if you've seen one jail, you've seen them all; but this just isn't the case.
If you want to understand Ireland and its people; visit Kilmainham Gaol.
War Memorial Gardens
"In Memory" written in Gaelic.
This is an old building used as advertisement for billboards.
Taking the bus through Phoenix Park they stopped at this lamp post. It is a gas lamp post that is still used today. The last of its kind used in Europe.
Oh my gosh... the fresh Irish bread everywhere. I didn't eat any; not after the carrot cake, but it looked divine. I would recommend the bread on its looks alone. Yum.
There are pubs everywhere. There are 300 just in Dublin. They are charming and cozy. My friend and I ate lunch and dinner in a pub every day. In the evenings there is local music.
Dublin City Gallery
This was a beautiful, quite and serene gallery. I loved it. They had Francis Bacon's apartment and beautiful Irish artists pieces displayed.
Abby doors next to the Writer's Museum.
Dublin Writer's Museum
The Writer's museum was amazing. There were original drafts, works and books by the most epic writer's of Ireland and in the world. They had the authors typewriters and personal belongings, too. I loved this little museum.
Outside the museum were the spiral staircases and moss growing everywhere. It seemed so poetic.
Trinity College
My friend wanted to see the Book of Kells at the Trinity College. This is the outside of the building and the cobblestone leading to the exhibit. I couldn't take picture of the Book of Kells, but it was a great exhibit. It was 9 Euros. It was worth every quid.
When I left the exhibit, it took me upstairs to the library. Little did I know what I was going to experience and see! I walked in and this library blew me away. I was so shocked, excited and surprised, that I squealed so loud it echoed down the corridor!
This is my "Oh my gosh, I can die a happy woman" face!
Original works by Handel from the Messiah. Little did I know, but the Messiah was first ever performed in Dublin!
I do not and will not apologize for all the pictures of the library!
National Library of Ireland
The library was a beautiful building. I was able to go into the genealogy section and look at the map to see where my "clan" originated. They are from the Clare and Galway Counties. Very exciting to do a little but of research. I have a lot more work to do, but I'll find where my ancestors lived and died one of these days and come back to visit and walk where they walked.
O'Neil's Pub & Bar
O'Neil's Pub is over 300 years old and the oldest pub in Dublin. It had great character and the food was pretty good and the price was reasonable.
Molly, the tart with the cart, the locals call her....!
Limerick
I took a day tour across the Island to the Cliffs of Moher and we stopped in Limerick. This is the chapel across from the castle.
Bunratty
We stopped at Bunratty for a quick break before going to straight to the Cliffs. The castle was charming, but I loved the old telefon booth more!
The Cliffs of Moher
After the Cliffs, we went into Doolin to eat at Fitzgerald's. In line for lunch I saw vintage bottles over head. I found my family's label and did some research to find out that were gingerale makers in the county!
These pictures were taken at the Burren on the tour back to Dublin. It was like walking on slate with pools of water. I didn't go out too far, but those that did saw dolphins.
The light from the water lit up this picture when I took it.
Corcomroe Abbey. It started to get a little dark. The fields and horizon started closing in on the tour. But, it was beautiful just the same.
While at the Abbey, my friend found my name on a head stone. Maybe Miss Jane and I are related!
The last picture on my tour at Galway bay.
My last night in Dublin, my friend and I went to a pub for live music. Very entertaining.
The Bangers and Mash were amazing!
I hope you enjoyed chasing Ireland with me!
Ta an saol go halainn, fiach! (life is beautiful.... chase it!)
Here's another Irish songlist in case you're still in the mood!
