After a damp evening in, it was time to explore the city of Dublin.
A damp evening turned into a wet day. We began it by walking through Trinity College, which is home to the Book of Kells. I am still not entirely sure what they are (although a quick search tells me that it is an 8th- or 9th-century illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels), but I was told it was a “must-see.” Sadly, the viewings were booked solid, and we could only walk by the line to get into the experience. The line was long, though! That means it is a spot to see when it is not booked solid.
Our jackets were a bit damp, but our spirits remained high because we then ventured on to our next spot: St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After getting close to the Cathedral, we zigged and zagged through the streets trying to find someplace to get a coffee.
Well, “we,” meaning my partner, needed a coffee, and I needed a tea of some kind. Wandering the streets, we found a cozy spot that was catty-corner to the Cathedral. You can even see it in a tastefully artistically framed photo below. Then you’ve got the real deal: an in-focus church right next to it. I didn’t plan on putting these photos bam-bam next to each other, but it was serendipitous, so I did it.
From the street, it didn’t look hectic. We then turned a corner to the entrance and saw where the tour buses dropped off hordes of people. Then we saw the line to enter. There were heaps of people! The line did move quickly, though, so there was that.
We were given the option to either take a guided tour or walk around the church with an audio tour. We opted for the self-guided audio tour. If you have never done an audio tour, you walk around a room or building and enter the corresponding number for what you are looking at. A pre-recorded voice comes on and tells you all about what you are seeing. It goes beyond what you read on the plaque. It adds depth and dimension to the space, allowing you to move at your own pace. If you’re not feeling a particular aspect, such as a mural or sculpture, you can move right along. A place as highly trafficked as St. Patrick’s, they do carry audio tours in multiple languages.
Right away, we were blown away by the structure, the space, and its upkeep. This place was built in 1191. 1191! And it is still here! Major kudos to the country of Ireland for preserving this space, allowing travelers from around the world to visit.
I am no longer a particularly religious person. I attended a Catholic high school and then a four-year Catholic university, but I grew up attending an Episcopalian church. Once I became an adult, my parents let me choose whether I wanted to continue attending church. I declined. It didn’t add anything of value to my life, so I decided it would be better to distance myself from church rather than go through the motions and feign interest and belief.
St. Patrick’s is both a religious and a historical space. I walked through the space, disregarding my spiritual beliefs, and took it as an opportunity to visit a significant building.
Just like when we walked through St. David’s, this space reminded me of the church I used to visit when I was younger. That church was also surrounded by stone, but it had more carpet. St. Patrick’s is floor-to-ceiling stone. It truly is a beautiful place to walk around. Do I remember everything that I heard on the tour? Absolutely not. That was nearly 10 months ago.
Now THESE! These Death Masks were something to see. This may sound trite, but I first read about Death Masks after reading Dan Brown’s Inferno. Sidenote: The movie was fine, but the ending lacked the punch that the book delivered. He’s a solid writer who moves the plot along very quickly, rarely keeping the reader bored. Plus, he’s got a new book out now, so that’s also fresh in my mind as I look back at my photos of the Death Masks.
Jonathan Swift, mask shown above, is famously known as the author of Gulliver’s Travels. He also served as Dean of St. Patrick’s from 1713 to 1745. He lived to be 77 years old and was a notable figure within the church and community, so I can understand why they would create a mask of his face and display it.
After examining a wide range of stained glass, tapestries, and various other works of art, it was (I don’t want to say refreshing, but it’s the best word I’ve got right now) oddly humanizing for the hallowed space we were in. It brought the ethereal/godly environment back to reality. Seeing the face of a man who lived 300 years ago makes the church and the entire Cathedral more human. It reminds us that the past and history were lived by real people and not just names on pages.
Exiting the Cathedral, we still saw throngs of people queued up to enter. It was also still very wet outside.
Next to the Cathedral is St. Patrick’s Park. It’s a lovely green space in the city that offers a welcome respite from the city’s hustle and bustle. I was also trying to follow the dog in the lower right corner of the photo above. The dog was too far away for me to say “Hi,” so I took a sneaky picture of it instead.
With the rain coming down, walking to our next stop was out of the question. We hailed a cab and made our way to Darkey Kelly’s Bar & Restaurant. We were searching for a traditional Irish pub that would fill our bellies and let us rest our weary feet from all of the walking we had already done. We found that in Darkey Kelly’s. Below, you can read the story of the pub’s name.
Do you see that red rectangle at the bottom? Merchandising. Merchandising. I can’t help but say that in Mel Brooks’ voice from “Spaceballs.” Anyway, my partner has this wild fascination with flat caps. I have no idea where it comes from or why she is obsessed with them, but she is. As we ordered our food and drinks, which were delicious by the way, she pointed to her menu and asked something of the server. He left, and then after serving our beers, he brought a flat cap. My partner had bought a Darkey Kelly’s-branded flat cap for me.
I didn’t know what to do other than wear it.
I don’t think it really suits me, but I have been told otherwise by numerous people. Anyway, that is where this part of our journey ends because the next part of our story is EPIC.
John Kidde Writes 