Dublin By Circumstance
It's a big con job. We have sold the myth of Dublin as a sexy place incredibly well; because it is a dreary little dump most of the time.
Roddy Doyle
We hadn't really planned a trip to Ireland. We had to change our plane tickets and when we did , the cheap ones went in and out of Dublin. Then we couldn't get 2 tickets on the local plane to Rome for 3 days. So...we spent time in Dublin, not by design, but by circumstance. As it turned out, it was one of our favorite places to visit and 3 days was not nearly enough time to explore this interesting town.
Below are just a few of the highlights that we would recommend. We can't wait to return to spend more time in this greenest of green land.
Below are just a few of the highlights that we would recommend. We can't wait to return to spend more time in this greenest of green land.
1. The Grafton Capital Hotel Est 1887
Imagine yourself in Dublin 125 years ago.
The Dublin newspaper THE UNION was founded. The Irish Crimes Act was passed that removed the right of trial to tenants who refused to pay their landlords usury rental fees. In November, a demonstration about unemployment ended in a confrontation in Trafalgar Square called Bloody Sunday where 400 men and women were arrested and 75 were badly injured, including many police. In 1887, 69,084 of your friends and family have just emigrated from Ireland to the United States. But also, there was industry and a fascination with the American west. The Grafton Capital Hotel takes root in this tumultuous time and is a fascinating look at the old west or at least what the Irish thought the grand old west would look like. |
As you walk into the large courtyard of the GCH (Grafton Capital Hotel) the first item that catches your eye is a large statue of an American Indian astride his very striking and stylized horse.
Pass through the heavy old revolving doors and you step back in time and I urge you to explore every nook and corner. You will be surprised, delighted and maybe shocked at the decor. You will also begin to look for the ghost of Teddy Roosevelt. There is no record of any visit by TR, but I'm sure that many wealthy Americans during that time, felt right at home here. YES, that IS a real Gatling Gun....and no, I didn't try to shoot it. MORE PHOTOS HERE |
Surprising Hotel Decor Hiding In the Back Corners Of the Grafton Capital Hotel - Dublin
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2. The Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) Bus Stops - Starred**OUR Stops
Always amazed by the skill of the bus drivers as they wend their way through narrow streets in horrible traffic. We had limited time, so we only hit the high spots, but if you're gong to use this service, you can use it for 2 days. A great way to get to all of the tourist spots . . . and well, we really are tourists even though we hate to admit it.
YOU CAN SEE MORE OF OUR PERSONAL PHOTOS HERE Meanwhile, Enjoy These Short Videos
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**Guinness Storehouse - St James's Gate
**Trinity College Dublin - College Green
**Old Jameson Distillery - Smithfield |
3. National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology
This is the repository for all archaeological objects found in Ireland and home to over two million artifacts, which are all quite interesting. But what I wanted to see the most were the Bog People. What are bog people? They are the mummified remains of people who have been buried in the peat bogs that cover Ireland. The oldest found has been carbon dated to be nearly 4000 years old. Four thousand year old mummy's with skin and hair intact!
So how does this happen? The bogs are an anaerobic environment and the oxygen that bacteria feed off is not present, so decomposition doesn't occur. The bogs are also full of Sphagnum moss which extracts calcium from the bones, Unfortunately the mummification process destroys the DNA of the individuals, so determining the identity of the bodies is impossible.
I found that even clothing, preserved since the 1400's has been pulled from the bogs. Dresses, coats, even shoes are on display at the museum.
MORE PHOTOS HERE
So how does this happen? The bogs are an anaerobic environment and the oxygen that bacteria feed off is not present, so decomposition doesn't occur. The bogs are also full of Sphagnum moss which extracts calcium from the bones, Unfortunately the mummification process destroys the DNA of the individuals, so determining the identity of the bodies is impossible.
I found that even clothing, preserved since the 1400's has been pulled from the bogs. Dresses, coats, even shoes are on display at the museum.
MORE PHOTOS HERE