After Croker

After my experience in Croke Park, I strolled back towards town, deciding to go towards IFSC. Walking along the quays, I stopped to admire the Samuel Beckett bridge and the Jeanie Johnston which is a replica of a three masted barque that was originally built in Canada. The original was famous, despite the number of passengers and the long voyage from Ireland to North America, no crew or passenger lives were ever lost on board. Which was unheard of, especially during those famine voyages. The replica performs number of functions such as an ocean going sail training vessel and in port coverts into living history museum on 19th century emigration. I made my way along the quays crossing at the Custom House towards College Green, when it started to pour, so I dashed in for coffee to stay dry.

 Where I decided what to do with the rest of my day around town. So once the rain had eased up slightly, decided to make a visit to the Chester Beatty library. On route I got distracted by the Revenue Museum, located in the crypt of the Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle. In all my years, I never knew this particular museum existed. Admission is free and open weekdays. Among the exhibits are the first set of Exchequer Returns for Saorstát Éireann, a poitin still, stamp duty machine, and examples of counterfeit goods seized at ports and airports. The library is literally a minute walk from this museum. The library is the only museum in Ireland to win European Museum of the Year in 2002. The library houses rich collection of artistic treasures and religions of the world. In the library's diversity, the collection captures much of human creative expression from about 2700 BC to the present day. The admission is free and has a nice roof garden with a view of Dublin Castle in the background.

After my visit here, I made the short walk to City Hall, which is a civic building of Georgian architecture, built between 1769 and 1779 by the Royal Exchange. The circular entrance hall, or Rotunda with its spacious dome, is supported by 12 columns. The Rotunda is open to the public, free of charge, and showcases the Georgian architecture for which Dublin is renowned. 

After my visit, decided to revisit nearby buildings, starting with Christ Church. After Niamh and I doing the Ghost Bus tour and our visit to the crypt at Christ Church, thought it was time, to go explore the cathedral and its grounds. It's the elder of Dublin's two Medieval cathedrals, the other being St Patrick's Cathedral, which was my next port of call. Last Saturday when we visited St Patrick's for Dracula in the Cathedral as part of the Bram Stoker Festival, the nearby St Patrick's park was closed. The park was originally developed by Lord Iveagh 1897, and completed by 1904. He continued to maintain the park for number of year under a join arrangement with Dublin Corporation who took full responsibility in the 1920's. In 1988 a Literary Parade highlighting Irish writers such as Swift, Wilde, Joyce and Yeats and the Liberty Bell Sculpture were added to the park. 

After my calm and tranquil break in the park, I strolled towards Marsh's Library, which is adjacent to the cathedral and is Ireland oldest public library, built in 1701 to the order of Archbishop Narcissus Marsh who is buried just behind the library, in the grounds of the cathedral. The library has a collection of over 25,000 books and 300 manuscripts. The library is on the last 18th century buildings in Ireland still used for its original purpose. It's open to the public with 3 euro admission. 

With the day's activities catching up with me, my last excursion of the day was to the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, located on Whitefriar Street, to visit the relics of St. Valentine. Pope Gregory XVI in 1836 bestowed the relics as a token of esteem to an Irish Carmelite, John Spratt who was visiting Rome and was asked to preach at the famous Jesuit Church in the city, the Gesu. The shrine consists of a wooden casket, on top bears the papal coat of arms of Gregory XVI along with two large gold plates, between which is the inscription: This shrine contains the sacred body of Saint Valentinus the Martyr, together with a small vessel tinged with his blood. This shrine is located to the right side of the church and is visited throughout the year. 

 

Although after all the days excursions and activities, I was completely wrecked, it was still worth it.