On Tour

Continuing with my tour of famous buildings of Dublin on my days off, the next port of call was the An Post Museum situated in a corner of the GPO, which houses the Letters, Lives & Liberty exhibition. This exhibition explores the influence and role in the development of Irish society over the years. From stamps to An Post's copy of the 1916 Proclamation and the story of the staff who were in the GPO on Easter Monday. The GPO is not just the headquarters of the post office, it the birthplace of Irish communications. On Easter Monday 23 April 1916, it became a key positional point for the rebels during the Rising. The short film inside the museum tells the story of what happened in the telegraph room on the afternoon of its capture during the Rising. Admission fee is €2 and open Monday to Saturday 10-5.  

After my visit to An Post, I strolled towards Merrion Square walking through its park, to Number 29 Fitzwilliam Street Lower. This building is home to the ESB Georgian House Museum. The admission fee is usually 6 euro, but to by surprise and delight, the teller thought I was a student and charged me 3 euro, which made my day. The opening times are Tuesday to Saturday 10-5 and primarily on a self guided basis. The museum highlights life in Georgian Dublin in the period 1790 to 1820. The tour commenced from the basement to the attic, through rooms which have been furnished with original artefacts from the era. The house was first occupied in 1794 during time of change and expansion in Ireland. The first occupant, Mrs Olivia Beatty, provides a  pre-tour introduction through a short film about life in the house and Dublin at that period. The exhibition is a partnership between the ESB and the National Museum of Ireland since opening in 1991. 

 After my tour of the museum, I walked by the other side of Merrion Square Park, to Leinster house for my visit, passing the Oscar Wilde statue. The statue shows Oscar reclining on a huge granite stone seemingly without a care in the world,  sits at the corner of the park directly positioned and facing his old family home.

After my tour of the Áras, I decided to walk the 40ish minutes to the National War Memorial Gardens located in Islandbridge. The gardens are dedicated "to the memory of 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their live in the the Great War, 1914-1918. The Memorial Gardens also commemorate all other Irish men and women who served and died in Irish regiments of the Allied armies. Although originally constructed in the 1930's, it wasn't until 1988, the now restored Gardens were formally dedicated by representatives of the 4 main churches in Ireland and opened to the public. The National Day of Commemoration which commemorates all Irish men and women who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations, occurs on the Sunday nearest to July 11th. The Gardens are opening every day and is free to enter. I found that the Gardens were peaceful and tranquil.