After the holiday to Lanzarote, I decided it was about time to check off the remaining churches that I wanted to see and had eluded me so far, around the city. In particular the insides of the Pepper Canister church, St Paul's Smithfield which is the church Eamon de Valera got married in and University church near St Stephen Green which I didn't know much about before hand. It was during lent when I was able to visit the church so waited until after it's lunch time service to have a proper look around. The church really was quite an unexpected gem with its beautiful wall decorations and elaborate sanctuary and nave.
At the end of February, on one of my usual random walks checking out historical buildings and monuments, I happened to stumble onto the remains of the Isolde's Tower, a 13th century medieval tower that was part of the old city walls, however the remains are obstructed from view, as the remains have been incorporated into an apartment complex. To finish of the month, I was lucky enough to get tickets during presale for Ed Sheeran concert in July, worth getting up a tad earlier before work to get them. However my crowning moment came later that night when I made my first ever dairy free spelt bread, which to my relief and culinary delight turned out perfectly.
After a hectic start to March, I decided on my day off for once to do some retail therapy and enjoy myself and take a break from my usual historical wanderings for a week. I purchased a Tayto Sandwich that I got from the Tayto popup shop, which was set up for a few weeks and proceeds raised were donated to the Simon Community, so that was my snack sorted for later. On my way home, I tried a different coffee place for a change called Kaph and attempted my first almond mocha which I was pleasantly surprised by.
As soon as the next day, I was back to my old ways of exploring museums and historical buildings, I realised that morning, I hadn't been to the IMMA and the Royal Hospital Kilmainham grounds since I last lived in Kilmainham years previously. Luckily enough the day I was there, which is only about a 10/15 mins walk from our apartment, it was sunny and peaceful. I was able to enjoy the walk around the grounds and gardens before I checked out the new OPW exhibit called the Old Man's House which tells the history of the Royal Hospital. On leaving I notice a poster for a free guided tour of Bully's Acre for later in the month. Luckily I emailed the guide whilst having coffee and trying another almond infused food item, gluten free chocolate brownie, in the museum coffee shop, as there wasn't many places left.
As both Niamh and Myself were off on St Patrick's Day, we said we head in for the parade and we got a nice viewing spot on Dame Street. The theme of the parade this year was celebrating the present and the Grand Marshal was Brendan O Carroll, famed for Mrs Brown Boys. Although the parade started a tad late, it was so worth the wait, especially the floats from Spraoi being a particular highlights for both of us. We were both ravenous ,so went to Bakehouse which just over the Ha'penny Bridge, from which we saw the crowds trying to get into Temple Bar. We both were never so delighted to be no where near the place.
After the food, we decided to have a quiet drink on the route home, it was a lot more relaxed which was nice and seeing the buildings going green for the day, on the walk home was nice.
As the weather was so nice on the Thursday after St Patrick's Day, I decided to make a theme for my walk and explore old military graveyards and buildings, beginning with old British military cemetery at Grangegorman, a place I'd been trying to visit for years. The graveyard is maintained by the OPW, who do a fantastic job with the place and during my visit the groundskeeper was so helpful with information and answering my questions. The Cemetery is place worth visiting. After exiting here, I continued on towars Arbor Hill, the final resting place of 14 of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
To round off my military filled themed day, I finished it with a visit to Collins barracks, a former military barracks now a national museum with exhibitions on various military events and experiences throughout the years including a temporary one called Recovered Voices, describing the stories of the Irish at War 1914-15. As I was leaving the museum and passing through Clarke Square, I stopped and watched a reenactment of drills by soldiers before they left for the War during 1914-18. On my way out, I was able to get a lovely view of Croppies Acre, is a memorial to the rebels or Croppys boys of the 1798 rebellion. As you can imagine I was wrecked after such a day.
Before I knew it, it was the end of March and time for that free tour of Bully's Acre. Although it was a rainy type Sunday day, there was a great turn out for the tour. Bully's Acre is the oldest cemetery in Dublin and our guide Paul who is the resident OPW historian in the RHK. The cemetery is located within the grounds of the RHK, the former retirement home for soliders who served in the British army. The tour consisted of visiting various different graveyards, beginning with plot for soldiers and then Bully's Acre itself which was a large public area used as a burial ground right up till the Cholera epidemic when Bully's Acre was closed down. The tour concluded with the Officer's Cemetery. Our guide along the way gave us information and interesting stories about the place. The total area comprises of 3.7 acres and is hidden behind locked gates and high walls within the ground of RHK. Despite the weather, the tour was quite interesting and our tour guide Paul was funny and made the whole experience quite enjoyable. If ye get the chance try and do the tour.
Going on the advice of a mate, on my next day I decided to strolled and check out the new DIT campus out at Grangegorman, which was cool especially how they converted the old church there into a new lecture hall. Easter Sunday as we both we off work, we enjoyed our Easter eggs watching movies, only way the day should be spent. That night we booked our tickets for the Pieta Darkness into Light 5 km walk at the start of May. As the sun was out on my next day off, I decided to do a practice of the 5 km circuit in the Phoenix Park, as I was finishing near the Papal Cross it was 17 degrees and there was a herd of cute deer all around the place.
Later that week on Saturday, Niamh, her friend Clodagh and myself were getting excited on the Luas towards the +3Arena Dublin to see +Olly Murs. Once we all were inside, we made our way into the Neon Bar that Niamh got passes for online and we got a booth upstairs in the bar. While we were enjoying ourselves there, a psychological Magician called Shane Black performed a few tricks for our booth. He had given Niamh something to hold and had thought nothing more about it. Then at the end, he said to me think of a name and see if he could guess it which he did and opened the wallet that Niamh had been holding and the name was on a card in it. We all had a laugh over it and definitely was a great way to start the night. Soon after that, we made our way out to our seats. Olly Murs got the whole audience singing and dancing and all had a great night. After the concert I made the short walk to Ballsbridge where work was having a party to celebrate 10 years. Was a great way to finish the night even if it was struggle to get up at 7 am for work.
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