Day 2

Wed 9/15 – We woke to the sound of a bustling city.  Dublin is a blur of cars and people.  Fortunately, it has also earned a reputation for fresh scones, a reputation it deserves.  We had raspberry scones and lattes to fortify ourselves for the day ahead.  The National Library was in walking distance of Buswell’s Hotel, so we started there.  Mary had a list of names we needed to find, so we all sat at a microfiche machine and went to work.  After 4 hrs we made a few finds that confirmed some info from the Ireland records. We then headed out for an afternoon walk in Dublin.  Our first stop was Trinity College.  It was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth and established as an educational center for Protestants.  Not only is the University still flourishing, it is home to one of the oldest books in Western Civilization, the Book of Kells.  It also houses one of the finest libraries in the western world. 

We continued to St. Stephen’s Greens.  It is a park in the center of the city where one can escape the commotion and walk beside a lake with swans, ducks and seagulls.  This is a cut through to get to the road which led to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  While the Irish are without a doubt the friendliest and most welcoming people on planet earth, we learned that one must be careful about making eye contact because this can be construed as an invitation to talk.  The Irish are also the most social people on the planet.  Every docent in the church wanted to boast of their rich history.  Shannon mentioned that she was interested in Celtic crosses and was immediately escorted to the cemetery that was not open to the public.  The guide said that while many were buried there, the majority of the interred were inside the cathedral! 

Trinity College



Stephen's Green




St Patrick's Cathedral




Inside St Patrick's Cathedral



Around 6 p.m. starved and in the mood for celebrating our discovery in the Archives, we walked to the famous O’Neal’s Restaurant/Pub.  They have what is called a carvery which means they cook three big chunks of meat every day and carve from them.  They serve plates with veggies (potatoes cooked every way imaginable) and a salad.  We learned about a beer called Blarney Blonde and were instant fans.  Apparently there are three kinds of beer; lager which is light (Bud, Miller etc.), Stout which is red (Killians), and Ale which is dark (classic Guiness).   Four pints later, the Irish team went on a buying frenzy.  We're thinking beer stimulates the Irish economy in more ways than one!