holiday snapshots: Dublin

I've gotten a bit behind on my vacation posts! But I didn't forget entirely and definitely want to include info from the rest of our time in Ireland.

I wasn't sure what to expect about the city of Dublin before going - but found it be a great "small city" (or at least that's how it felt! Perhaps it was simply the contrast of being in London first). With the River Liffey serving as its center point, Dublin's setting is quite picturesque.

We went on three very interesting tours in Dublin, all of which I recommend: Kilmainham Gaol (Jail), Christ Church Cathedral, and Trinity College. Kilmainham started housing prisoners in 1796 and was one of the first prisons in Ireland to attempt methods of prison reform in both its structure and practice. It is most known, however, as the jail where many of the leaders of the Irish independence movement were imprisoned and then executed following the Easter Rising of April 1916.

In addition to the amazing depth of history at Christ Church (founded as a Viking church around 1030 AD), I was immediately struck by the gorgeous tile floor throughout the sanctuary. I've never seen flooring like this in any other church or cathedral - most seem to have stone floors of some sort instead. The original tilework (dated to the medieval period) was discovered during the cathedral's restoration in the 1870's. At that point, further tilework was added, modeled after the originals. The colors and patterns are beautiful - my pictures don't do it justice!

Our handy Rick Steeve's guide had told us that the student-led tours at Trinity College are engaging & funny - and we were pleased to find out that Rick was right! The campus itself is made up of quite an assortment of architectural styles, and yet is striking on the whole. The Book of Kells exhibit and the Long Room were easily highlights for me. If you're not familiar with The Book of Kells, it is an illuminated Latin manuscript of the four Gospels, transcribed by Celtic monks around 800 AD. I was struck by how amazing it is that we even have the Bible today considering the process of transcription-by-hand that was required for so many years before printing existed. Manuscripts like The Book of Kells are painstakingly & beautifully detailed and illustrated - their aesthetics magnifying the beauty of the Word itself.

Doors at the Customs House (Dublin is known for its Georgian-style doors - they were everywhere! Loved it.)

Tile floor at Christ Church Cathedral

Building at Trinity College