Ireland: A magic and young city
A magic and young city
This green country, has achieved a high level of economy and development in the last 30 years due to the contribution of the membership to European Community. Thus, many young people from other European countries, specially from Spain, come to learn English and work in this developed country, giving a delightful diversity of cultures. Now the population of approximately one million inhabitants, is stepping up by the immigration and Dublin does not have subways like other capital cities of Europe. So the traffic jam, caused by the great number of buses, is a good reason for deciding either to walk or go around the city by bike.
The reason for being in Dublin was to drop in on Paula, a friend of mine who leaves there. Every morning when she was at the office, I spent my time riding her bike all around the city. In every single road, there are bike tracks which are separated from the car lane. There is no danger at all. To get into and around Dublin, the coast-capital city of Ireland, is much easier and faster going by bicycle than rail, tram or bus. The first day visiting the city I was surprised for the quantity of bikes, young people and mothers with twins walking around the city. Everybody is happy and looks unconcerned. Maybe is because they have the good luck clover. I cannot tell.
Friday is a good day to visit the heart of Georgian Dublin and the Temple Bar for two reasons. One is that is in the Georgian area you can find the National Museum of Ireland and you have free access only that day of the week. The second reason is to visit the Temple Bar, pedestrian area which took shape in the ss XVII-XVIII and has many pub where you can drink a traditional black beer, specially Fridays from 4 up to 12,30. Dublin is home to one thousand pub where people meet every day around five pm after office. It is part of their culture to drink a beer every Friday, I could say it is like going to Mass on Sundays. So, I was tempted to have a cold pint of Guinness and obviously I visited the very old brewery of this traditional trademark of beer.
National Gallery and the Merrion Square are other pleasant places to visit in the Georgian area. I spent the whole afternoon in the National Gallery where there are the most important pictures of irish artist such as Jack B. Yeats, Ireland's most important 20th century artist. Though if you prefer to go shopping, you can keep walking the Merrion street and turn right just 150 metres will find in front of the Stephen´s Green, the Stephen´s Green Shopping Centre. From that point of the city you can see the consumption fever of the local people along the Grafton Street, a fashionable shopping district. I was told that Ireland was an expensive city, maybe you can say that about hotels, but not about restaurants or shops.
Dublin offers options for everybody, even for those who love peace, quite and is a little bit romantic once. A charming option you have is to do a stop to feed the ducks and swan in one of the hundreds parks and public green spaces. And off course… I did it! It was gorgeous to see how the pigeon followed a swan in the lake. During the weekend I went with my friend to the Phoenix Park. It takes only 20 minutes walking from the city centre. This Park is one of the world largest enclosed parks (709ha), so we would be masochist to do the whole walking tour. Then, we stop to see a cricket team training for a while. Inside the Park it is situated the zoo and the Prime Minister House too. The size of this park is amazing.
Just some metres away from that Park there are some surrealist statues which welcome you to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, a classical building of the 17th century, nowadays the Irish Modern Art Museum. There are many option for cultural activities taking place in that gorgeous place.
The following day, I crossed one of the many bridges of The Liffey River, which divides the city in two. I was walking next to Four Courts building when I saw a strange and funny image, a man gowned and carrying some books in one hand and a wig in another. That night my friend explained to me that man was a barrister and only barristers are allowed to go to the law library in the Four Courts. They still wear that traditional clothing. That curious image is not a big anecdote but it showed me part of the costumes in the country. The population keeps the old traditions and have some national symbols that make part of their modern lives to protect their national identity. Some examples are: the Irish emblem is a harp and is everywhere. The street signs are written in English and in Gaelteacht, the irish dialect.
The entire catholic nation of Ireland celebrates St Patrick’s day, on 17th March. The mission of St Patrick in the mid-5th century in this country was highly successful and in the latest centuries became the national patron saint.
The only reason why I went to the Writers Museum was that the Irish literature is very famous due to authors such as John Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, or William Butler Yeats, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature. The writers Museum is in the north of Georgian area with its special architecture from time of the British kings George I-IV (1714-1830). When I walked around the city, in different parks and streets I found those writers as bronze statues. The importance given to the writers by the Irish is resulted also by the fact that the grave of Jonathan Swift, the great satirist, is in St Patrick’s Cathedral.
I read “The happy prince and other tales” by Oscar Wilde and “Gulliver´s travels” by Jonathan Swift, when I was a child. To me it was like a travel to my childhood.
One of the top attractions of the city is the Trinity College (1592). At first glance, the West Front (1751) looks as an splendid doorway to the city. The Campanile in the central patio is part of the charm offered by this old university and a place where you can see tourist and students all together. The book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four gospel written by monks in Latin at 8th century, preserved by the college’s library is another treasure for tourism.
In the Viking and medieval area it is placed the Dublin castle. This building, is a mixture of different architectures styles, it shows the evolution and a synthesis of the Irish history. Blending the Vikings, the medieval age, the Anglo Norman invasion times and the republic independence. At the end is the Chapel royal (1814) there is a gothic structure. I sat in the Dubhlinn Garden with the coach house behind me, I saw the four styles in only one construction. Today the castle is used by the Irish government for ceremonial purposes.
My last day in Dublin, I went to Howth , the north side of the peninsula, a fishing village in medieval times. I think that the tradition is still being kept by natives because I saw a man standing out in the rain fishing. Without the overcast and cloudy sky I wouldn’t know how the irish weather is. Always at the risk of rain, I suggest travel with an umbrella. I walked in the rain for two hours and reached the Martello Tower near Bottle Bay, which was built at the beginning of the 1800s by the Duke of York as a defence against a Napoleonic invasion. The cliff path presents a fabulous view of Dublin Bay (about 10 kilometres of Dublin City centre). The sightseeing is breathtaking.
I have visited many European cities and Dublin is one of my favourites. Paris is perfect, Rome is history, Madrid is like home (similar to Buenos Aires), but Dublin means history, nightlife, shopping and natural walks at the same time.
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