At Last - The Dublin Saga!

I have always wanted to visit Ireland but somehow it never happened, and I had resigned myself to not going in my lifetime.  My family knew of the dream though, and for my 50^th birthday my firstborn child Michelle bought a holiday for two to Dublin, and Sean came with me.  I have wanted to write an account of the holiday but haven’t had the energy so it has had to wait until now.

On Thursday 13 November, Sean and I stayed at the Travelodge at London City Airport.  The weather was grotty and the forecast bad, but our spirits weren’t dampened.

The next morning we took a taxi to the Airport.  It would have been a 15 min walk for someone in normal health but as I’m not, we took a taxi, and the thieving rogue charged £8!  We were helped to check in at the Airport.  I had emailed Air France to ask if I could bring my electric mobility scooter but they didn’t email back, so I didn’t take it.  (When I got back home, Michelle told me that they had left a message on the landline to say that I could bring it.)  My name was called over the paging system and it was their Passenger Assistance Team offering a wheelchair, which helped a lot.  When we arrived in Dublin, they had a wheelchair ready right by the plane with a strong young man to push it.  I must say, he was something of an expert!  He took us through everywhere – security, customs etc, as priority.  He knew exactly where to go, of course, and it made it all so much easier for Sean and myself.  He took us to the place to get the minibus going to the depot to get a hired car.  Michelle had thought of everything. 

Sean in the train on the way to the Travelodge on Thursday.

 

The Aircraft.  I strongly recommend Air France if you need Assistance due to health problems.

The hired car was a Chevrolet Kalos and it was nippy with loads of leg room. We found our 4 Star Hotel, the Louis Fitzgerald, with no trouble. The staff were very welcoming and had local knowledge that they were willing to share. The hotel was beautifully appointed. It was very contemporary, and some contemporary hotels are really uncomfortable and unfriendly, but whoever designed the hotel and did the interior design must have had a great gift. It was wonderful. We were offered a choice between a smoking or a non-smoking bedroom. The bedroom was really nice and surprisingly soundproof. There were parties going on downstairs on some nights and we heard not a sound until we went down ourselves. As far as security went, you could only access the stairs or lift by swiping your electronic key. We had a few meals there. Breakfasts were magnificent and 4 Euros cheaper if you booked them in advance. The evening meals were fantastic; excellent quality, with attentive and helpful staff. We couldn’t have stayed anywhere nicer.

Our First glimpse of the Hotel


Bedroom



Bar Restaurant










Fascinating Painting in the Lounge

Look carefully. There is an Australian, an Arab, an Egyptian, an Indian and a Chinaman. All of them hold a British flag in their left hands. At the head of the table, the Irishman is looking and listening in another direction. He has an Irish flag on his lapel and his left hand is folded. He is the only one with a collar and tie and there is a bottle at his elbow.

The Grand Piano in the Lounge


On Friday, after checking in, we rested, and then had a great Bar meal at the hotel. We looked at the ‘What’s on in Dublin’ brochure and decided what to do on Saturday.
On Saturday we took a shuttle to the Luas, which is the tram service. Beautifully modern, spotless and exactly on time, and had a pleasant trip into town.

Luas


We saw the main street and the famous Post Office that was the focal point of the famous Easter Uprising. Coming along the Main St was a peaceful demonstration of people wanting to draw attention to the horrors going on in the Congo. I’d have joined the march if I’d felt strong enough.

Post Office


March for the Congo




Streets and Buildings - but no Litter








Then we went to the Tourist Office to see if we could rent a scooter for me but sadly, it wasn’t possible. There is a great business opportunity for some enterprising soul! I was surprised at how clean Dublin was. No litter, as you will notice if you look at the photos. We had a cup of tea in a cafe then went to the Writers Museum which was next door to St Patrick’s cathedral which, to our surprise, was Presbyterian. We later discovered that Dublin, although 96% Catholic, does not have a Catholic Cathedral. The other Cathedral, Christchurch, is Anglican. The Catholics have built themselves a Pro Cathedral, and I wonder how long they will manage to hold on to that?

St Patrick's Presbyterian Cathedral


The Writers Museum was fascinating and by great good fortune we arrived when an serious Actor was doing a one man show of extracts of some of the works of some of the writers there. It made it all come alive. We had a wonderful time there and when we left, it was late afternoon.

Inside the Writers Museum









We got a Taxi to Christchurch Cathedral, which had a centuries old crypt. Unusually for a crypt, it took up the size of the Cathedral. It too was fascinating, although I must say I found it jarring and incongruous to see CCTV, central heating, masonite notice boards, exit signs and cheap plastic furniture all over the place that was generally over a thousand years old.

Christchurch Anglican Cathedral




The Ancient Crypt





Stocks for punishment of minor offences. Women could be put in Stocks for being 'a Nag and a Scold'.


Mummified remains of a Cat and a Rat, found in the Organ pipes. The cat obviously followed the rat and lost his life in the course of his duties. Not only that, the poor thing evidently died on an empty stomach.




When we had exhausted the Cathedral – or it had exhausted us – we had a light meal of soup and bread at a brasserie, then walked to a souvenier shop to look for something nice for Michelle who has given us such a wonderful time. Eventually we jumped in a friendly Taxi and went back to the Luas stop to go back to the hotel. We were supposed to go on an Irish Musical Pub Crawl but as it was late and we were happy but exhausted after a day in Dublin, we decided to go the following day.


On Sunday the hired car came into its own. We hadn’t felt confident taking it into the city of Dublin because we weren’t familiar with it and we didn’t know where to park. We drove to a Castle that had been lived in until the mid 80s when the last surviving Lord Talbot died. It was beautiful and the autumn leaves we saw on the way were food for the soul. We sat in the gardens a while, enjoying the children playing in the lovely countryside.







Sean’s secretary Gabrielle had suggested we go to see Howth and it was so pretty. It was a gentle, meandering drive along a scenic route. Again, a surprise: all the houses en route looked as if they had entered a Neat Neighbourhood competition. All the gardens were beautifully cared for with nothing lying around, lawns cut, flowerbeds trimmed, houses well maintained, and no litter. Howth was lovely and we had a light meal in a fish restaurant, again of the highest standard with very friendly staff. It was such a pretty drive back to the hotel, where we both collapsed and had a sleep. Sean phoned to find out about the Irish Musical Pub Crawl but very regretfully I decided against it on the grounds of exhaustion. I love Irish music and dancing and am sad that the energy didn’t hold up. After a sound sleep, we had a superb dinner in the formal Restaurant in the Hotel. We ordered a plate of Antipasti for two and it was splendid. We never have had such a meal, and Sean still thinks back on it with great delight.

Pictures in and around Howth










Man mending his nets in the background

Lighthouse



Both of us loved Dublin so much that we are determined to go again. It was much better than even our wildest dreams. Next time we’ll stay in a hotel for a night or two to see a bit more of Dublin. My brother Stephen thinks we should definitely see Sean O’Casey’s Bar, for instance. Then we’d like to have an out-of-season self-catering cottage and drive through the countryside. There are some shrines I’d like to see and as I have such happy memories of some Franciscan Missionaries of Mary nuns in South Africa, I’d love to visit their Mother House. And see Kerry, Limerick and the Mountains of Mourne. Galway too, of course. My guess is if you visited for five years, you’d never see all there is to see. So much beauty, so much history in a well cared for land looked after by friendly and good people. We can’t wait to go back, and we are both very grateful to Michelle for organising all this and paying for it too. It was the most wonderful time.

Finally - back to Reality!