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One of my favorite things to do in Dublin is to walk down
Grafton Street and listen to musicians busking. Someone is always playing a tune somewhere.
North of Grafton street, past Trinity College, the River Liffey winds through the center of
Dublin, just next to O'Connell Street where the 1916 Rising occurred, and the
Proclamation of the Irish Republic was issued and the
Irish National Anthem was sung.
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Musicians Busking on Grafton Street |
The General Post Office, Where the 1916 Rising Occurred
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During my taxi ride from the airport, the driver told
me about Dublin in detail, pointing out important sites that he did not want me to miss, like
the General Post Office (pictured left). A few days later, Shannon and I visited Trinity College (see below),
established in 1592. It holds the Book of Kells, an extravagantly illustrated manuscript
with colorful spirals and knotwork.
Many exceptional writers were at Trinity--James Joyce,
Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, to name a few--and the campus is within walking
distance of many pubs that they frequented. I took the Literary Pub Crawl to Davy Byrnes
and a few other pubs in downtown Dublin, and watched the actors perform Waiting for Godot
and other Irish stories. Dublin is a lovely, inviting city, where cathedrals and sculptures
lie comfortably next to pubs and modern buildings. Every time I come here, I feel immediately
relaxed and at home.
(Click on photo for larger view.)
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Downtown, Near Grafton Street |
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