Depending on where you stand, UK and Ireland have a love/hate relationship. Ok, I know that sounded lame, but what I'm trying to say, is the two countries have a complicated history. UK and Ireland used to be one single country until the Easter Uprising in 1916. This led to Ireland officially becoming a republican country in 1949. Despite that, Ireland still remains Britain's closest relative, so close that we don't need a passport to visit each other's country, and the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (who are part of Great Britain) have a joint Ireland team for international rugby and cricket tournaments. In 2010, I decided to visit our cousin at their capital, Dublin.
Dublin Castle
Back in those days, overseas weekend breaks were a frequent event for us both in terms of flexibility (Covid didn't appear until a whole decade later) and finance (not a big issue in the good old days even without crypto). Nowadays, even a trip to another city is a pretty big deal and eats into a big chunk of my expense!!!
This was our first visit to Dublin, and in my typical wing it fashion, I had not done any research on where to go. Most of the time was spent wandering around the 'touristy' locations. First up was Dublin Castle which was in the the city center. I don't have much recollecton of the visit as it was such a long time ago. Even now looking back at the photos, memories are rather vague. One thing I did remember, it was next to Trinity College, Ireland's oldest universtiy. I heard Trinity Collect was very beautiful but somehow I didn't make it on campus. Again, can't remember why.
General Post Office
The General Post Office was a different story. I clearly remember coming here and why. For starters, this is probably the most iconic building in Dublin, if not Ireland. Built in 1818 in a Greek revival style, the outside has a stunning portico supported by six Ionic columns. Today, it is still used as a post office, as well as a museum and cafe. I went inside the post office area, and still remember I was in awe of the decor. Too bad I didn't take any photos inside, I never thought I'd be posting about it a decade later. The other reason for coming here, was due to its historical significance.
If you remember earlier on I mentioned the Easter Unrising in 1916 which eventually led to Ireland's independence. On 24 April that year, the Irish republicans read out the Proclaimation of the Republic outside the General Post Office, declaring Ireland to become independent from UK. They seized the building making it their headquarters for the uprising movement until the British ended it by martial law a week later. Once there is a crack in the mirror, it can never be repaired, no matter how hard you try. But that doesn't mean the broken pieces can't still coexist, albeit in a different form.
Those who fought for the Irish independence are commemorated at the Garden of Remembrance. If you notice, the pool is designed in the shape of a cross, and at the top of the stairs is a sculpture called Children of Lir which signifies transformation and resurrection. A very fitting design to remember the changes that the country has gone through.
Storehouse and Jameson
Now to something less sombre.
No visit to Dublin will be complete without a drink or two, and where best to go than to see the black stuff being made. Even if you're not a beer drinking like me, I think the Guiness Storehouse a must for visitors.
If you have ever visited any type of beer/wine/whisky making facilities during your travels, you've probably noticed the manufacturing process are all pretty much the same. They show you the raw ingredients, that goes in a big container and cooked with water, then it sits there for fermentation, for whisky there's a distillation stage, and then it goes in the massive barrel to age, except for beer it gets bottled immediately. What makes these tours stand out, is how they present their heritage and ethos to the public. That's my favourite part, understanding more about what's behind a label. And of course, there's the tasting part, that's always interesting, even if I don't drink.
We also went to the Jameson Whiskey Distillers. Notice in Ireland they spell whiskey with an E like America, whilst Scotland spells whisky without an E. The tour at Jameson was on a much smaller scale compared to Guinness. But then you really can't compare the two, they're on two different scales. At Jameson, we were served a series of different mixes as our free taster. And hubby paid extra for a proper tasting session. Back in those days (2010) as tasting session cost €17.50 for 3 whiskeys, I just checked, now it cost €30 for 4 whiskeys!!!!
Times definitely changes a lot of things!!!
