12 July: Megalithic tombs at Knowth and Newgrange

On Tuesday we took a tour bus out to the megalithic sites at Newgrange and Knowth. Steve and I were expecting only to have time to see one of the sites but were pleasantly surprised to find out that we could see both. We went to Knowth first. Our guide explained that the site had been used by four groups: around 3000-2000 BC, during the Iron Age (around early centuries A.D), during the Early Christian period (8-12th century), and during the Norman era (12-14th century). During the Norman period, the land was used by a monastery that farmed 35,000 acres around Knowth. The Normans also built tunnels through the mounds and M and I got to climb through one of the tunnels.

After Knowth, we went to Newgrange. Newgrange looks much different than Knowth, in that most of the site is one large monument, rather than many smaller ones at Knowth, and is older (5000 years old). The guide described the work to build Newgrange is thought to have taken 80 years, at a time when people lived only about 30 years, and that the builders dragged the large rocks along the river and then 4km (2.5 miles) uphill to the site. It took 80 workers 4 days to move one of the rocks up to the site! There is a single path into the monument, which allows sunlight to enter for just 17 minutes a day and only on the days around the winter solstice. Our guide used electric lights to demonstrate what the light would look like at the solstice. There is a lottery to pick people who get to bring a guest and come see the monument on one of the days near the solstice. Steve and I each filled out a lottery ticket, but with 50 winners out of 30,000 entrants each year, we aren't holding our breath.

Click here to view these pictures larger

We found out that the Tower Museum has an exhibit on megalithics in Northern Ireland! I think we'll try to get there this weekend.

10 July: GAA Leinster Final

It's me, M! I went to the GAA Leinster Final between Dublin and Wexford at Croake Park. Dublin won 2-12 to 1-12 (18 to 15). This means that they will play in the All-Ireland Semi-final. Maybe I should explain a little of Gaelic Football. You can run with the ball five steps but then you have to bounce it. If you run another five steps you need to kick it to yourself (or pass it.) The scoring: at each end of the field there are American football-like goal posts (only different because there is not one post in the middle; instead two spread out like the posts on top.) Kick it through the top and you get a point, scored as 0-01. Kick it through the bottom (and past the keeper) and you get a goal, worth three points and scored as 1-00.

Wexford came really, really close. One of their players scored 0-07! However, they have one fatal flaw. In both of Dublin's goals their keeper was totally out of position. Sorry, Wexford! (for this and the next paragraph.)

I got some cool souvenirs! They were an "Ath Calith" (Dublin) flag and a scarf bearing "The Dubs" at each end.

It wasn't just the seniors (and souvenirs), though. The minors also played. I don't remember the score (we only saw the last 5 minutes) but Dublin beat Meath something like 3-18 to 2-15.

That's all from me today. However, you should keep watching. Although I am done, Mom is just getting started...

11 July: Dublin

We started Monday morning at Trinity College, where we saw the Book of Kells and its accompanying display "Turning Darkness into Light." M liked seeing the Irish Ogham language and learning a few Latin words. We all liked the poem Pangur Bán:

I and Pangur Ban, my cat,
'Tis a like task we are at;
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

Better far than praise of men
'Tis to sit with book and pen;
Pangur bears me no ill will;
He, too, plies his simple skill.

'Tis a merry thing to see
At our task how glad are we,
When at home we sit and find
Entertainment to our mind.

Oftentimes a mouse will stray
Into the hero Pangur's way;
Oftentimes my keen thought set
Takes a meaning in its net.

'Gainst the wall he sets his eye
Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
'Gainst the wall of knowledge I
All my little wisdom try.

When a mouse darts from its den.
O how glad is Pangur then!
O what gladness do I prove
When I solve the doubts I love!

So in peace our tasks we ply,
Pangur Ban, my cat and I;
In our arts we find our bliss,
I have mine, and he has his.

Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade ;
I get wisdom day and night,
Turning Darkness into light.'

from http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/poetry/PangurBan.html

The Wikipedia article on Pangur Ban also notes that there is a cat named Pangur Ban in the 2009 movie "The Book of Kells."


Monday afternoon we took a tour of Dublin Castle, which was first a Norman fortification, then the seat of English government in Ireland and, after 1922, a ceremonial seat for Irish government and state functions. The original Dublin Castle was built in 1204 and survived until a fire destroyed most of the castle in 1673. The current castle was built after the fire on the same site. As part of the tour, we were able to see an excavation of the original castle walls and tower, under a neighboring building.

10 July: Dublin

We spent Sunday morning walking through Merrion Square and St Stephen's Green. M liked the playground at St Stephen's and watching the finches in Merrion Square. Merrion Square also had statues of Oscar Wilde and Bernardo O'Higgins.

Late in the morning, we split up: M and Steve headed to Croake Park to see a Gaelic football game and I caught the DART (light rail) to Dun Laoghaire*.

Gaelic football, according to the hotel bartender, is like a cross between Australian Rules football and rugby. The game that M and Steve saw was the Leinster (central Ireland) final and home team Dublin won their sixth consecutive Leinster title. M tells me that Dublin's win means that they will play in the All-Ireland semifinal. This coming Sunday, Derry plays Donegal for the Ulster final and their shot at the All-Ireland semifinal. I think I know what the guys will be watching on Sunday afternoon.

I went to Dun Laoghaire to see the James Joyce museum, which is located in the Martello tower that Joyce used as a setting for parts of Ulysses. Unfortunately, the museum changed its hours and wasn't open on Sunday. Instead I walked the beach, watched a sailboat race, and enjoyed a smoked salmon crepe from the Sunday open air market.

*Laoghaire was also the name of a character in a series of books I read this spring. I had all kinds of mental pronunciations for her name, but was surprised to find out that Laoghaire is simply pronounced "Leery."

8-9 July: Dublin (evening flight and first day)

We decided to take advantage of Steve having 12 July off from work (for the Northern Ireland holiday for the Battle of the Boyne) and go to Dublin for 5 nights. We flew out on Friday evening and back this morning (Wed 13 Jul). Steve took a little teasing at work for us splurging on airline tickets for what would have been a 3-4 hour drive. But we were glad to be able to arrive Friday evening and stay Tuesday night without Steve having to take Wednesday off. The flights were just 30 minutes. None of us had ever been in such empty planes: there were only 7 passengers on the flight to Dublin and just 4 of us coming back, even though the planes seated 68 and 32, respectively. The customs officer in Dublin told us that often there was only one passenger on the flight!

After arriving Friday night, we took a bus to the hotel, got a quick sandwich for supper, and went to sleep to be ready to get an early start Saturday. On Saturday morning, we walked along the river and through Temple Bar. We then went to Dublinia, a museum about the Viking and Medieval periods in Dublin's history. M loved Dublinia! He took notes for himself, especially about the Viking runic alphabet.

Dublinia is next door to Christ Church, a Gothic church that occupies the same site as the first church in Dublin (c. 1070). I was excited to learn that Christ Church has been used for filming some of the church scenes in "The Tudors" and the wedding costumes worn by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Henry VIII) and Annabelle Wallis (Jane Seymour) were on display!

We walked back to Temple Bar for lunch and stumbled upon the open air book market. I was tempted to shop the books, but Steve reminded me of the baggage weight limits and I contented myself with photos of books to add to my "to read" list.

Continuing the day's theme, we walked to the National Museum's History and Archeology. M always loves the kids' activity sheets available at European museums and the National Museum's Viking sheet was no exception. His favorite activity was to draw a Viking shield. Finding his favorite object, though, was difficult and Steve and I rested on a bench while he checked back to narrow down the list.

Click here to view these pictures larger

And, to close, here's a shout out to my favorite radio station BBC R2, which just finished playing an "oldies" set that included the Stones' "Paint it Black," America's "Horse with No Name," and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." I love that the radio stations here don't stick to a single genre or format. I am discovering, or in today's case, rediscovering lots of great music.