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Dublin and Belfast, Ireland

Going backwards in our journey, we now land in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It was a cold day and we decided to walk to the city from the port. Big mistake! 6 miles later or so, we took the Luas, the tramway to the downtown area. It is true what they say of Dubliners. Friendly people who are willing to help you find your destination. Dublin is famous for poets, Georgian architecture, landscaped parks, and Guinness beer. Belfast was a quick back-to- back trip before Dublin!

Trinity College in Dublin is the top ranked university in Ireland and ranks amongst the top 104th in the world. It is home to 17,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students across all of the major disciplines in the arts and humanities, and in business, lwa, engineering, science and health sciences.
As I walked these coblestoned corridors and the halls inside the college, I imagined Oscar Wilde sitting on a bench writing, Ernest Walton sunning himself as he found a way to split the atom, and Samuel Beckett, Nobel laureate in Literature writing Murphy!
River Liffey which runs through Dublin. It serves as a main source of water supply and recreation throughout the city. I noticed as I traveled that all of the cities I visited had rivers running through it. Awesome sights!
A busy city centre in Dublin.
Aviva Stadium in Dublin, a sports facility with a capacity of 51,700 spectators. Chief tenants are the Irish rugby union team, Leinster Rugby, and the Republic of Ireland football team.
The Book of Kells display in Trinity College is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the 4 Gospels of the New Testament. It was created in a Columban monastery in either Britain or Ireland. It is believed to have been created c 800 AD. It is a masterwork of Western calligraphy and regarded as Ireland’s finest national treasure.
Book of Kells display.

 

Book of Kells display is a magnificent reminder of how the Word has and will be a part of our eternity. 

The Book of Kells Exhibition is a must-see if you travel to Dublin. Located in the heart of the city centre, this 9th century manuscript documents the 4 Gospels of the life of Jesus Christ. This is the world’s most famous medieval manuscript.
It is easy to get “lost” in the marvel of this exhibition.
My sis Mari and I relaxing in Belfast before heading off to Parish of Saint Teresa Church. What is amazing about this, is that we had no idea we were going to her church. She happens to be one of the saints I do pray to.
Henry Grattan, a politician and member of the Irish House of Commons who campaigned for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century. He has been described as: a superb orator-nervous, high-flown, romantic.
I would love to rent office space in this beautiful building in Dublin.
Dublin City Hall
My sis Mari and her husband Willie, my fellow travelers!
Belfast!
Parish of St. Teresa Church is a safe haven tucked away just a few meters from designer stores, buskers and throngs of shoppers.
Saint Teresa of Avila. A Carmelite nun, prominent Spanish mystic, religious reformer, author, theologian of the contemplative life and mental player, she earned the rare distinction of being declared a Doctor of the Church over 4 centuries after her death. Her book Camino de Perfeccion describes ways of attaining spiritual perfection through Prayer. Its 4 stages are meditation, quiet, repose of soul, and finally union with God.
Beautiful stained window inside city hall commemorating those people whose organs and tissues were retained without the knowledge of their families. Zoom in and read the plaque for its meaning. It is quite touching since my brother Mike was an organ donor with our consent and knowledge nonetheless. (I had not seen my sister’s face in the plaque until after I took the picture!)

The folks here in Ireland are genuinely friendly which is refreshing for a big city that’s had its share of  conflict.  It all started 1000 years ago when the Vikings came to town. Life was quiet after the Danes invaded and then in the 18th century, the medieval seaport flourished into a sophisticated city.  During the Irish War of Independence, it became once again the center of rebellion. Today, it is jam-packed with museums, art galleries, and historic landmarks; but our day-stay did not allow us to visit all.  That’s okay, it just means I will have to return one day soon!  

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Comments(2)

    • Matthew L. Atterberry

    • 5 years ago

    Beautiful post and pictures. They are treasures to remember.

    Reply

    1. Yes Matthew! Thank you

      Reply

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