24 June 2024 Dublin O’Connell Street Walking Tour

 

24 June 2024        Dublin O’Connell Street Walking Tour

Today we continued our exploration of Dublin, visiting some of Dublin’s more interesting and sometimes controversial points of interest. 

From our hotel, we walked over the O’Connell Bridge into North Dublin.  Located in the center of Dublin, this bridge has the distinction of being wider than it is long.  When the original bridge was rebuilt in the 19^th century, the builders retained its original three arches, but used Portland stone and granite as its building materials.  It was named in honor of Daniel O’Connell, an Irish political leader who fought for Catholic emancipation and the repeal of the 1800 Act of Union which united Great Britain and Ireland.

Just across the river is the O’Connell Memorial also dedicated to Daniel O’Connell.  At the base of the statue sit four-winged Victories that represent the qualities that O’Connell possessed – fidelity, eloquence, courage, and patriotism.  Encircling the statue are figures representing labor and triumph, and O’Connell himself sits on the top.  If you look closely, you can still see some of the bullet holes from the 1916 Easter Uprising.

O'Connell Street Bridge

Daniel O'Connell Statue/Memorial

Just up from the bridge on O’Connell Street is the General Post Office, the last of the great Georgian public buildings constructed in the city.  As the headquarters of the leaders of the Easter Rising, it was also at the center of the 1916 fighting.  It was here that Padraig Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic that started the rebellion against 800 years of British rule, that eventually (in 33 years) would lead to Irish independence.  You can still see some of the bullet holes from the uprising.

In the middle of Connell Street just up from the Post Office stands the “Spire of Dublin,” a stainless-steel needle that rises 393 feet.  Also known as the “Monument of Light” or the “Stiletto in the Ghetto,” it was erected in 2002 in honor of Dublin’s millennium and stands on the exact location of Nelson’s Pillar, which was destroyed by IRA bombers in 1966.  Nelson’s Pillar was erected circa 1808 in honor of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson (of England), who the Protestant Ascendency class regarded as a hero after he defeated Napoleon in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.  However, the statue became very controversial, especially after Ireland gained its independence.  Many felt it was not appropriate for an Englishman to have precedence over Irish patriots, even more so as he was cold-hearted and an adulterer.  Many asked after the statue was damaged why it took 157 years!  Today Nelson’s head which had rested on top of his pillar resides in the Gilbert Library in almost absolute obscurity. 

Spire of Dublin

Post Office Building

Bullet Holes in Wall of Post Office

James Joyce Statue

Next, we stopped to admire the James Joyce Statue who is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the early 20^th century.  He is most notably remembered as the author of Ulysses, a re-telling of Homer’s The Odyssey, and Finnigan’s Wake.  He was born on 2 February 1882 in Dublin and spent his childhood in the city before bouncing around Europe, finally dying in Zurich Switzerland on 13 January 1941.  While most of his adult life was spent away from Ireland much of his writings reflected his homeland and Dublin.  As an author he incorporated a myriad of styles, especially his stream of consciousness technique.  He also wrote the Dubliners, a collection of short stories describing early 1900 middle-class Irish life.  Annually on 16 June, Dubliners celebrate Bloomsday (dedicated to Joyce) which is the day in which the events of Ulysses take place and the day (although never verified) that he had his first date with his wife.

Further up O’Connell Street is the Charles Stewart Parnell Statue, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Dublin.  He was a founding member of the nationalist Irish Volunteers in 1913.  The monument itself is a granite obelisk with a bronze statue of Parnell on the bottom.  Around the base of the monument are bronze names of the counties of Ireland.

Charles Stewart Parnell Statue

Garden of Remembrance

A block up from the statue is the Garden of Remembrance, developed to honor all the victims in the fight for Irish independence.  There is a large pond, in the shape of a cross with representations of discarded bronze age weapons on its bottom referencing the old Celtic tradition at the end of a battle.  And nearby is a large statue showing the transformation of the “Children of Lir.”  The garden was first opened in 1749 as a way to finance the Rotunda hospital which is located next to the Garden.  In 1966 it was dedicated to Earmon DeValera on the 50^th anniversary of the Easter Rising.  De Valera, although born in Manhattan New York, moved to Ireland at an early age.  He became active in the Irish independence movement, was arrested and imprisoned several times, and became President of the Irish Republic from 1956-1973.  In May 2011, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to visit Ireland in 100 years when she laid a wreath in this memorial garden.

We then walked back to the river and walked alongside the river on a path called Bachelor’s Way until we came to Ha’Penny Bridge, perhaps the most famous bridge in this part of the world.  The Ha’Penny Bridge, the most photographed river crossing in Dublin, was built in May 1816, becoming the first pedestrian bridge over the river.  It is a white picketed, cast-iron bridge. Its official name is the Liffey Bridge, although it was called Wellington, after the Dublin born Duke of Wellington when it was first built.  It got the name it is known as today, Ha’Penny, as it was financed by charging a toll of one Halfpenny.  When it was first built, it was to replace the seven ferries that traversed the river.  The toll was set, not to offset the construction costs, but to match the fare charged by the ferries.  Another condition of its construction was, that if during the first year the residents of Dublin found the fare to be “objectionable,” it would be removed.  I guess no one objected as the toll was raised to a penny-ha’peny (1 ½  pence) a few years later and was finally abolished in 1919.  Today it is free to cross over which we did.

Ha'Penny Bridge

Bill Actually Walked Across It

After crossing the river, it was a quick two blocks to the Temple Bar where we had lunch.  Although this is more of a tourist attraction, it is probably the most famous pub in Dublin.  On weekends it is very crowded with many more people lined up all around it trying to get in.  It reminds you have the crowds trying to get into concerts in the states.  The Temple Bar is just one of many pubs that line Fleet Street, where our hotel was located, and although not a complete pedestrian zone, it is usually wall to wall people.  Especially on weekends it is very crowded and noisy.

Inside the Temple Bar

The Temple Bar Pub on Fleet Street

We then returned to our hotel for a little rest until we met with Bill’s Cousin Meryl.  We had a lovely dinner at a local pub – loud be with great Irish music.  Meryl has live in Dublin for about 4 years and loves it.  Both she and her husband work remotely for their respective companies and are raising two small children – a girl and a boy.  Although she grew up in Washington state and Colorado, she has no intentions of leaving Dublin.  In a lot of ways I envy her – Ireland is a wonderful country to live in.

Tomorrow we join the rest of our Overseas Adventure Travels group and begin our Irish Adventure Tour.  We will have two more days in Dublin and then leave on the 28^th for Belfast – darn, we miss the Taylor Swift concert that starts the evening of the 28^th.