To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. -Oscar Wilde

IMG_8819

We spent our last day in Ireland in Dublin, visiting some of the most popular places like Trinity College Library, famous for its best known manuscript, the Book of Kells.

IMG_8820

Visiting Trinity College Library in July or August is a challenge because of the crowds of tourists from all over the world. The place seems to be on everyone’s list. Not only you have to line up for at least 30 minutes to enter the building but once you are inside, it is very difficult to move around.

IMG_8829

This bronze sculpture by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro is called: Sphere Within Sphere. Versions of this sculpture can be seen in many places in the world including Rome, New York and San Francisco.

IMG_8825

IMG_8826

IMG_8830

The Book of Kells is the best known of all Ireland’s illuminated monastic manuscripts. It contains all four Gospels. It can be seen as an inspiring symbol of Irish creativity and national pride. The text in Latin is beautifully decorated with images that are highly refined and skilled. When you look at the manuscript in the Treasury, you only see two pages. The best way to examine this book is …….to buy the official guide in the bookstore:

IMG_9019

The Old Library is also very interesting. The main chamber of the Old Library, the Long Room, is nearly 65 meters in length, and houses around 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books.

IMG_8839

IMG_8840

It also houses the famous Brian Boru’s harp that we can see today in many places including the Guinness logo and Irish coins. It probably dates from the fifteenth century. Its attribution to Brian Boru, high king of Ireland who died in 1014, is legendary.

IMG_8845

Here is the harp in one of the pubs in Dingle:

IMG_8621

IMG_8906

Famine Memorial is one of the most touching landmarks in Dublin. The statues are located in Custom House Quay. The memorial, designed by Rowan Gillespie, was presented to the city of Dublin in 1997. It commemorates the Great Famine in 1845-1851 when approximately one million people died and a million more left the country.

IMG_8904

IMG_8907

IMG_8923

IMG_8936

IMG_8944

IMG_8941

It’s time to end our trip to Ireland. Here are our last pictures.

Amnesty Candle on Memorial Road:

IMG_8947

The Doors of Dublin:

IMG_7708

Kennedy’s Pub:

IMG_8898

120m tall Spire of Dublin:

IMG_8969

IMG_9009

Thank you for visiting Ireland with us! Cheers!

IMG_8956

38967952_659065577794145_271275417225134080_n

And thank you Oscar for your quotes!

IMG_7947

Previous

The Dingle Peninsula

Next

Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018

2 comments

  1. So interested to see the installation of the Irish Famine. And of course it was the enclosure of the land into fields to raise sheep for wool to supply the mills in northern England that caused the famine. The people had potato as their main nutrition source and the enclosure of the fields stopped them from growing potatoes and caused a huge number of deaths and ultimately huge migration of people to the US and Canada as there was no food. Another example of capitalism gone wild.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *