I must say that I truly enjoy being in Dublin. It is a charming city. The old part is easy to visit if you enjoy walking. The distances are reasonable.
Yesterday, we discovered a very interesting and elegant shopping centre, near the Castle – The Powerscourt Centre.
Powerscourt Centre is a speciality shopping centre set in an elegant Georgian house centrally located just off Grafton Street.Formally, 59 South William Street was home to Richard Wingfield 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (1730-1788) and his wife Lady Amelia, who bought the Townhouse to entertain guests during Parliament season. Back then, the building was a house for parties, and very much lives up to that reputation nowadays! (Source: http://www.powerscourtcentre.ie/history/)
Powerscourt House in 1774…
…..and today:
The townhouse, designed by Robert Mack, took 3 years to complete at a cost of €80,000 and is the third finest Georgian House in Dublin, with the magnificent Leinster House and Charlemont House leading respectively. The Lord and Lady Powerscourt spared no expense in decorating the house and employed well know artists and craftsmen. In order to dazzle their guests the hallway and landing were decorated in a rococo style and the ceiling in the music room, currently The Town Bride, and in the ballroom, The Powerscourt Gallery, are in a neo classical style. (Source: http://www.powerscourtcentre.ie/history/)
The Powerscourt Centre is a fine example of Dublin’s Georgian architecture; the house is unique in showing the transition from rococo style to neo-classic under one roof. Meldon, in his ‘Views of Dublin’ (1779) said the house ‘ may be considered in point of consequence of appearance and architectural embellishment, as the third private edifice in Dublin.’ With its historic past the centre’s architecture serves as a magnificent setting for browser’s and shoppers alike. The house has become a regular test for students of architecture. (Source: http://www.powerscourtcentre.ie/history/)
Flower shop in the Powerscourt Centre:
Few more pictures from the old part of Dublin:
Ha’penny Bridge:
St Stephen’s Green:
Famous Georgian doors in Dublin:
In the evening, we enjoyed our Grand Canal River Dinner Cruise:
We were able to see the old locks which are still operated by hand:
Dinner was delicious:
We couldn’t leave Dublin without saying goodbye to Oscar Wilde:
A story from Dublin
I would like to end this blog post with an interesting story from Dublin, from the time when Irish people were fighting for their freedom in 1916.
Joseph Mary Plunkett married his fiancee, Grace Gifford, in his prison cell on May 4th, 1916, the night before he was executed. He was 28, the youngest of the seven signatories to the Proclamation to die.
Many know of this poignant event from the popular song Grace: “Oh Grace, just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger / They’ll take me out at dawn and I will die / With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger / There won’t be time to share our love for we must say goodbye.”
Source: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/the-joseph-mary-plunkett-papers-i-was-never-meant-to-be-so-happy-1.2560460
According to our leader, Pat, the best version of this song is by Rod Stewart:
Nice Mama looks like so much fun and lots to see!