The Song of Good Hope

We made it back to Ireland after a long travel day. Starting in Edinburgh we drove to Chester to return our car. Michael and Bella took us on the scenic route through Snowdonia and we said our goodbyes at the Hollyhead ferry. After a bit of a rocky crossing, we were greeted by Guido’s cousin Colin, who drove us along Dublin Bay. Imelda was waiting for us at their home where we shared a warm meal and good conversation before heading to bed. 

The next day Imelda and pups Juno and Maisy walked us to the Luas (light rail) station. Dublin was an easy city to get around by foot and light rail.  With a pocket map we easily charted our route for the day. It’s also a beautiful city that balances the stone streets and buildings with greenery and splashes of colorful paint and flowers. 

Trinity college was our first stop to see the Book of Kells, something Erika has wanted to see since she learned about illuminated manuscripts in Mr. Stow’s 9th grade history class. It was magnificent. Prior to our visit we read mixed reviews for the Book of Kells Experience, because most of the books in the long room have been removed and some didn’t like the multi- media experience. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our visit and our walk around the historic campus. 

During the afternoon we strolled Grafton street to window shop and listen to some buskers. Erika kept her vow to leave some money for each one in memory of Glen Hansard, one of her favorite musicians. Glen got his start busking on Grafton street many years ago and recently died. We stopped in a pub for a carvery lunch and a pint of Guinness. Guido also found a tweed cap in a little shop inside the Stephen’s Green Shopping Center. Later that afternoon, Erika explored the beautiful Christchurch Cathedral while Guido took a rest outside on the grounds. In the evening we walked through Temple Bar, known for its nightlife and beautifully decorated buildings. 

The Dublin Fringe festival was just getting underway. Although it’s not as famous as the one in Edinburgh, it hosts many exciting performances. We got tickets to two events. “Arborologues,” the first piece was an opportunity for the ticket holder to give a performance to a tree. Guido had never heard of anything more ridiculous in his life, but Erika handed over her ticket, was given a script and given 15 minutes to dramatize the text for an oak tree. She enjoyed the experience immensely. In the evening we attended a three act play called “Traces of a World to Be.” Each act took place in a different pub, highlighting how these spaces were used to create community for queer people in Dublin over the period of the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s. It was everything you would expect from a fringe performance- up and coming artists, experimental medium, and enlightening subject matter. 

Our hosts Colin and Imelda were so wonderful to us, despite the fact that we came at the start of term, which is an extremely busy time for two university professionals. Their son Declan was also busy with the beginning of term, but we got to spend an evening with him, which Guido especially enjoyed. 

Colin took a day off to take us out to Gowran, where they have been hard at work restoring a house and property that has been in Imelda’s family for many years. We were impressed at the results. Imelda’s sister Siobhan and husband Kevin live down the road. They joined us for a cup of tea, bringing fresh baked scones with blackberries from the hedge row. 

Colin’s also took us to Kilkenny to walk the dogs around the castle grounds and through town. Lunch was at Sullivan’s Brewery, followed by a trip to Smithwick’s Brewing. Although we did not take the brewery tour, Guido did pick up some souvenirs and a few bottles to enjoy with Colin that evening. Kilkenny really hit Guido’s sweet spot, with a walk around the castle gardens and two beer themed stops. 

We did not even scratch the surface of Dublin or Ireland. Our short visit with Colin, Imelda, and Declan was the primary purpose of the stop and it went by so fast. There are also friends in Ireland we did not get the chance to visit.  We will definitely return with more time to explore.