Dublin's Hidden Treasures

This is a building inside the gates of Trinity College... it was pretty, but I thought not much different than strolling through the Ford Complex. However, Kelly pointed out that these buildings were probably actually as old as Ford looks. Touché Kelly, touché.



This was a pretty mosaic mural that was (oddly) in a parking lot we passed on the way to the gallery.



This is a mad Duncan because I took his picture with has pants rolled up. He was also angry at the rain.



This is from the brochure of for the art show... and was one of my favorite things we saw. It is actually only a part of a larger stained glass piece by Harry Clarke. He had many pieces in the exhibit that were similar to this style, very intricate, though the stained glass was most impressive in my opinion.



I took this photo illegally before an old man came running up to me to notify me that no photos were allowed (I'm such a rebel). The Museum of Archeology and History was in a fantastic building (of which the dome ceiling in the gift shop area is depicted here). The floors were also completely inlaid with mosaic. It was really just a treat to walk through the building, but the exhibits showcased were phenomenal.



As aforementioned, no photos were allowed, so this is from the brochure. This is a hand of a "bog person." This was fascinating! Read the blog for more details.



Again, a picture from the brochure, but Duncan was really excited to be able to see the Ancient Egypt exhibit. There were a few mummies and some pretty neat artifacts (some even from the Roman Egyptian era).



A few things about this one... a) this is a picture from the brochure b)this is a real skeleton c) the back of this animal was about as high as I am tall, so I hope that gives you some scale of HUGE this animal was. I couldn't get over it.



When I saw this, I thought of Uncle Ray, so this is for him.




Today our group started out early (though that was silly as nothing was open until noon). As the rain was already sufficiently soaking everything in sight, we opted out of visiting the National Botanical Gardens; we assumed the majority of the gardens would be outside. So we decided that today would be a great day to visit some museums. Our first stop was at Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and consequently Trinity's museum. However, the exhibit was closed "until further notice." We surmised that those in charge did not want dripping wet tourists traveling through the museum. So, then we headed onward.

Our next stop was going to be the Museum of Natural History, but we got a bit turned around and ended up at the National Gallery. Seeing as admission was free, we went in.. and it was amazing! We did not have time to exhaust all of the exhibits, though we were able to see a 20th century Irish Art show which provided a look at some LeBroquys, Manie Jellets, and W.B. Yeats works (which we studied a bit in Irish Art). We also visited a Yeats wing of the museum and a floor that showcased religious works from the 14-16 centuries and also a wide array of beautiful works (we were able to view some Goyas and Rubins).

We were pleasantly surprised with the museum, not only that is was FREE, but too that it was well stocked with an impressive range of pieces. It's almost worth the trip to Dublin just to spend a few days there. We will definitely be going back.

Our next stop was going to be the Natural History Museum (notice how we kept getting side-tracked?), but we then ended up in the Museum of Archeology and History. As mentioned before, the building itself was enough to draw you in. However, I believe we all crept through with our jaws hanging open. Of most interest to myself were the bog people. Apparently, around the iron age human ritual sacrifice was common. The bodies were thrown or placed into the surrounding bogs (in Ireland, Denmark, and England). The anaerobic environments in the bogs preserved the bodies (to some degree). The flesh had become stiff and leather-like with a metallic sheen. Some even still had red hair and/or facial hair. Some were just torsos, but some had faces. You could see fingernails and even the wounds that killed them. Simply fascinating. I'll be doing more research about this.

We also visited the Ancient Egypt exhibit. It was a pretty standard Egyptian show, though those are always intriguing.

We simply could not end the day without actually getting to the Natural History Museum as all of our guide books pointed out what a grand experience it would be. With more than 2 million stuffed animals (think taxidermy, not teddy bears) and skeletons, we were not too surprised to see it full of small children. However, as shown above, upon entering are three skeletons of 10,000-year-old Irish Elk. I was dumb-founded. These creatures were GIGANTIC. The horns were the largest antlers of any animal dead or alive. I could not imagine ever seeing one of these in the flesh, and to think that they walked here in Ireland just was the cherry on top.

The museum itself was from the Victorian age (founded in 1857 by Dr. David Livingstone), and little has changed since then, though the degree of preservation of the animals varied.

Did I mention this was FREE too?

So, I suppose Duncan and I know were we will be spending our weekends from now on. This was one of the best days that we have had in Dublin, allowing us to travel the world, if you will, contained within only a few blocks.

That's all for today. Tonight will probably be spent journaling, researching, and beginning to start working on ideas for our jobs that start Tuesday!

Much love to you all--

P.S.

OUR ADDRESS (it's the same for both of us)

Whitney Williams (or) Duncan Meadows
Shanowen Square Apartments Apt. 8
Shanowen Road
Santry, Dublin 9
Ireland