Basically I went to the Temple Bar Market...
So I made that video Saturday morning. I bought fruit, broccoli, and 3 onions from the market. The onions I used in my first attempt at homemade french onion soup for lunch. As I was making it, I was thinking "this really is a lot of butter". As I was eating it, I was thinking "this is REALLY a lot of butter". But I ate it anyway because it tasted like french onion soup, and before I knew it, I was in bed taking a sleeping pill trying to forget I ate it. I didn't get much else done Saturday.
Sunday, the weather was miserable. Misty cold and rainy. But I didn't want to let that stop me from getting out and doing something since I had lost Saturday night. So Alexa, Milike and I took a very uncomfortable walk (due to the weather) to Dublin Castle.
We had an hour to kill before our tour began, so we stopped into a very tiny french cafe. Alexa is very french-ish (from Montreal) so she was able to understand the waitress and translate the menu for Melike and me. I had a strawberry tart (tarte aux fraises) and a cappucino (cappucino).
State Corridor, originally built in 1758, but during reconstruction of the state drawing room, was also rebuilt in 1960. It contains exact plaster casts of the original arches and detailing.
What used to be the queens bedroom. Smaller now when they added an en suite to accommodate guests.
Jonathan Swift stayed in this room for a time while he was entertaining the viceroys/royalty and started a fire. The last dignitary to stay in the royal bedrooms was Margaret Thatcher.
Ceiling of the dressing room of the Queen
State Drawing Room originally built in the 1830s for the Lord Lieutenant, but was reconstructed in 1963 after a fire from 1941. Mirrors on the right were used to reflect sunlight to make the room brighter. The canvas sitting upright was always placed next to the ladies, whose make up was made of wax. The canvas worked to absorb heat in order not to melt the make up. Today it is still used as a meeting place for foreign dignitaries (such as Queen Elizabeth II Duke of Edinburgh two weeks ago).
opposite the kings throne
The royal throne. The legs have been "crudely" cut perhaps for
corner of the Throne Room to the right of the Throne
General Cornwallis (British General from the American Revolution)
St. Patrick's Hall dating back to 1740. Originally used as a Ball room, now used for presidential inaugurations.
Ceiling painted by Vincenzo Valdre (c. 1742–1814). Composed of three panels, St Patrick introducing Christianity to Ireland...
This is the central ceiling panel which depicts King George's coronation in the presence of the old British Flag and Ireland's harp along with Justice and Liberty.
and King Henry II receiving the submission of the Irish Chieftains.
The banners along each wall are the family crests of the Knight's of St Patrick
8 pointed star above each entrance to St Patrick's Hall. Symbol of Knights of St Patrick.
Court Yard. Still in the spot of the original courtyard.
Represents Justice. Sits up over the couryard, facing away from the outside of the Castle, signifying justice can only be seen inside the castle. The irony is that when she was originally positioned, the rain caused her scale to tip unevenly. Holes had to be drilled into the scales in order to drain the water to keep them even.
Cathedral and one of the 4 original tours (the only remaining one standing from 1204). This one has survived because of its incredibly thick walls-it was the prison. Legend has it only one man has ever escaped, and the queen was convinced it was an inside job because he used a rope to climb out of the window.
Lay out of the original city from 1204
first glimpse of something down below... everyone gasped when they saw it..
This is the inside of one of the original towers from 1204, not reconstructed. It is below the city.. over time it was built over and forgotten. It was not rediscovered until 1980!!!!
Known as the Powder Tower... Scientists are able to carbon date it back to 1204 because the cement used contained ox's blood and various animal hair.
Back entrance into the castle. Very narrow to keep invaders out. Also, the door would have open outwards also for defensive reasons.
Outside of tower, if you look at the picture on the right, you can see I would have been standing in a moat. Also the picture on the right shows the stairs entrance from the picture above.
Arch from the picture that the moat used to go through, has been stoned up to keep the river from flowing. Some historians believe it was stoned up around the time of the Plague to keep the water from carrying in the disease. However, holing it up would have just kept the disease in. Other historians believe it was holed up just to keep the structure more sturdy.
Going underground to see this part of the castle was by far my favorite part. I could not believe it took archaeologists until 1980 to rediscover it.
In the gift shop, I found book marks containing family crests and information of old Irish names. Because my ancestors are Irish, I looked for the names of my great and great great grandparents: Dunn, O'Hanley, and Farrell.
Dunne: "The name derives from Gaelic "Donn"a personal name for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion. It also occurs as "Dunn". This sept originated in Co. Leix. In the mid 16th century, it was declared as hostile to English interest. Gillananaomh O'Dunn (1102-60) was a historian and poet. The motto for Dunn is "Mullie A Boo".( or Mullac Abu meaning Victory from the Hills)
Hanley: "This is the Anglicized version of the Gaelic "O' HÁinle", derived from "Aluinn" meaning "beautiful" and the modern Irish "Ainle" meaning "swallow". It is now found principally in 3 areas, namely, Co. Roscommon, Co. Galway, and Co. Cork. Donal O'Hanley was bishop of Dublin from 1085-1096. The motto for Hanley is "Saigeadoir collac a-bu". (meaning "valiant archer forever".
Farrell: "This is the Anglicized version of "O'Fearghail" meaning "descendent of Fearghail". This personal name is composed of "Fear" for "man" and "Ghail" meaning "valour". The majority of bearers of the name came from Leinster, mainly Co. Longford. The cheif of the sept is Lord Ánnaly. The motto for Farrell is "The hound broken loose".
And then I went to the cathedral connected to the prison tower....
and then my camera died... I wish I had gotten more pictures of this church because it was so beautiful.
No comments:
Post a Comment