10 Questions About…

Kate made it home as scheduled. We were happy and a little surprised. She had a ticket but not a seat assignment. Aine and I got on a plane. Sat on it for two hours and then deplaned. It started with a light that wouldn’t go out. So, they rebooted the plane. For IT Group fans – yes, they tried turning it off and on again! The we got some line about a problem with a passenger. Then we alit.

For a few hours we sat in the airport getting one story or another until they finally cancelled the flight. After seven hours in the airport, they sent us to a hotel in the shadow of the airport. I’ve always thought that would be a lucky thing – so extend your vacation by a day. But Aine was inconsolable. She wants to be home with her friends before the leave for college. And being out by the airport is not great.

A nod to the Maldron, one of four hotels that got overflow guests for the night. We were surly and tired. They were very kind. There’s a shuttle to the airport, an American-style buffet breakfast (with Irish croissants and bacon!) and a pub. I might not spend my whole time in Dublin so out of town but that’s on a short-list of last night stops.

I gave extra euros, the toothpaste and adapter to Kate. We were ill equipped. Plus I hate to fly so emotionally spent. I did walk about 6 miles around the hotel over our stay, which means I know the ins and outs of the Dublin airport. In fact, one more day and I might be visiting the airport security about my new hobby.

As I write this we are waiting for the 4pm flight out of Dublin. (Our original flight was 9am yesterday.) It’s been pushed to 5pm and I heard the 9am flight earlier today was cancelled. I’m not feeling good. I haven’t mentioned the airlines – but if any else goes wrong. I will. Update the flight home from Chicago was 40 minutes late.

We have had an amazing time and we’re ready to go home. None of us likes to fly so we’re tucked into a hotel near the airport. There’s a shuttle to the airport and that will calm our nerves but that leaves us in a limbo of sorts for our last day.

I decided to walk into town, which was quite a hall. I stopped by the National Botanic Garden and Glasnevin Cemetery. Then headed in to soak up the last of the city and get to nearly 13 miles for the day. I stopped by the art gallery at Trinity College to see the art of Liz Magor. She reuses objects to create sculptures. Some of fuzzy and cute; some seem to be oddly placed taxidermized animals.

The girls are visiting with their friend Cait. Keep us and our travels in your thoughts tomorrow. We hope to see you soon!

Sometimes our adventures take us to someplace very new; sometimes we visit the things we knew growing up. Today we hiked back to Cabinteely, where the girls Irish Grandma live and where we lived for a year here, or six months there. We started at Cabinteely Park, which is the gardens of the old manor of the area. (Which also in its time was the keeper of the hopper for the Irish Sweepstakes numbers!) It’s gorgeous. The girls couldn’t resist at least one toe dip int their old playground.

We went through the village past the post office, the library, several restaurants, their grandma’s house, the rugby park across the street and their old school. The views of the Wicklow and Dublin mountains on a day as clear (sometimes clear) as today are amazing. Due to a shoe malfunction, we even got to check out the Tesco where we used to grocery shop.

The we trekked to Killiney Hill. It’s a climb we used to do often and somehow we accidentally took the easy way up, which makes me wonder why we never took the easy way when they were 3-8 years old! The views are spectacular. The air feels fresher. And it’s a place so familiar to the girls that it feels sacred.

Then we went the other way down to the sea. The sun was out, the view was amazing, the smell was oceany. The girls stepped into the sea barefoot. Aine put her shoes to close to the water – and the sea swept one shoe away. Luckily after a long few minutes, she found it 10 feet down the shore in the rocks. Very funny!

Before we left Galway, I did a quick last walk around town. I saw Lynch’s Castle and maybe Lynch’s Window. It wasn’t all that well marked. All done in honor of my sister Katie Lynch and her crew. It was a heavily misty day so a nice day to be heading out.

Three hours on the coach, and we were back in Dublin. We’re staying in Rathmines this time around. It’s closer to where I lived when I was in graduate school, but not an area I know well. It’s fun to get little chances to know new neighborhoods. What I do love is the Georgian doors – that’s something I always associate with Dublin. So, I took some snaps of doors and a few other things I found on my long walk around town.

I also walked by the first place I ever stayed in Ireland – the Inn on the Liffey. It looked nearly as bad back in the day. The short story is that I came for the weekend (living in London) with my friend Stacy.

I also found a 4-leaf clover down by the Grand Canal. I’m pretty lucky about finding them – or rather they find me. I was walking along, looked down and there it was. I also found the state of Patrick Kavanaugh and a swan.

Finally, I went to go see Girl on an Altar by Marina Carr at The Abbey. It starred Eileen Walsh, who I like very much from her different TV appearances. And I remember reading Marina Carr’s work in school; she wrote pretty experimental stuff back then if I’m remembering correctly. Girl on the Altar was a retelling of the story of Agamenon and Clytemnestra of sorts. It was also a statement on the patriarchy’s disregard for women and children. It was interesting to see how Agamenon and Clytemnestra were so well matched, both very powerful, until Agamenon does something unforgivably horrible, stupid and in honor of his own pride – although he claimed it was in honor of his people. It was a dark look at gender from the very personal scope as well as in society. Loved it!

Dun Laoghaire is a port town and 15 miles south of Dublin. When we lived near here when the girls were young; we lived closer to Dun Laoghaire to Dublin City Center. So, in many ways, visiting Dun Laoghaire is more like a trip back to my second home that going to Dublin. Aine and I went to walk down the pier. It was a terrible day for a walk down the pier. There was a on-and-off heavy mist and the wind could have set a small dog flying. But that strong wind will clear the cobwebs right out of your brain. I kind of loved it. Then while Aine had a moment of peace I checked out the Maritime Museum. They have an amazing window/light from a lighthouse that is fairly amazing!

We took the DART there, walked the pier and then came home. Initially we had plans to visit other hot spots, such as the People’s Park but we decided to kowtow to the weather. We strolled in the rain and I realized, I could live here again.

At night I took a stroll by myself. I saw some prescient street art and went into Whelan’s for a pint. Now we’re waiting for a 4am uber for the next adventure…

Today was like a mom dream vacation. Spent the morning with Kate while Aine slept. Spent the afternoon with Aine while Kate met up with a friend. Weather was spectacular until it wasn’t. We all went to the Sinead O’Connor at the Phoenix Park and quickly ended up at a pub with Irish music.  Now if only I had my Lily to hit the nightlife with me to hit the late-night bars! We miss her for more than that – but she has things to do in Montreal. I can only download the day in snapshots and not in order – no transitions today.

Sinead O’Connor Memorial turns into Irish Pub Music

We went to Phoenix Park with high expectations for the Sinead O’Connor memorial after 7pm. We weren’t there long. Clearly folks had put some work into it. We saw two poets who were good but we didn’t understand the connection to Sinead, which clearly was at least half our problem but because we remember when Prince died in Minneapolis, we expect the same reception. It’s early days so it may happen and in the meantime the ground level adoration is admirable but we weren’t feeling it. (Also speaks volumes to the messages Sinead tried to relay!) So. two tired girls and I ended up at a bar on the quays playing very loud Irish music but serving food. Loud Irish music was exactly what one girl wanted – apparently. The band played Weela Weela Wayla and both girls were over the moon. Kate went so far to request a song (Ragland Road) in part I think to spite the New Jersey folks who requested Danny Boy. By the time we left it was pouring rain. I offered to call the Uber but we walked. I’m soaking wet typing this – but basking the glow of a good day.

Bog Bodies

Kate and I visited the bog bodies of Ireland; the girls and I have always enjoyed the creepy and cool on our adventures. It’s funny to see how creepy impacts a 20-something versus an 8-year-old, but I still got Kate to compare bog hand to her hand. A bog body is human remains that have mummified in a bog. The remains in Ireland date back to 400 BC to 400 AD – or I here up to 2000 years ago! They are still being found today – well by today I mean 2003, but in the scope of history, that is a blip. Going by the stories, it seems like some people may have fallen into the bogs, while bog dumping was also the last part of a sacrificial murder of some sort. It is amazing to see the detail that is preserved. (Years ago, we went to the Bog of Allen. Another creepy but cool and very messy. It’s the closest thing to quicksand I ever want to experience.

Trinity, Art and Animals

Aine and I had a leisurely vacation day after she tromped all over town yesterday. We walked through Trinity College, a well-worn route to the bus stop back in the day. We tried to sneak into the library, no luck. But we walked through the cricket fields, which brought back memories. We popped out by the National Gallery, which gave us an excuse to go through for a second visit. (We spent a lot of time there when they were kids.) Next we went to the “dead animal zoon” aka Natural History Museum. A highlight for me was the basking shark. I have been obsessed with basking sharks since I saw a TEDx talk about them in 2010.

Buskers and Street Art

We spent a lot of time walking today. Saw some super fun street art, including a mural of Sinead O’Connor being painted. Very touching.

Finally, we saw some great busking on Grafton Street. Just another day in Dublin.

It was a leisurely day today. Aine and I took a long walk-through town. We stopped in Project Art Centre, which has long been one of my favorites, small experimental art. We saw Culchie Boy, I Love You by Kian Benson Bailes. It’s interesting with sort of an animal-predatory undercurrent with Irish roots.

We walked down the Liffey toward the bay. We stopped in at St Mary’s and found some very modern and imploring ways to get donations.

Then we walked and talked and saw great street art, felt the wind in our faces, got rained on intermittently. We stopped at the Grand Canal Docks.

Poor Aine walked so much more than she wanted to – and she was a great sport. But it was really nice to spend time together. At night I met up with an old friend Karina. It’s always fun to catch up with my friend who knows more about books than anyone I’ve ever known. I tried Korean food for the first time, which I really liked and we enjoyed a few pints. Kate went to Dun Laoghaire on her own, which was great given she’ll soon be living in Ireland. And both Kate and Aine met with their Uncle Fearghal for dinner. A good time was had by all.

Everyday a new adventure! I’ll lead with the headline for a change and say our big event today was a memorial for Sinead O’Connor. The hosts (ROSA Socialist Feminist Movement) did a nice job lifting up the issues that were important to Sinead O’Connor – autonomy and respect for people and disdain who hold back those rights. (I wrote more about it for my music blog – including a full video of the singalong.) For family purposes, part of the thrill was the presence of local media. Lots of photos taken, especially of Kate who was early, and lots of questions for all of us. It was a moving event. It ended in a singalong to Nothing Compares 2 U, which of course reminded us the days after Prince’s death. Very moving.

Before that, the girls and I went our separate ways for a while. I started off for the Dublin Castle and found the Ireland Glass Biennale 2023, an exhibition of work from some of the world’s most innovative glass artists, designers and craft practitioners. It was freaking amazing. Sadhbh Mowlds did an amazing sculpture of a woman shaving her legs in front of the mirror. It was scarily realistic in an uncanny valley way. Pearla Segovia did a similarly realist sculpture of two women looking at each other with no faces. And my cutest favorite my Krista Israel. Even without a face, it seems so cheerful.

I did a walk through Trinity College just to make sure that my favorite place of happy memory really closed. Sad to report that the Science Gallery is cleaned out. But I did see a lot of awesome street art on my walk.

Then I decided to listen to church bells from St Patrick’s, Christchurch and St Audoen’s, which led to a fantastic new rabbit hole. First, many years ago, I lived behind the church. It’s an old area – we didn’t have a toilet in the house. We had a modern toilet in a room outside the backdoor. Turns out St Audoen’s was a happening place in medieval times; it was where papal bulls were pronounced and public penances carried out. Also, they have amazing bells, 6 from 1423 that were renovated in the 1980s. Today they rang a special sound to celebrate their 600^th anniversary and to remember Sinead O’Connor. It’s free and absolutely worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Post memorial, the girls and I checked out Christchurch, which is just a stone’s throw from St Audoen’s. It is almost 1000 years old and has also served as hub for the community, albeit the Protestant community. The building is amazing but it’s the catacombs that we came for. It used to be like a public square where vendors would sell their wares and life would happen … such as putting people in the stockade. We heard all about it from a (recording of) 90 year old Catholic who talked about sneaking into the church only to get a firsthand demonstration of the stockage from a church leader. Very funny in retrospect and a story that would get someone in serious trouble today! Another highlight is the petrified cat and rat that were found in the organ pipes. Assumption was that they were in a chase, jumped in and got stuck.

Another glorious day in Dublin. OK, we got caught in one little rain burst but otherwise – sunny, warm, breezy – amazing. I started my day at the Phoenix Park. We’re not too far from it so it was an easy hike. My goal was to find the wild deer. Apparently, there are 600 of them, so it sounds easy. But the park is almost 3 square miles – not so easy. I was about to give up when I saw them. I see a lot of deer in Minnesota but these deer are different. Their antlers are spectacular. I got pretty close, actually much closer than I probably should have – but I live to tell the tale.

Then I stopped into the Museum of Decorative Arts and History. It was a quick trip but I’m a sucker for any kind of reenactment setup. And there’s a room full of “overflow” silver and art is amazing.

Next, I met up with the girls in Temple Bar. Sadly, the Market isn’t really what we remember from when they were kids. It’s much smaller now but always fun to walk around that area. We caught lunch and headed to the National Gallery, a big favorite from when they were kids. They’ve moved so many things around but they still have a nice mix of old and new art. Some of my favorites: Shield with Head of Medusa by an unkown artist (seen with Aine below), Late Late Show host Gay Byrne by John Kindness, Sinead O’Connor by Jane Brown and a mirror (featuring me and Aine below) in one of the majesty galleries.

Because we were back in the neighborhood we knew, we stopped by Merrion Park to see the statue of Oscar Wilde. Years ago, I heard they were going to add an audio component of him (or someone) reading his most quotable quotes. I hope that happens someday. Then we headed home. We stopped by the charity shops where I got two new dressed. (Score one for the usually bad shopper!) The next statue was musician Luke Kelly, posing with me below – later posed with Phil Lynott.

I took a long walk. Saw some amazing street art and then went to the Irish Museum of Modern Art, where I saw all of the awesome outside art the girls love when they were little and I saw the Irish Coast Guard land a helicopter. I watched for a minute, hoping it was an art installation. It wasn’t but I didn’t see much happen after the landing. The IMMA is built in the old Kilmainham Hospital. So some irony there.

At night we went to the Port House, our favorite tapas restaurant and then on search for the perfect pub. We went to a couple. It was heartening to see so many people at the pubs – post pandemic and really post Celtic Tiger. I haven’t seen the pubs fill so fast in a very long time. Also through the day saw some awes street art!

Aine, Kate and I do not bask in the joy of traveling. But we made it! We have landed in a really nice AirBnB in The Liberties, Dublin 8. This is a part of Dublin that we do not know well, although we toured the area once, 11 years ago on a memorably rainy day. It’s an historical area and I think of it as an inner city working class neighborhood. Back in the day it was where the weavers, tanners and market traders live. It still has a vibrant ethos of folks selling stuff on the sidewalk flea-market style. Very entrepreneurial and DIY vibes.

The Liberties are much farther west than areas we know. So, we’re getting our bearings. Being jetlagged is not helping. But we’ll get there. It is very close to the Guinness Storeroom. It’s not far from Christchurch where I lived long before the kids were around. It’s amazing to see how much is building up now.

It’s also fun to remember how much history has happened here and how much is celebrated. On one building I sawt a memorial saying it was where The Chieftains played their first gig and across the street Robert Emmet died in the cause of Irish Freedom (1803).

We all went on walks; ok mostly me alone. So I have random pictures of the area.

We all pulled it together to walk to the City Center for dinner. It was fun to see Temple Bar on a Friday night. It was fun not to feel obliged to duck into any of the pubs of Irish music and hen parties. We ran across a nice memorial for Sinead O’Connor.

We’re waiting for our favorite Guide of Dublin Free Events before we make any big plans. We are saving ourselves for a full Saturday!