Continuing Day One

We started off the city with a drive through the city where we saw many different things including Fitz William Square where we were able to view homes from the1780's. In the 18th Century Dublin was a Georgian city and they were a wealthy people. Dublin itself was built between the Grand Canal and Royal Canal.  Fitz William Square has wide streets and the wealthy lived here, and often were only here during the Dublin Season from February through St. Patrick's Day.  The season ended with a ball held at the castle. The houses here still have coal covers and some still have boot scrappers that date back to the 1800's.

This door was restored with the arched glass above the door to what was typical in the 1880s.

This is one of the coal shoot covers.  It would make a cook quilt pattern.

The first room behind the door was usually the study, and further back was the dinning room.  The upper floors were living areas with bedrooms above those. The rooms with the smaller windows on top were where the children slept. These homes were long and narrow with long narrow garden behind, and at the very back was an area for the horses.

This is not a parking lot this  is part of the street in front of the building. Our bus is parked across the street from this building out of the picture, but behind the cars you see here.

Across from this row of houses, which today are primarily rented out for two years nine months by attorneys and other business offices, is Fitz William Park. It is a private park which is open only to private owners.

We went by the National Maternity Hospital which was built in 1830.  It is off Marion Square which is a park open to the public as are most of the green squares in Dublin.  We also passed the National Gallery of Art, Sir William Wilde's Home, the Parliament House, Steven's Green, The Mansion House, and St.Anne's Church on our way to Trinity College.  All National Museums are open to the public free of charge like our Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C.

We entered Trinity College from Nassau Street which I am told is the most dangerous street in Dublin.

 Wow! Talk about an over dose of history and being right up my alley.  It was wonderful and the art work in The Book of Kells is incredible.

When we arrived at Trinity College we first entered Fellow's Square where an Alexander Calder sculpture is prominently displayed. Now I do not know about you, but when the guide asked us what we thought it was I was way off in the wrong direction.  What do you think this is?

Cactus Provisoire (1967) welded steel

 I do not think it looks like a cactus, more like a fish of some kind, but then artist have some wild imaginations.  I do like his work though, even if I do not always understand it.