Glendalough is a monastic settlement dating from 498 AD in a particularly beautiful and tranquil setting about 50 km from Dublin. Our friend Marco kindly offered to drive us there last Sunday. The Lonely Planet puts it well: “The substantial…
I do like stained glass
Went to St Patrick’s cathedral yesterday. A fine building, perhaps not up there with the great English cathedrals but with some magnificent stained glass windows. When I have mastered my camera a little better I will go back and try…
…and a word from ‘er not-indoors’!
I thought it was about time I contributed a thought or two to this account of gadding about and supping up large. We are very much enjoying Ireland, but prior to our arrival an academic friend of mine who has…
Howth rhymes with Boat
It’s the same as the silent Irish “h” in “three”. Which is appropriate because Howth is a picturesque little seaside village to the north of Dublin, accessible via the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) – a suburban rail service. We…
Drumcondra pubs – a culinary find
By my count, there are 7 pubs within 10 mins walk of where we live and this by no mans exhausts the Drumcondra pubs in existence. We have sampled The Brian Boru, The Gravedigger’s, and The Porterhouse. Still to go…
A reader suggests…
Fiona has suggested that I keep a list of all the pubs and restaurants that I have drunk Guinness in, with notes on flavour, temperature, price, room ambience, etc. Purely as a research exercise, of course. What an excellent idea! I’m…
Just another Sunday in Dublin…
Started at the very civilised hour of 11am in the catholic cathedral to hear a Palestrina sung Latin mass. Yes, I can hear some of you switching off now but I can tell you that when you hear a superb…
City of contrasts
On a familiarisation wander south of the Liffey I came across an excellent place for lunch, rather strangely called “Meet and Meat”. Turns out it is a cafe during the day (with excellent coffee!) and a wine bar at night,…
Harp Concert
Prior to departing for Ireland, I’d found an Irish Harp site, Craide na Cruite, which advertises harp-related events. One of these was a free concert at the Archaeology Museum of the Dublin Museum. A thousand years ago on Good Friday,…
Our new abode
We have been lucky to secure an apartment in a very nice part of north Dublin. Pip had looked at a few places before I arrived and the viewing time for this one was about 30 minutes after I arrived in…