Life: Ireland, part I: Aug. 26- Aug. 28

Dad and I arrived in Ireland by ferry. We drove from the port in Larne, Northern Ireland, to Dublin. The drive down the Eastern coast of Ireland was very very rainy! I kept myself busy during the drive by listening to Gaelic radio. To hear it, click play below!

When we arrived in Dublin, we went out to the Temple Bar. The Temple Bar is a pub consisting of a maze of rooms, some indoors, some out, and they occupy nearly a whole block. Over time however, the Temple Bar has become more than just a pub. The Temple Bar is now an area encompassing many blocks with multiple clubs, bars, shops, and restaurants (see the two photos below). We went to the Temple Bar area two nights in a row, both of them weeknights, and both times all of the pubs and clubs in the area were packed! Many of the pubs have live entertainment every night and afternoon. Also, there is street entertainment everywhere and it is so much fun, even on just a normal Tuesday evening.

To the right is my personal favorite photo from the whole trip! The photo of Sir Darrell in his chainmail hood is from a museum called Dublinia. Like just about all the places we visited, the history of Dublin is bloody. Also, like much of England, Dublin has a strong Viking influence. Did you know that Vikings did not actually wear helmets with horns?

Only very wealthy men could afford oh so stylish shoes like these... and they couldn't afford to ruin them in the common rain and mud, so they would then slip on the wooden platforms to protect their shoes. That pointy toe was so in fashion that the wealthiest men had to have chains from their knees to their toes to hold up the shoe tips. So silly!

It's hard to see, but I have a heavy (and smelly) iron ring around my neck and a heavy chain hanging off of that. Ouch!

Christchurch Cathedral- one of many beautiful cathedrals in Dublin.

The floor of Christchurch Cathedral is beautiful!

A mummified cat and rat that were found after who knows how long in one of the organ pipes at Christchurch Cathedral. The cat was presumably chasing the rat when they got stuck and their bodies were naturally mummified in the pipe.

OH, did I mention that we got to see Riverdance in Dublin, Ireland?? It was sooo so cool! The dancers are absolutely amazing and the musicians are awesome too. The main female dancer looked a little malnourished, but other than that, she was amazing. However, it as the main male dancer that absolutely stole the show. He was phenomenal!