So, off Tom and I went for what we were told was a typical
Dublin day – raining and windy for the morning, then turning into a pleasant
afternoon with temps in the mid-50’s, and finally turning over again into
drizzle this evening. We just returned to our AirBnB lodging at 10:22 PM and it
is still light outside. We were told that here in Dublin during the summer
there is roughly 6½ hours of darkness and in winter it reverses to only 6½ hours
of daylight. It was a good thing we brought our raincoats as they sure came in
handy today, and I expect we’ll be using them regularly during our Irish
holiday. Both of our raincoats are oiled wax cloth – Tom’s Barbour coat and my
equestrian coat – which shed water amazingly, keeping us dry, and having plenty
of pockets to carry/store everything.
We walked first to the old Viking/Norman section of Dublin
just off the River Liffy where Christ Church Cathedral is located. Standing on
high ground in the oldest part of the city this cathedral is one of Dublin’s
finest historic buildings. It dates back to 1038 when Sitric, then the Danish
king of Dublin, built the first wooden church here. In 1171 the original simple
foundation was extended into a cruciform and rebuilt in stone by Strongbow (the
then king), although the present structure dates mainly from 1871 to 1878 when
a huge restoration was undertaken. Only the transepts, the crypt, and a few
other portions date from medieval times. Highlights of the interior include
magnificent stonework and graceful painted arches, with delicately detailed chiseled
supporting columns. Strongbow himself is among the historic figures buried in
the church.
Our next stop was St. Audoen’s Church. It, too is situated in
the heart of the walled medieval city. It is the only remaining medieval parish
church in Dublin, and dedicated to St. Ouen, the 7th Century Bishop
of Rouen and patron saint of Normandy. When we stepped inside the visitor’s
center, we were treated to a private guided tour. 
Our guide obviously had a
love of history and archeology, and had to pass a stringent test in order to
become a guide. She told us that numerous parishioners were buried in the floor
of the main church, and had to be moved when the Priest complained that it was
too distracting when people were tripping over the gravestones! There was a
large stone in one of the rooms that had a cross carved into it – it had been
stolen from a nearby fountain – and now sometimes when photos are taken of it,
it either doesn’t show up at all, or has unexplained light around it. After the
church fell into disrepair it was roof-less for more than 300 years and
sustained damage to some of the stone carvings on the walls. 
Next, we embarked upon what Tom referred to as a ‘pilgrimage’
to those beloved Irish institutions – Jameson Whiskey and Guinness. After
walking what seemed to be almost 2 miles we arrived at the Jameson Distillery.
After the fanfare that the place has on the worldwide stage, Tom found it to be
a bit underwhelming – the walk to the Guinness brewery and Storehouse whetted
both of our appetites for seeking ‘the black stuff’ – and neither of us were
disappointed. 
As we entered and went to the kiosk to retrieve our booked online
tickets (which we had no problems doing and which entitled each of us to a
free, freshly poured pint of Guinness at the conclusion of our tour), a
Guinness employee servicing the ticket dispensers asked Tom if there was
anything else he needed. Thinking he was being funny (I thought annoying), Tom
said indeed there was – how about some ‘free extra tickets’ to get more
Guinness pints after we finished the first two. I was shocked when the young
guy gave Tom tickets for 2 more Guinness pints. 
Following the 1½ hour tour of
the facility we arrived on the top floor of the Storehouse - the Gravity Bar – and got our first two
Guinness pints. We quickly met a young woman who had just had her Guinness
poured but didn’t want it – she left it for us – not a bad deal either ! Now, along
came two recently minted electrical engineering graduates, Leon and Lindsey,
with whom we spent over an hour and who were on a nine (9) week tour of Europe
before starting their consulting careers. Finally, Tom cashed in the last two
Guinness pints and we shared a portion of one with our two new buddies. It has
been years and years since I’ve had over two pints – but, the Guinness sure was
good.
Still hadn’t seen St. Patrick’s Cathedral so we started
another hike to find it. Ireland’s largest church was founded beside a sacred
well where St. Patrick is said to have baptized converts around 450 A.D. A stone
slab bearing a Celtic cross and covering the well was un-earthed at the turn of
the 20th century. It is now preserved in the west end of the cathedral’s
nave. The original building was just a wooden chapel and remained so until 1192
when Archbishop John Comyn rebuilt the cathedral in stone. Much of the present
building dates back to 1270.
It was now approaching 8:00 pm, and our last quest of the day
was to find the best fish and chips in Dublin. Fortunately, our tour guide from
yesterday had told us that it wouldn’t be a mistake to try the fish and chips
at O’Neill’s Pub – which just happened to be on the route back to our
apartment. Great meal and a chance to rest our weary legs ! I know it is hard to believe, but I also shared Tom's pint of Southwick Red Ale - same recipe brewed since 1710 !
Tomorrow morning we pick up the rental car and journey south - it should be a real adventure now to drive on the left/wrong side of the road !
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