Dublin

Thursday, September 20  Waterford/Glendalough/Transfer to Dublin

After breakfast we get back on the bus to travel from Waterford to Dublin after a two hour bus ride to the woolen mills and hand weavers of Avoca.  Unknown to me, I had purchased an Avoca scarf earlier in the trip, which I just love!!  We toured the mill and had a demonstration of how they make the scarfs, coats, etc.  We had lunch at their lovely café. 

 

 

Tour of the wollen mill

 

We then arrived in Glendalough, a glacial valley that would come to be known for a monastery founded here in the sixth century by St. Kevin.  The settlement thrived for centuries, but was destroyed by the English in 1398.  Among the monks' great achievements was manuscript writing and copying, including the creation of the spectacular Book of Glendalough around 1131.  Now at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the book, containing historical chronicles, genealogies, and religious poems, is one of the most important and beautiful Irish manuscripts from the pre-Norman period.  We walked around this cemetery and graveyard and saw some very old gravestones.  It was a lovely place.  I even saw a real labyrinth, which we learned about in the Sacred Art of Living and Dying in my recent hospice classes.

in the graveyard at Glendalough

 

The labyrinth

 

The Byrne headstone

 

Another great find was a gravestone from the 1750s which read:  “Here lieth the body of Walter Byrne, deceased man  thes 1750.  Age 106.”  Tom Byrne, you have great genes!!

Carolyn on the pedistrian street in Dublin

 

Church at end of pedestrian street in Dublin

 

We continue to Dublin, arriving in late afternoon.  We enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood and Carolyn and Rose went to the walking/shopping street in Dublin.  We are staying at the  Hotel - Camden Court Hotel.

We meet at the Bleeding Horse pub for our last Irish dinner tonight.

Phil, Roy, Diane, Carolyn, Nancy, Rose, Bob, Jim

 

The Washington DC group on our tour

Richard, Katherine, Baroline

 

Friday, September 21  Dublin - city tour

After breakfast we toured Dublin (city tour). We stopped at the Garden of Rememberance which is one of the most significant memorials in Ireland.  Last year, the Queen of England visited and placed a wreath here.  We then went to the famine memorial. Bob saw a plaque for a Gabriel Byrne, a famine emigrant.  We stopped by Trinity College (officially the University of Dublin) which was established by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592.  We viewed the famous Book of Kells, an elaborate illuminated manuscript of the four gospels.  Created by the monks of St. Columba on the Isle of Iona around AD800, the book contains lavishly illustrated transcriptions.  This is one of the oldest surviving books in the world, and the quality of its artwork is the epitome of medieval craftsmanship and devotion.

Irish Memorial

 

Steve at the Memorial

 

Steve at Famine Memorial

 

Jim at Famine Memorial 

After that, the entire group went to the Mulligan’s bar, which is a bar that is supposedly to have had the best pint in Dublin.  They didn’t have any food, so most of the group went to another bar and had lunch.  Four of the boys stayed and had a great time.  We walked back to our hotel  via the pedestrian street, and are preparing for our farewell dinner at 6:00

 

Happy, Happy, Happy at Lunch Pub

Millie, Eleanor, Luci

 

 Camden Court Hotel
This is probably the last blog posting we will do.  We had our last farewell dinner and everyong had a great time.  We have become a wonderful family, and all will never forget our great guide and  bus driver.  They were truly the best.

Half of our group

Carolyn, Nancy, Jim, Gary

Diane, Phil, Roy

 

The other half of our group

Eleanor (out of picture) Mike, Luci, Mike, Millie

Vicki, Steve, Bob (Rose taking picture)

 

 

It has been a wonderful trip

Thanks Denis and John for the memories

 

And, of course, Grand Circle Travel

and Harriet and Alan!!

 

Our next trip will be our 20th with GCT-

-where will  be go and who wants to join us!!