Day 20
Upon arriving it was cool and sunny.
The night had been quite peaceful cruising up the Irish Sea. At 0630
I was up to see where we were and 10 minutes later the ship entered
the channel. Not very beautiful to see, being very industrial. The
temperature reached 56. Up the channel then the ship stopped and with
thrusters turned 90º
to starboard, with engines inched ahead, stopped and with thrusters
slid sideways to an opening on the wharf, bow toward land. The lines
went over the side to waiting handlers and soon we were secured to
land. Being portside, our cabin faced the river channel. The other
side of the ship has a view of the pier and mountains of containers.
Two cruise ships are farther up. This is not a walk off port so
anyone heading to see town must begin by using transport to the
street or to shopping areas. Excursions will depart from shipside.
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| view upriver |
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| upriver | |
For
us the plan was to team up with a local guide and dash about the city
soaking up the culture. Niamh and her driver Darrin were waiting at
the pier outside the ship for us. She has been a guide for 16 years,
has worked in Norway, speaks some Gaelic, has a great sense of humor
and knowledge of the city and country. .Again we spent a few minutes
refining the plan for the day then took off North for views of life
along the river, then paralleled the coast, inshore.
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| two of the starvation statues along the river |
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| side of office building |
An
ancient church was our first stop. Originally a hut for a monk in the
6th
century, it became a place of worship and in 1140 a church was built
to replace the hut. The waters springing out of the ground at a stone
hut next to the church are said to have curing powers. The is St.
Doulaghs Church, or Clochar Duiligh. The church gates were locked
this morning so we could only view from outside.
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| St. Doulaghs |
On
we drove, then down a tree lined lane to Malahide
Castle.
(Casleán
Mullachíde)
The walled gardens were full of exotic and local plants and trees.
The gardens were planted by the late Lord Milo Talbot and the castle
has been the Talbot family home for about 800 years. Lately it was
given to public trust as there were no male heirs. The castle, which
is a fortified house, not a steep walled fortress with a moat as is
often imagined of a castle, is still furnished and family portraits
dating back centuries still stare down from the walls. We walked the
gardens for awhile then joined a guided tour of the interior. My
favorite room was the great hall, built in the 14th
century. In 1690 the men of the Talbot family met in here at news of
a battle to come at the Boyne, and marched off to join the fray. 14
of them came back carried on their shields. One of them was married
the day they left for battle. His wife was “In one morning-tide a
wife and a widow, a maid and a bride” (Ballad
of the Bride of Malahide,
Gerald Griffin.) Supposedly there are 5 ghosts inhabiting the place
and our castle guide has experienced one of them.
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| Malahide Castle |
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| Niamh and Julie in the castle gardens |
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| In a garden |
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| one tower |
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| The Oak Room |
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| The small drawing room |
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| The large drawing roomn |
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| one of the many family portraits |
On
the road again through the countryside we came to another castle
which is occupied as a home with a culinary school in another wing.
This was a look from the outside only stop.
We
came to the coast and into the fishing town of Howth. Niamh suggested
the restaurant Aqua
for lunch which provided a panorama of the bay, breakwater, harbor
and fishing boats, all in a quiet atmosphere where we could talk and
enjoy our sardines, mackerel and smoked fish paté.
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| Howth harbor |
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| Aqua restaurant |
The
next stop was at the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey. The first church
here was built in 1042 and was replaced in 1235. The present church
was built in the 2nd
half of the 14th
century, modified in the 15th
and 16th
centuries. The cemetery is still used, new buried with the bones of
the old, or bones are removed and newly deceased buried. The grave of
the unknown railroad worker is here.
 |
| St. Mary's Abbey in Howth |
On
to an overlook to view the lighthouse, the sea and the entrance to
Dublin harbor.
Back
to town and a walk through a park. Off to visit the grounds of St.
Patrick's Cathedral,
dating from 1194. Back through the city to the ship, arriving at
1730. We got a look at the Fishamble where on 13 April 1742 Handle's
Messiah was played/sung on the street for the first time. Now, each
April 13th
the people gather on the street to sing it again.
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| Tree carving by road |
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| Oscar Wilde Statue in park next to his former home |
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| some Wilde remarks |
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| St. Patrick's |
Niamh
O'Farrell is an excellent guide and again we were fortunate to have
such a fine person assigned to us for the day. Should we return,
Niamh will be our first choice for someone to spend the day with.
Back
aboard, there was a birthday celebration for one of our friends and
deck mate. At 1945 we headed out to sea.
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| downtown Dublin street scene |
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| figures honoring clog dancing |
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| Argentine training ship Amerigo Vespuci had arrived |
Noon
report: 53º
20.83'N and 006º
12.87'W, secured to pier. Wind 15 knots. Humidity 80%. Distance from
last port 688 nm, to next port 81.3 nm. Total voyage 4,999 nautical
miles. Sunrise 0555. Sunset 2104.
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