Very Hip Dublin?

Old town Dublin is still the quaint purely Irish town we first visited in 2011, with the River Liffey and the Royal and Grand Canals running through it.  Dublin was and is still famous for the Trinity College, founded by royal charter by Queen Elizabeth in 1592, now part of the University of Dublin system, and of course, it is famous for touristy sites like the Temple Bar, Guiness Brewery and the Jameson distillery. 

Holy cow!  In the last decade, though, with big high-tech, financial, insurance, and consulting firms, like KPMG, Accenture, AIG settling in, the town has exploded with new modern office buildings and apartment buildings so dense that it’s difficult to tell one from another, and most sit in an area called Dublin Docklands.  This is where today’s Dubliner movers and shakers live and work.  And to fill their youthful demands, there are plentiful bougie restaurants, and posh grocers specializing in nutritious, organic take-out dishes. Craft breweries and bars are plentiful too, all pulsing to the sound of amazing street musicians.  Our apartment is in this area. 

Lovely pre-1800s arched stone bridges that cross the River Liffy are still in use but the bridge that captures attention is the modernistic Samuel Becket Bridge.  The red fronted Temple Bar in the Temple Bar area remains the hottest spot in town, especially for tourists willing to pay 11 euros for a two-pour Guinness pint but hey, who cares when on vacation??  The music there is rousing, and the vibe is nothing but party.  No matter the time of day, patrons stand or sit shoulder to shoulder, finding it is easy to make new friend. 

The highlight of this stay in Dublin is the visit we had from Jill and Gary Thompson, our friends from Norwich, England.  They were en route from an Edinburgh University graduation for their youngest son when we invited them for a stay.  The timing worked out perfectly.   

The four of us met while standing in line at a bus stop in Panama in 2021.  We have been friends ever since, communicating with each other from and to wherever we are, sharing stories and traveling together when we can.  Like old friends, even after a two-year separation, we begin almost exactly where we left off with ease and familiarity. 

We had nothing but fun together!  We walked miles, hiked the Howth Cliff Walk Loop, ate generous supplies of food, toured Jameson Distillery and the Guinness brewery and did some almost never-ending power–chatting. 

At the Jameson Distillery, we learned the history of the famous Irish whiskey, how it is made today as well as how it was distilled when introduced in 1780.  

Both Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey is made from barley mash, but the sweet taste comes from the addition of malt (toasted barley).  As the drink ages, it takes on the darker color and rich flavor.  Irish whiskey is distilled over a coal or gas fire, while Scotch whisky, also made from barley, is distilled using a peat fire. It’s that peat fire that gives Scotch its distinct smokey with a hint of charcoal taste.   Beside the tastes and production differences, there is difference in the naming of these grain liquors:  If produced in Ireland or the United States, regardless of being made from corn or barley, the name is whiskey, with an “e.” If produced in Scotland, the liquor is spelled whisky (with no “e”)  However, if a slightly differently made grain liquor is produced in America, most notably in Kentucky, the drink is no longer whiskey, this, my friends, is bourbon. 

As for Jameson, “Not a drop is sold till it 7 years old.” 

Guinness is a unique story as well.  It has been brewed exclusively in Ireland since the 1700s.  Roasted barley give it its dark color and unique taste.  A Guinness must not be sipped.  To properly enjoy the stout, it is often said it first must be poured by someone with an Irish accent. The pour is a patient, twostep process that allows the white foam top to develop.  For heaven’s sake, do not sip through the foamy top; it is to be by-passed.  To get the rich taste of the stout, the drinker should bring the glass up to the horizon, take a big gulp below the creamy white head and hold it in the mouth for a few seconds before swallowing.  Repeat three more times.  An empty glass and a white Guinness moustache are proper evidence of a proper downing. 

Although Ireland is located very near to other countries.  It shows few qualities from England, Scotland or Wales.  This island is one of a kind, and its greatest city has its own singular characteristics much like Los Angeles, New Orleans, NYC and San Antonio, though on the same continent, are remarkably different. 

Dublin may take a prize.  While the folk here do speak English, their speak can be difficult to understand especially when they’ve had a pint or two.  But hands down, Dublin is a great city with deep roots, going back to before time, and the city has done a good job in keeping history alive so as to prevent it from being swallowed by new business and new high-tech ways of doing things. 

There are two particularly fascinating points of interest we found in Dublin besides its famous college, churches, waterways, and parks like St. Stephens Green and the enormous Phoenix Park. 

First, there’s the Portal.  Heard of it?  It is a giant interactive window in which people on the the sstreet on the local side see people on the street in another part of the world . . . live.  We waved at kids in Poland, sharing the peace sign and the love sign.  They jumped up and down and showed us their fingers making the V gesture as well.  Next the scene popped to a live shot of the Portal in Philadelphia. It shifts from one spot to another 24-hours each day.  Right now, there are only 5 like portals in the world:  Philadelphia, USA; Dublin, Ireland; Vilnius, Lithuania; Lublin, Poland; and Piaui, Brazil.  Created by a Lithuanian artist, portals are sponsored by participating cities around the world allowing people to interact with each other, real time.  The goal is to have portal in every country by 2070.   

Portals are a creative effort to bridge the world. They put unsuspecting people at the same table uniting us in our global existence. 

Also unique to Dublin is the Book of Kells.  Housed in the Trinity University Library . . . a building that holds 400,000 books and has served students and researchers since 1592, the Book of Kells is an ancient manuscript written in the 8^th century by Columban monks in Scotland.  It is said to contain the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  The ancient book is valued not only for its antiquity, but also for its beautiful script, artful illustrations, and gold leaf on pages of calfskin vellum, painstakingly copied and decorated over years by young monks.   After being repeatedly attacked by Vikings, the monks took the book as they fled to Ireland in about 1007 and ended up at the Abbey of Kells.  While there, thieves made off with the book;  it was later recovered but sans the jewels on its cover.  When the abbey was dissolved in the 12^th century, the book remained with the parish.   In the 17^th century, when Ireland was being pillaged by Oliver Cromwell, the governor of Kells sent the book to Dublin for safe keeping.  It has been housed in the Trinity College Library since 1661.   

This visit to Ireland inspires curiosity about our family roots.  What is our history?  Are we Irish?  While both Stan and many others we know hope to be Irish, it seems Stan and I come from English, Scotch, and Welsh roots.  Lucky me, I happen to have a little Cherokee in my DNA as well.  Sadly, though, the complete story our heritage may never be known to us. 

This time next week, however, we will visit Wales, and in our month there, we hope to learn about this quiet country and perhaps confirm Stan’s Welsh homeland . . . or like me, place him firmly rooted in England.