A Quick Tour of Dublin

Trying to see Dublin in four hours is an impossibility. You simply have to make a choice of which tour to take. Do you want to visit the Guinness Brewery, Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, the Castle or....? The list is almost endless. I chose the Castle.

We drove hither and yon around the City, crossing the River Liffey and back again. Past Trinity College where many of the great Irish writers were alumni such as Oscar Wilde, Samuel Becket, Bram Stoker, Oliver Goldsmith and others.

There was a passing glimpse of Finn's Hotel, about which James Joyce wrote a collection of 'little epics' and where he met his wife, Nora.

Does the name Arthur Wellesley ring any bells? Try the Duke of Wellington. He was born at 24 North Merrion Street in 1769. We passed it on the way to Merrion Square which has beautiful Georgian houses surrounding it on three sides. All of the windows are perfectly symmetrical and they have the famous 'Doorways of Dublin' with their half-moon shaped fanlights over the doors.

 In one corner of the gardens is a fantastic statue of Oscar Wilde lying back on some rocks and wearing a green jacket with pink lapels and cuffs. Stand and look at it from one side and he is smiling, go to the other side and he is sneering. He is actually facing his home on the corner of Merrion Square.

Our next stop was for a brief stroll in St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful park with a lake, gorgeous flower beds, a children's corner and plenty of paths along which to stroll. But I did say it was a brief stop for us as our next photo stop was St. Patrick's Cathedral. For some of us it was also to pay homage to Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) - the writer of Gulliver's Travels - who is buried there. Unfortunately we didn't have time to go into this 13th century edifice, just take photos of the exterior.

The 'buried man' in children's corner at St. Stephens Green

This was a brief stop because we were expected at the 13th century Castle. Be warned, there are lots of cobbles to cross to reach its front door. Once inside we were met by an official guide who led us to the State Apartments. The castle was once the residence of the English Viceroy (in the days before Ireland obtained its independence). These days it is used for State functions and the most fantastic room is St. Patrick's Hall with its painted ceiling.

We were now at the end of our tour of Dublin as it was time to return to the coach and be whisked back to the Oriana.

By the way, if you have a problem with standing around while a guide spouts off, take a walking stick for propping up purposes.