Today is our next to last day in Northern Ireland and we are headed down to Dublin. We bought some breakfast goodies including barmbrack (Irish bread usually made with fruit, brown sugar and a touch of whiskey though the whiskey was not so evident in this over the counter version.) and sausage wrapped in puff pastry. The barmbrack (my choice) was excellent when toasted with some butter; however, the 
sausage and pastry (John's choice) was referred to as cat turds wrapped in toilet paper. With that and a cup of coffee, we bade adieu to our Cottage and hit the road.
We made one stop along the way at a service stop (similar to the Autogrills that we encountered in Italy) for a coffee and a scone. Then on to Dublin where Our Lady took us straight to the parking garage (that I missed and had to circle back around). We were to meet our hostess, Helen, at 3pm and since we arrived around 1pm, we had time to take in some lunch. We selected a restaurant called the Copper Alley Bistro where I ordered a smoked salmon salad and John got the Fish and chips. The menu touted haddock in the fish and chips but it was obviously cod since it was very white and had little taste. On the other hand, the smoked salmon (similar to locks) was
excellent.
We met Helen at 3pm sharp at the entrance gate to the apartments. She led us through the security system (two gates and a locked door) and up to the apartment that Helen said "...was at the bottom of the hall". Though only 75 miles from our Cottage in Carncastle, it was at least 250 years distant. It is a quite modern apartment rising six stories just across from the gothic Christ Church Cathedral. Helen was quite vivacious and pretty well told us where everything in Dublin of worth is located. She finally departed and left us to rest a few minutes before hitting the streets.
Being somewhat late in the day we decided to take a tour of Christ Church Cathedral. Christ Church dates back to c.1030 AD, founded by Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson (a Norse King of Dublin from about 995 till 1038, the records are not exactly sure) and dedicated to the Holy Trinity. In its current rendition, it is built in the Gothic/Norman style. The Cathedral is officially claimed as the seat of both the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic archbishops of Dublin. However, it has been the cathedral of only the Church of Ireland's Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough, since the English Reformation. (For more on Glendalough, see the Beatonite Invasion of 09.) It is located just south of the Anna Liffey in the heart of medieval Dublin. The Catholic Archbishop sits at Saint Mary's Pro-Cathedral . (If you find the religious side of Ireland a mass confusion, you begin to grasp the complexity of Ireland's history.)
While the church is magnificent to see, it's crypt, the largest cathedral crypt in the British Isles, holds many treasures worth exploring. In the crypt you will find priceless silver trays and bowls presented by past kings, Irelands first copy of the Magna Carta and the cat and the rat (mummified bodies of a cat and a rat found in a pipe organ in 1850). At one time it housed the holy relics of Christ's crib and a miraculously speaking cross. Unfortunately the relics have disappeared over time.
Leaving the Cathedral, we headed down Lord Edward St. looking for some dinner. We finally decided to eat at O'Neils, a very famous pub in the Temple Bar area. Arriving we found that they had put in a carvery bar since I was last there. John and I stood in line for several minutes for our dinner. I choose the leg of lamb with braised red cabbage and roast potatoes and a Guiness. Not the best I've eaten, but it was the chance to eat at O'Neils. We made our way back slowly to the apartment called it a night.
Tomorrow will be our last day in Dublin so we plan to hit the streets early
sausage and pastry (John's choice) was referred to as cat turds wrapped in toilet paper. With that and a cup of coffee, we bade adieu to our Cottage and hit the road.
We made one stop along the way at a service stop (similar to the Autogrills that we encountered in Italy) for a coffee and a scone. Then on to Dublin where Our Lady took us straight to the parking garage (that I missed and had to circle back around). We were to meet our hostess, Helen, at 3pm and since we arrived around 1pm, we had time to take in some lunch. We selected a restaurant called the Copper Alley Bistro where I ordered a smoked salmon salad and John got the Fish and chips. The menu touted haddock in the fish and chips but it was obviously cod since it was very white and had little taste. On the other hand, the smoked salmon (similar to locks) was
excellent.
We met Helen at 3pm sharp at the entrance gate to the apartments. She led us through the security system (two gates and a locked door) and up to the apartment that Helen said "...was at the bottom of the hall". Though only 75 miles from our Cottage in Carncastle, it was at least 250 years distant. It is a quite modern apartment rising six stories just across from the gothic Christ Church Cathedral. Helen was quite vivacious and pretty well told us where everything in Dublin of worth is located. She finally departed and left us to rest a few minutes before hitting the streets.
Being somewhat late in the day we decided to take a tour of Christ Church Cathedral. Christ Church dates back to c.1030 AD, founded by Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson (a Norse King of Dublin from about 995 till 1038, the records are not exactly sure) and dedicated to the Holy Trinity. In its current rendition, it is built in the Gothic/Norman style. The Cathedral is officially claimed as the seat of both the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic archbishops of Dublin. However, it has been the cathedral of only the Church of Ireland's Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough, since the English Reformation. (For more on Glendalough, see the Beatonite Invasion of 09.) It is located just south of the Anna Liffey in the heart of medieval Dublin. The Catholic Archbishop sits at Saint Mary's Pro-
While the church is magnificent to see, it's crypt, the largest cathedral crypt in the British Isles, holds many treasures worth exploring. In the crypt you will find priceless silver trays and bowls presented by past kings, Irelands first copy of the Magna Carta and the cat and the rat (mummified bodies of a cat and a rat found in a pipe organ in 1850). At one time it housed the holy relics of Christ's crib and a miraculously speaking cross. Unfortunately the relics have disappeared over time.
Leaving the Cathedral, we headed down Lord Edward St. looking for some dinner. We finally decided to eat at O'Neils, a very famous pub in the Temple Bar area. Arriving we found that they had put in a carvery bar since I was last there. John and I stood in line for several minutes for our dinner. I choose the leg of lamb with braised red cabbage and roast potatoes and a Guiness. Not the best I've eaten, but it was the chance to eat at O'Neils. We made our way back slowly to the apartment called it a night.
Tomorrow will be our last day in Dublin so we plan to hit the streets early
