Lovin' Dublin
Arriving in Dublin
After leaving Naples in the morning our four heroes finally got to Dublin airport, checked-in at their hotel and decided to celebrate the beginning of their adventure in the most typical Irish way....grabbing a pint in a pub! And in this case, The Hairy Lemon, portrayed in the blockbuster film 'The Commitments'.
Day 1
Working hard on the beginnings of our blog.
Day 2
Cultural visit to EPIC museum - the museum of Irish immigration.
What are your thoughts and impressions from this museum? What did you see? What did you learn?
Carmine: In my opinion it's a really great museum, it's well done. There was a lot of reading, still images, interactive elements; not my type of museum but I enjoyed it.
Antonio: Having studied about Ireland and its history and culture, there weren't that many new things in this museum for me, however I still enjoyed the visit.
Giulia: It was a beautiful experience, but I prefer galleries with paintings.
Carmela: I agree with Carmine, it's a well done museum, expecially for younger people.
Many Irish people were forced to leave Ireland during and after the Potato Famine. These sculptures are representations of them.
Full Irish Breakfast
Do Irish people really have this for breakfast every day?
No, of course not. It's too much food and too heavy.
It's really more of a meal and many Irish pubs serve this all day long, so in Ireland it's never too late to have breakfast :)
What do the 4 heroes have to say about this?
Carmela: Nooo, too much food for me!
Carmine: Absolutely NO! Too much, it's a meal for the whole week, not breakfast.
Giulia: I prefer sweet food for breakfast
Antonio: Tastewise, I'd have it every day.... unfortunately, it's not the healthiest choice.
EPIC museum
Seen in the EPIC museum
Irish Mailbox
Day 3
The National Gallery of Ireland and Merrion Square
Carmine: The National Gallery was awesome, especially the Irish section; I got to see artists I wouldn't normally be exposed to. We visited all the rooms, all the levels, the Caravaggio experience and the modern and contemporary art.
Giulia: It was really a beautiful experience. I particularly loved Caravaggio's painting...who also happens to be my favourite artist!
Carmela: It was very beautiful, the actual idea I have of how a museum should be. On top of that, I also had the opportunity to see William John Leech's works....and it was love at first sight.
Antonio: It was awesome. Very well organised in sections. I really enjoyed the Zurich Portrait competition , it's a great way to promote art by making competitions for youngsters and engaging them in creativity.
What's the craic*, Oscar?
Grand **
*Irish idiom meaning 'What's up?'
** Multi-purpose answer to any question.
Interested in learning some more Irish words and phrases? Click the link and let's play !
https://quizlet.com/ie/753830392/irish-slang-and-funny-words-flash-cards/
Day 4 Dublinia and
St. Patrick's Cathedral
How was Dublinia?
It was an enjoyable experience however we think it's perhaps aimed at younger visitors.
How was St. Patrick's Cathedral?
Carmine: It was REALLY nice, a spiritual experience.
Antonio: Breathtaking.
Carmela: The cathedral was beautiful, but what really caught my attention was the Door of Reconciliation ( see photo)
Giulia: It's a very beautiful cathedral, with a gorgeous park surrounding it. I really liked the floor and stained-glass windows.
Ireland is a country with 2 official languages: Gaelic and English.
English is spoken here, however Gaelic is the original langauge of Ireland. Every child has to learn it from the age of 5 until they leave school.
Every street sign, buses, trains, trams, everything communicated by the government is always in both languages.
Areas mainly in the west of Ireland , called an ghaeltacht, are places where Gaelic is spoken.
Irish Education System
Irish Sports
Gaelic Football
Do you like football? Well, gaelic football is something a little different to what you're accustomed to...just think rugby and football mixed up together and you get the idea...
Hurling
Thought gaelic football is different from what you've ever seen? Let's talk about hurling.... you could compare it to a spiced up and super fast version of cricket!
Here kids start practicing it at a very early age since it is such a technical sport!
Day 5
Trinity college library & The Book of Kells
How was this experience?
Awesome .
Wonderful.
Left me flabbergasted.
Hypnotic.
Your week in Dublin is coming to an end. How would you describe the city ?
Antonio: I was here in Dublin 30 years ago, as a student, attending classes in the mornings and had activities in the afternoons. Dublin today is more international, more modern, lots of tourists as well as people from all over the world who live here. 30 years ago, Dublin was more authentically Irish; today it's quite difficult to come across born and bred Irishmen. The society seems not only more international, but also more progressive and open-minded.
Carmela: It's my first time here and I hope not the last. I would love to return here with my family. People are so kind and polite, open-minded and modern. Dublin is a really safe and extremely clean place.
Carmine: I really like Dublin A LOT. I could see myself living here for a while. This is my 4th time in Ireland and I would be happy to return again, but perhaps next time I would love to see the West coast.
Giulia: Wonderful city. This is my 1st time in Ireland, and I find Dublin magnetic. It's easy to find your way, easy to walk around. Lots of beautiful buildings, modern and traditional architecture, I love it.
