Thursday was busy with site visits for me. I went to Peamount Healthcare in the morning to see what Jamie has been doing, and I visited St. John of God in the afternoon to check in with Jamieson. Both places provide services for individuals with intellectual and other disabilities. The students have been doing good work here while being immersed in the Irish culture (it hasn’t just been about pubs and tours!).
Reed stayed home with the kids while I was traveling around Dublin and its outskirts. Jackson now has the Irish cold, so that is a bummer. Hopefully he will be better quickly and it will avoid me completely!
In the evening, the students and Tony met up at our apartment, and they headed out (along with Reed) for some “trad,” or traditional Irish music. We presented Tony with some thank-you gifts, including a Concordia fleece jacket that is a bit too big for him (he wasn’t quite what we had pictured back home when we gathered our items!). He laughed about it and said now he looks like an American tourist. 🙂
While out and about in Dublin, I took a few pictures of signs and symbols. The photos are tagged with captions, but I thought I’d go into a bit more detail since I don’t have much else to share today.
The flag of Dublin says “Áth Cliath,” which is Irish for “fording point” on the River Liffey. The name “Dublin” originally was “Dubhlinn,” which means “black pool.” Where the Dublin Castle Garden is now located used to be a small lake for mooring ships. As the city grew in the early 1700s, the lake was covered over. I like the shades of blue on the flag, alongside the castle and ship (and imagining a lake beneath the city!).
The beautiful clock and “Árd-Oifig an Phuist” sign are on the O’Connell Street General Post Office (GPO). This massive building has an interesting history. During the Easter Rising of 1916, the GPO served as the headquarters of the uprising’s leaders (remember the likes of Patrick Pearse, and later Michael Collins?). The building was destroyed by fire in the course of the rebellion, and the facade is all that remains of the original building.
There was a pillar (Nelson’s Pillar) in the center of O’Connell Street adjacent to the GPO. However, it was destroyed by the IRA in 1966. The shiny “Spire of Dublin” now stands in its place…it is nearly 400 feet tall! There also is a marvelous statue of Daniel O’Connell in front of the GPO. He was a political leader in the first half of the 19th century who campaigned for Catholic emancipation. Leaders such as Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King are said to have gained inspiration from O’Connell and his leadership style.
On more of a pop culture note, I included signs related to Starbucks, soccer, and a sandwich. I had a few minutes while waiting for my first bus to get a coffee. I happily bypassed the Starbucks for the more local Costa Coffee. It was delicious and satisfying (and it’s good to know that Starbucks hasn’t taken over Dublin!). While waiting for my second bus, I enjoyed reading the upcoming soccer (football) schedule of the Premier League. Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to watch all of those matches? Finally, while waiting for my fourth bus, I enjoyed a sandwich: tuna and sweetcorn on oatmeal bread, handmade in Ireland. Who knew that combination of favors would be so delicious? (Sorry, it was a quick transfer to my third bus and I didn’t get any pictures!)
Just one more day in Dubhlinn, Áth Cliath…
TeamMueller 
You must be logged in to post a comment.