We Made the Cover!

Bear Flag to the Fore!

Yes, Kate made the cover of the Irish Independent March 28 edition! By accident we found ourselves near the center of the O'Connell Bridge over the River Liffey for Sunday's big parade. That small section of the parade route was located at the foot of O'Connell Street Lower, the location of the famed General Post Office (GPO) which on Sunday hosted all the dignitaries and viewing stands. We'll have more to say about the parade itself later this week, but for now...there we were right on the cover of the morning paper, The Irish Independent. True, you would have to use a magnifying glass to find us but just visible in the photo is Kate's California flag, waving over the crowd. We'll be selling autographed copies of that photo upon return. (Got to defray our Guinness charges some way.) ;^D

Easter Monday

In Ireland Easter Monday is a "bank holiday," and families get out and have fun together. Half the population of Dublin must have turned out today for the many activities that took place throughout the city. The central parks, St. Stephens Green and Merrion Square, were filled to the brim with dozens of activities. Demonstrations of many old crafts included felting, basketry, lacemaking, pottery, ceramics, and others. Antique steam engines blew their whistles. Many people dressed in "period" costume, some forming a wedding procession circa 1916. All sorts of bands roared out their music. Children played...with everything, as kids do. And everybody ate.

Ireland, still a land of books!

Following the fair we dropped by Conradh na Ghaeilge, An Siopa Leabhar, a Gaelic language bookstore near St. Stephens Green. Kate found a jigsaw puzzle of Ireland with all the names in Gaelic, Mike bought a neat Irish/English dictionary for kids (his current Gaeilge level) and we picked up some nice posters celebrating the events of '16 and a few other books. 

"Asterix" in Irish!

Later, on the way to Pearse Station to catch the DART out of town we stumbled upon Hodges Figgis, "Ireland's Oldest Bookstore, est. 1768" and picked up several more items. Hey, it's a bookstore! Who can resist?

What's next?

The first four days of this voyage have required coping with a transportation strike, venue closures, and huge holiday crowds. We're hoping that navigation will be easier starting tomorrow. We want to visit several more Rising-related sites including Dublin Castle, the seat of British power in Ireland for centuries; Kilmanhaim Gaol, where the insurgent leaders were held before their summary execution; Arbour Hill, where Britain buried the executed in a mass grave; and Patrick Pearse's St. Enda's school where teachers and students practiced Irish language, sports, and customs.