National Museum of Ireland

After St. Stephen’s Green we followed the signs to the National Museum of Ireland. There are excellent tourist information signs indicating the distance and direction of various important locations throughout the city.  Getting about Dublin is far easier than getting about Richmond Vancouver where the locals are ignorant of international conventions regarding signage.
The National Museum of Ireland is a veritable treasure.  The building itself was architecturally stunning.  I asked the attendant, “Where do we pay for admission?”  He answered, “It would be a cold day in hell if Ireland began to charge visitors to see their national treasures.  All Irish and visitors to Ireland are welcome here. There’s no charge and we’re proud of that.”  He was indeed impressive as he delivered this bit of oratorio.
I’ve been to museums about the world. While this was a very small one by comparison to those conquering countries which have amassed their neighbours finest, this is one of the sweetest museums I’ve ever walked through.  Laura and I enjoyed it immensely.  The Celtic archeology was most informative.  I loved the gold jewelry of pre Christian times reminiscent of the finest gold pieces from Argamenon displayed in Athens.  The huge dug out canoes of the Irish would make the Haida envious.  The depiction of the swords of Brian Boru era and the history of this time was a delightful romp through Irish mythology.  The medieval Christian carvings and Bishops crosiers and Bible shrines of Medieval times were particularly beautiful.  There was even some Egyptology which didn’t quite fit my knowledge of Irish history but was enjoyable to view nonetheless. I most enjoyed the retrieved bodies of the bog men, perhaps because I viewed them standing next to an 8 year old boy who will forever thank his parents for taking him to Ireland. The writing about this poor bogyman’s torso said that he’d not only been decapitated but had been stabbed and had his nipples removed before being dumped in the bog.  “You’ve got to see this. It’s so neat.” I heard my little friend telling what I assumed was a younger brother moments later.
I hate to be insensitive but I couldn’t help but think that other people are more entrepreneurial than Canadians.  In Germany and Poland the tourists flock to the gas chambers to take selfies.  In St. Petersburg I confess I wandered about the infamous jails where writers had been tortured.  Our Vancouver Opera is happy enough to put on Sweeny Todd a show about a cannibalistic barber. Yet we have a gold mine in the Picton Farm and while it’s terribly macabre a portion of the entrance fees could go to the famiies of the missing young people who were no doubt fed to the pigs.  There’s definitely no accounting for taste but I must confess, that despite my days and nights in morgues, I will probably remember the bog man long after I’ve forgotten all about the beautiful Tara Brooch.  I know the little 8 year old boy will be telling all his school friends that Dublin’s museum is the greatest in the world. And he won’t be thinking about the Ardagh Chalice or the Loughnashade War Trumpet no matter how much Laura and I enjoyed seeing those.
I’m really enjoying seeing all the different Celtic Crosses.  The Cross of Cong is famous.  Yet each individual cross has local variations and peculiarities that are quite fascinating.  We must have been there a couple of hours before we moved on to the gift shop. The gift shop had exquisite gifts and proceeds went to the museum so it wasn’t really like we were ‘consuming’ more like donating to art.  I bought Laura a silver and gold bracelet fashioned in designs similar though more refined than exhibits we’d seen of the Celtic warrior era.  I personally bought another rag hat and some celtic cross fridge magnets.
I was thankful that they allowed photography, without flash, through most of the exhibits.  All round one of my most enjoyable museum experiences.   “I loved it!” Laura said as we walked out of the past into the present of Dublin, Ireland
Ardagh ChaliceCross of Cong 1123 Bell of St. Francis

Book of Kells and Trinity College, Dublin

The Book of Kells was for me the foremost tourist attraction of Dublin. It resides in the Old Library in Trinity College.  After a marvellous Best Western breakfast, Laura and I walked to Trinity College,crossing the Liffey River, to pass from North Dublin into South Dublin.  Enterring the magnificent Trinity College we were surrounded by beautiful young people in gowns with their families.  As a bit of God’s synchronicity foot prints in my life, it was the graduation of Trinity College Medical Students.  It’s hard to believe I was ever so young. Also the innocence and enthusiasm on those young faces was touching to behold. Form a brief moment, I remembered fondly Mom and Dad at my medical school graduation. Maybe  I really once was young.  Maybe I once was as innocent and not nearly so weary as today.
Laura and I loved walking about the grounds, enjoying the old buildings.on this sunny day. We took selfies before the 30 m high Campanile.  Arnold Pomodoro’s sculpture of a Sphere within a Sphere was beautiful before the Berkeley Library.  We’d arrived early enough that the line up for the Books of Kells in the Old Library wasn’t long at all.  The museum was informative explaining the making of the vellum sheets from calf hide and the source of the colouring of the ink. I’ve always loved books and libraries since childhood. The Bible has been a part of my life since early days in Sunday School.  I was moved to learn of that all books, before the printing press, had to be copied by hand. The Celtic monks were the greatest of scribes and artists.  In the museum they had on display palm sized gospels that missionary monks carried with them on their travels through Europe.  Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization best describes those journeys of enlightenment.
The Book of Kells itself was made around 800 AD on the sacred island of Iona.  It was later brought to Kells, County Meath.  The text is based on the Vulgate, the version of the Bible completed by St. Jerome in 384 AD. In the museum I loved the enlarged almost life sized folio page of St. John.  In the illustrated introduction Book of Kells by Bernard Meehan, it states that Pope Gregory the Great is said to have taught that images provided “a living reading of the Lord’s story for those who cannot read”.  Most of the illustration in the Book of Kells is of initial letters.  The Celts as an empire spread in the 3rd and 4th century from the Atlantic to the eastern europe and the Mediterranean collecting artistic styles from all these regions. The Book of Kells embodied the highest imagery of this highly artistic people.  I was truly moved to see the actual book despite the glass and crowd.  I am awed by the devotion and evangelism of these monks.
Later Laura and I would sit in prayer in the Trinity College Chapel.  A Holy Bible was there. opened to a psalm. I read from that Bible realizing how easily I take for granted the gift we have today, The greatest story ever told is so readily available for reading yet I like most take this for granted.
Photography were not allowed in the Book of Kells museum.  Upstairs from the Book of Kells was the Long Room with the most amazing collection of old books, the greatest writing of the age.  Laura felt she’d been there before.It was a library of libraries, a wonderland for book lovers.
Next a stop in the Book of Kells and Trinity College gift store to load up on fridge magnets, post cards and gifts for loved ones back home.  Then after a coffee on campus, Laura and I, armed with our Lonely Planet , Discover Ireland guide book, headed down Dame Street for more sightseeing adventure.