Day 8: Dublin
/Monday, October 15th
We began today with a stop to Trinity College, Dublin. The Book of Kells is on permanent display, but no photography is allowed inside the exhibit. The college’s library, with its huge shelves and vaulted ceilings, is both iconic and legendary.


Our next stop was St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Originally Catholic, the church was converted to Protestantism during the British occupation of Ireland. The church’s interior is literally covered with historical artifacts, including crypts, statues, and flags that hearken back to pre-liberated Ireland.


The gift shop is right in the naive, an interesting place indeed.
one of the many tombs in the church
one of the old organ consoles
the current organ console is tucked way up in the balcony.
perhaps we should do this at St. Ben’s!
Our next stop was Phoenix Park, and the site of the Papal Cross. The cross was originally constructed for Pope John Paul II’s visit in the 1970’s and was used again recently by Pope Francis. Both popes celebrated Mass in this field.
Everyone was given the afternoon to explore Dublin on their own.


We regrouped and headed to The Merry Ploughboy for our farewell dinner. The Ploughboy is Ireland’s only such establishment to be owned and operated by traditional musicians. We enjoyed music by the house band as well as traditional dancing after dinner. What a wonderful way to end our journey!


