Around Dublin

The next day we went for a little look around Dublin. Firstly off to my old college – Trinity – to see the book of Kells and the long room (old library upstairs). It is an interesting fact (well, to me anyway), that George Lucas used the long room as a basis for the Hall of the Jedi (or whatever it’s called) in the Star Wars films. They illegally used the picture – and I’m not sure what sort of compensation the college got from it.

Anyway, excellent exhibition (and free in – thanks to Jennifer!). A little? known perk is that students can bring in up to two guests for free, something I’ve made use of over the years! (not that I would ever use it as an aid to selling t-shirts to US tourists during freshers week.. never)

The pic on the left is called the Campanisle. There are some excellent accounts in the TCD Climbing Club history section (put together by Declan) of a bowler hat mysteriously appearing at the top of it one day. The college declined the clubs offer to take it down (not that any member had put it up of course) and had to pay a steeplejack a few pounds to get it down. I never helped Shane Glackin or Robert Cuff to climb up it when it was covered in scaffolding before the trinity ball a few years ago.

The building on the right is called the Graduates Memorial Building – whose roof went on fire while I was in college. And that really had nothing to do with me!

Then to the Guinness brewery for a tour – after the Chester Beatty Library. In the brewery I got my camera knicked. Which was a real shame – though a good excuse to buy a new one. Amazing that a tuk-tuk driver in Laos would give it back, but leaving it down for 40 secs in Dublin gets it knicked….

That evening we drove down to Glendalough and stayed the night in the Irish Mountaineering Club hut down there. A couple of pints by the fire in the hotel was a great way to round off the day.