Yesterday we headed off to Dublin with Peter. He had a meeting there today so we decided to tag along. We arrived yesterday just before lunch time and went straight to Dublin Zoo. This is such a fantastic day out. I hadn't been since I was Amy's age but it was still as magical. There was so much to see and do and even the rain didn't dampen our spirits. We did a heck of a lot of walking yet the kids did not complain once (a miracle in itself!! LOL!!). Unfortunately I took no photos as Peter did a lot of recording. The kids enjoyed all the animals but my favourite was definitely the sloths which I have never seen before...such slow, graceful movements...when they did move!
When we got to our hotel in Christchurch, Dublin, we went to get our dinner. I was so absorbed watching the Wimbledon final that I did not notice I had lost one of my party to sleep! James had walked so much that he fell asleep in mid bite! Amy enjoyed swiping the rest of his nuggets!! LOL!!
This morning Peter went off to his meeting and we walked into Grafton Street and got the Dublin City Bus Tour. It was such fantastic value for the three of us. It was 30 euro and we could use our tickets as often as we wanted over a 24 hour period. We got a great tour of all the historical aspects of the city. If you wanted to visit any particular site you just hopped off and then got the next bus when you were finished. Here are some photos of what we saw...

Leinster House - seat of Irish government

Apparently the most photographed door in Dublin..an Edwardian door (put in when King Edward VII came to stay) in a Georgian building


Just a nice building!!

One of the gates into the famous Guiness brewery

This was a derelict building beside the brewery and this mask sat in the window with a pint of Guinness beside it!

The new(ish) Luas line (a new tram to cross the city)

The back of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham

The best photo I could get from a moving bus of Kilmainham Jail where many famous Irish patriots were held and then executed

The Wellington Testimonial In Pheonix Park

Áras an Uachtaráin - the residence of the Irish president

National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Art and History
(formerly Collins Military Barracks)

The Ha'Penny Bridge

Statue of Daniel O'Connell at the end of O'Connell Street

The GPO (General Post Office), famous site of 1916 Rising

Statue of Charles Stewart Parnell at end of Parnell Square

Dublin Writers' Museum which I will so have to visit the next time I am in Dublin!

Molly Malone

A rather large leprechaun but, alas, no pot of gold!!

St.Patrick's Cathedral

A bust of Jonathan Swift, writer of Gulliver's Travels. Swift was the Dean of St.Patrick's.

Swift's grave

Marsh Library, the oldest library in Ireland. Amazing place! Not very big but the smell of ancient (and I do mean "ancient"!) books was intoxicating!! I love it!!

All in all, we had a great mini-break. It has definitely got us in the holiday mood. Roll on Scotland on Wednesday!

Catherine x