#jamesjoyce Archives • Folksy Travel by Bill Smale

Dublin was a trading center established by the Vikings and later built up by the local people and of course, since it was close to England, the Normans and then the British. It’s an interesting town with almost as many pubs‘s restaurants in some areas. It’s a good place to spend three or four days and there was a lot to see. If you were interested in the history the Irish people are very proud of it is not only their ancient heritage but also how they gained their freedom from England.

Kilmainham Goal

this is the jail where they kept people to be punished and also temporarily housed before they shipped them to some other place in the world. This is also the place where the major organizers of the Easter rising in 1916 were executed by the British. Make sure to book this in advance on their website. In the off-season you have to book a few days in advance. During the tourist season it could be very crowded.

Courtroom Dublin and history — The courtroom where you start your tour and where judgments were made upon prisoners

Eire Dublin and history — This is the symbol of Ireland. Eire is the name of the country and it means “the land“. The English, be because they did not understand what the name meant, they added “land” to the name and therefore became Ireland.

Here we go on the tour through the prison

The cells Dublin and history — Walking through the narrow passages next to the cells

Chapel Dublin and history — The chapel were prisoners are allowed a service. There was one famous prisoner who got married the day he died here in this chapel.

Thick walls Bill Smale — You can see there were very thick walls

Cell inside Bill Smale — The inside of one of the cells

The new part of the jail Bill Smale — This was a later addition to the old jail. This is the section where the Easter rising organizers were imprisoned.

Patrick Pearse Bill Smale — His history is in another photo blog. He was executed for participation in the Easter rising

A rebels Cell — Simon was a rebel who was captured in 1921

She was not executed but let out within months

Thomas Clarke — Thomas was executed also

Execution plaque — The execution of the organizers of the 1916 rebellion

Eamon’s cell — Eamon was not executed because he was also a US citizen. He was let out and went to the US to get support and then came back and eventually became the president of Ireland for many years.

The New Edition — The outside of the New Edition

This is the wall against which the prisoners were executed

The hydra — The Hydra represents the five most heinous crimes

Trinity College

Graduating class — I arrived just at the graduation ceremonies

The book of Kells is an ancient fifth century Bible which was rescued and preserved in the city of Kells and later moved to Trinity College

Irish symbolism — You see the symbolism of the whirling circles with three items inside exactly the same as the Japanese symbol which I found very interesting in 1985 and I find it everywhere in ancient Irish art

Ogham letters — You can see here the old language which shows some letters carved on the left of the edge and some on the right and some going over the edge. They all represent different letter letters

The long room library — This is the library where every published book is kept. It has been added onto over the ages

Republic declaration — One of the original declarations of the Republic in 1916

Old map — A very old map Showing Ireland

Political districts — The different political districts in Ireland

16th century harp — This is called the Brian Boru harp but it was made almost 500 years after he died. This is from the 16th century And the oldest one found to date.

Sandycove and James Joyce

The author of Ulysses and Finnegan‘s Wake, James Joyce, was often staying in Dublin but he loved SandyCove. The tower he stayed in is one of his memorial spots and a very interesting place to visit. It’s just outside Dublin so a very easy trip.

St. Joseph’s Parish — Saint Joseph’s Parish

Stained glass window Bill Smale — Beautiful stained glass window

James Joyce memorial — A memorial to James Joyce

Sandycove and James Joyce

Many smoke stacks — You see the many smoke stacks from just one building. It represents the cooking ovens and the fireplaces in each of the rooms

The tower — You can see the tower in the distance on the right