Today was certainly a busy day! After breakfast we packed up the cars and headed downtown to park and walk around the famous St. Stephen's Green. The kids spotted memorials to historical and literary figures they have been studying. We then enjoyed a stroll down Grafton Street, a popular shopping district, before posing before the statue of Molly Malone.
W.B. Yeats memorial
The boys and Countess Markievicz
The ladies on St. Stephen's Green
The gang
Molly Malone
Afterwards we headed to Kilmainham Gaol, the site of imprisonment for many Irish political prisoners, from the Easter Rising, Anglo-Irish War and Irish Civil War. Again, we were fortunate to have an expert tour guide. The cold, damp weather helped us to sympathize with the prisoners who labored and lived there.
West wing of Kilmainham
A friendly bunch in front of a cell
Political prisoner wing
East wing
Recognizable from such films as In the Name of My Father
Jailed! All cozy in a cell
Huddling for warmth in the prisoners' exercise yard
Stonebreakers'/Executioner Yard Flag
Leaving Dublin in the rearview mirror, we drove to Kilkenny, stopped for lunch and to tour the castle grounds. A charming town, Kilkenny offers many quaint storefronts, great eateries, and an impressive castle to boot, all situated along the Nore River.
St. Mary's Church
Kilkenny Castle
View of the castle from river bridge
Lunch at Matt the Miller's- cool memorabilia on the walls
We arrived in Cobh tonight after another hour-long drive. Tomorrow holds the Heritage Centre first thing, as we are in the port city from which the majority of Irish emigrants departed following the potato famine. Until then, goodnight!
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