Blarney Castle and Back to Dublin

I realized that I completely forgot to talk about seeing a performance of Ulysses at the Abbey Theatre. Going to the Abbey was already on my list due to its rich history during the arts revival, but once I found out that a play based on a book by James Joyce would be featured at the theatre that housed plays by Yeats and Synge, I knew I had to go. To give a shortened version of events, the Abbey Theatre was founded by a few theatre enthusiasts including Yeats and Lady Gregory due to the need for an Irish national theatre and the writers' desire to rejuvenate the scene of Irish literature. The Abbey has been a site of both political and artistic statement and is still at the heart of Dublin's theatre scene today.

The Abbey is a small, intimate venue where the audience
can sit directly in front of the stage.

I was curious to see how Ulysses would be adapted into the form of drama; the work is considered to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) novel of modern times, but it is infamously long, confusing, and difficult to get through. The entire novel takes place over the course of a single day, providing several different characters' perspectives on intertwining events. With no clear plot lines, very little accessible language, and bits of meaningless nonsense, Joyce's masterpiece is hardly something easily adapted to the screen or stage.

However, I really enjoyed this performance at the Abbey. I had a front-row seat due to booking so far in advance, and the show was at times haunting, at times ridiculously crude, and at times uncomfortably revealing of universal experiences. A core cast of about five actors performed all of the different characters, rotating seamlessly and skillfully between roles to create a fast-paced, jarring experience that matches the experience of reading the novel.

Luckily, I was sitting next to a lovely local couple who gave me some tips about the city. Anne and Brian, frequent visitors of the theatre, told me which areas of the city to avoid, which attractions to visit, and other parts of Ireland to visit. They even kindly offered to give me their phone number in case I needed anything during my stay. Meeting such kind people makes traveling alone a lot more bearable. I ran into Brian later in the week while he was heading back to the office, and he made sure to say hello and wish me well.

I saved some of the things about which I was most excited for the end of my time in Dublin. My main priority was to visit Trinity College, its beautiful library, and the Book of Kells, a medieval masterpiece of a book from about 800 AD. It contains the four gospels of Christ adorned with colorful drawings and letters in an ornate script. Pictures wouldn't do it justice, and photos weren't even allowed in the room with the artifact. Take my word for it: it was beautiful, but I wish hundreds of calves hadn't been needed to create the vellum pages.

Probably one of my favorite parts of my trip so far was seeing the Long Room at Trinity College; one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, it is open for visitors' viewing, but during the evening hours it can only be accessed by students of Trinity. Is it too late to transfer?

in my preferred habitat

I stayed up until closing time and very skillfully lingered until it was
just the guards and me. I snapped a few pictures undiluted by my fellow
humans and left before the guards could yell at me.

The next day, I went for another day trip, this time to the south of Ireland. I saw the Rock of Cashel, the ruins of an old fortress that was converted into a cathedral. Arguably one of the most historic sites in Ireland, the Rock of Cashel lies at the top of a hill and overlooks the beautiful Irish countryside.

The bus stopped in the "rebel city" of Cork for about an hour. I wish I'd had more time to explore, but I ended up grabbing lunch at a Subway, petting a local dog, and getting back on the bus to go to Blarney Castle.

Blarney Castle is located not far from Cork city, and it is mostly famous because of the Blarney Stone. This "magical" stone bestows the "gift of the gab," or eloquent speech, upon the  person who kisses it. So, after a climb up the steep, slippery stone stairs of the castle, I joined the line to kiss the stone. And I kissed it. (Did you know you have to lie down and lean backwards to even reach it? Don't you think the people who placed it there could have put it somewhere more easily accessible instead?) I haven't noticed any improvements to my speech, but maybe it takes a few weeks to settle in!

The castle itself was beautiful! In wonderful condition and complete with tiny doorways and tinier staircases, the castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens and pathways perfect for exploring. I ended up meeting another solo traveller from Canada, so we explored the castle and the grounds together.

After that exhausting but rewarding day, I only had a bit of time left in Dublin. I made sure to visit the James Joyce Centre, a small museum dedicated to the life and works of Joyce. It was a lovely and informative exhibit; on display were some furniture pieces that Joyce and some friends used while editing Ulysses, a copy of his death mask, and a small art exhibit of pieces that modernized scenes from my favorite Joyce work, Dubliners.

I loved my time in Dublin. Between the lovely museums, the historical cobblestone streets, the Georgian buildings, and the sprawling green parks, Dublin made me feel right at home (except for the wild pub culture -- the collective pint I had throughout my week and a half was plenty). Ireland's beautiful countryside and winding urban streets revealed a new context for my favorite works of literature, and I'll always be grateful for that.