Celtic Connections and Travels

Dublin: Temple Bar area and the Temple Bar

Dublin, Ireland’s capital city, is bustling and full of historical reminders and culture of every sort. Like in most of Ireland, one of the most popular activities is going to a pub, and it seems that Dublin has thousands of pubs, all very popular.

If you’re lucky you can find some limited outdoor seating

Even if it’s raining (which it frequently does) the Temple Bar streets are still crowded

Probably one of the most popular and well-known (and touristy) areas in the city is Temple Bar. This area has shops, cafes, theaters, pubs with live music, galleries, live music on the streets, and restaurants galore. It’s on the south bank of the River Liffey, and many people call it Dublin’s “Left Bank”. Most, if not all, visitors to Dublin like to go to Temple Bar to see for themselves what the hype is all about. We are no exception, as on our visits to the city at different times we always like to go to the Temple Bar area, as it is a lot of fun.

First, what does the name mean? Some people tried to tell us that it was an area linked to many law firms—hence bar—but this is not correct. It’s also not actually originally linked to bars and pubs. About four hundred years ago this was the city’s waterfront, where tall sailing ships offloaded their goods. A “bar” was a loading dock along the river, or a walkway along the river in Irish language. The Temples were a dominant merchant family who owned this whole area of Dublin, and the words Temple and bar became joined. A plaque on Temple Bar Street (by the shop linked to the Temple Bar) explains about Sir William Temple (1555-1527) and his acquisition of the land right here. Another plaque in the Temple Bar is dedicated to Lady Martha Temple. The Temple Bar area became a thriving Georgian center of merchants and craftsmen, but it fell on hard times in the early 20^th century.

The street with the Temple Bar shop where we saw the plaque

Over time the city grew eastward and filled in tidal mudflats, which created the docklands of modern Dublin further downstream. Rents became much lower in Temple Bar area, so students and artists were attracted here. In more recent years the government has offered tax incentives and development money, so this area has developed into a thriving entertainment district.

The center of this area is Temple Bar Square, just off Temple Bar Street, which is near the famous Ha’Penny Bridge. You can start there, but it’s fun to just wander along the many cobblestone streets. It’s very crowded, especially in the evenings, and can get pretty rowdy as the night progresses, so you need to be aware. Find a pub or café that has an open spot and settle for some serious people-watching and music-listening. It is fun, but a couple of nights there was enough for us, I think! I suggest that early afternoon is best before the crowds really get going.

Us at Buskers pub, at a coveted outdoor table

Of course there needs to be an inn and pub at the end of Ha’penny Bridge

The Ha’Penny Bridge is a charming elliptical arch bridge over the River Liffey, built in 1816 just for pedestrians and it was the first iron bridge in Ireland. Before it was built, people had to either get on a small ferry across the river or else vie with horse carriages and carts on the other bridges. The name comes from the price: it cost a ha’penny (half penny) to cross the bridge, the same amount that people paid for the ferry. They stopped charging this in 1919, at which time it cost one and a half pennies to cross. The bridge has had various names over the years (such as Wellington and Liffey), but this is the one that has stuck. At first, about 450 people crossed it daily; nowadays that number is about 30,000, and it’s free. As with so many bridges around the world, people put locks on the bridge, but these so-called “love locks” are damaging the bridge, so the Dublin City Council has banned locks, but somehow some people still put locks on the bridge. Here are a few that we saw last time!

One of the famous pubs in this area is called the Temple Bar. The Temple Bar is an institution in Dublin, so we had to try it.

The Temple Bar has been a quintessential Dublin pub since 1840, and prides itself on having the largest collection of whiskies (from Ireland, Scotland and other countries) in Ireland. It’s very popular and busy and hard to find seats, but luckily we did both times that we came. It’s loud and crowded, but we’re happy that we came and could experience the vibe (called craic in Irish) here. The bar is also well-known for live Irish music, with no cover charge, and we did get to listen to two different sessions. The bar has been awarded the title “Traditional Music Pub of the Year” every year since 2002.

The pub is huge, with different interleading rooms, including an open beer garden in the center, so it’s fun to wander around and have a look. The beer and wine here are not cheap, but Dublin (and Ireland generally) is not cheap. Some of our party tried a Smithwicks Irish ale, one of Ireland’s special beers, and said it was pretty good. The bar also has an Oysters and Guinness speciality, and a large menu of sandwiches, cheeses, and salmon dishes, but we didn’t eat here.

Find it at 47/48 Temple Bar Street, www.thetemplebarpub.com

Another bar in the Temple Bar area. Note the bronze statues of Oliver St John Gogarty (an Irish writer, poet and politician ) and James Joyce (famous Irish writer)

Wacky Woollies

Learning about a place through its signs, ads and souvenirs

Wherever we travel we always look out for public art and murals, and search out the parks to watch what the local people are doing. We also like to browse around local grocery stores, as that gives us a better idea of part of the life and culture in that place; what items are available, what’s on special, what kind of fresh produce, what chocolates and other local things that might make good souvenirs or gifts for people back home, and so on.

What we also like to do is photograph street signs, billboards, colorful ads, and car license plates, for example, also as a way of trying to get a better understanding of the way of life there. This was really fun in Dublin, especially because many of the signs were in English as well as Irish Gaelic, which many proud Irish people prefer to call just “Irish”. I’m always fascinated by any foreign language and it turns out that Irish really does look and sound foreign!

Here we have Queasy, Blah, Happy and Trippy

Last summer we were back in Dublin and looked at things in a slightly different way to previous trips there, because we were travelling with our daughter and 8-year-old granddaughter and they noticed things we had not really been aware of before.

A really good example is the Wacky Woollies. This is a series of different colored sheep, all with names and characteristics. They feature on any number of items, from mugs, to pencils, to erasers, to umbrellas, to tea towels, to sweaters and jerseys (as they are called in Ireland and Scotland). The sheep are a lot of fun and our granddaughter was fascinated with them.

Our granddaughter walking with her Woolly Rainbows umbrella

There’s also a range of items with a lot of white sheep on a green background, with just one black sheep among them—it’s an amusing play on the phrase “black sheep of the family”.

The sheep theme makes sense because Ireland has a lot of sheep. In fact, there are probably more sheep than people! It’s estimated that the human population is 4.8 million and the number of sheep is approximately 5.2 million. The sheep are raised for meat, and the wool is sold to the textile industry and is used for sweaters etc., plus a fabric called tweed, which is very popular. The frequent green background on sweaters, tea towels and so on also makes sense as Ireland is known as the “Emerald Isle”—and it really is very green.

Our granddaughter in her Woolies jersey, walking the cliffs near Howth (a small port just north of Dublin)

Of course, they ended up buying some of the wacky woollies goodies, including matching mom and daughter jerseys. Wherever we traveled after that—-in Scotland and, later, in Florida—people commented and were very complimentary.

We also found coasters with sheep ‘stories’ on them, all with an amusing comment. We thought they were hilarious, with a very dry sense of humor, and bought a set. Guests at our house for dinner all comment and laugh!

These 4 coasters, clockwise from top left: Eejits (which means idiots); Haven’t seen Ewe in Donkey’s (a play on the phrase “haven’t seen you in donkey’s years=in a long time); Time to put Ewer feet up; Wish Ewe were here too.

The next 4 coasters, clockwise from top left: Hand wash only; Family album; Early morning rush hour; Hen party.

And the last one: Bl-Ewe Grass.

Burns Supper: Finding Scotland in Other Places

Burns Supper: A Gastro-Literary Event

Celebrating the Life and Poetry of Robert Burns (born 25 January 1759-died 21 July 1796)

No matter how far away you are from Scotland, you have a good chance of finding a Burns Supper. According to a Scottish friend, anywhere you find Scots, you’ll find a Burns Supper, from all over the UK and as far away as Zambia. There is a strong tradition of Burns suppers in New Zealand, as Thomas Burns, Robbie Burns’ nephew, was a founding father there. Canada has many Burns Suppers too. Many places in the USA will host a Burns Supper. Here in Illinois, the Illinois Saint Andrew Society usually plans two Burns Suppers, for example.

Burns Supper in Urbana, Illinois

Here in Urbana, our Wine Lovers’ Group had its very own Burns Supper too, which we were lucky enough to attend. A lot of fun.

What is all the fuss about and just what is this?

A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet. They are usually held on, or close to, the poet’s birthday on January 25^th, although the first one was held on January 29, 1802, as his friends mistakenly thought that was his birthday. His birthday is also often known as Robert Burns Day or Rabbie Burns Day.

These dinners may be formal or informal, but will all include haggis. Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish that was celebrated by Burns in one of his poems, Address to a Haggis. All dinners also involve Scotch whisky and the reciting of some of Burns’ poems.

The more formal dinners are fun as they follow a set format, which gives us a good window into Scottish traditions. Our dinner was strictly formal, and gave us a better understanding of how revered Robbie Burns is to Scots people.

At the beginning, guests mingle informally over snacks as a piper pipes them in with his bagpipes. The hosts welcome everyone and the guests are seated with the reciting of the Selkirk Grace. This grace wasn’t written by Burns, but gained its name after Burns delivered it at a dinner hosted by the Earl of Selkirk.

The haggis is carried in, accompanied by bagpipe music

Then comes the Soup Course, usually Scotch Broth and/or Cock-a-Leekie, followed by the Parade of the Haggis. The piper pipes in the haggis, carried in by the cook and after it’s placed on the table, someone recites the Address to a Haggis. At certain lines towards the end of the poem the speaker picks up a knife, sharpens it, and plunges it into the haggis—a highlight of the evening. All rather dramatic.

Someone proposes a Scotch whisky toast to the haggis and then dinner is served: haggis with tatties (mashed potatoes) and neeps (mashed rutabagas). Dessert might be cranachan (a dessert with oatmeal, cream and raspberries) or Tipsy Laird (whisky trifle), and oatcakes with various cheeses. These were supposedly Burns’ favorite foods. All washed down with Scotch whisky and/or wine.

There will be various speeches and toasts—to the Immortal Memory of Burns, to the Lads, to the Lassies—and perhaps singing of some Burns songs, and even dancing. The evening ends with all the guests standing and holding hands in a large oval (if no room for a circle), singing Auld Lang Syne.

We had it all (except the dancing) and it was a wonderful evening.

Thanks go to many people for organizing the event and helping with it, but especially to Ann and Roy Campbell, and to Wally and Jane Myers for opening up their home as the venue—they seated and entertained about 40 people. The tables were all beautifully decorated, with proper linen, candles in lovely tall candlesticks, and vases of red roses (One of Burns’ poems is “My Love is like a Red Red Rose”), and the walls had pictures of Burns.

Part of this text I’ve used in an article before, part of it is new from the dinner the other day. All the photos are new from our dinner the other day.

For more information about Robert Burns and Burns Night Suppers, check out these good web sites.

https://www.scotland.org/events/burns-night

http://www.robertburns.org/suppers/itinerary.shtml

Icon Walk Dublin. Another Interesting Find

Dublin is full of surprises

One day as we wandered in the Temple Bar area, we were walking along Fleet Street and noticed some colorful murals on a corner wall. We went down that alley, and discovered something we’d not explored before: The Icon Walk.

One of the information boards has a map detailing where all of the parts of the walk are. The art/murals are on two parallel lanes, bisected by another lane, in a rough rectangle bounded by Aston Quay along the River Liffey, Price’s Lane, Fleet Street, and Bedford Row. See map.

The same information board as the map is titled “The Purpose of the Icon Walk”. The basic premise is that it’s generally accepted that there is a special Irish identity, which is a product of the Irish culture. So, a special charity, supported by a number of institutions, organized for artists living in Dublin to paint a sample of people who have helped make this Irish culture. The organizers admit that this is not an exhaustive list of all those who have contributed to what we understand as “Ireland” and “Irish culture”, and not a list of “best of” either. But they hope the walk will get people thinking and want to explore more.

Introductory board about women writers. Danger, Women Thinking and Writing

Two famous sister writers and sisters in revolt

We looked at most of the boards and pictures and they certainly did get us thinking. Some of the names and accomplishments we knew, but many we did not. And, some of the famous names that we’d expect to be there were not. If people take the time to stop and read some, or all, of the information it’s a great way to learn a bit more about Irish history and life. There’s a lot of information, both about the person’s life and what they achieved or wrote, and it’s not possible to cover it all, so here’s our sample of the sample. If you have time, read the information boards because I can’t write them all out here.

There are 12 sections. You can see from this list that the organizers have tried to cover many aspects and angles of Irish culture and life. I’ve got photos of most of these sections.

Women Writers of Ireland;

We took a lot of photos of the Women Writers, piqued by the information board that asks the question: why do people always think of men when they think of Irish writers? There were apparently many great women writers, many of whom we’d not really heard of, showing that we too have fallen into that trap! The only one that we know well is Iris Murdock.

Harry Clarke Stained Glass;

Irish Clothing since the 20s;

Interesting that for the fashion of the 1930s they chose Anne Sullivan, the famous teacher of Helen Keller

Genesis of the Irish Nation;

Oddballs, Crackpots & Assorted Genius;

Folk and Traditional Music Revival;

Playwrights;

Great Moments in Irish Rock;

Poets and Novelists;

Irish Humour;

Irish Movies and Actors;

Wall of Irish Sports.

It’s not possible for me to transcribe all the boards, so if you have time, please read some of them to get the interesting information on many of these famous people, especially the writers.

Dublin’s Tenement Museum, 14 Henrietta Street

14 Henrietta Street is a different type of social history museum in Dublin. It’s in a large previously aristocratic Georgian townhouse that was converted into tenement dwellings and ultimately declined into a tenement slum. As the pamphlet says, “300 years of Dublin city life at one address. See the house, hear its stories and discover the layers of Dublin history within its walls.”

There are guided tours every hour 10am-4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Tours last about 75 minutes. It’s definitely best to pre-book especially during busy tourist season.

Go to www.14henriettastreet.ie

Entrance hallway and grand staircase to upper levels

Our tour guide Pat explains part of the original house

Our daughter is very interested in this type of history so she got tickets for me and herself, and we went one day on the guided tour at 1pm. Our guide was Pat, who did a great job, but it was hard to catch all that he said, because he spoke very quickly and sometimes his Irish accent was very strong! And we are

Tour guide Pat explains how the house was divided into 17 apartments

Lady Mary Molesworth, the first lady of the mansion

English speakers, so some of the internationals in our group must have had more trouble. But, we picked up most of it.

The tour starts on the top floor and works its way down. We saw elements of the original grandeur of the house as well as how it deteriorated.

One of the better bedrooms reconstructed

It’s a really interesting story about this house, which mirrors others in the city, and mirrors the historical events unfolding too. It was a luxurious 4-story mansion first occupied by the Molesworth family in the 1740s, situated on an exclusive street. Later, the street became a legal street because of the court chambers at the top of the street. Then things changed again when the Irish Parliament was dissolved in 1801and England became the ruler of the country. Many wealthy Irish people moved to London and the mansions were sold and re-sold.

Multiple housing was needed in the city after the terrible potato famine (1845-49), which caused many people from the countryside to move to the city, looking for work. Landlords decided to sub-divide the mansions and cramp as many people into them as possible.

Tour guide Pat shows us how one large room was divided into two apartments (that brown line is the division)

This house was sub-divided into 17 apartments, and at one time, around 1911, 100 people lived here—with only 2 toilets and one cold-water tap! Compared to some other places in the city, this was still considered okay housing though. It was very moldy with lots of rats and mice and other undesirables, so TB and other diseases were rampant and infant mortality very high. Pat told a story about the red and blue paint on the walls, which was supposed to stave off disease. We also saw a recreation of a small flat (one room) from the early 1900s.

The tenements, not surprisingly, became a breeding ground for the socialist Irish Citizen Army under James Connolly that fought in the 1916 Easter Rising. The Rising was against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an independent Irish Republic. It was not successful, Connolly and many others were executed, and independence did not come until December 1921. A woman called Rosie Hackett lived at 14 Henrietta Street, and she was the most famous woman in Connolly’s army. Later, she was a co-founder of the Irish Women Workers Union.

Many of the tenements dwellers enlisted in WW1

In the reconstruction of the more wealthy kitchen we see many products with names/brands that we were also familiar with from our younger days!

Eventually the tenement was closed around 1977 and later became the tenement museum. Luckily some of the later residents were still alive and could tell their stories and share pictures, all of which makes the museum experience come very much alive. There is also a black and white photographic exhibit taken by a WW1 photographer.

We enjoyed the tour a lot, and for anyone interested in social history this is definitely recommended.

Temporary Hiatus in Posting

Dunnotar Castle. a little south of Aberdeen, Scotland

As we all know, the coronavirus pandemic has changed all our lives in so many ways, and caused so many disruptions. I believe we will be feeling the ripples of all this for a long time to come.

Sadly, one of the ripples has been our ability to travel freely. We thought that with the vaccines we’d be able to travel to almost anywhere we wished. However, with the Delta variant of COVID and the threat of new variants emerging, travel is still restricted. Even if we manage to get to some place overseas there is no guarantee that we can move around easily or that many museums, restaurants, cafes etc. won’t be closed.

The wonderful Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow

Stones of Stenness, Orkneys. it’s always windy there!

So, it seems that for this blog I have temporarily run out of a lot of material from past trips. We had planned a trip this year that didn’t materialize. We are really hoping that next year we can get back into the swing of our regular travels and, if so, we plan to visit Scotland and probably Ireland. We’re dreaming of Glasgow and Edinburgh, of castles, and of the Orkneys! I will then take up posting on this blog again.

My sincere apologies and I hope that you will follow this blog again when I can resume.

In the meantime, please check out my regular blog “Around and About with Viv” at www.viviennemackie.wordpress.com

Thoughts about British Food

Local Food

A full cooked breakfast on the Orkneys, Scotland

Viv in London at a pub, having a Cornish Pastie, mashed potato and baked beans for lunch

Food gives a good insight into a country’s history and culture. I grew up in British Colonial Rhodesia, where my British grandmother and mother cooked what, I suppose, was typical food at that time: roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Sunday dinner or special meal, or a roast chicken; shepherd’s pie; steak and kidney pie; various sausages (mostly pork, and usually called bangers) with mashed potatoes; toad-in-the-hole (sausages baked in a bed of dough); plenty of over-boiled vegetables; jelly and custard, rice pudding, or tinned fruit and custard for pudding (dessert). One dish I and my sisters remember was called Bubble and Squeak—a fried-up mix of any left-overs, that was definitely not our favorite!

That meal was rather bland, but tasted okay

baked potato in Dublin—they are very popular everywhere

My family’s cooking tended to be rather bland and I definitely remember the mushy, soggy vegetables! Not such good memories of the British cuisine. And when I grew up and began to travel the world it soon became clear that British cuisine didn’t always have a very good reputation, that it was often considered the poor culinary relation in Europe.

Cheese plate in Aberdeen, with oat cakes (very traditional in Scotland).

A lovely salad, also with oat cakes, and fruit

However, over the years, this changed a fair bit. A much wider variety of foods is on offer, based on ingredients and ideas of the cuisines of Europe, North America, India and China, that came in during the time of the British Empire and with many immigrants. Old favorites are still popular, like a full breakfast; baked beans on toast; a Sunday roast dinner; a ploughman’s lunch; afternoon tea with scones, jam and clotted cream; a Cornish pastie; and fish and chips. In fact, many articles and web sites are lauding what they call “traditional British foods” and many visitors to the UK will specifically look out for these foods. For example, this site https://fullsuitcase.com/british-food/ .

Smoked kippers and egg for breakfast in the Orkneys, Scotland

Irish coffee in Ireland, but we can find it in many other places

But, as travelers we can now also find many lovely salads, crusty bread, a wide range of cheeses, and fresh fish (not battered and fried) beautifully prepared.

A delightful cod dish in Glasgow (restaurant called the Finnieston)

AJ with traditional fish and chips in Edinburgh

We have been many times to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (not actually part of UK, but definitely Celtic) and have tried both the traditional and the new menu items. It’s been a lot of fun and mostly we’ve enjoyed them. Here’s a random selection of some of the food photos we’ve taken at different times.

Cheese plate in the Orkneys—a rather unusual presentation

Appetizer in Glasgow (restaurant called Le Petit Cochon)

Ploughman’s lunch at Stonehaven, Scotland

Scotch egg in Glasgow, served with beetroot, relish and cheese

Scotch eggs closer-up: hardboiled eggs in a sausage casing

More Dublin Pubs

Paris has the café culture. Vienna has the coffee culture. Much of Europe also has a combination of the two in some form.

But, Ireland (and Scotland) has the pub culture. As I wrote before, music, beer and whiskey are an integral fact of Irish life. Wherever you go you’ll find many bars, pubs and lounges, because going out to these places is part of the way of life. Individuals, groups, or families will sit and chat for hours, watching TV (often sport), or listening to live traditional music. It seemed to us that it was like an extension of the living room or meeting hall with a very convivial atmosphere. We found out that many people go to the pub for a meal and a pint (or two!) to celebrate an event, such as a birthday. Generally seating is indoors—we seldom saw outdoor seating, certainly nothing like in France where most café tables are outdoors. Many stay open late at night.

Over the years, we’ve visited many pubs in both Scotland and Ireland and been charmed by the friendliness of the bar tenders and the locals, who love to chat and find out about the visitors. A recent visit, before the COVID pandemic, was to Ireland, primarily to Dublin but also to Killarney. The pubs were all very crowded, bustling, noisy, and fun.

In Dublin we came across a bronze statue of James Joyce (the famous Irish poet, novelist and literary critic) in The Temple Bar and wondered why it was there. A plaque nearby soon clarified. It turns out that James Joyce wrote about the popular Irish pubs in his works and summarized their charm in a nutshell. It tells us that this pub has been granted the James Joyce Pub Award for being an authentic Irish Pub. The explanation on the plaque is linked to a quote from his well-known work Ulysses. The quote is, “A good puzzle would be to cross Ireland without passing a pub.”

The plaque continues “James Joyce identified and described the characteristic ambience of the Irish pub so successfully that the characters in Ulysses may be fictional, but they are based on a multitude of living beings, characters who Joyce found in pubs just like this one. This establishment remains an outstanding example of the tradition which Joyce immortalized in his works and an authentic Irish pub which retains a genuineness of atmosphere, friendliness and presence of good company.”

On another occasion we found the same award plaque at the Brazen Head pub, and I’m sure there must be many more.

So, now with the pandemic and the resultant lockdowns and closings all over the world, we wonder how these Irish pubs are faring. We wonder if any of them have had to close permanently and we wonder how the Irish coped without their pubs!

These are some of the photos we took in Dublin, to celebrate and remember the pubs. We’ll have to return in the future when overseas travel is possible again and check out the pub situation.

Love Locks in Dublin, Ireland

No-one is exactly sure what started the “love lock” craze. Some link it to two Italian novels, printed in 1992 and 2006 (“I Want You” by Federico Moccia). Others say it dates back to 19^th century Hungary or to World War 1 Serbia. The idea has spread to many parts of the world, especially in Paris, and in many cities in England, Russia, Italy, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia and China, to name a few.

A few love locks are still attached to the Ha’penny Bridge

The practice works like this: Attach a padlock to a bridge railing, throw the key in the river, and make a wish for love, or everlasting love, a public symbol of love from happy couples. Or use a fence, gate or other public fixture. Seems harmless enough, until we hear about sections of railings falling down! Some people also complain that the keys make the river dirty. In fact, in Paris a heavy section of a bridge railing festooned with thousands of locks fell into the River Seine, luckily not injuring anyone. The mayor of Paris has since been waging war on “love locks” and trying to eliminate them.

See my article on that here https://vivsfrenchadventures.wordpress.com/2014/12/19/city-of-paris-doesnt-love-the-love-locks/

We’ve seen love locks in many places, and it’s always interesting to watch how it’s done in different places. I’ve written about those in Seoul (where it’s over-the-top)

Love Locks in Seoul—LOTS of Love Locks

and in Ljibljana

Love Locks in Ljubljana

We’ve also read that many cities are making attempts to curb the love locks, or have workers go and saw the locks off periodically. But, still they seem to persist and move from one bridge or railing to another.

So, in was no real surprise to find a few love locks in Dublin too. We were looking at the famous Ha’Penny Bridge across the Liffey River and sure enough there were a few locks. But only a few, as we were told that recently the Dublin City Council had removed many. The Council keeps thinking of alternative ways for people to show their love, like Love Trees, or a Lovers’ Lane, but somehow they keep re-appearing. The Ha’Penny Bridge is an old cast-iron pedestrian structure from 1816 and is protected, but these locks are damaging it and, unfortunately, this bridge is the most favored spot for locks in Dublin.

Me on the Ha’Penny Bridge, where you can still see a few love locks

So, while this seems like a fun and harmless thing to do, in reality it isn’t. For all of us who love travel and love the old bridges, fences, gates, and other railings in different cities, let’s plead with other travelers and visitors not to engage in this practice.

No more love locks on bridges! Put them on special metal trees, as they have done in Seoul, for example.

Pubs in Dublin: The Bleeding Horse

The Bleeding Horse: An Intriguing name, and possibly the oldest pub in Dublin

One evening we walked along Camden Street towards the canal, thinking there might be cafes, restaurants and bars along the edge of the canal overlooking the water. There weren’t, not along the stretch we walked anyway.

But, just before we reached the canal we passed a pub-restaurant with an intriguing name: the Bleeding Horse. So, we decided we had to go there for a drink and a meal, to see what it was all about.

The Bleeding Horse has a definite character and a quirky interior, plus some history.

This public house (pub) is historically significant as it’s been around a long time. Although the formal date above the door of “The Bleeding Horse” reads 1710, there is evidence to suggest that, as a hostelry, it was in existence as early as 1649, 19 years before the supposed oldest pub in Dublin, the Brazen Head (see here https://vivscelticconnections.wordpress.com/2019/06/30/brazen-head-another-dublin-institution/ ).

The information board (not clear) with the words on the right

For example, as is written on one information board in the pub: “Weston Saint John Joyce in his celebrated work “the neighbourhood of Dublin” 1912, writing of the battle of Rathmines, fought on August 2^nd 1649 points out that “routes 1 and 2 diverged at the place formally known as “The Bleeding Horse” for an old inn that stood at the corner of Camden Street and Charlemont Street”. It would seem probable that the hostelry was in existence at the Battle of Rathmines. (pp 493-494)”. So, it was at the junction of two important highways leading out of the city. Both of these old streets disappeared during renovations in the 1990s.

The present building dates from 1871, and the interior was renovated in 1992. It’s high-ceilinged with wooden balconies. When you enter from the bar area, there is a high type of atrium with multiple levels of rooms around it. There seem to be stairs all over the place, leading to many separate nooks and spaces with tables.

It appears there are two explanations for the name “Bleeding Horse”. One is that when a horse got the “staggers” it was bled behind the ears by a farrier at the inn. (“Staggers” is a condition when horses get stagger-like symptoms, like lack of co-ordination and a strange gait, due to eating very lush grass of a certain kind). The second explanation is that, during the Battle of Rathmines in 1649 (mentioned above), a wounded horse fled from the battle.

Rod inside. Our table was overlooking the central atrium, with a small railing

We first had a drink in the bar area, while we waited for a table. It became very crowded, but eventually we did get a table on one of the levels upstairs overlooking the central atrium. Wait staff rushed around trying to serve all the customers, but they seemed to manage. It was a fun atmosphere, listening to people and watching the action. The food was fine, but not outstanding. If we are ever in Dublin again we’d like to return, even if just for a drink, as it’s a fun, buzzing place.

The menu includes typical pub food, like soups, chicken wings, fried calamari, fish and chips, cottage pie, burgers, roasts, pork belly. See the full menu on the web site.

Address: 24-25 Upper Camden Street, Dublin

It’s normally open daily from noon, but is currently closed due to the pandemic. They are hoping to reopen soon.

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