Second Time Around In Dublin

So we started the day off just like any other field trip, but this was different, this was our last field trip in Ireland.. WHAT? That means that the trip is almost done.. But we started off our time in Dublin at the Chester Beatty Library to see what of Chester's 60,000+ artifact collection was out.

This was the inside of the library, SO cool!!

Our tour guide Jean was so great, you could really tell that she was a huge fan of all that she talked to us about. One of my favorite parts about the entire tour was the Islamic section with the different Qur'an and all the detail. There was one print that was really interesting. It is the Awrangzib Hunts Nilgais. There wasn't an artist but it was made in India in 1660. The story behind it is that it is an image of the Mughal Emperor Awrangzib and the royal hunters hunting nilgais (which means "blue horse"). The symbol of the hunt in Islamic is big because it signifies strength and intelligence. And the background of the image is a landscape and as the background goes further, the bluer the mountains and land get. 

After we left the library we headed on over to Trinity College to get some grub and then to see the famous Book of Kells. But before that we took one of my favorite tours of the entire trip. We took the campus tour and learned some fun facts about the college and all those who go there. Like how a professor shot a gun at his students for throwing rocks at his window and then his students came back with their guns and a bullet eventually killed to professor, CRAZY! But out of all the different tours, this was the most fun! While taking a tour of the different buildings I noticed there were a lot of columns, specifically a lot of Corinthian columns all over campus.

Some arches and Corinthian columns

Then we entered the old library and saw THE Book of Kells! I might have taken a picture of it (with my flash OFF) which was against the rules but hey, I'm a rebel! Ha! The actual Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels of the New Testament and it was produced form the 6th to the 9th century. An illuminated manuscript is just a fancy way of saying that the writing is a work of art in itself, there is crazy detail in every letter written. It was really neat but the Long Room is was really amazed me to be honest. The Long Room is this long room right after the Book of Kells that has all the old books and artifacts, like Ireland's oldest harp, lining the entire room.

The Book of Kells

The barrel vaulted ceiling of the Lone Room

Ireland's oldest harp!!

After we finished at Trinity, we were released into Ireland. Cherie and I decided to stay a night in Dublin for our last weekend and then head back to Waterford to get some major homework done. And that my friends was the last field trip, tour, and weekend of my trip to Ireland.

Kilkenny

Today we started out on the bus, just like any other field trip day. We arrived at St. Canice Cathedral, one of Ireland's biggest cathedrals, in fact it is the second largest cathedral in Ireland. The cathedral dates back to the ninth century and the tower is one of the best preserved ninth century artifacts in Ireland. The cathedral is part of the state churches in Ireland but at one point it was a catholic church based on the populations' needs at the time. Just like a lot of cathedrals anywhere, this one is also in the shape of a cross. There were may different architectural styles but mostly it was very gothic with all the arches and vaulted ceiling.

Here is a mini model of the cathedral 

Some of the pointed arches

The vaulted cieling 

We first took a tour of the cathedral and listened to the history of the town of Kilkenny and how that effected the church. Then we went outside and some of us climbed the tower. Now I didn't but some of the girls in my class did. The tower was really tall and after hearing that it's from the ninth century, it's hard to believe it's in such a great condition. There were holes in the tower but not for the artillery, it's a church so there wouldn't be any use for archers, but the holes were there to let in some light.

THE TOWER

The little entrance to the tower, and you can see here that the entrance is a gothic arch

Then we moved on to Kilkenny Castle, we didn't actually tour the castle. Instead we went to a really neat modern art exhibit. It was called Point of no Return by Magnhild Opdol. The first room was filled with vintage postcard pictures of deer and the backgrounds in each postcard was blackened so that there was an emphasis on the deer. Some of the post cards showed the valiance and strength that deer have and some showed the frailty the animal has as well. The point of a lot of what Magnhild wanted us to see the different sides to the majestic and frail surroundings that we call earth.

In the next room sat a huge pile of pink donut boxes, stacked up high and in a precise manner. The point of this room was humor. The pink boxes were supposed to represent the pink donut boxes that cops would eat in her favorite tv show. She was trying to illustrate that art doesn't always have to be so serious and that there should be some humor and whim to art. This was my favorite out of the entire exhibit.

The next room had a hand drawn still from the movie Bambi, and the first room had a bronze cast of a Bambi plastic figure, so in this room the theme of the frailty and stillness of the land that is illustrated comes back around. But in this room there was a bronze cast of a melted down candle stick and some burnt matches. So the theme for this room is there is only one point in time that something has happened and that's what she captured.

The last room contained tables of bronze casted donuts, that reminded me of the donut boxes in the second room and then there were a variety of pictures of the woods hung around the room. This again brings us back to the fact that not all art has to be serious and the donuts bring back some of the humor we found in the second room. The woman giving us the tour said that the donuts were for sale and I thought it would be a really cool souvenir but then she said they are about $250, so I said no. Bummer but overall this was a really great day! 

Our Trip to Kerry

July 4, 2013
This past weekend was a lot of fun and a lot of traveling. Also it was July 4th, the birth celebration of America! We didn't do much to celebrate but it was still fun being with fellow Americans.

We traveled first to Lismore on the way to Kerry. Lismore is a small town in southern Ireland. The name Lismore comes from the Irish words "lis" meaning fort and "mor" meaning big, referring to the fort/hill right outside of town. Lismore was established by St. Carthage in the 7th century. There's even a cathedral in honor of St. Carthage. Even though we weren't able to really see it, that cathedral itself is very beautiful with the pointed-arch window and the buttresses. The cathedral was built in the 7th centruy and was first used as a monastery and for Celtic tombs. Now it is a cathedral that holds services and other learning opportunities for the people of Lismore. I really like the beautiful pointed-arch window in the front of the cathedral and the buttresses going up the tower for support.

Look at that Flying Buttress

This is the flying buttress view from Lismore Castle

After Lismore we moved on to Killarney to see the Muckross House. The Muckross House was built in 1843 and served the Herbert family as a cozy mansion with over sixty rooms readily available for guests and entertaining. The home was being partially restored when we were able to see it but it was still very beautiful. The basics of the house's architecture is Tudor style and has a couple post and lintels around the outer ways. The house was actually bought by Arthur Guinness in 1898 to preserve the surround land's beauty.

The beauty that Arthur Guinness wanted to preserve

July 6, 2013
On our way back to Waterford, we stopped by St. Mary's Cathedral. It is a grand cathedral built to inspire and to teach those inside through stained glass stories as well as through scripture. The cathedral opened in August 1855 to honor the Virgin Mary. Mary is seen through out many different pieces of art in the cathedral. She is always in blue so she is very easy to point out. The cathedral has grand pointed-arches and is in the shape of a cross, like many other cathedrals. It also has a ribs added for stability and a beautiful rose window. By far this is my favorite cathedral we have been too, even though it isn't the most grand like Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, but the atmosphere and the almost calmness of the atmosphere created by the space and openness of the nave.

Beautiful

RIBS

Here in"The Nativity" Mary is depicted in blue

The rose window