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.