When I was a child……visiting a strange town……with my parents, we considered it important to visit the local Catholic Church. Not a bad habit for a Christian. And I suppose many other Catholic families did the same on seaside outings to Bangor and Warrenpoint…..or day trips to Dublin.
Of course we grow out of the sense that it is “good luck” to visit a Church…..and maybe even grow out of the sense that its nice to say a “wee prayer”. But a Church is often open from dawn to dusk and it seems a good way of getting to know a place….read some leaflets and posters in a Church porch and you get a flavour of a parish or town…….”oops we are in the Arch Diocese of Tuam……I was pretty sure this was the Diocese of Galway”…read the altar boy roster and the “Eucharistic Minister” roster or simply walk around the graveyard or read the dedications on the windows and you will discover that a handful of families seem to dominate parishes….even since Catholic Emancipation. Churches are a good way to understand loca history.
So no trip to Dublin is ever really complete without a visit to a Church. I am not into “lighting candles” or “posting petitions”. But I like to feel that I should visit a Church….if only as a “tip of the hat” to dead generations who brought me up to believe it was a nice thing to do.
So Wednesday night we strolled overa River Liffey bridge…….around 5pm and Temple Bar was just beginning to get busy. Up thru Grafton Street and into the St Stephens Green Shopping Mall. As we left, Mrs Fitzjames Horse pointed out that there wasa E50.00 for taking photographs in the top floor Art Gallery. Of course it would be very bad manners to photograph the work of an artist……but I suppose its some kinda “rule” of the Shopping Centre……and presumably legal that they impose a “fine”.
Short walk to Aungiers Street and one of my favourite Dublin Churches……the Carmelite Church, which has a shrine to of all saints……Saint Valentine. Of course we have to be “adult” and “post modern” about Saints and Shrines and Relics…..but it always seemed to me to be a nice little gesture to visit St Valentines Shrine. He is after all the Patron Saint of LOVE and while I am not the worlds greatest romantic…..I put an engagement ring on Mrs FJHs finger on 14th February 1982….and ya know it just seems right to pay St Valentine a wee visit. But as it turned out…….the Church closed at 6pm just a few minutes before.
So a short walk to the Franciscan Church at Merchants Quay……which was also closed.
Now that DOES seem odd. A reflection on changing times?
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
A most welcome discovery on my last trip to Dublin as to find a large tapestry of King William III – celebrating the Battle of the Boyne – in the Bank of Ireland building (College Green)opposite Trinity – the building which used to be the irish House of Lords.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Houses_of_Parliament
I wonder if they had to hide it away from time to time during times of high tension in Ulster?
ps There was word that BOI would be invited to hand this building over to the Plain People of Ireland for a major development.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0901/1224323461485.html#.UEICR2v5sUw.
I see the organ of the Dublin establishment has joined the great slugger debate taking Mr Fealty and Mr Bakers side. No surprise there then.
Its a matter of journalists supporting journalists.
On Slugger, Mick will happily “big up” a Journo….the peerless Malachi or the peerless Fintan or the peerless Anybody Else.
This leads to mutual backslapping.
As Slugger has come in for some criticism on Politics.ie…..then its entirely predictable that a Journo will rally to their cause in the Irish Times.
Of course the Journo misses the point. It might well be regrettable that comments about Dungiven outscore the latest thread posted by Bakerr……but its a POLITICAL message board with particular reference to Norn Iron.
There is probably some nerdy Space Blog in which comments about the Mars Space Probe outscores comments about Dungiven.
hoboroad,
Yes, I had added my tuppence worth on there.
Mr Fitz,
I may be mistaken but I am getting a sense that you feel Dublin has changed. It is no longer the place that you recall in younger days. I also feel you are not entirely approving of those changes.
Fair enough. It has changed. Absolutely.
Your post reminds me of my own Father. Every summer we would embark on a grand tour of the Country, (He didn’t approve of foreign holidays), every town, village and crossroads we had to pop into the local Church to “Say a prayer”. I would tend to be more interested in the adjacent graveyards. Some of the inscriptions are amazing. (I’ll not bore you with the details here)
But surely you got out for a meal or a pint? do tell……..
Everywhere has changed. I am 60 and can recall satrting school in 1957 and even a few things before that. The Young look forward. The Old look back and the Middle Aged look around.
I guess I have just moved into the Old Age zone. Ironically I am not so angry as I was ten years ago when I was in full Victor Meldrew mode. I am more accepting of change because in 20 years I wont be around to deal with the consequences.
To some extent I am like your Father. Every blade of grass in Ireland is an old friend. Re-visiting a place after (say) five years and there are no changes visible……but after ten or fifteen years and changes are visible.
And of course “nostalgia” plays a huge part. Impossible to think of Bray without thinking my mother and Auntie Sheila. Really the past fifty-five years has been a series of stored memories…….as a child, as a young single man, as a family man and some are extremely precious and re-visiting a scene which seems to change the memory is occasionally difficult.
Pints in Dublin? Alas no…….Mrs FJH and I are lifelong non-drinkers.
Three evening meals……first in hotel, second in Bray, third in a pizzaria.