Ah Dublin, it’s been a long time….

The first conversation i overheard  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 when we arrived in Dublin was a young Irish woman, a stressed Mum trying to get things dones with three kids in tow, shouting at them in a broad Dublin accent” Ahmed, Jusef, will you get away with yourselves and cop on”

It would appear that Ireland, like the rest of the world is under the influence of a little globalisation as well….

Dublin itself looks the same, sure the shop fronts have changed, you can now get Nepalese and Vietnamese food,  and there is a very tall and minimalist structure on O”Connell St, a spire that rises out of the ground,.  It is affectionately known as The Spire in the Mire, or the Rod to God. (We have come accross a few of these renamings of structures “The Balls on the Falls” ” Noola with the Hoola” and The Flusie in the Jacuzzi” I’ll post some pictures of them below.), maybe its after being in Hong Kong, but it’s surprising how low rise Dublin is, there appear to be no substantial tall buildings.

We have gotten into the habit of doing the city bus tours to get bearings and orientation and to decide what we will go and see and Dublin was no exception.  We decided on Trinity College, Guniess Brewery, Kilmainham Jail and if we had time the Irish Modern Museum of Art.

It’s been about 25 years since I was last at the Guiness brewery and it’s fair to say the visitor centre has changed, just a bit.  A slick six story exhibition centred around a giant six story pint glass, you get to see production, history, advertising, tasting rooms, pouring lessons and of course a free pint in their very flash bar on what must be one of the highest bars in the city with magnificent views.  We had a great time, although it was odd being in a crowded room at 11:30am drinking beer with what felt like a rather “mature” crowd.  ( It’s always nice when you bring the average levels down)

Kilmainham jail was not a polished exhibit, but it was very rich in history.  A history that depsite having lived in Ireland I was completely ignorant of.  The 1915 uprising which razed most of the centre city and the execution of 14 activists in the jail shortly afterwards.  It was these executions that turned public opinion and would result in Ireland becoming a republic ( with the annexation of Northern Ireland as it was the richest counties with the most industry), those decisions still reverberating a century later.  Quite moving being in the cells and seeing where these men were put to their deaths.  Their sacrifice is now being more recognised and honoured for what it was.

Tourist duties over, we found a couple of bars to hang out in.  A bit of music here, a fantastic tapas bar there, and a cocktail somewhere else and before we knew it we were in a gay bar.  For a Tuesday night it was absolutely packed, they screen a reality TV show Ru Paul’s drag race, a completely over the top, camp production and piss take.  The room was lapping it up.  Lot’s of very friendly and chatty people.

It’s a very interesting time to be in Ireland, they are holding a referendum next week on whether or not to allow marriage equality, or same sex marriages to be part of the Irish Constitution.  The polls are showing it shoudl get through, but the biggest concern was voter turn out.  I came accross my first no voter, a conservative older man who felt that same sex marriage was “different” to heterosexual marriage so they should not be made equal. I certainly did not expect to have my first no conversation in a gay bar in Dublin.  However conversley, it was fantasticv talking to the young activists who were just back from door knocking and hearing the excitment in their voices about what an important and exciting time it is to be gay in Ireland.  ( when I was living here last gay sex was a criminal offence).  So we are loaded up with badges and will be talking to our family in the south about marriage equality.  Well timed visit on our part.

Next stop my old stomping ground of Kilkenny