Sunday One Liners – 14

 

Destiny might lead us to the path –  the rest is up to us.

An empty path

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A very special day

It was time for lunch. Not just any old lunch, but a catch up with Brian – He who gave me the handle Grannymar. Calendars were checked. Dates discussed, arranged, postponed and finally organised for the week before he returned to ‘La Heredia’. I knew I would be going to Dublin, so decided to travel a few days early and have our lunch there instead of Belfast.

I asked if he knew where the Hungry tree was, it was on my list to photograph.

He did. One thing led to another and before I knew it lunch became a day of adventure for me.

I was collected at 11 am and traveled in style to see the Hungry tree.

The hungry tree

The seat has been there so long, the tree has grown over the back of it.

Hungry tree from another angle

We then continued up the drive to the front door of our next port of call…

The Honorable Society of King’s Inns

The Honorable Society of King’s Inns is the oldest institution of legal education in Ireland. The Honorable Society of King’s Inns comprises benchers, barristers and students. The benchers include all the judges of the Supreme and High Courts and a number of elected barristers.

Gateway to my adventure

It was founded in 1541 during the reign of Henry VIII, who had passed the Act for confiscation of Religious Houses in 1539, and granted the Society the lands and properties on which the Four Courts now stand but which were then occupied by a Dominican monastery.

The Lobby

When the Four Courts were built in the 1790s, King’s Inns moved to Constitution Hill and the benchers commissioned James Gandon to design their present property, the headquarters of the Benchers and the School of Law. The primary focus of the school is the training of barristers.

Looking up from the window

In the Middle Ages, the need for apprentice lawyers to learn about common law led to the founding of hostels where they could live and study. The Inns of Court were places where the students were provided with accommodation, meals and tuition. Up to 1800 the buildings at Inns Quay provided all that was needed for practice at the bar. There were chambers where barristers lived and worked, a hall for eating and drinking, a library for research, a chapel for prayer and gardens for recreation. Things changed somewhat with the move to Constitution Hill. Chambers and a chapel were to have been built but the plans were never executed. However, many of the 17th century traditions remain or are co-mingled with 21st century developments.

The Dining Hall

The formal records of King’s Inns (the “Black Book”) date from 1607. Initially a voluntary society but by 1634 membership had become compulsory for barristers wishing to practise in the courts.

Nolumus Mutari

The fireplace in the dining hall with the King’s Inns seal. An open book and the motto Nolumus Mutari which is commonly translated as ‘we do not wish to be changed’. It should be read and understood as the determination by the bench and the bar that the law will be applied without fear or favour and will not bend to suit interests of those with power and influence.

Some of the paintings in the dining hall

After the Williamite wars of the 1690s catholics were effectively excluded from the legal profession by the penal laws. This exclusion lasted for a century until the Catholic Relief Act of 1792 when catholics were allowed to practise at the outer Bar.

The gong to announce dinner

King’s Inns did not possess a library until in 1787 but on the death of Mr. Justice Robinson, his law books (at that time valued at £700) were bought by the Society.

The reading room

The present library building was erected between 1826 and 1830, to a design by Frederick Darley. The Library has three stories over a basement and was originally seven bays wide. In 1892 an annexe was added at the north-west end.

View of the gallery

A Copyright Act of 1710 required that printers give a copy of each book published to various university libraries in England and Scotland. During the reign of George III, in a further Copyright Act (1801), the libraries of Trinity College, Dublin and of King’s Inns were added to the list. In 1836 the provisions of the act were withdrawn.

Detail of the plasterwork

The present library building was completed in 1830 and houses some 100,000 volumes including those which formed the original collection, purchased in 1787.

Not your usual light reading

Today the library contains over 110,000 volumes, about half of which have a legal content, the remainder being concerned with a wide variety of non-legal subjects.

well read weighty words

The general collection contains works on art, history, the classics, literature, biography and numerous other subjects. Of particular note are the books printed before 1501, parliamentary papers, Encumbered Estates Court Rentals, pamphlets and manuscripts.

Throwing light on the subject

While in the past the Society sought to create a comprehensive general library, the emphasis in recent years has been on developing the legal collection. The legal collection contains all of the Irish and most of the English textbooks along with statutes, reports of cases, digests and legal periodicals. European, Commonwealth and American Law are well represented and amongst the older legal material are fine collections of trials, Irish appeals to the House of Lords, nominate reports, Roman law and canon law.

I walked all the way down and. up again, but didn’t count them.

We went all the way down stairs to where we found bound copies of The  Times from long before I or my parents were born.

Bound copies of The Times newspapers

I was privileged to be allowed into the inner sanctum of the bencher’s room. A place for the learned gentlemen to unwind and discuss the matters of the day.

Inner sanctum for the benchers

Some decorative details:

decorative ceiling detail

ceiling light

Ceiling rose

One surprise was a garderobe:

a garderobe

A modern soap dish, toilet roll & loo brush are evidence to the fact it was still in use today. I have to say I love the towel holder.

classy towel holder

That towel holder looks like a heavy door knocker. I like it!

The whole visit was a wonderful experience and I must say a special thanks to David, who with Brian made the visit so memorable.

Gallery 1

The hungry tree

The Honorable Society of King’s Inns

Gateway to my adventure

The Lobby

Looking up from the window

The Dining Hall

Nolumus Mutari

Some of the paintings in the dining hall

The gong to announce dinner

Gallery 2

The reading room

View of the gallery

Detail of the plasterwork

Not your usual light reading

Nolumus Mutari

Throwing light on the subject

Bound copies of The Times newspapers

Inner sanctum for the benchers

gallery 3 Miscellaneous selection of photos:

I walked all the way down and. up again, but didn’t count them.

decorative ceiling detail

Ceiling rose

ceiling light

a garderobe

classy towel holder

We did go and have a late lunch at Aqua in Howth. The company, the food and the view were all fantastic. A pet day!

Little Museum of Dublin

The Little Museum of Dublin can be found in a beautiful Georgian townhouse at No. 15 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin not far from Grafton Street. It is a non-profit company and depends on the generosity of the public to survive.

First floor at The Little Museum of Dublin courtesy of the museum.

It tells the story of Dublin in the 20th Century. Launched in April 2011 with a public appeal for historic objects with a connection to Dublin during that time. The response to that appeal reflects the generosity of the Irish public, as well as the vision of the patrons in Dublin City Council.

The ground floor covers Emigration to America

There are now over 5,000 artefacts in the collection, as well as three floors of exhibition space and a café in the basement. The goal is not to sell an ideology but simply to remember the past.

The story of three women

The Little Museum was recently described as “Dublin’s best museum experience” by the Irish Times and they have been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Awards.

Did you use an old Royal

The collection includes art, photography, advertising, letters, postcards, objects and ephemera relating to cultural, social and political life in Dublin between the years 1900 and 2000.

Finlater’s Bicycle for delivering the orders

The collection is mostly comprised of donations and loans from the people of Dublin. Somehow I had difficulty with taking photos, so much of the items were familiar from my young life.

Please note: the museum is on the first floor of a Georgian building. Assistance is available for visitors with wheelchairs.

Bell ringing

The other day I wrote about trying as many of the modes of public transport available to me in Dublin.

Today I want to cover items 2 &18 from my ‘To Do’ list for 2013:

2. Take an unplanned, spur-of-the-moment trip.
18. “A Day In My Life” in photos.

Travelling by train was the mode of transport I chose.

Map of the main train lines from Dublin to stations across the land

Monday 22nd July, saw me up early and ready for the road good and early.

Where to choose?
I wanted a train with the opportunity to hop on and off or change direction.

I decided to take a train from the local Station in Adamstown and see how far I could comfortably travel in one day.

The adventure begins!

Leaving the house at 09:32 hrs, I walked to the train station. The next train to Portlaoise was due at 09:36 hrs

Thirteen minutes makes for an easy stroll to the station up ahead.

Thirteen minutes to reach the train station in the distance. That makes for an easy stroll. 😀

My ticket to Portlaoise

Although my Northern Ireland Senior Smart card is valid for all public transport in the Republic of Ireland. I need to get a train ticket for access to and from station platforms. It also records the journeys we take in order to charge Translink, the Northern Ireland transport system for our usage.

Here she comes!

The train on the right is the fast Inter City, My train is further back on the left hand track.

The wheels are turning.

The wheels are turning and we are on our way.

Into the wild.

The fields are well bleached by the sunshine of the past ten days.

View on the window across the carriage

View on the window across the carriage, I had it all to myself at that time of day. Anyone in a hurry went back to Dublin to catch the non stop Inter City train.

He didn’t get on board!

He did not get on the train, the next stop was the final destination for this train.

Portlaoise Station

Now to find my way into town, have a cup of coffee and do a little exploring.

Plastic people to make the street look busy!

Shop mannequins display the clothes sold in a nearby shop. Trees lined the street and were rather a nuisance. They must have dropped a wide circle of sap during the night. My shoes literally stuck to the pavement every time I passed a tree. I heard the locals complaining too. It was like walking on moist glue.

I felt I had traveled back in time about fifty years. Nothing really changed since I accompanied my father on journeys across the country all those years ago. Time to head back to the station and catch the next train to Cork on the south coast.

Cork City from the train

Not sure why this one was so ‘blue’ I blame the train window! 😉

Engine No 36

Engine No 36 is on Display at the entrance to Cork Kent Station. Built one hundred years before I was born, this old workhorse is looking well!

Busy St Patrick’s Street, Cork City

I took the bus to St Patrick Street, the main thoroughfare. It was buzzing and lively. I enjoyed my dander and kept going until I came to the end of the street.

Is that Shandon I see before me?

I wonder if that is the Tower of St Anne’s Church, Shandon? Do I hear the famous bells? There is one way to find out…

The River Lee, Cork

I crossed the river Lee and up some steps!

There are plenty of stepped alleyways to be found in Cork City.

I spoke to those two gentleman and they assured me the steps would lead me to the Shandon Bells. I took my time. It was a very long climb for knees that live in a bungalow!

Not far to go now

Once at the top I followed the directions i was given.

Nice car

Pity I didn’t meet this guy at the bottom of the hill. We spoke for a few minutes but a call to his phone brought word of a burglary at his home. He needed to rush off.

I finally found the tower.

I finally found the clock tower.

The clock was made in 1847 by James Mangan, a Cork clock maker. It was at the request of Cork Corporation who paid for it then and to this day still maintain it. The clock is known locally as “The Four Faced Liar” because in days gone by, the four faces seldom showed the same time.

The four dials are painted on the stone of the tower with each face having a diameter of 15 feet 7 inches. The roman numerals are 3 inches high, made of timber and guilded. The minute hand is seven foot three inches from centre to tip.

St Anne’s Church of Ireland, home to the Bells

Even more steps!

Wooden steps to lure us further up.

The wooden steps take us to where you can ring the famous bells.

visitors ringing the bells

This young family working the bell ropes had come all the way from Alaska. The ropes are numbered one to eight like the notes in a music scale. A book sits on a lectern with several simple recognizable tunes for people to play on the numbered ropes. The young girl was calling the numbers for her family to play. This time it was Happy Birthday and I discovered that they were playing it on the birthday of the little fellow in the middle.

I let the family go ahead of me

These steps needed thinking about – narrow very steep and with only a rope for help. It was a “Will I, won’t I” moment…

Rough flagged curve to the next level

Now you know my answer.

View from a narrow window

View from a narrow window looking at the North Cathedral.

still more steps

Look at how steep those steps are.

How time was & has changed

There are five barrels attached through pulleys to five weights which provide the power for driving the clock. Five is unusual as three are the norm. The clock ran for four days and had to be wound up by hand twice a week. The weights have now been disconnected and small electric motors are attached to the barrels, keeping the clock wound and running.

The 14 ft pendulum of the clock

The 14 foot pendulum of the clock hangs through the ceiling from the clock works on the floor above. It takes two seconds to swing from side to side. The total weight of the clock is in the region of five tonnes. I would not like the weight of that time on my arm! 😉

The clock bears an inscription:

The clock bears an inscription:

“Passenger measure your time for time is a measure of your being”

The eight bells were installed in 1752, a gift from Daniel Thresher. The played out across Shandon on 7th December for the marriage of Henry Harding and Catherine Dorman. They were being played as I passed, and although I was given ear protectors, I didn’t dally to try and photograph the moving clanging giants.

Each bell carries an inscription

The eight bells weigh a total of six tonnes and each one has an inscription. They were cast at Rudhalls foundry in Gloucester, England.

I finally found the tower.

Wooden steps to lure us further up.

visitors ringing the bells

I let the family go ahead of me

Rough flagged curve to the next level

View from a narrow window

Each bell carries an inscription

still more steps

How time was & has changed

The pendilum

The final steps to the viewing gallery were a little precarious for me so I cried off made the sensible decision not to climb any higher. I still had to work out how I was going to unclimb all those steps.

If you are curious the view, professional photos and more history can be found here.

It was time to head back to the station if I wanted to make it home in time for dinner. The journey home was short, my head was buzzing with all I seen and the wonderful people I spoke to on my day of adventure.

I had a wonderful welcome waiting for me when I got off the train at Adamstown:

Welcome home

A Darting Day.

The other day I decided to try as many of the modes of public transport available to me in Dublin.

 

Leaving Elly & George’s house, I hopped on the local bus  to town (Dublin), alighting at Heuston Train Station. From there I jumped on a Luas tram to Connolly Train Station, where I boarded the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART), that runs from Howth & Malahide on the north of Dublin bay right to Bray and on under Bray Head to Greystones in Co Wicklow.

I chose the southerly direction and a destination of Greystones.  It has been over almost half a century. since I visited Greystones, back then it was a very sleepy village.

Plenty of overhead cables at this end of the street

Although expansion has taken place in Greystones and the arrival of the ‘Dart’, turned it into a commuter town.

The other end of the street. Note the difference when the cables are underground

The place still holds on the village feeling with a wonderful selection of interesting restaurants and well looked after shops and boutiques.

Mrs Robinsons Restaurant

Mrs Robinson believes in looking after her outdoor customers.

I ambled my way about the streets and sat for a coffee at the Happy Pear  It was busy, but welcoming and the coffee was good. I sat outside and ‘people watched’.

I found this small strand from the road, but it was a long climb down

Then it was time to seek out the beach of soft coarse sand.

Soft sand, but no bright sun so far today

The sky was clearing and the sun appearing…

I see the sea!

When I had my fill, I worked my way back to the Dart Station, to head back towards town. Realising that I had never travelled all the way round Dublin Bay in one go, I got my ticket to take me to Howth.

End of the line at Howth Dart Station

Howth was really the end of the line. I have been to Howth on many occasions, so did not dally this time.

I took the Dart back to Connelly Station, from there the Luas to Heuston Station and this time a train from Heuston to Adamstown.

The fresh sea air, had sharpened my appitite and the aroma of good cooking was very welcome smell. Elly & George produced aperitifs and nibbles to snack on, as I shared my adventure and we waited for dinner.

So I was on a bus, tram, Dart and train, now that leaves boats and planes for another day!

Plenty of overhead cables at this end of the street

The other end of the street. Note the difference when the cables are underground

Mrs Robinson believes in looking after her outdoor customers.

I found this small strand from the road, but it was a long climb down

Soft sand, but no bright sun so far today

I see the sea!

End of the line at Howth Dart Station

A taste of my Dublin Week

Sheep shade

Monday sun and rising…

Monday sun and rising…

Sheep shade

Passion flower

Old Books

Photographing the Alphabet ~ O

O ~ Organ

This Pipe organ is in St John’s Church, Donegore, nestled against the side of Donegore Hill.

 

St John’s church on a sunny afternoon

The parish was fortunate to receive the gift of this pipe organ from St Brigid’s Church of Ireland, Parish of Mallusk, Co. Antrim. It had started life in a Roman Catholic Church in the South of Ireland and spent some time in a Presbyterian church before the move to Mallusk.

Many hands were needed to assist in the task of moving the seven hundred and eighty pieces from St Brigid’s Church to the horse lorry, and again from there into Donegore Church.

Pedals polished by regular footwork.

A view from the pulpit.

The church still uses candle power for lighting the building, and the Christmas Carol Service is always packed to the doors.

In the south-west corner of the churchyard is the watch-house, or corpse house, built in 1832 to foil the attempts of the “resurrectionists” at body-snatching.You can see it at the beginning of this little video clip. It was my very first attempt at making a soundless video and not very high quality, but you get the idea!

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Donegore Church is a Grade A Listed Building by the Historic Monuments and Buildings Branch of the Depratment of the Enviroment (N.I.) and the corpse house is also a listed building. As such, restoration and repair must be carried out to the highest standards and in sympathy with the architecture and history of the building.

When My Time Comes

“May I go outside for a smoke?” asked the young lady politely. She sounded so gentle that I hardly recognised her! Elly was on best behaviour. We felt very special as we were honoured guests at the home of the Bride-to-be, just two evenings before her wedding.

On our journey along the road in West Barnstable on the Cape the houses were brightly lit and decorated for the forthcoming Thanksgiving Holiday. On arrival at our destination the Bride’s brother was there to guide us to our parking space. The pathway to the door was lit by candlelight. It all looked very romantic. The greeting was heartfelt warm and welcoming, but to the disgust of our hosts we were arriving during a power outage. So life on the other side of the pond was not very different to that back in Ireland. We were quite used to power cuts back at home, sometimes they were scheduled but alas on other occasions, due to vandalism.

Introductions were made and we immediately felt at home and the chat flowed freely, the drink glowed in the candle light and we drank a toast to the young couple and to their families. After an hour the lights came on and our surroundings were revealed to us, a very comfortable home with some beautiful items of furniture.

Being a mid November evening and rather cold outside Elly was taken to the ‘Studio’ for her smoke. “Mum you should see the Studio!” Elly said to me on her return some time later. “Ask Stephen, I am sure he would love to show it to you!” I didn’t need to ask; Stephen had heard and immediately invited me to the tour. There I was in a foreign country, with a strange man, on my way to see his etchings wonderful works of art.

I already mentioned the table where I had my breakfast in a previous post. On this occasion I was enjoying work on a totally different plane, it showed the amazing talent and wonderful sense of humour of my host! Stephen only uses recycled items, timbers discarded and considered well past being useful. With careful thought, time, care and love he breathes new life into his amazing creations.

I actually sat in here.

Stephen calls it an ‘In-House’, it is actually a little office with desk and bench seat. The seat is lifted in the photo above! 😆

And for something totally different:

Or for when my time comes

To save space you can put me on end

I originally set out to write about cooking implements but the final item totally blew my mind and took me off on a tangent. I hope you enjoyed my travels!

I should not be here today

Today I should be many miles away from home.

This is where I should be:

Four Seasons Hotel Boston, MA

It sounds wonderful

Overlooking the famed Public Garden and Beacon Hill, and within easy reach of every notable business, entertainment and cultural attraction, Four Seasons is characterised by elegant simplicity and old-world Boston charm.

Unfortunately I had to decline an invitation to attend a family wedding there today.

So to Alexis & James I hope the sun shines on you today and always. I wish you a long and happy life together.

It’s Official

Grannymar is older than the flood!

Nooooooooooo! I’m not older than that flood; the one I am talking about was on Saturday, in Dublin.

According to the bible in Genesis Chapter 6 we are told that ‘Man’s sin was the cause of the flood’. So what caused the flood on Saturday? I was a good girl! 🙄

I was down in Dublin for an innocent girly lunch. Look this is the evidence:

Now what could be any more innocent than that, I ask you? A group of bloggers, dishing the dirt gossiping stuffing our faces sharing some tasty food and a bottle of wine or three while chatting about the blog world. No sin there you would think.

Of course I did gatecrash a party on Friday night. A Toyboy Birthday Party and I brought my Manager. She was supposed to keep an eye on me… instead of chatting up all MY toyboys. Every time I was busy hugging one of them she was chatting up another. We had a ball, didn’t we missus?

So back from the tangent once more…..,

I was at a girly lunch. Now rumours abound that I left with a Toyboy….. I’m saying nuttin! Them ’uns down in Dubland are a jealous bunch 😉 You could do nothing!

However I did end up in a Taxi going nowhere for two and a half hours. It cost €60 to travel 12.5 klms! The Toyboy came to the rescue and brought me home to his house.

Darragh and Niamh, thank you both for providing a bed, food, and an evening of fun. There is no way I would have managed without you.

Elly who was in Cork for the day on Saturday, had a similar journey from the airport driving through two feet of water on the M50. She and George collected me on Sunday and rescued my car from where I abandoned it the day before.

Now for further developments you will have to wait….. 🙄