Sundays are for relaxing—and I did anything but. Today, I hit three awesome spots in Dublin.
Firstly, the EPIC museum was one of the most interesting journeys I’ve been on so far. EPIC is the Irish museum of emigration. It’s one of the most interactive museums I’ve ever been in—they start you off by giving you a passport. I personally already have two of those, so I was surprised I’d have a need for a third one, but this EPIC passport was to help guide me through the museum. You can get it stamped red with every section you pass through. The Irish emigration journey is split into categories such as reasons for leaving the country, how they arrived, and what they created there. Those categories, as one can imagine, break down even further. I was really impressed with the thoroughness of the museum. It’s entirely possible to self-guide your way through it and learn, but it’s also a lot of fun to hear what the many guides walking around were joking about. I really enjoyed learning about the Irish-based artistic scene. The Tin Pan Alley, for example, was the center of Irish songwriting in New York City. It was located on West 28th Street, which is near Fifth Avenue. Irish artistic influence is everywhere, I learned. Grace Kelly, one of the actresses I admire most, is of Irish ancestry. Two of my favorite bands, The Smiths and The Beatles, have strong Irish ancestry. When they played in Dublin in 1963, John Lennon said “We’re all Irish!”
This was definitely my favorite part of the museum, learning more about the impact that the Irish have had on culture to a global level. I think that camaraderie was perfectly exemplified throughout the museum. Irish roots are strong and impactful. They are everywhere. And they’re wonderful to witness, especially now that I’m becoming more aware of them.
Next, I went to the Guinness Storehouse. I mostly learned that, back in the day, you had to be very strong to make a barrel of Guinness by hand. And they made about 1000 handmade caskets every single week! Then, the day ended with a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. My love for Gothic architecture continues to be fed. This cathedral had even more stained-glass windows! It also included many tombs along the walls and various dedications for impactful people. Notably, the Boyle family dedicated an entire wall for a mural that included a young Robert Boyle, who would later be consecrated as the father of modern chemistry. “Boyle’s Law” would go on to change the world, and this pioneering, in all fields, started in Ireland.
Regardless of my fear of heights, I’m looking forward to the cliffs tomorrow. See you then!