We continued on to Cobh in Cork Harbor, departure point for many Irish emigrants. Here we visited the multi-media exhibition “The Queenstown Story” at the Victorian railway station. Just outside the building was this impressive monument to Annie Moore and her two brothers. Annie left Cobh in 1891 for New York and had the distinction of being the first immigrant to be processed through Ellis Island.
Inside the old railroad depot we saw many exhibits to the Irish immigrants (there they were emigrants): sketches of the downtrodden, Irish boarding the
“coffin ships” and portrayals of the perilous journey.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, America’s first Irish-Catholic president, was the offspring of two families whose roots stretched back to Ireland. In photo right, JFK returned “home” in 1963. He remarked on that trip: “When my great grandfather left here to become a cooper in East Boston, he carried nothing with him except two things: a strong religious faith and a strong desire for liberty.”
We saw a museum exhibit and monument dedicated to the Lusitania (below) that was sunk by a German submarine off this coast with a lost of 1,198 lives. The victims were brought here to Cobh.
The Lusitania sank in only 18 minutes. Over 100 of those killed in the sinking of the Lusitania ocean liner were Americans, and many think this event helped push the USA into World War I. Many of the dead are buried in Cobh, and the sinking of the Lusitania is often considered the second worst ocean liner maritime tragedy, next to the Titanic.
Interestingly, Cobh was the Titanic's last port of call on her maiden voyage, and many Irish emigrants were onboard in the steerage class, making it a special tragedy for the country.
The last museum exhibit explained the name of the city. The port was originally called Cove, but its name was changed to Queenstown when Queen Victoria visited here in 1849. However, in 1920 the name was changed from that of a British queen to Cobh, a Celtic word for Cove. Just outside the city of Cork we saw this ruin from a Norman castle, one of many in the region.
Our B&B in Waterford provided excellent accommodations, as was true for all our B&Bs, but this one moved me to take out my camcorder. From the quaint bedroom of our quarters we could see a beautiful flower garden with numerous statues. The dinning area was also elegant. We had an excellent Irish dinner at our St. Anthony B&B in Waterford.
June 30, Friday
After a full B&B breakfast at our guesthouse, we visited the Waterford Crystal Factory and Showrooms. Here the ancient skill of making fine crystal by hand is passed on from generation to generation. See Birnbaum,
Ireland 95, p. 240.
We saw the huge glowing furnaces and the skillful glassblowers. Further down the line, the glass was cut and polished and inspected. After being marked with ink the glassware was carved one nick at a time. On display was the
Herrods’ Fountain, worth a king’s ransom. The tour ended in the display showroom. I taped the vase and candlesticks that we purchased.
Our bus passed just north of Waterford by the John F. Kennedy Memorial Forest Park. We did not stop but I used my camcorder from the bus. The cottage where the President’s great-grandfather was born may be found in nearby Dunganstown. Kennedy’s relatives are still living in the house.
We continued on to the Viking seaport of Wexford, named by the Vikings after the consort of their one-eyed god Odin. Here we had a local walking tour guide to make the history come alive. The gentleman was 85 years old, but was very alert, knowledgeable, and easy to follow. Although the day was quite warm he was dressed in a wool suit. Our tour began with the
Westgate. This early 13th century gate tower forms part of the Norman and Viking walls of Wexford, and has been sensitively restored.
Just behind us (pictured) was a ruin of the 12th century
Selskar Abbey, where the first treaty between the Irish and the Normans was signed in 1169. We then went over to the front of the abbey.
The Thomas Moore House, now the Thomas Moore Tavern, was the home of the famous Irish 19th century poet. Our walk took us down to the beautiful Church of the Immaculate Conception on Rowe Street. The stone, quarried locally, has a pinkish hue. Robert Pierce designed this elegant example of 19th century Gothic architecture. The guide then pointed to the city wall again and noted the difference between the square-like Norman towers (1200s) and roundish Crusade towers (1300s).
On Rowe Street was also situated the Methodist church of Wexford which had been dedicated in 1835. Close by was the Wexford Theatre Royal. For more than thirty years professional operatic productions by famous artists from around the world have been held here every October.
Some of the streets of Wexford are the same narrow Danish streets of old. Our guide demonstrated how one might shake hands with a person on the other side of the street. The loud singing you hear in the background was from a nude woman in an apartment window trying to draw our attention.
The J. C. Penny store of Wexford (29 Main Street south) had been the site of the headquarters of Oliver Cromwell in 1649.
In the center of the Crescent Quay is a large bronze
statue of Commodore John Barry, the father of the American navy. Barry was born in Wexford County in 1745.
On a park bench facing the statue were some local drinkers under the influence.
From this park-like setting one could get a nice view of the Wexford Harbor. Understandably, the biggest single employer here is the fishing business.
Leaving Wexford, we headed north to the lovely Vale of Avoca (not on the tape because the bus did not stop) made famous by the melodies of Thomas Moore. At this deeply peaceful setting, beneath a riverside tree, the famous Irish poet Thomas Moore composed his 1807 poem “The Meeting of the Waters.”
And, on to Glendalough, “Valley of the Two Lakes,” known for its remarkable early monastic ruins and scenic setting. The gateway (unfortunately, I did not video it) is the only surviving entrance to an ancient monastic site anywhere in Ireland.
Among the gravestones in the cemetery was this large Celtic cross. Made of granite, it is the best preserved such cross on the site. The circle on the cross is said to represent paganism, whereas the cross signifies Christianity replaced it. According to our guide Tommy Barnes, who was leaning on the cross, this is said to be the burial place of St. Kevin.
In the 6th century St. Kevin, seeking solitude, settled in this remote valley as a hermit. His piety and learning, however, soon attracted so many disciples that he founded a monastery. When he died in 618 at a great age Glendalough’s great days were only beginning. His school here is said to have had more than a thousand students. Baedeker,
Ireland, p. 190
From the cemetery we had a good view of the Round Tower. It is still in its original condition apart from the roof, which is reconstructed from the old stones. The round tower found in early monastic settlements is a characteristically Irish development, though there ar two examples in Scotland. It is a slender and elegant structure tapering to between 60 feet and 100 feet, with a conical stone roof — the central and most prominent feature of the monastic site. In addition to serving as a bell tower, they also provided a place of safety in case of attack. The entrance was several feet above the ground, and within the tower narrow ladders gave access to the upper stories. The various floors, of which there were usually five, were lit only by narrow windows, all facing in different directions, so that a watch could be kept for the approach of an enemy. Baedeker,
Ireland, p. 44
St. Kevin’s Church, an early barrel-vaulted oratory, has a high-pitched stone roof and a round tower belfry (12th century). Close up shot of the belfry.
The Priest’s House is a 12th century building in Irish Romanesque style. In the background is the beautiful Irish countryside.
Before leaving Glendalough, Annette took a video of Fred reaching his arms around St. Kevin’s Celtic Cross and touching his fingers. A legend has it that if you can do this your wish will come true.
Our bus then drove to Dublin. The location of our hotel could not have better. On the map below we were situated near St. Stephen’s Square (lower right).
Our evening stay was at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, the Irish capital. According to Fodor’s (pp. 138,144), our hotel was opened in 1969, and is the first and largest of Dublin’s modern hotels. The staff was quite friendly and attentive. Public rooms were well decorated. The generous-size bedrooms have large picture windows. Irish cabaret in summer, but drink (wine only) prices are really high. Dress is informal.
Before retiring, Annette and I went to a local deli for fish and chips carryout. With our little sack lunches we went into St. Stephen’s Green and found a park bench in front of a beautiful fountain called “The Three Fates.” Pleasant place to eat dinner.
St. Stephen’s Green is a verdant city-center square, with extensive lakeside paths. It was an open common until 1663.
Lord Ardiluan (statue on right) , a member of the Guinness brewery family, paid for the space to be laid out as a park in 1880. Among the park’s many statues is aforementioned The Three Fates, a dramatic group of bronze female figures watching over Man’s destiny by a fountain. The German people gave the fountain and sculpture to the Irish after World War II in gratitude for relieving distress after the devastation of war. (Note: Ireland was neutral, unlike Britain, during WWII)
Since it did not become dark until 10 p.m., we walked around the park some more and watched ducks at one of the lakes.
July 1, Saturday
After a
full breakfast at the Burlington Hotel, we took a city tour of Dublin, a city of one million residents, about one-third of the population of the whole Irish Republic. Our bus tour included the following, which we saw but did not tape:
We cruised by the Arbor Hill Cemetery, where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Up-rising are buried. A total of 14 Irish were executed by the British, which included Patrick Pearse.
And went through Phoenix Park, Europe’s largest public park. Among the park monuments worth noting is the Phoenix Column erected by Lord Chesterfield in 1747. Another monument worth seeing was the 198-foot obelisk, built in 1817 to commemorate the Duke of Wellington, the Irish general who defeated Napoleon for the British. A much more recent monument marks the visit to Ireland by Pope John Paul II in 1979, when he addressed more than a million people here. Residences within the walls include those of the President of the Republic and the U.S. ambassador. Birnbaum,
Ireland 95, p. 112.
One of our stops was St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland. This is an Anglican cathedral. The original building was dedicated in 1192. Sir Benjamin Guinness, of the brewing family, paid for its renovation in 1860. The Guinness family not only financed the reconstruction of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, they built housing estates, supported welfare agencies and took an interest in the economic well being of the work force. They can also be credited with the sponsoring of the “Guinness Book of Records”. 60% of the beer drunk in Ireland is brewed at their plant in Dublin. By 1870 it had become the largest brewery in the world. The Dublin brewery exports 40% of its total
production. Baedeker,
Ireland, p. 159
Inside by the entrance was this stone marker from the traditional site of St. Patrick’s Well. Close by the entrance was also a tribute to Jonathan Swift (author of
Gulliver’s Travels) who served as a former dean of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745. The burial place of Swift and “Stella” is marked on the floor and is roped off. There is an epitaph he himself composed: “He lies where furious indignation can no longer rend his heart.”
Next to the stained glass window of St. Patrick was a statue of St. Patrick. According to Tommy Barnes, our guide, this is the reputed burial site of St. Patrick.
From St. Patrick’s we headed past Christ Church Cathedral (will visit later) for the Trinity College Library to see their book collection. This is Ireland’s most valuable collection of ancient volumes and manuscripts, the most famous of these is the Book of Kells, a splendidly illuminated version of the Gospels, which dates back to the 9th century monks.
After seeing the magnificent Book of Kells, Annette and I started our free time by touring the campus of
Trinity College (below). Trinity College, the sole college of Dublin University, Ireland’s oldest, dating back to 1592, when it was founded by England’s Queen Elizabeth I on the site of the confiscated Priory of All Hollows. For centuries Trinity was the preserve of the Protestant church, and it is only within the past 30 years that final prohibitions barring Catholics from studying there have been lifted.
Among the distinguished alumni of the college are Jonathan Swift, Thomas Moore, Oscar Wilde, J. M. Synge, Edmund Burke, Brom Stoker, and Samuel Beckett. No statues of people on horseback remain today, as the IRA has since blown them up. Fodor, Ireland, p. 82
Trinity’s grounds cover 40 acres, and most of its buildings were constructed in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The extensive West Front, with a classical portico in the Corinthian style, faces onto College Green It was built between 1755 and 1759, possibly the work of Theodore Jacobsen. I couldn’t resist taping the statue of orator
Edmund Burke positioned close to the front gate. Back home at school I spend considerable class time discussing Edmund Burks philosophy with college students.
Across from the Trinity College West Front, and on College Green, was the large impressive Bank of Ireland. This grand structure, with a facade incorporating Corinthian pillars into its Ionic porticos, was first designed by Sir Edward Lovett Pearce to house the Irish Parliament, which resided here 17 years (until Parliament was abolished in 1803 under the Act of Union). The Bank of Ireland then purchased it. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of the architecture of the period.
Just down the street was Dublin’s Castle. In the Lower Yard I taped the Record Tower (right) and the Chapel. In the Upper Yard I taped the major portion of the castle.
King John began the construction of a castle (completed 1226) of which little survives, and then much altered, in the present building. From the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921, the castle was the seat of the Viceroy and the headquarters of British administration. The Round Drawing Room in Bermingham Tower dates from 1411 and was rebuilt in 1777; a number of Irish leaders have been imprisoned in this tower from the 16th century to the early 20th century
Baedeker, p. 156; Fodor p. 86
Continuing on the same street, we walked up to the exterior of Christ Church Cathedral Christ Church Cathedral, one of the two Protestant cathedrals (Anglican) in Dublin. The cathedral, originality a stone church built in 1173, was largely reconstructed in 1871-1878 in early Gothic style. Remains of the 12th century church are still quite evident. Vikings converted to Christianity built the original cathedral. The cathedral stood in the center of Viking Dublin and allows us to place the ancient city accurately. We started out by looking at the ruins of the original structure, the chapter House.
Inside views include the nave, the vaulted ceiling, and a Bible stand in the form of an eagle. We were informed that the holes on the stand were there from the Reformation era so that the expensive Bible could be chained to the stand. On the side of the church is the tomb of Richard Longbow, the Norman invader, who replaced the Viking wooden church of 1038 with a new stone church in 1173. We also saw an impressive monument to Robert Earl of Kildare.
The dusty crypt contains numerous architectural fragments of different periods and 17th century statues of Charles II and James II (the royal arms of the Stuarts between them). Behind security bars are the tabernacles and candlesticks brought here in 1689 by James I fleeing England. There is also on display a cat and a rat, which were trapped in an organ pipe and became mummified.
Back out on the street again we watched a street artist in front of the monument to Molly Malone. Molly Malone statue in Grafton Street, was unveiled by then Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Ben Briscoe during 1988 the Dublin Millennium celebrations, declaring June 13 as Molly Malone Day. Molly Malone is a popular song, set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City. It has also in Ireland acquired the status of an Irish anthem. The song is sung by supporters of Dublin GAA, Leinster Rugby teams, Doncaster Rovers F. C. , The King's Hospital and the Irish international rugby team. It was also featured in the film, A Clockwork Orange.
The song tells the tale of a beautiful fishmonger who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but who died young, of a fever. Recently a legend has grown up that there was a historical Molly, who lived in the 17th century. Day and part-time prostitute typically represent her as a hawker by night. In contrast she has also been portrayed as one of the few chaste female street-hawkers of her day. However, there is no evidence that the song is based on a real woman, of the 17th century or at any other time. The name "Molly" originated as a familiar version of the names Mary and Margaret. While many such "Molly" Malones were born in Dublin over the centuries, no evidence connects any of them to the events in the song.[1][2] Nevertheless, in 1988 the Dublin Millennium Commission endorsed claims concerning a Molly Malone who died on 13 June 1699, and proclaimed 13 June to be "Molly Malone day". In fact the song is not recorded earlier than 1883, when it was published in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Francis Brothers and Day also published it in London 1884 as a work written and composed by James Yorkston, of Edinburgh, with music arranged by Edmund Forman. The song is in a familiar tragic-comic mode popular in this period, probably influenced by earlier songs with a similar theme, such as Percy Montrose's "My Darling Clementine," which was written circa 1880.
One of the real highlights of our visit to Ireland Was the National Gallery of Ireland. Francis Fowke, who was also responsible for London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, designed the building. The National Gallery contains more than 2,000 paintings, with a large number representing the Irish School. We started in the Shaw Room, named after George Bernard Shaw who generously donated financial support to the Gallery. Fittingly, there is a bust of the great author as we entered the room. We saw one painting of a young Irish girl (below) that so impressed us we purchased a copy from the gift shop. When we returned home to New Ulm, we hung it up in our living room.
The following art works in the Gallery are on the Wulff videotape:
Princess of Leinster with the Norman Richard (Strongbow) by Daniel Maclise
The Annunciation by Peter Paul Reubens
Harvesters at Rest (French School) by Leon Lhermitte
Still Life with a Mandolin by Pablo Picasso
Julie Bonaparte, Queen of Naples, with her Daughters by Baron Gerard
Portrait of a Young Woman by Rembrandt
The Rest on the Flight Into Egypt by Rembrandt
Saint Francis of Assisi by Peter Paul Reubens
A Peasant Wedding by Peter Brueghel the Younger
The Volunteers in College Green (Irish School) by Francis Wheatley
Girl in Connemara (Irish School) by Augustus Burke
Irish Family, artist unknown
Immigrant Ship: Sunset in Dublin Harbor by Edwin Hayes
After leaving the Gallery we walked over to Stephen’s Green. On the way we saw this fine example of Georgian architecture, of which Dublin is famous. Built along side it is an example of the later more embellished Victorian architecture. The brick fronts of these Georgian houses with their tall windows are beautifully proportioned; their only form of ornament, in endless variation, lies in their painted doors. Dublin’s terraces of Georgian houses remained almost intact until well into this century. Since then they have fallen victim to the demolition man to make room for development. It is only in recent years and at the cost of great effort that it has been possible to save and restore properly some of the city’s finest streets and squares. Baedeker,
Ireland, p. 50
Once back in Stephen’s Green we looked for a monument (bust) to James Joyce. James Joyce (1882-1941), one of Ireland’s greatest 20th century writers, set his major achievements (Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses, and Finnegan’s Wake) in Dublin; he never wrote about another place.
He was, however, unsentimental about his native city, and at one time referred to it as the Center of Paralysis. Joyce spent the first 22 years of his life in Dublin and the last 36 in self-imposed exile.
Yet he knew and remembered Dublin in such incredible detail that he used to claim that if the city were destroyed, it could be rebuilt in its entirety from his written works, particularly
Ulysses. Fodor,
Ireland, p. 98
Evening stay at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.
GO ON TO 1995 IRELAND PART III
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