VIKINGS IN DUBLIN:
We enjoyed another great breakfast here at Blooms Hotel. While our trip is not over we walked to the Liffey River to find the bus stop for our return to the airport in a couple of days.
Today we will be going on a walking tour with a Viking. After a DNA test revealed my roots are not only in the British Isles but also through out the Shetlands, Orkneys, Faroe Islands into Iceland and Norway, my interest in Viking history was sparked.
Our Most Excellent Guide Bran the Dublin Viking
The more I study and learn about this subject the more I realize the significance of the Viking influence on Ireland. Yes we know of the raiding parties and battles waged by the Northmen and their search for land to settle.
Today we went with Viking Legacy Trails to explore the medieval area of Dublin. Bran arrived in his full Viking garb and we were off for a three hour tour exploring medieval Dublin. The depth of this experience is beyond words as we walked the streets learning the history and lifestyle of those early settler invaders. Bran, our guide was an infinite font of knowledge. His presentation was rather engaging and a pleasure to experience. We learned of the many names Dublin has had over the years, the bits of history of the quest for power.
Some stops along the way:
Little did I know of a massive archaeological discovered in Dublin. These tiles depict artifacts discovered during the excavation.
The entrance to the garden memorializing the fallen Irish Police Officers
These markers you may run across in Dublin mark the boundary of the old city wall.
My head is reeling to digest all the information which was shared.
I shall quote the Viking Legacy Trails to describe our guide: “I am a dedicated Viking Actor/Re-Enactor with a deep love of history and our Norse/Gael heritage and it’s historical influence on the incredible city that is Dublin today. I provide an interactive entertainment based tour of Viking and Medieval Dublin taking you through the historic narrative with fun stories, myths and legends as told by a 9th Century Viking Warrior.”
This experience was well worth our time and I am now more inspired to learn more of this Viking chapter. I highly recommend this tour to get a full understanding of the early history of Dublin and Ireland. I should mention we were lucky to have a small group of just four people. The other folks joining the tour were a couple from Boston, and we had an enjoyable fun post tour time with them. We all enjoy travel and a love of dogs.
After the tour we dropped into Darkey Kelly’s for a couple pints. Then to Leo Burdock, the oldest chipper in Dublin to try their fish and chips. The single portion of fish and chips was quite healthy. I was amazed as to the weight of the order. We walked to the local church courtyard where we found a bench to enjoy the excellent fish and chips. The batter was light and the fish was firm and tasty.
We bid our new friends farewell and walked back to our hotel. Our path took us through Temple Bar area and we made a stop at Keoghs Cafe for a dessert scone. Yes this cafe bakery lives up to their reputation for their baked goods.
Back in our room we prepared for tomorrows activity, a self guided murder master walkabout.
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