Cathedrals

Since today is my only free Sunday in Dublin, I wanted to attend a service at either Christ Church Cathedral, right across the street, or St. Patricks Cathedral, a few blocks down the street. I went online to check out the times of the services and decided to attend Christ Church this morning and St. Patricks this afternoon.

The service at Christ Church began at 11am. I had not entered Christ Church in my last visit to Dublin, so I definitely wanted to see the inside. You can pay 6 Euros to tour the church, but I wanted to actually attend a service if I could. From the website, "It is Dublin’s oldest building, though much changed in the course of its thousand year history. Architecturally, it is famed for its Norman crypt (the second largest in Britain or Ireland) and for the arcading of the nave which is considered to be the finest example of Early English in the country. It is probably both liturgically and musically the most ambitious of Ireland’s Anglican places of worship." The service was run by the The Very Revd Dermot P. M. Dunne, the Dean of Christ Church, in addition to four other men in various colored robes. When church was over I wandered around the sancuary to check out the inside of this historical landmark. I didn't plan on taking any pictures until the door opened and the tourists with backpacks and cameras entered the church, before the sacraments were even collected. With that, I took out my camera and started clicking away. The pictures can be found at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/joanne.leight

After church I came back to the flat, picked up my backpack and map, and headed back out to a surprisingly sunny day in Dublin. I grabbed a late lunch at a place called South Street (it reminded me of Philly) and decided to head to Saint Stephens Green. I never got there last year, although I rode past it every day on the bus. It was either too late (it closes at dusk) or too rainy to venture into the park a year ago. It is a great place and was filled with lots people today. Some were sitting on benches drinking tea/coffee, feeding the pigeons, swans or ducks, pushing strollers, or taking pictures. It was full of activity. I found this description on another website, "St. Stephen's Green was enclosed in 1664. The 22 acre park was laid out in its present form in 1880. Landscaped with flowerbeds, trees, a fountain and a lake, the green is dotted with memorials to eminent Dubliners. The 1887 bandstand is still the focal point for free daytime concerts in summer." You can check the above link for photos of the park.

I then ventured into uncharted territory by trekking to St. Patricks Catheral, for a 3:15 Evensong Service. My sense of direction is not so good, but I made it without incident. It did help that I was following a very large steeple. I joined the many people snapping photos in the courtyard. I wandered to the entrance about 25 minutes before the service was to begin and noticed a large crowd already filing in. A women was shooing tourists away and I asked if visitors were permitted to Evensong. She asked a man in a white robe and he said yes, but it was Remembrance Sunday and the place was already pretty packed. I entered and found a seat in the very last row of the massive cathedral. There were many older men wearing dark suits with medals. They must have served their time in the military decades ago. Ten of these men marched in holding flags of various military associations around Ireland. The most incredible treat was the attendance of the President of Ireland, Mrs. Mary McAleese. She was escorted to the State Pew two minutes before the service began. With her were the President of the Women's Section of the Royal British Legion of the Republic of Ireland, and also

the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, both of who read the lessons of the service. The sermon was delivered by the Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe. The President laid a wreath at the war memorial in the north transept during the service. This was impossible to see from where I was sitting, but I did check it out when the service was over. I took a little bit of time to walk around the sactuary and read the many memorials. Jonathan Swift was Dean of St. Patricks for many years. It is a wonderful building. I was thrilled to see the President and have her stand only about ten feet away from me. It was a real treat.

Dusk was beginning so I headed back up the hill to the flat. I ducked into the Centra for a couple cans of Pepsi and noticed they were having a sale, buy one six pack of Pepsi get one free. Score! 

Tonight I am watching football on my slingbox, Two and a Half Men reruns on TV, and trying to map out the bus schedule for the student teachers. They begin school tomorrow. I will give them a day to get settled and will start making the rounds on Tuesday. The fun begins...