Wicklow Weekend, Monday

Our last day and once again we started with the now famous Ballyknocken breakfast. We were a little earlier starting as we planned to spend the time we had in Dublin. Once we got within the city boundaries we realized it was the day of the Dublin Ladies half marathon and that roads were gradually being closed off. We managed to get within seeing distance of the Guinness factory before asking direction, and then we were quickly there. Some women directed round the corner to the safe parking – all the luggage was in the car, and we were soon paying to enter the Storehouse ‘experience’. The self guided tour takes you wandering up to the seventh floor bar with panoramic views of the city, around a central atrium in the shape of a Guinness glass. We were taken through the whole process of brewing that rich dark pint and eventually reached the pinnacle where you could exchange your ticket for a pint. Lots of people were there supping away and admiring the view on the hot sunny lunchtime. But we couldn’t linger too long as we wanted to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College Library. We moved to a car park in town, and rushed off to Trinity College. On the way we saw lots of people dressed up to run in the half marathon – athletic outfits and silly costumes! Then we were in the courtyard with its Victorian campanile and hurrying towards the Library. It was very hushed inside and we walked through the first part of the exhibition, which explained the origins of the Book of Kells. It is very interesting and included many large reproductions of various manuscripts leading up to the book of Kells. The Book itself is displayed upstairs in a room of its own, lying open at one page. It would be wonderful to be able to turn the pages and view all the amazing calligraphy and illuminated pages. After seeing this, we had to ascend to the Long Gallery, which dates from 1732. At 64m long and with its spectacular vaulted ceiling, it is said to house 200,000 antiquarian books that can be borrowed by members of the Library.
Now we had to get to the airport as flights were calling us home. We managed the one way system and were soon handing over our car and catching the shuttle to T1. Check-in procedures were completed and we said goodbye as M & N and D & S went off for their flights; ours was a little later. It was a wonderful weekend and we all said a big thank you to S for her great generosity and organisation.