Archives for “Relaxing” tag

Even if, like many, you gave up on Ulysses after about ten pages, you will still be familiar with the place where Buck Mulligan came down for his “scrotum tightening” morning dip in the “snot green” waters of the Irish Sea. Joyce actually lived in the Martello Tower here for a while, which is now a Joyce museum.

The Forty Foot is also famous for the fact that up to relatively recent times it was exclusively a gentleman’s bathing area, popular with nudists, before feminists stormed the barricades.

Never mind the history though, the simple reason I love this place and frequent it every summer is that its just a great place to swim. It is essentially just a rocky outcrop next to tiny Sandycove Beach, on which a few basic shelters have been built, and out of which steps have been carved down into to the sea. The water is nearly always cold, even in summer, there can be strong currents, jellyfish are sometimes a menace, and regular swimmers have even been know to take the odd bite from a seal. But these challenges and obstacles are all part of what makes swimming here such an exhilarating experience.

If you happen to be in Dublin at Christmas and feel like doing something a bit crazy, the Christmas Day swim here is a hugely popular local tradition.

To get to the Forty Foot from town, take the DART to Sandycove/Glasthule station. Its a pleasant 10-minute walk from there.

Modelled on the Parisian version, the Dublin Bike Scheme has been a huge success since its introduction in 2009.

To obtain an annual, Long Term Hire Card requires online registration. However, for those on a short break in the city, 3-day tickets can be purchased by credit card for €2 at 14 terminals throughout the city. After that, it couldn’t be simpler.

There are over 40 terminals at present, located in close proximity around the city centre. Simply pick a bike up at one and drop it off at another. The first 30 minutes of use is free, with charges increasing incrimentally beyond that.

A word of warning: Dublin is not the most cycle-friendly city in the world, and negotiating the traffic on two wheels can be a sometimes hair-raising experience. However, things are improving, especially with the removal of many of the large trucks from the city centre.

This is definitely the coolest mode of transport in Dublin right now.

Ask a member of Dublin’s chattering classes to name their favourite “secret spot” in the city, and there’s a fair chance the response will be the Iveagh Gardens. It has become this almost mythical place that nobody is supposed to know about, yet everybody does.

Nevertheless it remains true that, thanks to its concealed location behind the National Concert Hall, this wonderful park attracts nothing like the crowds of nearby St Stephen’s Green.

The gardens combine traditional English landscaping with formal features like statues, fountains, rockeries and a rose garden. The real beauty of the place, however, is the feeling of quiet seclusion.

If you fancy reading a book, having a nap or just whiling away a few hours on a sunny day in Dublin, this is a much more attractive option than jostling for space in St Stephen’s Green.

In 1999 archaeologists discovered mass burial graves from the post-medieval era underneath Trinity College. Apart from the somewhat gruesome collection of human and animal bones, the remains of a camel were also apparently found … yes, a camel. It makes you wonder what exactly a camel was doing in Dublin at the time – my own personal theory is that the deceased met a grisly end at the hands of a disgruntled circus ringmaster!

Somewhat off the beaten-track in the College is another burial site – Chaloner’s Cemetery. It’s located just beside the ATM that can be found between the Chapel and the Dining Hall off Parliament Square. When you do find it you won’t be surprised to know that it is Dublin’s smallest cemetery.

Named after the first Provost (President/Chancellor) of Trinity College, it marks the burial places of a number of the College’s Provosts and Fellows. On the side of this little graveyard you’ll also see the steps that lead down to the vaults (and presumably more graves) underneath the Chapel. The plaques on the wall that affectionately pay tribute to academic staff show that the graveyard has continued to be used even relatively recently.

Mind you, I still can’t help think about that poor camel …

Picture the scene, Dublin, about 1915 …

“Right Constable, we’re going to build a new police station in the centre of the city. It’s got to be imposing and make the ruffians of this city respect the law”

“Well Sergeant, can I suggest something in the Scottish Baronial style?”

“Scottish what?”

“You know … little turrets, porches, like a big castle in the Scottish Highlands, very pretty …”

“I’m not convinced …”

“Well, if we want people to know it’s police station, we can also attach little policemen’s heads above the doors … they’ll look pretty too”

“I’m not sure you’re suited to be a policeman”

——————-

This is my own personal version of the conversation that led to the construction of the Garda Station at the end of Pearse Street. It was actually built for the Gardai’s precursor, the Dublin Metropolitan Police, in 1915 and does seem to be a little eccentric for a police station in the heart of the city.

Now I’m not suggesting that visitors hang about outside a police station but the little policemen’s heads sticking out from the wall are worth a quick look. They have serious expressions but I find them more comical than anything else. It’s not something I think they could get away with these days.