Our next and final stop in Ireland was Dublin.

The sites we visited in and around Dublin are listed in pink at left. 

Click on them for more information and pictures.

"Crossing Stephen's that is my green..."

~ James Joyce 1882-1941

Entrance to St. Stephen's Green from Grafton Street.

The above quote is found on a bust of James Joyce in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin.  St. Stephen's Green is basically a park in the center of town.  It contains a pond, a fountain and many statues of important Irish figures.  It's a perfect place to escape the busy city life.  Once stepping through an entrance, one is immediately surrounded by trees and grass.  It's such a relaxing atmosphere.  We saw many business people on their lunch breaks, families playing, and tourists sightseeing.  Of the famous statues in the green, we visited James Joyce and Constance Markievicz ( we learned about her first in Sligo at the Lissadell House). 

Erik, Alicia and I had a quick lunch in the green.  As we first walked through the entrance from Grafton Street, we found a bench along side the pond.  There were pigeons EVERYWHERE!!  I was nearly be-headed while trying to take a picture of the pond.  One thing about pigeons, and you will encounter many of them on your trip (in Ireland and Italy), is that they all decide to go flying around at any given moment.  They don't seem to have any sense of direction, so really you are at risk of being flown into- or pooped on...so really, be careful here!  There were lots of other birds present, so if you like bird watching bring your binoculars and have at it.