It is fitting that our first Dublin Cultural Tour should take place on the centenary of the Easter Rising. In the company of our extremely knowledgeable friend, Howard Gregg, we shall explore many of the most important locations of this key event in the bid for Irish independence; among them the General Post Office which was the rebels’ headquarters and Kilmainham Gaol where the leaders of the Rising were executed.
But there is much more to Dublin than its role in the Easter Rising. Indeed, six days is only enough to scratch the surface of this great European city, with its cultural heritage which dates back more than a thousand years.
Our exploration of this rich inheritance will take in the stunning Early Christian treasures to be seen at the National museum, including the Tara brooch and Ardagh Chalice; and the unmissable Book of Kells, displayed at Trinity, the college founded by Elizabeth I in 1592. Since the time of Jonathan Swift, onetime Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, writers have been drawn to Dublin – their stories are celebrated at the Dublin Writers’ Museum.
Dublin’s attraction to writers has been equalled only by its appeal to artists; a fact reflected in a host of world-class galleries from the National Gallery of Ireland and the Irish Museum of Modern Art to the Dublin City Gallery with its fine collection of impressionist paintings and 19th and 20th
century Irish and European art.
We will also be sampling some of the finest food on offer in Dublin; there has been a culinary revolution in Ireland over the past few years and the city now boasts some of Europe’s best dining. I am sure that this first outing to this fascinating city will not be our last!
